To Cut or not to Cut?

[Starzin]

Good-oh! As Freke said no-one will notice the miniscule difference with your face between. Lurve the dispersion on sphene

TL - new thread please with before and afters!!!

 

[endless_summer]

What pretty bright colors! I think if its difficult to find a similar matching color, then cut away, especially if the stone is only $50, which for me would make cutting it worth the risk to get what I wanted without a frustrating search for it.

 

[chrono]

I hope the second sphene arrives this week. I've emailed Jerry Newman but he hasn't responded to my email that I sent last week.

 

[iLander]

I hope the second sphene arrives this week. I've emailed Jerry Newman but he hasn't responded to my email that I sent last week.

Find one of his old emails and write to him via a return email. Don't compose a new one. I was emailing him last week, and a couple of mine fell into his spam filter. Luckily, he accidentally found mine, but I'm wondering if he didn't find yours. He's usually so prompt . . .

 

[chrono]

iLander,
I don't have any other email except the [email protected] addrress, and I cannot find my old correspondences either.

 

[iLander]

I use this address Jerry Newman <[email protected]>

I sent him an email and told him to check his spam filter, I'll send another saying that you used that address and tell him to check that it works.

 

[chrono]

Thank you! I'll resend using the address you shared.

 

[chrono]

Jerry replied! Thank you, iLander. Yes, his website email has been down for several weeks.

I'm also back to update this thread with pictures. The newly purchased sphene has arrived. So....recut to match or leave it alone? The newer and smaller sphene is of a better cut so I would leave it untouched. It has a decent crown and sparkles a ton.

 

[T L]

Looks like a good enough match to me! Are you getting pre-made stud mountings?

 

[chrono]

I love my Whiteflash Inspirational-Al set that I am having them custom made again for the sphene and my spessartite pair. I ought to start a new thread for the spessartites but do you think I will get a noticeable improvement with some tweaking?

 

[T L]

Who is making them, Whiteflash? Will they set a sphene?

 

[chrono]

Whiteflash has confirmed that they can either make and sell just the setting or they can make and set the sphenes for me.

 

[ChrisA222]

Chrono,

I just want to say I'm glad to see you embracing Sphene!

I remember a long time ago you had said to me that you didn't love the gem, because you hadn't seen one that looked great in indoor lighting.

I've finally come to the conclusion that Sphene is my favorite gem. Im trying to get a really nice example in all the different colors. Its not the easiest gem to find in larger sizes without inclusions and enough depth to recut into Precision-Cuts (my goal, anyways).

Can't wait to see these when finished.

 

[minousbijoux]

I love my Whiteflash Inspirational-Al set that I am having them custom made again for the sphene and my spessartite pair. I ought to start a new thread for the spessartites but do you think I will get a noticeable improvement with some tweaking?

Chrono: remind me which you would be thinking of "tweaking"? Are you thinking of having the slightly bigger round pared down a bit to more closely match the other round, or are you still thinking of a recut on the oval? If it is a recut of the round, what is the current size differential in diameter of the two rounds?

edited for clarity

 

[minousbijoux]

Sorry, seem to be full of questions for you this morning. They look very nice in your photos, but seem to vary in color. Which photo do you think is more accurate regarding their typical color, the back of your hand shot, or the box shot?

 

[chrono]

The hand shot is the more accurate picture of the sphenes. The glass case distorts the colour of the stones.

1. I would like to close the window of the larger 2.5 ct oval with minimal face up loss.
2. I don't know whether I should tweak the larger of the two round sphenes, to improve sparkle (facet pattern) and match up the size.
3. I don't know whether there will be a noticeable difference from tweaking the spessartite pair.

Large round is 1.23 ct and measures 6.2 mm
Small round is 1.06 ct and measures 5.8 mm

 

[minousbijoux]

.4 is not all that much to risk it with a sphene. That said, does it bother you? If it does, then cut away.

 

[T L]

Whiteflash has confirmed that they can either make and sell just the setting or they can make and set the sphenes for me.

Oh I didn't think they were setting other people's stones anymore. That's cool.

 

[chrono]

Whiteflash has this weird policy where I am grandfathered in. They will not do this for new customers and depending on the design, will not set any customers' outside stones at all.

