Post by Arkteia » March 28th, 2010, 10:04 am
Well, we do not have much in Seattle.  Our opera and symphony are not the best, although definitely improving, and I hope our art museum buys something new because it is very small (not in size). 

Same for the show.  I went to see some stones, just to train my eye.  Did not plan on buying anything and did not, as a result, although some LLoliondo spessartines and spinels captured my interest.  Vanadium chrysoberyl was very interesting, very much like mint tourmaline in color, but it cost a lot, and I am glad the show closed before I made my decision.

I saw several "Paraibas".  Most of them were just cuprians, one was from Brazil.  I can not say I was fascinated.  I think there are very few that are really something, the prices for the rest of them are simply hyperinflated because of the "trade mark".  I would say that the ones that I saw on PS were brand names (like Michael Kors or Taryn Rose) and the ones I saw in the show were...like Michael by Michael Kors or Taryn by Taryn Rose.  Very bright stones, though. 

Same for alexes.  Much as I criticise my own, it looked very nice in their incandescent lightings (by comparison).   While the ones I saw turned dark purple to brownish. 

So: never buy for the word alone.  Same for Burmese rubies.  I saw some that I did not like, although they were unheated.  If they could not get the color they wanted even with their lights...then they were not worth buying, certified or not.

Some of fancy diamonds were nice, but most them were HPHT.  (Hopefully, I get the sequence right).  The cut of the real ones was, mostly, far from ideal.  The dealers actually acknowledged it when I pointed it out to them.

And that sapphire...I do not know what decision to make.  It is vB, 4 or 5, (I''d say, 5), medium. (The vendor said he did not use GIA scale).  Unheated, GIA certified.  Very minor silk inclusions, basically a very clean stone.  5.23 ct if my memory doesn''t fail me.  It has a tiny window, but even on the certificate it looks as very small, just a narrow line.  In fact, I am not even sure if it is not a tilt window as I can not see my skin under it.

I negotiated the price down to $ 1000/ct.  For this price, it is a very nice stone and may be sold today.  I jsut do not know what to do with it.  It holds its color under incandescent light, and even under day light.  It is very bright.  Trouble is...it may be a tone lighter for my taste.  I have seen a lot of light sapphires and I don''t like them.   Violet, actually, makes it nicer (otherwise it would look like a medium-tone sapphire) but I absolutely dislike violet-blue tanzanites and there is something of their color in it.

So...I wanted to buy it, then I was happy I did not when I was driving away, today I am disputing whether to come back or not.  It is very much happy and has no grey modifiers, but it is hard to tell.  I guess I have to wear it on my hand for 2 weeks to decide.

The vendor is pretty reputable.  And a nice guy.  Most of his stones are from good sources and priced nicely.  My ruby, demantoid and tsavorites look much better, though. 

For some reason, several people said that I "know my stones".  I do not know if it is a standard compliment or, indeed, I learned something from the PS.

Could you give me an idea about the sapphire?  The guy said, "if it talks to your heart".  I have heard this expression several times, and, honestly, it is not always easy to tell on the spot, with their lights all around. 

With "talking to your heart", it is with like your first love.  You get fascinated, maybe jump into a marriage, then it starts irritating you, then you come to a conclusion that yours is good by comparison with what other people have or what you might have got.