The Fed-Ex man came today and well................

[MarquiseGirl]

I ordered 3 stones from overseas (something I vowed not to do) from 2 different vendors, and for the most part am pleased. I ordered a red Burma spinel from gemcal.com and I absolutely love it. Then I ordered 2 stones from somewhere else, the first was a Mahenge spinel and the second was a tsavorite. I love the Mahenge spinel and I love the color of the tsavorite but I have concerns about the cut. I would like to know what you all think about the stones, most importantly the tsavorite.

Here is the red Burma spinel, it''s a cushion weighing 1.44 carats and Eye clean.

 

[MarquiseGirl]

Here is a second pic of the red spinel

 

[MarquiseGirl]

I have no idea how to post more than 1 picture at a time, I''m sorry.
This is the 0.99 carat marquise Mahenge spinel and VS clarity

 

[MarquiseGirl]

Another of the Mahenge

 

[MarquiseGirl]

OK, now for the tsavorite. When I bought it is was a 1.22 carat radiant cut, and after the vendor repolished it the stone came to me as 1.06 carats and Eye clean.

 

[MarquiseGirl]

#2

 

[MarquiseGirl]

#3

 

[MarquiseGirl]

#4

 

[MarquiseGirl]

Last one, sorry my cat got in the way while taking this picture.

 

[chrono]

None are of fine quality but if you like them and didn’t pay a lot, just enjoy them. Because all your pictures show your stones at an angle and with glare coming off the table, I cannot tell a thing about the cut of all 3 stones. How accurate are the colours shown in the picture?

 

[Kismet]

Was the tsavorite repolished or recut? I have no experience in this but 0.16ct seems to be a lot of weight to lose on just a repolishing.

ETA: I like the color of the mahenge but the color of the red spinel and tsavorite don't do a lot for me.

 

[chrono]

Kismet,
I agree that there shouldn’t be such a huge weight loss involved in a polishing job; it sounds more like minor cutting adjustments?

 

[MarquiseGirl]

As far as the colors go, the red spinel is really red in person, the Mahenge is a tad more pinkish and the tsavorite has a much better color that the pictures show. The stones aren''t cheap stones, I paid a good deal of money for them, maybe the pictures don''t depict very well what I see when I look at them. The vendor told me that he would repolish the Mahenge and the tsavorite prior to sending them to me, when I bought the marquise it was 1.00 carat then after repolishing it went to 0.99 carat but the tsavorite seems to have lost a good deal from a "polish". I have never seen a radiant cut in person, which is why I am wondering about the cut on the tsavorite. I appreciate your input though!!!!

 

[Arkteia]

I like the Burmese one!

 

[chictomato]

Hi there! Honestly, in terms of saturation, weight and cut, these should not cost you too much. Maybe you can look thru some of the custom-cutter (Dan stair, Gene etc) and to have a rough idea to what to expect for the money you paid But most importantly is that you like it! then...enjoy it

 

[brazen_irish_hussy]

I love the spinel and think it is much prettier than most of the ones I see. I love that deep, slightly wine color. The other 2 I am more mixed on. In particular, from what I can tell about the tsvorite, I think it may be a bad cut. If it were me, I would keep the spinel and send the other 2 back.

 

[T L]

Since you wanted to know what people think, I have to tell you. . .
if your photographs are accurate representations of the stone color, then I hope he has a return policy. Unfortunately, I would not spend a great deal of money on any of them. The top spinel is very dark and is lacking in red saturation based on the photo, sort of like a dark reddish garnet. The marquise is a bit washed out and has a huge window and the tsavorite appears to have a strong grey and yellow cast to it, making it appear quite olive. The window is also very large.

 

[stci]

Date: 6/10/2010 10:54:58 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Since you wanted to know what people think, I have to tell you. . .
if your photographs are accurate representations of the stone color, then I hope he has a return policy. Unfortunately, I would not spend a great deal of money on any of them. The top spinel is very dark and is lacking in red saturation based on the photo, sort of like a dark reddish garnet. The marquise is a bit washed out and has a huge window and the tsavorite appears to have a strong grey and yellow cast to it, making it appear quite olive. The window is also very large.

Is this me or you''re always really picky Tourmaline? Would like to see picture of all your stones, I beat they are all perfects!

 

[Rockit]

It is difficult to get a read on the cut due to the glare and distance in the photos. However, from what I can see, I''m afraid that I must agree that these do not seem to be of the quality that I hope you will accept if you paid significant money for them. I own red and pink spinel and tsavorite – some native cut and some custom cut – and they are all bright, richly hued, well saturated, evenly colored and lively stones without windows or noticeable modifiers. I just don''t see that here.

Also, I hate to bring this up, but, are you sure the stones you first saw and purchased online are the same stones that you have in your hand, albeit "repolished/recut?" Seems quite strange to me.

Now, if you love any or all three, this is what is important. Go with your heart. There is no "right" or "wrong." OTOH, if you are having doubts, and are concerned about money spent not being in line with the gems you have received, then, do not hesitate to return one, two or all three. Better safe than heartsick. And, oftentimes, your little voice knows...

 

[chictomato]

Date: 6/10/2010 11:01:37 PM
Author: stci

Date: 6/10/2010 10:54:58 PM

Author: tourmaline_lover

Since you wanted to know what people think, I have to tell you. . .

if your photographs are accurate representations of the stone color, then I hope he has a return policy. Unfortunately, I would not spend a great deal of money on any of them. The top spinel is very dark and is lacking in red saturation based on the photo, sort of like a dark reddish garnet. The marquise is a bit washed out and has a huge window and the tsavorite appears to have a strong grey and yellow cast to it, making it appear quite olive. The window is also very large.