 

[Starzin]

Fantastic matching Chrono. They make a stunning set

1. Have you done the gold chocolate foil trick with the large sphene to see if it might close in the setting? If you don't think it will close, you might always wish you had tweaked it if you don't. Cut.

2. They look such a good match as they are that I think this is your judgement call. The photos have them together and with your face in between no one will see them as you see them sitting together on your hand or in a box. Try a photo with one over by your pinky and the other by your thumb to try and replicate this or perhaps ask someone to take a photo of them with one on each hand. Take into account a) once set the stones will seldom be still or facing the same way at the same time b) you're an engineer and your stones are perfection

3. See 2.

 

[Indylady]

Just wanted to pop in and say that I love the spess dangles! And the sphene is lovely too, of course.

 

[FrekeChild]

I hate you Chrono.

Let me be more specific. I had the opportunity to photograph three AMAZING large green sphenes, and while they looked very similar to the ones you've posted on this page, they photographed looking like green snot. So. How on earth did you photograph them to show a realistic color? Was I just using a terrible camera for green sphene?

Share your secrets!

(I'm almost tempted to share the photos I took, but they are so ghastly.)

I wouldn't notice a difference in the size or cut for earrings, but everyone has different tolerances.

 

[chrono]

Chris,
I'm still not totally in love with sphenes but I do appreciate their gorgeous dispersion, just not the body colour. As with many others, I wish they are more durable but if they were, I am sure sphenes would not be as affordable. The pictures shown above is the indoor colouration which is somewhat desaturated (lime green). They perk up beautifully outdoors though and I wish it stayed like that all the time. I am not as selective for earring stones and I think considering the cost/appearance, they are under-rated as earring and pendant stones. I definitely agree that larger sized stones that are without distracting inclusions are very uncommon, and they look fantastic in a precision cut Portuguese design.

Freke,
You don't think these look like green snot? You need to recheck your eyes. These are my best pictures; the rest look like blue green blobs with specks of rainbow colours interspersed. I took these using my trusty old iPhone 4S under my office fluorescents.

Indy,
It is so sweet of you to comment on my spessartites. I know they are of mediocre quality and the setting is nothing all that great...which is why they will be tweaked and reset!

 

[FrekeChild]

Hey, you asked for it!

They are a neon-y bright green IRL. Like your hand shot. I swear it.

 

[chrono]

The sphenes are back and only the large oval was re-cut. I cannot speak of Jerry more highly. His advice is realistic and he actually dissuaded me from putting my 2 other sphenes and 2 spessartites under the "knife" given the cost of the original stones and their current cut quality. I was concerned that with the flat crown of the 2.5 carat sphene, it will lose a lot of face up size and colour in a recut. He only tweaked the crown, requiring 26 new facets. The polish is impeccable with a mirror-like finish. It puts the other 2 sphenes to shame.

Start: 2.5 carats measuring 8.5 x 7.5 x 5.5 mm (estimated).
End: 2.32 carats, measuring 8.55 x 7.4 x 5.05 mm.
Total weight loss = 8.3%

Price? A grand total of $65.
Time taken? No more than a week, including the time taken for the stone to travel to and fro. If I take shipping out of the equation, he got to work within 3 days.
Customer service? Extremely patient, courteous and honest.

 

[chrono]

These pictures are taken at the bank so the only light source are 2 crappy fluorescent tubes.

 

[chrono]

This is why I advocate hand shots very strongly; note that my hand shots show more accurate colouration than when they are sitting in their gem cases, even with the cover off. I'm still in that tiny dark room with only 2 fluorescent tubes.

 

[FrekeChild]

They look fabulous, and oval looks so amazing with it's facelift! This makes me so excited for my recut!

 

[endless_summer]

So beautiful & bright, and most definitely, Jerry is awesome - I couldn't sing higher praises!

 

[chrono]

Thank you! The sphene is ever so slightly less green now but the dispersion and liveliness is so far improved that the trade-off is worth it.

Freke,
I hope Jerry's assessment of your stone as a recut candidate will be positive.

ES,
I can't wait for your review of the newly recut yellow sapphire.