Keep or Return?

[chrono]

I'm not sure what to do with this baby. My original plan was to get an asscher cut gemstone of about 2 carats. Then Kismet showed me this pretty thing and I was hooked. It's a 2.28ct spessartite and I purchased it. Well, it turns out that it isn't really an asscher/square emerald cut. It has steps on the pavilon, but the top has brilliant/cushiony faceting. No pretty windmills.

The stone itself is impressive. The cut looks excellent and the colour is to die for. It is very neon orange, a very shocking orange colour. Almost to the point of being fake (but of course I know it isn't). No reds in it, although the posted picture shows some red undertones.

My only beef is that the cut isn't what I am looking for so I should return it, right? Well, it isn't that easy of a decision because
the spessartite is so attractive that I am having second thoughts about keeping it. Should I or shouldn't I? I mean, if I return it, I will use the same funds to buy my pink asscher spinel (which is on its way to the cutter right now), otherwise, I'll just have to fork out extra.

 

[Kismet]

Will you always look at it and be a bit disappointed that it isn''t an asscher cut? If so, maybe you should return it. On the other hand, if you can enjoy it for what it is then keep it.

 

[NBCZero]

Since it isn''t the cut you wanted you should ask yourself is it a stone you would love and want for what it is and not what you had hoped it was.

It is a beautiful color but if you are going to look at it and compare it to what you thought it would be, then I would send it back. If you can look at it and see a gem that turned out to be more of a lovely surprise, then I say keep it.

I am not sure on your time-line in regards to returning it, but I would put it away for a day or so and then look at it with fresh eyes and in different lights and see if it is something you would purchase based on what it is.

Good luck finding what is best!

 

[innerkitten]

What a pretty spess!!
If your in love with it keep it. But if you know you''ll always look at it and still pine for the cut you originally wanted you should return it.

 

[innerkitten]

who cut it?

 

[chrono]

Well, since I am having a true asscher/square emerald cut pink spinel coming up in the next week or so, I don't have to worry about not having my dream asscher stone. The fact that I am even able to have it in a pink spinel tickles me to no end.

I suppose I should look at this spessartite on its own merits. I normally do not like orange and never ever considered an orange stone. I only picked this baby up because I thought it was an asscher cut. However, upon opening the box, I was blown away by the neon colour. Of course, I was disappointed when I could not find any windmills. The orange colour is like an orange candy. Unreal.

If I base this purely on the basis of being a spessartite gemstone, what should I look for? What are your opinions on its colour, hue, tone and saturation? Yeah, I know it's hard to judge from a picture since the colour shown here isn't even its true colour. But what should a top spess look like? Any links?

ETA
What drives me crazy about this spessartite (and in a good way) is that it is so sparkley, and well...so orange! It also has very little to no extinction!

 

[Lorelei]

No knowledge here Chrono, but I do have this link for you, might be worth a look.

http://atggems.homestead.com/files/Imperial_Malaia_Garnet.htm

 

[innerkitten]

Pure orange hue w/out brown tones. I believe thats what I''ve heard.

 

[innerkitten]

By the way I did a yahoo search for the words spessartite buying guide and this was the result.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=spessartite+buying+guide&fr=ush1-mail

 

[chrono]

Date: 4/25/2007 10:51:09 AM
Author: innerkitten
who cut it?

InnerKitten,
I''m not sure who cut it. Heck, I don''t even know the stone''s origin! I just know that it isn''t a native cut, it''s a US cutter. Do you mean to ask who is the vendor?

 

[Pandora II]

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/amazing-spessertite.60484/

Here''s a link with a picture of a supposedly absolutely top spess.

 

[chrono]

Thanks for the link, Pandora. Yup, it''s the exact same colour as my spessartite. I even put it up to the picture on my monitor to compare. See what I mean about the colour? It is so unreal and glowy. It shouts out across the room, "look at me!" That''s why I am so tempted to keep this stone even though it isn''t the cut I am looking for.

 

[Gypsy]

That is one AMAZING spess!

I would keep it and it''s own merits.

I''m in a similar boat. I''m currently eyeing a red zircon that is a much longer oval rather than the fat oval I was looking for... but the color has me captivated, and I think I''m going to buy it and deal with the shape on it''s own merits.

Who was the vendor, if you don''t mind my asking?

 

[crown1]

hi chrono! it''s lovely. how are you thinking on setting this?

 

[FireGoddess]

It''s a lovely color, and since you''re getting your asscher cut spinel...you could consider this serendipity and keep the stone.

