Any Alexandrite Experts Here?

[Andelain]

I'm looking at this listing, http://loupetroop.com/listings/rings-colored-stone-center/1-dot-02-ct-russian-alexandrite-with-99-percent-color-change , and having serious thoughts of adding another Alex to my collection. I know the pics are too blurry to tell anything, but does anyone know anything about this stone, the seller or anything?

Thank you.

 

[chrono]

I do not know this seller but to protect yourself, I would make sure it has an AGL full report that tells you:
1. Natural or synthetic
2. Colour quality
3. Strength of colour change.
4. Origin

99% change? Impossible because even the very best famous alexandrites do not come close to 90% change. Although Gubelin is a good lab, it doesn't provide this level of information. Since the seller is in NY, AGL is right there and takes around 2 weeks only. They also accept mounted stones.

 

[T L]

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/have-you-really-got-an-alexandrite-read-this-first.179784/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/have-you-really-got-an-alexandrite-read-this-first.179784/[/URL]

If it's truly Russian, I would require an origin report as well.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Also, that is one dark stone. Even with a penlight on it, it is dark. In normal light, it will probably be worse. The green is not a very appealing shade (quite olive-y). I think you can get something much nicer for that price.

 

[minousbijoux]

I by no means am an expert, but I'll tell you what I know:

1. A Russian alex of that size would be extremely, extremely rare. The price tag for Russian of that size should be ridiculously high.

2. The price it is offered for is too low; it is more consistent with Brazilian or Indian material of the very finest quality (and even then is probably low).

3. 90-95% color change is the highest I know of; I just don't think anyone would ever categorize a stone as 99% - unless it was an individual opinion, and not stated as such by a lab.

4. Color looks off to me. typically the color is the purple/wine to more of a teal/green. Indian stones are more of a brick red to an olive-y green.

 

[minousbijoux]

Also, that is one dark stone. Even with a penlight on it, it is dark. In normal light, it will probably be worse. The green is not a very appealing shade (quite olive-y). I think you can get something much nicer for that price.

And good point about how dark it is - it is just not all that and a bag of chips the way the seller claims.

 

[LD]

Don't touch this stone - the clues are in the photos.

Alexandrite will only show the green colourway in natural daylight OR at a push, with a daylight bulb (but even then, it's hit and miss)

Look at the photos - the seller is using a pen light to show the green.

Also, Russian? I doubt it. Highly highly suspect. I have no doubt she's bought it as such but if that was the case and she really knew what she was talking about she'd be selling it with a lab origin report.

99% colour change? This tells me that the seller doesn't know what they're talking about.

Lastly, she says she's a gemmologist and that synthetic Alex doesn't look green in daylight? Rubbish - absolute rubbish. I have one sitting here. The problem with some Alex synthetics is that they look and react EXACTLY like a natural Alex and only sophisticated lab equipment can tell them apart.

Sorry to rain on your parade Andelain but I'd rather be truthful than see you spending that sort of money on a suspect stone.

 

[JewelFreak]

I'm no alex expert at all, but I am always suspicious of such blurry photos in a listing. It's very hard to get true color in a photograph, but these days almost impossible to take so many out-of-focus pics. These make me think of the so-called Bigfoot or Nessie photos that are always too blurry to see any detail. Makes me wonder what they're trying to hide.

Disappointing feedback, Andelain, but better now than after you cough up over 12 grand.

--- Laurie

 

[Andelain]

Don't touch this stone - the clues are in the photos.

Alexandrite will only show the green colourway in natural daylight OR at a push, with a daylight bulb (but even then, it's hit and miss)

Look at the photos - the seller is using a pen light to show the green.

Also, Russian? I doubt it. Highly highly suspect. I have no doubt she's bought it as such but if that was the case and she really knew what she was talking about she'd be selling it with a lab origin report.

99% colour change? This tells me that the seller doesn't know what they're talking about.

Lastly, she says she's a gemmologist and that synthetic Alex doesn't look green in daylight? Rubbish - absolute rubbish. I have one sitting here. The problem with some Alex synthetics is that they look and react EXACTLY like a natural Alex and only sophisticated lab equipment can tell them apart.

Sorry to rain on your parade Andelain but I'd rather be truthful than see you spending that sort of money on a suspect stone.

No need to apologize, this is exactly the sort on info I'm looking for. I want a good Alex, but I sure don't want to fall for something that's not what it claims to be. Thank you to you and everyone in here, some good info here.

 

[chrono]

Vanadium laced corundum is more purple to mauve so it's easier to guess.
Czochralski or pulled alexandrite is more blue and has those curved striations as mentioned by the seller.
Flux grown, however, is another matter. The colours are utterly convincing (green to purple red) and the inclusions of undissolved flux oftentimes look like natural inclusions.

 

[bjorne]

Just FYI, AGL goes up to "90-100%" color change for Alex. I know because I just got one back

 

[minousbijoux]

Just FYI, AGL goes up to "90-100%" color change for Alex. I know because I just got one back

bjorne: you are absolutely correct! I'm embarrassed to admit that I just went and looked at the AGL Prestige Report I have for one of my alexs and sure it enough, 90-100%!