HELP with new CC garnet

[RSargent]

My new East African color change garnet just arrived and I love it. It is a 1.15 carat pear shape. When I opened the package in the sun this morning it positively sparkled in shades of teal blue and violet. It is not muddy, but there are a few inclusions visible under a 10x loupe. My question is that is seems small. Would a 1 carat plus garnet be visibly smaller than my 1 carat diamond on my anniversary ring? I was a little surprised at how small it looked in comparison to what I had imagined. I photographed it with a typical gem jar so you could help me decide if it really is over a carat! I know garnets are denser than diamonds, but it seems so little for a carat plus!
Thanks!
Robyn

 

[SouthernSunset]

Freke posted this in another thread yesterday.

Also, diamonds always look bigger than colored stones because they reflect so much light. My 6mm medium green emerald looks much smaller than my 6.2mm princess diamond. The green absorbs more light and the white reflects more light.

 

[T L]

I did a quick look online and color change garnet density is supposedly 3.62 - 3.87. Diamond is slightly less dense at 3.52. Therefore a one carat cc garnet will face up smaller than a one carat diamond if they're cut the same, with the same proportions. Your stone may also be cut deeper than the diamond, and/or have a thick girdle (??), which may account for a smaller looking size. The only way to be sure is to weigh it on a carat scale however.

 

[chrono]

I agree with the above 2 posters:
1. Darker coloured gems generally look smaller to our eyes than lighter coloured gems; it's a visual trick our eyes play on us.
2. Density - garnets weight more than diamonds, so for the same carat weight, garnets will measure smaller than diamonds.
3. Cut - due to a lower refractive index compared to diamonds, coloured stones have to be cut deeper to avoid windowing and to reflect light (and colour) back to the eye. This means that the depth will be deeper, thus face up smaller.

 

[marymm]

Agree with the above, plus: to my eyes, un-set stones tend to look smaller than comparable-weight mounted stones.

 

[minousbijoux]

I agree with the others - but my real PSA is to say that you have started threads quite often RSargent, and have shown us many stones and pieces of jewelry you own and obviously care about it. It is time you owned a scale - in fact, I am a little surprised that you don't already have one...

 

[RSargent]

I do need a scale.i love gemstones and am learning as much as I can. What is a good brand to start with? I can look online. I guess I more than love them. I am passionate about them . As a little girl my father and I used to hunt for them. Both my parents are gone now. They are precious memories. Would a gram scale work? I have a scale that measures in .5 gram increments.

 

[RSargent]

I dug out my scale and it actually measures in .1 gram increments. my stone weighs in at .2 grams so I think the 1.15 is correct. At least that what the Internet tells me!

 

[VapidLapid]

Half a gram is 2.5 carats. You need a more sensitive scale than that.