Do I Keep or Return This Garnet?

[T L]

Date: 9/3/2009 8:24:48 PM
Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/3/2009 8:22:35 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 9/3/2009 8:19:15 PM

Author: fierypyropixy

Wow, that IS ''intense orange''! But a weeeee bit out of my allowance range. My husband maintains that he completed his jewelry duty when he bought an e-ring and a wedding band, so I have to go it alone.


I definitely understand why that color is highly -priced and -prized, but I find myself attracted to this much more, for that burning ember feel. Although, it almost seems like the dark black cloud is about to overwhelm the stone in just the same way as my little stone performed. Totally out of budget as well.

That color shouldn''t be that expensive. Believe it or not, I won one off of ebay in almost the identical color for $125, and it was almost three carats. It''s a reddish orange color and like a burning ember in the sun.

Do you remember the vendor? eBay always scares me a little unless it''s a vendor other PS''ers have dealt with and can vouch for.

Well, the vendor picture clearly showed a more mandarin color stone, but it was more on the reddish orange side when I got it. I bought it six months ago, so I don''t remember the vendor, but I do know that color is all over ebay for affordable prices.

 

[T L]

Here''s a picture of the stone under the sun so you can get an idea of the price points paid for these gems. I still think I got a good deal on it for what it is. A flawless reddish orange spessartite. It''s a native scissors cut, and it does not go extinct either, so it was a good bargain.

 

[fierypyropixy]

What would the opinion be about this?

 

[fierypyropixy]

Another pic of the same stone. **Forgot to add it's not spessartite, but grossular -- I'm cooking dinner so I've yet to research the difference.

 

[T L]

Still too brown for my taste. Kind of a dullish color, although it''s brighter than the one you''re returning. The inclusions are also a distraction.

 

[T L]

Do you like this one? This is "MINE's" gorgeous reddish orange spess. The cutting on it is sensational as well.

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mine-my-own-my.28327/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mine-mine-mine.29389/

 

[jstarfireb]

No idea what your carat and price range are, but I thought I''d throw you a few ideas:

http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=139&idproduct=2901

http://www.artcutgems.com/item.php?item_id=379&page=3&category_id=46 - set in a ring already

http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Gemstones/detail.cfm?zNum=5757

http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Gemstones/query3.cfm?yVarieties=Mandarin%20Spessartite&ySpecies=Garnet - whole page of Mandarin spess

http://www.customgemstones.com/GARNET/ga1174.html

http://www.customgemstones.com/GARNET/ga1173.html

http://www.precisiongem.com/html/html/Garnet_Orange.html#TB_inline?height=400&width=600&inlineId=detail12_page12 - couldn''t link to the individual stone, but there''s a Mandarin spess near the bottom

Hope that helps!

 

[D&T]

Date: 9/3/2009 8:42:58 PM
Author: fierypyropixy
Another pic of the same stone. **Forgot to add it''s not spessartite, but grossular -- I''m cooking dinner so I''ve yet to research the difference.

I actually like this look

very playful on color, the inclusion looks interesting, but of course your the one that has to love it, where did you find this by the way?

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/3/2009 9:18:42 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
Do you like this one? This is ''MINE''s'' gorgeous reddish orange spess. The cutting on it is sensational as well.


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mine-my-own-my.28327/


https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/mine-mine-mine.29389/

That is great cutting . . . but I''m afraid a little too reddish pour moi.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/3/2009 9:48:53 PM
Author: jstarfireb
No idea what your carat and price range are, but I thought I''d throw you a few ideas:


http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=139&idproduct=2901


http://www.artcutgems.com/item.php?item_id=379&page=3&category_id=46 - set in a ring already


http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Gemstones/detail.cfm?zNum=5757


http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Gemstones/query3.cfm?yVarieties=Mandarin%20Spessartite&ySpecies=Garnet - whole page of Mandarin spess


http://www.customgemstones.com/GARNET/ga1174.html


http://www.customgemstones.com/GARNET/ga1173.html


http://www.precisiongem.com/html/html/Garnet_Orange.html#TB_inline?height=400&width=600&inlineId=detail12_page12 - couldn''t link to the individual stone, but there''s a Mandarin spess near the bottom


Hope that helps!

