stones and lights

[Arkteia]

As I am looking at my collection and remembering stones that I bought, set and returned, I start realizing that for a person that buys stones to eventually set them and wear, the issue of what and where to wear becomes the main one.

I once bought a stone from an excellent vendor. He said that the stone was unusually beautiful, it looked beautiful in his website, so I was disappointed when I opened the package in my office. It was evening. The stone performed well in daytime, but since I spend most of my day indoors, I decided to return it. The vendor was fine with it, although genuinely surprized that I did not like the stone.

I was packaging it in my house, under an old-type chandelier with normal bulbs. All of a sudden, the stone shone so beautifully! I can only compare the effect to that of suddenly seeing a snow lynx instead of your house cat.

In hindsight, thinking of enjoying/not enjoying stones that I have bought, I come to an impression that two of them, an H(a) ruby and a small ruby from Gene, perform well under any light, possible because they fluoresce and hence hold the color. Alexandrite looks great in my office. So does green-yellow chrysoberyl from Tan (not yellow-green, though). The rest of them are either a big hit or a big miss.

Modern trend is to use more energy-efficient sources of energy, mostly, fluorescent. Much as we all live in different areas, only very few of us spend time out in the open sun for the whole day. Soon everyone will be facing the same issue. I just wonder if someone could comment on general performance of stones in day-to-day life. What would one advise to a layperson which does not plan to necessarily resell stones? If I decide to buy an emerald, what should I expect? Things like this.

Or, should I invest in certain spectrum fluorescent lights? I bought an "office Ott" table lamp at Office Depot and my stones looked beautiful, but in 15 minutes I started looking very strange (this light is horrible for the eyes). Or, should I buy a fluorescent bulb tablelamp but use a lampshade?

May of fellow PS-ers have commented on photoshopping. To me, it became almost a moot point; same for the light vendors used for photography. I need to know only two things, how the stones would perform in regular, not too bright, daylight and under fluorescent bulbs.

I am not going to comment on some vendors willing to comply with this request and some not, I just want to say that Jeff White actually OFFERED to do it for me before I even asked him. Several cutters, such as Roger Dery, were willing to take "normal" photos, and one lives close by which to me is the best of all.

The reason I am even raising this issue is because I saw LD's photos of her Umbalite. She took "normal" photos, did not seem to play with the light, so it is vividly seen how the stone shifts color.

 

[T L]

I've had so many experiences where a gem looked and performed well under one light source, and "died" under the other. Even if a stone does not hold it's color in various lighting, I feel it still should look pleasant no matter the light source.

My big gripe with some gems is not just the shift to a much more undesirable color, but those that "close up" and get very dark in certain lighting. I have returned stones like that, even if they looked gorgeous under one light source. For me, it's not tolerable, although I can understand people wanting to keep such stones. Perhaps they are in an environment all the time with optimal lighting, or the stone's beauty in one light source is just too great for them to return the gem.

However, I feel we all work too hard for our money to "settle" and so I do try to find the best I can for my money. That's why I often tell people to ask vendors how the stone performs in various light sources, or for additional photos.

On the flip side of the coin, there are some people that must have precision cutting no matter the color. They would return a badly cut gem, but beautiful color gem, but keep one with lesser color, but precision cut. There are people that can't understand why I and others have some badly cut gems, and I can understand their point. I do notice that there are people more drawn to cutting than color. I was showing someone my rings yesterday, and she was actually drawn to the one with the best cutting, although there was one on my finger with slightly better color, but not as well cut. She stated, "I love that one because of the cutting."

In the end, there are many things that make up what we love, and why we decide to buy what we do.

 

[LD]

Amen to everything that's been said!

Crasru in the UK we typically have no sun and very grey days - so our poor little gemstones have to really be outstanding to look half as good as they do in the strong sun of the Meditterranean! I absolutely HATE fluorescent lighting with a passion. It makes everything look eerie and weird.

I NEVER decide to keep a stone until I've seen it in all lighting conditions. I have to love it in all its colourways to keep it. I have a Malaya that's the exception to the rule (fabulous colour in incandescent lighting but it's just awful outside) and a red spinel that does the same thing.

For me colour is the key. I don't care if the proportions aren't good - so long as the colour is there and it will look decent when set then I'm onto a winner. Of course there are limitations! Huge windows, way off centre culets, uneven edges, wonky gemstones wouldn't survive the cull typically!

Just like TL I try to get the best for my money!

