4 peaks amethyst!

[somethingshiny]

OMG!! I just found this link thru an old thread. Be still my beating heart. I have been looking for an amethyst for over a year. (my son''s birthstone) Everything I''ve seen in jewelry stores has just looked Meh. I was actually beginning to think the home shopping stuff was the highest quality I would come across!

this amethyst has spoken to me. It literally whispered "hello, mama!" And I said, "yes, what''s your name?" And he said, "They call me gorgeous." And, I said "rock on! I''ll be back for you!"

So, here is the link.

PLEASE, any gemstone lover in the know, is this truly a lovely stone? or have I been seeing so much crap, I haven''t yet a discerning eye? PLEASE HELP!!

Also, if it''s good, what kind of a setting? It''s massive! I''d want to wear it always! Please help ASAP. I have money burning a hole in my checking account!

 

[chrono]

This material is beautiful but very prone to obvious colour zoning where parts of the gemstone might be of uneven purple colour. I'd call Gary and get his opinion on it. Uruguay amethyst also has fantastic blue and red flash without as much zoning: I much prefer those.

 

[somethingshiny]

Chrono~

DO you mean that it would be "clearer" or a just a little uneven in color? I like that it has the red flashes. Is the "material" different from Uruguaian(?) amethyst?

 

[chrono]

I mean more uneven in colour. There''ll be areas of dark purple and areas of very light purple. This is called colour zoning. I had Wink find me a pair of Uruguay amethysts and the colour is superb. I think they look just about the same except that the rough is less prone to colour zoning. The really top quality ones look similiar to the famed Siberian amethysts.

Here''s a picture of the famed Siberian amethyst courtesy of Jeff Graham:

 

[chrono]

Compare it to the Uruguay material (also courtesy of Jeff):

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks, Chrono.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/1/2007 5:01:11 PM
Author: Chrono
This material is beautiful but very prone to obvious colour zoning where parts of the gemstone might be of uneven purple colour. I''d call Gary and get his opinion on it. Uruguay amethyst also has fantastic blue and red flash without as much zoning: I much prefer those.

usually they are cut so the zoning is on the side I have several of them and no face up zoning.
They are a darker and deeper purple than the most other red flash rough.
I have several and its my favorite!!!!!
I have seen premium stones from elsewhere and while some of it is excellent it doesn''t have the balance of color and flash that the 4 peaks material has.

 

[strmrdr]

bottom line if I had the money I would buy it myself.
The material is not common in that size and quality.
You will love it!!
If face up zoning was an issue Gary would have said so in the discription.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/2/2007 8:04:57 AM
Author: Chrono
Compare it to the Uruguay material (also courtesy of Jeff):

More blue than the best 4 peaks material.
very very pretty but not the same and too me not as good looking but not by a huge amount lets say 9.2 compared to 9.8 on a 1 to 10 scale.

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks, Storm. Gary is sending me the stone for evaluation. I''m so taken my the pictures, I am dying to see what it looks like in my hand! I''m also in discussion with Gary on a possible temporary sterling ring setting until I decide on it''s permanent home. I was thinking a semi bezel that horseshoes underneath the stone with a surprise amethyst in the bottom of the shoe on each side. (for the permanent setting) For the temp setting, i was just thinking a plain trellis.

Do you think either of these settings would show the stone off nicely? Sorry, I can''t find pics of the "horseshoe bezel" design.

 

[somethingshiny]

I received the amethyst today. It''s BEAUTIFUL! I have asked for Gary''s okay to post pics (since I don''t own the stone). If and when he agrees, I''ll put some on here.

STORM~ In the face up position, this stone shows some transparency in certain lightings. Have your stones shown this way? Is it something that will continue to show once the stone is set?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/6/2007 9:34:05 PM
Author: somethingshiny
I received the amethyst today. It''s BEAUTIFUL! I have asked for Gary''s okay to post pics (since I don''t own the stone). If and when he agrees, I''ll put some on here.

STORM~ In the face up position, this stone shows some transparency in certain lightings. Have your stones shown this way? Is it something that will continue to show once the stone is set?

at some lighting angles yea.
The RI isnt as high as diamond and no its not as noticable mounted.
Put the stone between your fingers then view it in different lighting.
That will be close to how it will look set.

 

[somethingshiny]

With Gary''s permission, feast your eyes on this!!!

 

[somethingshiny]

this is from the bottom

 

[somethingshiny]

from the side.

 

[somethingshiny]

this is where you can see a bit of transparency. In the top corner of the stone (in this pic) and a bit down the side where where it shows that *off* color, in person it just appears a bit transparent in those areas. (but only in certain lights.)

 

[somethingshiny]

last pic. BEAUTIFUL colors!

 

[strmrdr]

try it on your hand.
A lot of what im seeing in the pictures looks too be from back lighting.

looking at the side the zoning is typical for this material.
A bit lighter as it gets too the bottom of the stone.
It is cut this way so it dont show face up.

 

[strmrdr]

compare too these pictures here:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/eye-candy-red-flash-amethyst.54327/

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks, Storm. I can''t get a pic with it laying on my hand, but the transparency is virtually unnoticeable there. In most positions (unset) you can''t see the transparency. I''m hoping to get it in a demo setting this week. Then, I''ll make my final decision.

I can''t believe this is an amethyst! It''s so different from maul stones. Even DH can see the difference!!

BTW-colored stones are SO much easier to photograph than diamonds! I''m pleased with these pics!

PS-that pendant is beautiful, kinda gets me thinking about setting this in a 45degree pendant.

 

[somethingshiny]

I''m not keeping it.

I do LOVE it, but the settings I like are WAY out of budget because of the size of stone.

Alas, still ringless.

 

[strmrdr]

mount it in sterling :}

 

[somethingshiny]

I tried! It was still going to be over three hundred dollars just for silver!!

Someday. Someday.

 

[nebe]

nnnnnnnnnnecklacccccccccce.

 

[somethingshiny]

Thanks Nebe, but I already returned the stone. I had it on approval. I wanted it for a mother''s ring. I already have a great amethyst necklace.

If anyone purchases the stone, though, PLEASE let me live vicariously through you and post lots of pics of his new home.