 

[twodoor2]

The most important thing with any colored gemstone is COLOR, COLOR, COLOR!!! While cut, clarity and size factor in, if you have a you have something special, a great colored gemstone with excellent color and clarity (not sure about the size, but three out of four ain''t bad). If you didn''t over pay for it, I would really consider keeping it, especially since good quality spessartites are getting rarer. If it were a blue topaz, or some other common gemstone, those are a dime a dozen. I would return those.

 

[kcoursolle]

How about getting it re-cut? Since just the table is a problem, maybe there wouldn't be that much carat weight lost.

 

[chrono]

No, I really don't want to recut it. I would simply keep it as it is.

While still on topic, how's this eye candy? Very nice windmills but much yellower.
2.37cts measuring 7.0 mm x 6.5 mm x 5.1 mm

 

[chrono]

Bumping

I hope somebody will look and comment on the AJS spessartite compared to the first one.
Which would you prefer and why.

 

[chrono]

Date: 4/25/2007 1:54:32 PM
Author: Gypsy
That is one AMAZING spess!

I would keep it and it''s own merits.

I''m in a similar boat. I''m currently eyeing a red zircon that is a much longer oval rather than the fat oval I was looking for... but the color has me captivated, and I think I''m going to buy it and deal with the shape on it''s own merits.

Who was the vendor, if you don''t mind my asking?

The vendor is All That Glitters. http://www.atggems.com/ The site owner has been great with answering my questions.

 

[crown1]

i know nothing about spees. i am just responding to your request for which one we like best. according to my monitor i like the second best. i, of course, don''t know what they look like irl.

i do happen to like the color orange and the second seems to be a pretty shade. i hope someone who know spees will help you out.

 

[Pandora II]

My opinion - I''ve looked at lots, but I''m a consumer not an expert, is that I think the colour is great but I''m not totally fussed on the shape of the stone. It also seems to be cut quite deep for the face up size.

They have some beautiful spess on that site - the 7.96ct Flash Emerald cut is to die for. My personal test is whether I get an overwhelming urge to want to try to eat the stone (weird I know but I like the boiled sweet effect!).

Maybe it''s the angle of the photo or that I prefer less square shapes, but this one doesn''t do that for me. However, if you like the shape I think its a good colour and the price is pretty nice too.

 

[pricescope]

just my personal preference, but a strong one at that - #1, maybe it''s just a better photo but i like the color of it much much more than the second.

 

[sarahthewarrior]

I love the color of the first one, too. The second one is a little too... jelly bean orange (for lack of a better comparison) for me.

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 4/27/2007 8:37:34 PM
Author: Pricescope
just my personal preference, but a strong one at that - #1, maybe it''s just a better photo but i like the color of it much much more than the second.

me too!

 

[twodoor2]

I don''t know what it is about spessartites and how they photograph, but I''ve noticed that if a spess photographs a bit darker, it''s more neon, and if it photographs lighter, it''s less neon. I think the first stone, since it photographed darker, but you said it was super neon, is probably a better stone than the second one, which is lighter in color. I don''t know if anyone else has noticed this. My mandarin is very neon, but when I first saw it in the photograph, it was deeper in color than when I obtained it in my hands. Just my experience, not sure if anyone else had that as well. Also the second stone has a window and is not cut as well as the first. I would definitely keep the first one over the second one, unless you had both in your hands and you could identify the better color based on that.

 

[chrono]

With my 7 day viewing period expiring tomorrow, I am returning the spessartite home to ATG with a heavy heart. It is a very arresting colour, but it just isn''t for me. I don''t think I''ll be getting the other AJS asscher spess either. If anyone is interested in it, you''d better grab it fast because I know it''ll get spoken for really soon. It''s a very beautiful stone with an eye catching brightness and I''ll never think about orange stones quite the same anymore. Yeah, orange gemstones still aren''t for me but I have a new appreciation for them now.

I do have a pink asscher spinel (or two) to look forward to soon. Perhaps as early as next week. Keep your eyes peeled on CS!

 

[FireGoddess]

Congrats on making a decision....I cannot WAIT to see your pink spinel!!!

 

[MaineGemCutter]

My opinion on the perfect orange garnet color is the "mandarin" or "fanta" orange that is popular in Spessartites these days.

 

[chrono]

Thanks for the picture MGC. Yeah, that orange you posted is really pretty. I''m glad I returned the square spess now: it just wasn''t the right cut and not quite the right orange for me.