 

[Aoife]

This is an interesting discussion, and it's something I've thought about a lot. I know I've read threads where someone (TL?) has commented on returning a stone because it closed up, went extinct, shifted color, etc., under certain conditions, and I've thought I that it would never be an issue for me, because I would never be wearing that particular stone under those particular conditions. So I do appreciate vendors who tell you the kind of light they are using for photography.

The cut vs color thing is also interesting, because although I say "color is paramount," I find that I gravitate towards gemstones I own that are precision cut. They are the ones that get set first, and, once set, worn most often.

 

[Arkteia]

LD, and the ruby that you posted in "Cocktail Rings" section is the best proof to what you have just said! I can see that the cut is not "precision". but it has fantastic color and I suspect it would perform well under any light, I remember you once posted the photography of its fluorescence! It was strong, so I would expect it would be bright under sunlight and in fluorescent office light! It probably looks even better in real life than in picture, all the more so that I have noticed that you take true-to-life pictures.

 

[Arcadian]

I'm 50/50. I accept and actually like that stones shift in different lights. It still has to look good to me though. There's my office lighting. Its not best for gems, though great for color (the color is fine but they look "flat" for lack of a better word)

In my home we have lots of big windows that let in natural light sans one room where the lights are freaking YELLOW [I blame my husband on for this] the stones look great except in there. But then again, even I turn yellow in that room! so I give the poor guys a break.

Stones that close up their color in normal lighting conditions...well.. I have a few from back in my early days of collecting. Yikes.... Those are stones I would these days be sending back. I kinda like keeping them around for study in dark rooms and as a reminder (LOL)

Here's where I'm weird and finicky; I get really cut conscious on Square cushion cut stones. I don't know why but that particular shape, if not cut well, dosen't excite me and dosen't look as good. I have actually rejected some stones that didn't meet the cut expectation, and thats even if I liked the color. I just feel some kinda way about that shape if its off to me. So knowing that about myself I adjust accordingly. I am slow to buy that shape of stone and when I do, I tend to buy ONLY if both conditions are met. That also means I'll spend more to make sure both conditions are met.

For all other shapes, I'll take all kinds of cuts but color has to be there for me. Yall have seen a lot of the stones I've collected in the past few years, so you know I'm being honest. Some stones I've got based strictly on color, the cut can be all wonky with a window big enough to yodel through but I just had to have it anyway (this is almost always the case for purple tourms)

I think everyone is a bit different in what their tolerances are. I'm still learning mine in many areas.

I've really learned quite a bit over the years about cut. When its on, its on. The eyes love a well cut stone sometime excluding the color. But just my opinion, it could be that these people don't value the color of the stone like many of us here tend to. Like TL I have had friends who adore the well cut ones more than the ones that may be more saturated in color. But they're also diamond girls, so maybe thats why.

-A

 

[PrecisionGem]

I was just going to make a new posting on lighting tonight, but then found this one.

I really hate these new CFD bulbs. Almost every stone looks like yuk in them. In my work shop, I just replaced all the bulbs with some warm LED's. These bulbs were rather expensive, ranging from $17 to $30 per bulb, but the lighting is very close to daylight. My main reason was really for the heat. The bulbs around by cutting area would get rather hot, and eventually the whole room seemed hot. My wife who is always cold, would keep putting the heat up in the house, and I was dying up here cutting. So these new LEDs don't get hot all all, and are working well.

Now, about certain stones and lighting. There are some stones that are considered "ladies of the night" that just look better in incandescent light. Typically these are red stones. It has nothing to do with the cutting, just the stone. Red garnets always look more red in incandescent light, and under certain florescent bulbs will close up and get muddy. Now blue stones, typically look better under florescent light. A tanzanite will be more blue in florescent light, as will a blue sapphire. Under incandescent, the tanzanite will go violet with gray often. I have found that most offices do have florescent light bulbs, but they are not all created equal.

What is considered the standard for judging color in a stone is mid-day natural light, but NOT direct sunlight.

I don't know what's going to happen once the good old fashioned bulb is totally banned. These CFD is horrid, nothing looks good with them, not just stones, people, the wall, everything. The best alternative I have seen so far are the LED's, but they are not real bright, and cost a lot.

 

[T L]

I was just going to make a new posting on lighting tonight, but then found this one.

