Can This Stone Be Identified, Please

[RAW30]

Greenish, tealish in daylight.
Blue/Red, indoor lighting
Redish/Purple, candle lighting
Chalky Magenta in tanning bed lighting

Thank You

 

[alicet]

This stone is Aquamarine, mainly found in Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India..but it does resemble a topaz too...

 

[LoversKites]

This stone is Aquamarine, mainly found in Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan and India..but it does resemble a topaz too...

Aquamarine doesn't have a colour change.

I'd suspect synthetic alexandrite or synthetic corundum. It looks too clean and perfect to be natural.

 

[RAW30]

Does synthetic corundum change to green in daylight?

 

[chrono]

The perfect colours of both colour-ways, completeness of change and fabulous clarity would lead me to suspect synthetic alexandrite, probably of the flux variety.
http://www.alexandrite.net/chapters/chapter7/index.html

 

[RAW30]

The perfect colours of both colour-ways, completeness of change and fabulous clarity would lead me to suspect synthetic alexandrite, probably of the flux variety.
http://www.alexandrite.net/chapters/chapter7/index.html

Thank you
The stone is very, very old, original owner was wealthy.
Under 10x it has what lookes to me like a fingerprint, many looks like white needles in all directions.

 

[chrono]

Synthetic alexandrite was very popular at one time and it was not cheap.

Quote from the article I linked to earlier:
Flux grown alexandrite is more difficult to identify because the inclusions of un-dissolved flux can look like natural inclusions. Alexandrite grown by the flux-melt process will contain particles of flux, resembling liquid feathers with a refractive index and specific gravity that echo that of the natural material. Layers of dust-like particles parallel to the seed plate, and strong banding or growth lines may also be apparent. Some stones contain groups of parallel negative crystals. Flux grown alexandrite, are more difficult to spot because the colors are convincing and because they are not clean. These stones are expensive to make and are grown in platinum crucibles. Crystals of platinum may still be evident in the cut stones.

Czochralski or pulled alexandrite is easier to identify because it is so clean. Curved striations visible with magnification are a dead give away. The color change in pulled stones has seen change from blue to red. Although the stones look nice, the colour change doesnt resemble alexandrite from any deposit. Seiko synthetic alexandrite have a swirled internal structure characteristic of the floating zone method of synthesis. They have tadpole inclusions (with long tails) and spherical bubbles.

Many of these stones (synthetic corundum laced with vanadium) were sold to tourists in Mexico and in Egypt, Alexandria (alexandrite is not mined in alexandria), after the Second World War and still exist in private collections or as inheritances. Gemologists still receive many inquiries about these old and now inherited alexandrite bought by an aunt or a grandmother in Egypt or someplace else and almost all of them are synthetic alexandrite like corundum.

 

[RAW30]

Synthetic alexandrite was very popular at one time and it was not cheap.

Quote from the article I linked to earlier:
Flux grown alexandrite is more difficult to identify because the inclusions of un-dissolved flux can look like natural inclusions. Alexandrite grown by the flux-melt process will contain particles of flux, resembling liquid feathers with a refractive index and specific gravity that echo that of the natural material. Layers of dust-like particles parallel to the seed plate, and strong banding or growth lines may also be apparent. Some stones contain groups of parallel negative crystals. Flux grown alexandrite, are more difficult to spot because the colors are convincing and because they are not clean. These stones are expensive to make and are grown in platinum crucibles. Crystals of platinum may still be evident in the cut stones.

Czochralski or pulled alexandrite is easier to identify because it is so clean. Curved striations visible with magnification are a dead give away. The color change in pulled stones has seen change from blue to red. Although the stones look nice, the colour change doesnt resemble alexandrite from any deposit. Seiko synthetic alexandrite have a swirled internal structure characteristic of the floating zone method of synthesis. They have tadpole inclusions (with long tails) and spherical bubbles.

Many of these stones (synthetic corundum laced with vanadium) were sold to tourists in Mexico and in Egypt, Alexandria (alexandrite is not mined in alexandria), after the Second World War and still exist in private collections or as inheritances. Gemologists still receive many inquiries about these old and now inherited alexandrite bought by an aunt or a grandmother in Egypt or someplace else and almost all of them are synthetic alexandrite like corundum.

Thank you very much
How long has blue color change garnet been around for?

 

[chrono]

I think CC Garnets were first discovered in 1990 in Madagascar. It is a softer stone and will show more facet wear than an alexandrite.

 

[RAW30]

I think CC Garnets were first discovered in 1990 in Madagascar. It is a softer stone and will show more facet wear than an alexandrite.

Ooooh ok. The only thing a jewler could tell me was that it was very very old. It doesnt glow under uv light like synthetic.

 

[chrono]

I think CC Garnets were first discovered in 1990 in Madagascar. It is a softer stone and will show more facet wear than an alexandrite.

Ooooh ok. The only thing a jewler could tell me was that it was very very old. It doesnt glow under uv light like synthetic.

Out of curiousity, how was the stone determinated to be very, very old? The UV test should not be used as a definitive/diagnostic type testing, but only one amongst many as an indicative type testing.

 

[RAW30]

I think CC Garnets were first discovered in 1990 in Madagascar. It is a softer stone and will show more facet wear than an alexandrite.

Ooooh ok. The only thing a jewler could tell me was that it was very very old. It doesnt glow under uv light like synthetic.

Out of curiousity, what was the determination that the stone is very, very old?

The mounting and the wear on the stone
The 14K was different than those that were mass produced

 

[chrono]

Are you the current owner of this stone? If so, the only way to know for sure is to send it to a reputable lab like AGL where they have better testing equipment. They will test stones already set in a ring, for an added fee.

 

[RAW30]

Are you the current owner of this stone? If so, the only way to know for sure is to send it to a reputable lab like AGL where they have better testing equipment. They will test stones already set in a ring, for an added fee.

Yes, i am the owner. It was passed down to me, but they never said what it was. When it was given to me i opened the box outside and it was green. Later on i opened the box again indoors and it was bluish purplish with redish. I didnt know what was going on. The more i wore it, the more i saw different colors. I took pictures whenever i could. However, some of the pictures i posted doesnt depict what was actually seen. For instance, when it was green, if the flash on my camera made the stone look bluish purple. I wore it for a when and the stone became very loose and i was able to take it out of the mounting. Do you hapoen to know how much they charge for an unmounted stone?

 

[chrono]

If the stone is less than 3 carats, I would go with the AGL brief for $75 mounted.
http://aglgemlab.com/pricelist/

 

[RAW30]

If the stone is less than 3 carats, I would go with the AGL brief for $75 mounted.
http://aglgemlab.com/pricelist/

Thank You
It is either 9, 10, or 11 Carats. Will they still brief it for $75?

 

[chrono]

Per the list, it will be $580 mounted. Given the size being greater than 10 ct, I am sorry to say that the likelihood of it being a synthetic is extremely high. I hope not but it is best to let the labs determine that.

 

[RAW30]

Per the list, it will be $580 mounted. Given the size being greater than 10 ct, I am sorry to say that the likelihood of it being a synthetic is extremely high. I hope not but it is best to let the labs determine that.

Oooooh wow! I wasnt sure if i read that right on their site. I know its large, but having seen where it came from, the size doesnt bother me. Everything was elegantly large.