Thanks, jstarfireb!

I was ogling the first Richard Homer b/c it is sort of in my price range, but unfortunately it feels a little small.
Now, the SECOND RH link (attaching pic) . . . I have ogled that a whooole bunch today, but it is definitely, unfortunately, out of my price range.
The Malaya Garnet (624) from PrecisionGem seems like a good color, but . . . I couldn''t get excited about the cut. It''s lovely, I just didn''t get shivery.

Honestly, I''m starting to think that a stone in the size I''d like (the original oval was 9.4 x 7.7, and that''s about as small as I''d want to go) is probably out of the running for my price range. I don''t really have a solid number . . . more like a cringe threshold.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/3/2009 9:59:26 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 9/3/2009 8:42:58 PM

Author: fierypyropixy

Another pic of the same stone. **Forgot to add it''s not spessartite, but grossular -- I''m cooking dinner so I''ve yet to research the difference.

I actually like this look

very playful on color, the inclusion looks interesting, but of course your the one that has to love it, where did you find this by the way?

It''s another GemLine! Which makes comparing the two a little easier since it''s the same photography style (or at least I''d assume). I''m really intrigued by it, and . . . well, it''s huge. 12.08 carats, 14.5 x 13.5.

 

[D&T]

Date: 9/3/2009 11:23:14 PM
Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/3/2009 9:59:26 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 9/3/2009 8:42:58 PM

Author: fierypyropixy

Another pic of the same stone. **Forgot to add it''s not spessartite, but grossular -- I''m cooking dinner so I''ve yet to research the difference.

I actually like this look

very playful on color, the inclusion looks interesting, but of course your the one that has to love it, where did you find this by the way?

It''s another GemLine! Which makes comparing the two a little easier since it''s the same photography style (or at least I''d assume). I''m really intrigued by it, and . . . well, it''s huge. 12.08 carats, 14.5 x 13.5.

do you think you''d want to swap it out for this stone, I really do like it, its a bit brighter fun color...and its HUGE

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/3/2009 11:25:36 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 9/3/2009 11:23:14 PM

Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/3/2009 9:59:26 PM

Author: D&T

Date: 9/3/2009 8:42:58 PM


Author: fierypyropixy


Another pic of the same stone. **Forgot to add it''s not spessartite, but grossular -- I''m cooking dinner so I''ve yet to research the difference.

I actually like this look

very playful on color, the inclusion looks interesting, but of course your the one that has to love it, where did you find this by the way?

It''s another GemLine! Which makes comparing the two a little easier since it''s the same photography style (or at least I''d assume). I''m really intrigued by it, and . . . well, it''s huge. 12.08 carats, 14.5 x 13.5.

do you think you''d want to swap it out for this stone, I really do like it, its a bit brighter fun color...and its HUGE

Great minds think alike.

I emailed him to ask if I could do an exchange of sorts, once he receives the Spess. I was a ditz and in such a rush with the first one, I forgot to ask about the PS discount. I''m crossing my fingers that he will be kind and take pity on my poor ditzy soul.

 

[D&T]

Date: 9/3/2009 11:33:22 PM
Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/3/2009 11:25:36 PM
Author: D&T
do you think you'd want to swap it out for this stone, I really do like it, its a bit brighter fun color...and its HUGE

Great minds think alike.

I emailed him to ask if I could do an exchange of sorts, once he receives the Spess. I was a ditz and in such a rush with the first one, I forgot to ask about the PS discount. I'm crossing my fingers that he will be kind and take pity on my poor ditzy soul.

I didn't even know he had a PS discount... good to know

!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/3/2009 11:43:59 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 9/3/2009 11:33:22 PM

Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/3/2009 11:25:36 PM

Author: D&T

do you think you''d want to swap it out for this stone, I really do like it, its a bit brighter fun color...and its HUGE

Great minds think alike.

I emailed him to ask if I could do an exchange of sorts, once he receives the Spess. I was a ditz and in such a rush with the first one, I forgot to ask about the PS discount. I''m crossing my fingers that he will be kind and take pity on my poor ditzy soul.

I didn''t even know he had a PS discount... good to know

!