I really hate these new CFD bulbs. Almost every stone looks like yuk in them. In my work shop, I just replaced all the bulbs with some warm LED's. These bulbs were rather expensive, ranging from $17 to $30 per bulb, but the lighting is very close to daylight. My main reason was really for the heat. The bulbs around by cutting area would get rather hot, and eventually the whole room seemed hot. My wife who is always cold, would keep putting the heat up in the house, and I was dying up here cutting. So these new LEDs don't get hot all all, and are working well.

Now, about certain stones and lighting. There are some stones that are considered "ladies of the night" that just look better in incandescent light. Typically these are red stones. It has nothing to do with the cutting, just the stone. Red garnets always look more red in incandescent light, and under certain florescent bulbs will close up and get muddy. Now blue stones, typically look better under florescent light. A tanzanite will be more blue in florescent light, as will a blue sapphire. Under incandescent, the tanzanite will go violet with gray often. I have found that most offices do have florescent light bulbs, but they are not all created equal.

What is considered the standard for judging color in a stone is mid-day natural light, but NOT direct sunlight.

I don't know what's going to happen once the good old fashioned bulb is totally banned. These CFD is horrid, nothing looks good with them, not just stones, people, the wall, everything. The best alternative I have seen so far are the LED's, but they are not real bright, and cost a lot.

It's funny that you mention that tanzanite and sapphire look more blue in fluorescent light. My blue spinels look more violet in fluorescent light and more blue in natural light (like a blue sapphire). I actually like how most of my gems look in various kinds o fluorescent (my office, doctor's office, grocery store, etc. . . ) and sunlight (morning, midday, evening). There are these low light bulbs with a yellowish cast, and I think those are the ones you're talking about, as even the wall looks terrible.

I love how red or pink spinels and some tourmalines look in sunlight as well as incandescent light. Some are color shifters though, and the color is not as spectacular in incandescent on some red stones.

 

[Arkteia]

I was just going to make a new posting on lighting tonight, but then found this one.

I really hate these new CFD bulbs. Almost every stone looks like yuk in them. In my work shop, I just replaced all the bulbs with some warm LED's. These bulbs were rather expensive, ranging from $17 to $30 per bulb, but the lighting is very close to daylight. My main reason was really for the heat. The bulbs around by cutting area would get rather hot, and eventually the whole room seemed hot. My wife who is always cold, would keep putting the heat up in the house, and I was dying up here cutting. So these new LEDs don't get hot all all, and are working well.

Now, about certain stones and lighting. There are some stones that are considered "ladies of the night" that just look better in incandescent light. Typically these are red stones. It has nothing to do with the cutting, just the stone. Red garnets always look more red in incandescent light, and under certain florescent bulbs will close up and get muddy. Now blue stones, typically look better under florescent light. A tanzanite will be more blue in florescent light, as will a blue sapphire. Under incandescent, the tanzanite will go violet with gray often. I have found that most offices do have florescent light bulbs, but they are not all created equal.

What is considered the standard for judging color in a stone is mid-day natural light, but NOT direct sunlight.

I don't know what's going to happen once the good old fashioned bulb is totally banned. These CFD is horrid, nothing looks good with them, not just stones, people, the wall, everything. The best alternative I have seen so far are the LED's, but they are not real bright, and cost a lot.

Maybe it would make sense to start tracing performance of different stones in different lights. For myself, I am going to mount a couple of IKEA lights on the walls and buy the LED that you are talking about. There may be other tricks, certain shades for fluorescent lights, my OfficeOtts would have been perfect if someone thought of changing the construction of the lamp's head. If someone finds nice ecological lights, please, post it here, because the world is driving towards ecology, and we have our stones to think of, too.

Gene - I feel cold all the time, too. Since childhood. My thyroid is normal, but very rarely I take a microdose of Synthroid (12.5 mcg, one in a few days), and it helps with sensitivity to cold.

 

[marcy]

Rats, my long response got lost.

This is a great discussion. So many of my gemstones rings disappointed me in different lighting. The rings I found I didn't like are all pretty much gone too.

I notice my some of my tanzanite looks like amethyst in certain lighting. Some of my sapphires or spinels go dark in bright light. Lighter stones look the best in subdued lighting. I love to walk around Lowes though - they have the best diamond lighting in town. LOL!

When I first get a gemstone or piece of jewelry I check it out in the living room, kitchen, bathroom, sunlight, back lit by the sun and at work. If it disappoints in more than one of those places, it usually goes back.

I find I get more picky all the time and the rings that don't have nice, saturated colors rarely come out of my jewelry box.