Aquamarine: I need your expert eyes

[lavenderdragonfly23]

First off:
Hi & Thank you! I am a CS newbie and want to say thank you to anyone who takes the time out of there day to offer their thoughts

Rough:
Larger single piece of likely Mozambique Aquamarine from an estate of a lapidary, likely acquired around early 1990’s. It’s a little bigger than I need.

I’ll attach screenshots from the video… I don’t want to attach it because you’ll know who has this - if you already know please help me keep it secret, lol!

I’ve attached aquamarine colors that make my heart swoon… would this rough be in the same hue? I am looking for a beautiful saturated aqua that can be cut in an antique oval.

Most importantly- do you love it?

 

[Odyssey44]

Hello and welcome over! I just want to say that I am rubbish at telling the finished color of a gem based on the rough. I have been surprised sometimes when I have commissioned stones to be cut from rough I have seen at what color the gem turns out to be. I find this a very difficult thing to predict and your best bet would be to ask the lapidary you would want to cut this rough. They know far better than we who love the finished product. I think non-lapidaries would mostly be guessing on color. Good Luck!

 

[Avondale]

Honestly, even though I can't judge how the rough will look once cut either, it's so pretty in the rough, I can't imagine it would be anything less than spectacular when cut. You simply must have it!

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

Hello and welcome over! I just want to say that I am rubbish at telling the finished color of a gem based on the rough. I have been surprised sometimes when I have commissioned stones to be cut from rough I have seen at what color the gem turns out to be. I find this a very difficult thing to predict and your best bet would be to ask the lapidary you would want to cut this rough. They know far better than we who love the finished product. I think non-lapidaries would mostly be guessing on color. Good Luck!

Thank you for your warm welcome!

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

Honestly, even though I can't judge how the rough will look once cut either, it's so pretty in the rough, I can't imagine it would be anything less than spectacular when cut. You simply must have it!

Thank you! The gentleman who is the current owner of this rough has called this a:

“… piece definitely stronger than double blue, more toward the Santa Maria end of that spectrum … Yes, it will be in the neighborhood of the blues that you shared, or possibly even a bit more saturated… The origin of this one was said to be Mozambique. I would definitely consider this piece to be heirloom quality - very very hard to find aqua of this color and overall quality these days. This is among the best pieces I've had in many years.”

He is someone I greatly trust as he has been recommended by several lovely PS’ers. My eyes are trained to see beautifully cut antique stones, not yet to discover prized colored rough/stones… I trust your eyes.

Thank you for your thoughts!

 

[Rfisher]

what do you mean by having it cut into an antique oval? The facet pattern?

If you maybe want to open up a can of worms - and assuming who has the rough in their hand is also the cutter - ask them how the antique facet pattern you are envisioning will affect the color perception (hue or saturation?) of the material as opposed to a modern precision pattern. It may - it may not.
Better off addressing it now than later.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

what do you mean by having it cut into an antique oval? The facet pattern?

If you maybe want to open up a can of worms - and assuming who has the rough in their hand is also the cutter - ask them how the antique facet pattern you are envisioning will affect the color perception (hue or saturation?) of the material as opposed to a modern precision pattern. It may - it may not.
Better off addressing it now than later.

It’s for an older piece… I didn’t realize that would affect color perception… forgive my ignorance. I will ask him, thank you.

 

[Rfisher]

I can’t say it will all the time or it is likely to - but I will say it’s not impossible of a scenario.

I’ve been told by a cutter my choice of antique style faceting pattern request changed the color perception/performance of the material in a detrimental way, compared to the modern facet specimen of same material.

It’s for an older piece… I didn’t realize that would affect color perception… forgive my ignorance. I will ask him, thank you.

 

[Avondale]

Oh, yes, @Rfisher is raising an excellent point. The cut does affect the quality. This tool is for coloured diamonds and compares different cuts and sizes. The optimised cuts are the crushed ice look that's very popular because of the way it enhances the intensity of the colour. But you can also see how the size of the stone in itself has an effect, because bigger stone means longer light travel paths.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I would prioritize the best cut for intense color retention over authentic antique styling in this case, even though the eventual setting is antique.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

I would prioritize the best cut for intense color retention over authentic antique styling in this case, even though the eventual setting is antique.

Ok, this makes sense … thank you!

Thank you everyone for chiming in, I truly appreciate it.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Ok, this makes sense … thank you!

Thank you everyone for chiming in, I truly appreciate it.

Have you u spent much time with aquamarine in person? I have some amethyst which is the same species and I am underwhelmed by the gem. It doesn’t have much refraction so there’s no sparkle. But it’s dark purple. Lighter aqua might be better but I prefer more sparkle even in colored gems personally.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

Have you u spent much time with aquamarine in person? I have some amethyst which is the same species and I am underwhelmed by the gem. It doesn’t have much refraction so there’s no sparkle. But it’s dark purple. Lighter aqua might be better but I prefer more sparkle even in colored gems personally.

Yes! I have one smaller aqua ring- from Costco lol … my husband and I were married in March so the gemstone has meaning for us.