Is this me or you're always really picky Tourmaline? Would like to see picture of all your stones, I beat they are all perfects!

I have to say that we pay for what we want, and its fully acceptable to be picky I am super fussy too!

eta: Yeah, its better to hear honest opinion than some hypocritical ones. Well that's what PS is all about.

 

[T L]

Stci,
No, they are not all perfect, I actually opened a thread on my hideous learning stones a few days ago as an example of how bad some of my gems can look, and I hope people learn from my bad examples.

I have become very picky over the years as far as color is concerned, and while I don't buy top top gem quality stones because they're too expensive. I do try to buy the best quality for my money. If I see someone asking for an opinion, I will also give an honest opinion, and I hope I can help them try to save their money and use it toward a better gemstone purchase. I hope I have saved some people some money while I have been a member of Pricescope. It is important to be an educated consumer. We all work too hard for our money.

 

[chrono]

I understand that accurate photography can be a PITA, so I hope all 3 stones look a lot better in IRL than the pictures, especially more so if you paid a lot for them. Cutting aside which I cannot tell due to the glare in almost all your pictures, none of the stones stand out for me. Even if the red spinel is redder than pictured, it appears rather dark and is possibly windowed. The Mahenge does not show the “glow” which Mahenges are famous for and is most likely windowed as well. The tsavorite appears to have the largest window of all, and appears somewhat grayish and yellowish.

 

[VapidLapid]

Do you have perhaps the original vendor photos for comparison?

The following is gemcal''s return policy. Note the $10 restocking fee.

Gemcal is committed to your satisfaction. Every single item is thoroughly inspected to ensure that it meets our high standard of quality before it is packed for shipment. However, if you are not satisfied with the items received, we will gladly refund the items purchased.

You can return the purchased items within 10 days. Countdown starts on the day you received & signed for the parcel with FedEx. If you wish to return a product, simply send e-mail to our customer service at [email protected] and we will guide you through the return procedure.

Only items that are in their original undamaged, unaltered, condition will be accepted for a refund. A refund will not be given for a product that has been damaged or worn in anyway. Items on promotion or sale are not returnable!

Refunds will be processed within one week after the items are received and examined.

Please use a traceable and secure shipping service for your returns.

Refunds will be given according to the original purchase price indicated on your invoice.

Please note that we can refund shipping costs only if the return is a result of our error; otherwise, shipping charges are not refundable and a restocking fee of 10 USD per shipment will apply.

Refunds on returned goods will be made to the original credit card only.

Once you place an order and your payment has been verified, you are committed to the transaction. If you are ever unsatisfied with any of our goods, for whatever reason, you can return and get a refund. However, if you refuse to accept the order shipment when it is delivered to you, we will not able to process a refund.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 6/11/2010 8:35:58 AM
Author: Chrono
I understand that accurate photography can be a PITA, so I hope all 3 stones look a lot better in IRL than the pictures, especially more so if you paid a lot for them. Cutting aside which I cannot tell due to the glare in almost all your pictures, none of the stones stand out for me. Even if the red spinel is redder than pictured, it appears rather dark and is possibly windowed. The Mahenge does not show the “glow” which Mahenges are famous for and is most likely windowed as well. The tsavorite appears to have the largest window of all, and appears somewhat grayish and yellowish.

well, this is just what I was planning to write but C already has it said..
Ah well, I will add my 0.02c anyway

Sorry to say Marquisegirl, but I would not be inclined to keep any of these gems..
Moreover, you say you paid a "great deal of money" - now, budget is somewhat subjective but I am 99% sure you could find very similar stones on ebay for a small sum of money.

My impressions of the stones from your pics:
The spinel I would not call red - more wine, or burgundy. If you paid red spinel prices, this is not good..It does appear windowed to me.
I wouldn''t classify that as a Mahenge, from the photos. It doesn''t have the correct colour or glow..plus it will be a very awkward shape to set.
Again, I would not call that a tsavorite from the pic - it looks like a bit of an olivey green to me, and I agree has a very big window.

I hope you understand I am not saying any of these things to upset you, I realize you are saying the photos are not completely representative of what you actually see..
If you had come on and said "these are some cheapy stones I grabbed on a whim from ebay" I would probably say keep them as you say you like them..
But that is not the circumstance, and it appears you are still within your return policy?

 

[MarquiseGirl]

Hi all. Thanks for all the replies and of course the opinions. I did in fact decide to return the tsavorite but I am keeping the 2 spinels. I know the Mahenge spinel is not top color, I just like the light pink color it has and of course it is a marquise. I value everyones input, thanks!!!

 

[stci]

Date: 6/10/2010 11:54:39 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Stci,
No, they are not all perfect, I actually opened a thread on my hideous learning stones a few days ago as an example of how bad some of my gems can look, and I hope people learn from my bad examples.

I have become very picky over the years as far as color is concerned, and while I don''t buy top top gem quality stones because they''re too expensive. I do try to buy the best quality for my money. If I see someone asking for an opinion, I will also give an honest opinion, and I hope I can help them try to save their money and use it toward a better gemstone purchase. I hope I have saved some people some money while I have been a member of Pricescope. It is important to be an educated consumer. We all work too hard for our money.

Yes I saw your topic about your error Tourmaline but I would like to see all your beauties now. Hihihi! Please....

 

[T L]

Stci,
You can see many of my gems in my gallery photos. Under my avatar is a link called "pictures" and you can find many there.