clour change (pink-green) garnet

[wallace]

Hi - I have taken a little accidental, but well-appreciated, break from my diamond ring debacle. I have been focusing on FI's ring.

We found a Boone ring we like and I decided to put a small garnet in it - he liked the idea. While researching the price of standard pyrope garnets in the size we want, I came across a little pink stone at www.faceters.com. I can't say why but I found it charming.

THe stone is a RB cut, 0.95ct, colour change from Madagascar (one of my fav places), light pink, changes to gold/green. It has some flaws but the cutter cut it anyway becuase the colour was interesting. I ordered it! If the flaws are liveable and the stone looks as good as he thinks (and he has high standards) - I will keep it.

While I am waiting I thought maybe you could share your information with me on colour changes in general and specifically this colour change - I have not been able to find out much about it. In the meantime, I will figure out how to post pictures on here so I can show it to you.

Also, I found a setting I like on dimendscaasi - anyone have expeience with them? THanks for your input - I am so excited - garnets have always been one of my fav's!

 

[valeria101]

Color change garnet !

It may not be feasible to place an included stone in a tension setting (if this is the case). However, the type of stone you describe is not exactly a vanising species: not extremenly popular, but not unreasonably rare or expensive.

The fame of color change garnets comes from stones which get close to the look of alexandrite, with red to green color change. Some get indeed to look like a darker, less saturated alex. It is said that color change garnets get even better than the best I ever gor accross - but I have yet to see this or learn about a specific stone fitting the legend.

Other garnets with some color change (from reddish to yellowish shades) have came later on the trail of the original alexandrite look-alikes. These are less expensive, with the type of color change considered more of a curiosity and priced at some premium over top non-color changers.

I had littel trouble finding a color change garnet in Boston, not sure how many customers ask for one.

Here's a good cross-section of colors and qualities, worth browsing WWW . Is your stone close to THIS ?

 

[wallace]

Hi Valeria- That's about as much info as I got on colour change, too. Since this is not the traditional red-blue (alexandrite-like) colour-change, I was trying to find out more about green-pink changes. Like you said, I think it's just a phenom or a one-off. THat results in lovely little ring for me at a great price!

 

[wallace]

Do you see the green/gold flecks (picture taken in natural light) that demonstrate the colour change... I can't wait to see it!

Here is the setting: (definitley not tension with those inclusions)