 

[dk168]

To be honest, it is not my ideal colour for an Aquamarine as I prefer a lighter colour with some green in the mix, so it is not for me personally. However, colour preferences are very personal.

As for the colour of the finished stone, I would suggest for you to ask the lapidary artist who will be cutting the stone as he/she would and should know.

DK

 

[dk168]

And I am 95% certain I know who is the lapidary artist!

DK

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

And I am 95% certain I know who is the lapidary artist!

DK

Thank you SO much for chiming in! I’m guessing I’m in good hands?

I definitely love a blue shade somewhere between a Tiffany Blue to duck egg blue shade Aqua … but I also don’t care for Zircon as it’s too in your face bright blue … hoping for a more subdue blue? I’m sure I’m not using appropriate cs terminology I’m sure so forgive me, for I am a young padawan over here, lol! I’m hoping this will give me the hue as the earrings in the above pics

Here’s some of the shade blue I’m after

 

[dk168]

Thank you SO much for chiming in! I’m guessing I’m in good hands?

I definitely love a blue shade somewhere between a Tiffany Blue to duck egg blue shade Aqua … but I also don’t care for Zircon as it’s too in your face bright blue … hoping for a more subdue blue? I’m sure I’m not using appropriate cs terminology I’m sure so forgive me, for I am a young padawan over here, lol! I’m hoping this will give me the hue as the earrings in the above pics

Here’s some of the shade blue I’m after

I am now 100% confident that I know who is the lapidary artist!

Ask him about the finished gem colour for certain.

However, IMHO, I suspect it will be darker than the colour you are after based on the description of the roughs and photos in his maildrop.

DK

 

[Dreamer_D]

I’m not sure I would agonize too much about it being the perfect color or not, whatever that means. It’s not like you can shop around for stones and compare and search for just the right shade, given that you need a custom cut stone. Even if you found a faceted stone to recut, the recut could change the color. It looks like it will be a gorgeous color, it will be beautifully cut, it will be huge, the setting is amazing.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

I’m not sure I would agonize too much about it being the perfect color or not, whatever that means. It’s not like you can shop around for stones and compare and search for just the right shade, given that you need a custom cut stone. Even if you found a faceted stone to recut, the recut could change the color. It looks like it will be a gorgeous color, it will be beautifully cut, it will be huge, the setting is amazing.

This would actually be for a different setting… not the Georgian one! This one is more Edwardian/early art deco period , early 1920’s I would guess …. I’m still working out the details, but will post pics as soon as I can…. Leave it to me to find two incredible settings and have to work backwards haha!

 

[Dreamer_D]

This would actually be for a different setting… not the Georgian one! This one is more Edwardian/early art deco period , early 1920’s I would guess …. I’m still working out the details, but will post pics as soon as I can…. Leave it to me to find two incredible settings and have to work backwards haha!

lol I’m sure it’s gorgeous and aqua fits the period. Working backwards I think requires a little more openness about color bc you can’t really buy a precut stone.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

lol I’m sure it’s gorgeous and aqua fits the period. Working backwards I think requires a little more openness about color bc you can’t really buy a precut stone.

Thank you so much for checking back here and talking me through this… I truly appreciate you!

 

[Rfisher]

This one is more Edwardian/early art deco period , early 1920’s I would guess

Are there depth constraints for the stone, to be set into the ring?

If the oval outline footprint isn’t made from a continuous curved line, but from 16 or so straight lines - does that matter to you?

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

Are there depth constraints for the stone, to be set into the ring?

If the oval outline footprint isn’t made from a continuous curved line, but from 16 or so straight lines - does that matter to you?

Do you have a visual example of what you mean? I was thinking of sending the setting to the gem cutter should I decide to go with this piece and just let him cut the rough in what he thinks will compliment the stone and the setting the best. … that way he has a template to work with.

 

[Rfisher]

I was thinking of sending the setting to the gem cutter should I decide to go with this piece and just let him cut the rough in what he thinks will compliment the stone and the setting the best. … that way he has a template to work with.

That sounds like the best plan!

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

That sounds like the best plan!

Thank you! I’ll keep everyone posted here with what I decide… I really want a saturated aqua that holds its color, and a beautiful blue… not green either but I’m thinking I may need a blue aqua with a slight hint of green to it? But I know finding a beautiful saturated aqua can be a challenge to find. Thank you so much for all your advice - I really appreciate it!

 

[Dreamer_D]

If I were choosing I would also prioritize lots of saturation.

 

[lavenderdragonfly23]

If I were choosing I would also prioritize lots of saturation.

Definitely!!! So many aqua gems that I have seen barely hold color and are pale. Aqua is such a beautiful stone… you just have to find a good one to really SEE it in all its beauty

 

[autumngems]

Aquamarine is a hard to find in the right shade of blue, so many are pale or too green. Mine was cut by Gary at Finewater Gems, see color here and in my avatar.

 

[stepcutnut]

Will this be for the Edwardian T&Co setting?