Alexandrite.. Help choosing the better stone

[Ceri]

Hi all,

Lurker for some time but this forum has helped me tremendously in my gem-buying journey.. I'm getting married next year and have been able to source my diamonds (from BGD and JA True Hearts) pretty well from reading all the online articles and forums.
Unfortunately, I have been delaying picking my engagement ring. Mostly because I really love alexandrite and its color changing properties, but it seems pretty hard to measure the value as there are a lot of variables.. Please help choosing the better one?

I have narrowed down my search to these 2 with GIA certificate:
1. 1ct at $4k:





Video https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xe_769JjnMMOFFxB1f3dT9Ci5jANWjmk/view?usp=sharing


2. 0.77ct at $5.9k: daylight - mixed light - incandescent



The 2nd one seems like a really great coloration, loving the blue in daylight but the stone is smaller and significantly more expensive..
The 1st one seems like a really great value, just that the stone appears to be a bit hazy in the pics/video? Wonder if that's what make the price lower?
They both should be untreated. Not sure where the 1st one is from but 2nd one claims to be from Brazil.
1st one is from marketplace and seller seem to be well rated, 2nd one is from a vetted pricescope site.

What are your thoughts? Any help appreciated!

Thank you,
C

 

[VividRed]

The drop has a more appealing color change to me, but clarity is quite bad. The heart is more clean but has what I consider to be a muddy look (it will never look as pink as on the picture . My personal choice would be the drop.

Unfortunately, with this budget you will have to make significant compromises. My advice is to buy what you like. Can you return them both? You would yourself a big favor to have them both at the same time to compare their performance in various light settings at the same time.

Good luck with your hunt

 

[Bron357]

I’m with VividRed, I prefer the colours of the pear shape gem. Yes it is hazy, it’s obviously included. But with Alex you are buying colour and colour change, sparkle or lack of it isn’t such a big deal
The heart shape is certainly less included but the colour change is more murky.
my advice, buy an Alex with a great daylight colour. The sad fact is that incandescent lighting opportunities are few and far between these days so you will be seeing the daylight colour the most.

 

[Autumn in New England]

I fear I won't be of much help, as I'm not an Alex enthusiast. But I just wanted to stop in and say big congrats on your impending nuptials! Whatever you choose will be perfect... because it will represent the bond you share with your partner. Best wishes!!

 

[Garnetgirl]

I know nothing about alexandrite, but just want to point out that you can’t base the colour change on the photos you have shown.
The first stone, in the second picture - the diamonds in the setting are suddenly very pink.
In the fifth picture, the fingers holding the stone are also very pinkish, compared to the fingers in the previous image.
So I believe that the colour balance of the photos is not representative of what one would see in real life.

 

[Soseattle]

Hi Ceri. Congratulations on your engagement. I personally love alexandrite and have several. I do tend to be a bit picky. I would agree with Garnetgirl that the photos of the first stone are probably not accurate. It seems that the photo color balance is being used to enhance the color change of the stone. That would concern me. Alexandrite is notoriously difficult to photograph accurately. It is better seen in person if possible.

Alexandrite comes from a number of locations. My personal preference is Brazil. I seem really attracted to stones from that location. You may want to take some time to educate yourself and look at a number of stones if you can. I would also recommend taking a look at Mark Henry's website (https://www.markhenryjewelry.com/pages/alexandrite-guide-2). Mark Henry specializes in alexandrite from Brazil and their jewelry/stones are exquisite. They also are quite expensive so may not be in budget, but is worth a look to see what really nice alexandrite looks like.

 

[Ceri]

Thanks for your valuable input and well wishes everyone. I have never seen Alexandrite in person and unfortunately it'd be tough to compare the 2 side by side since I'm located in Australia.. I have always been fond of 2-in-1s so I'm really looking forward to it.

I'm now aware that the stone will look even darker once you put it in the setting which prolly take the 2nd stone out of the equation. Thank you!

Now I wonder if I should start with smaller alexandrite and look into upgrading it down the line if I like it? The budget is already pretty small as it is..

Otherwise I just found David Wein (multicolour) have his own site and he seems to carry fair bit alexandrite jewellery which helps expand my options https://www.davidwein.com/jewelry/by-gemstone-alexandrite

I don't think I can update my original post, but here is a video of the 1st stone if it helps?

 

[LD]

If it’s not too late I’d suggest David Wein. There’s not a lot of good Alex on the market at the moment. The pear is very very included which is why it has a moderate colour change but the clarity will affect the value. Also the photos look very unreliable.

 

[fredflintstone]

Many Alexandrite’s daylight color are dark in tone. The incandescent is lighter, not as dark. I would look for an Alex that its daylight tone is no more than medium dark. Medium would be perfect, but to find one in a medium daylight tone with a strong color change is very rare and expensive.