Yeah! At least I hope so! CushionCutNut said this:
In case some of you PSer''s did not know this company gives PSer''s a 30% discount and free shipping. Just know that you have to inquire about the stone and ask to place it on reserve. If you are first in line with your email, even if someone has paid for the stone, they will honor your request , refund the money to the buyer, and send you and invoice...............

in

this thread.

 

[ma re]

The stone you''re returning doesen''t look too bad to me, but then, I like brown stones and neutral colors in general, so I''m not the person to ask. What you described as zoning is actually color coverage, or lack of a good color coverage to be exact. Ideally, a stone should exhibit the same shade of color across as much of it''s surface as possible, but that''s rarely the case as valuable stones are cut for weight first. In some varieties fluorescence helps in that department as the stone''s "glow" makes the color more even across the surface. Good cutting is very important in order to maximize color coverage, but other factors influence it too.

I like how that stone acted in indirect light and most indoor lighting conditions, but it''s definately not an outdoor stone for sunny days. Overall, I think you can get a very similar look for less money if extending your search to some other varieties when it comes to these burnt orange/amber/root beer shades. For instance, I''ve seen orange zircons (and very affordable ones) that look very similar in all aspects, and even some well-cut madeira citrine could be an option. Hessonites look similar, but would probably be priced quite close to those spessartites.

 

[chrono]

I really don’t like the first stone from GL. Too much extinction, exhibits that half and half look and it is also rather brown. I’m surprised it looks very different from the vendor’s pictures. I’m not fond of the second stone from GL either. I have a feeling the inclusions are going to be very obvious and distracting. With regards to colour, it’s not orange at all on my monitor but a mix of brown and some yellow.

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 9/3/2009 11:18:02 PM
Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/3/2009 9:48:53 PM

Author: jstarfireb

No idea what your carat and price range are, but I thought I''d throw you a few ideas:

http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=139&idproduct=2901

http://www.artcutgems.com/item.php?item_id=379&page=3&category_id=46 - set in a ring already

http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Gemstones/detail.cfm?zNum=5757

http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Gemstones/query3.cfm?yVarieties=Mandarin%20Spessartite&ySpecies=Garnet - whole page of Mandarin spess

http://www.customgemstones.com/GARNET/ga1174.html

http://www.customgemstones.com/GARNET/ga1173.html

http://www.precisiongem.com/html/html/Garnet_Orange.html#TB_inline?height=400&width=600&inlineId=detail12_page12 - couldn''t link to the individual stone, but there''s a Mandarin spess near the bottom

Hope that helps!

Thanks, jstarfireb!

I was ogling the first Richard Homer b/c it is sort of in my price range, but unfortunately it feels a little small.

Now, the SECOND RH link (attaching pic) . . . I have ogled that a whooole bunch today, but it is definitely, unfortunately, out of my price range.

The Malaya Garnet (624) from PrecisionGem seems like a good color, but . . . I couldn''t get excited about the cut. It''s lovely, I just didn''t get shivery.

Honestly, I''m starting to think that a stone in the size I''d like (the original oval was 9.4 x 7.7, and that''s about as small as I''d want to go) is probably out of the running for my price range. I don''t really have a solid number . . . more like a cringe threshold.

Ah, well, I was actually thinking of #539 on Precision Gems for you. Not sure how you feel about the modified trillion cut. But if you like the color but not the shape of #624, how about #599 (2 gems down)? Or maybe 842?

This search is tough, and you sound really frustrated! But keep on going; it will pay off in the end.

 

[litebrite]

Mastercut Gems has some other spess. That is where I got my spess which I love. Are you looking for ovals and rounds in particular?

Because I think this emerald cut is lovely: http://www.mastercutgems.com/preview.php?cat=256&id=5266 There are also some ovals there, you should email him to find out.

There are also more ovals on litnon:
http://litnon.com/preview.php?cat=53&id=7620
this one looks v orange
pear

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 9/4/2009 8:07:52 AM
Author: Chrono
I really don’t like the first stone from GL. Too much extinction, exhibits that half and half look and it is also rather brown. I’m surprised it looks very different from the vendor’s pictures. I’m not fond of the second stone from GL either. I have a feeling the inclusions are going to be very obvious and distracting. With regards to colour, it’s not orange at all on my monitor but a mix of brown and some yellow.

+1.

mz

ps however, it is possible that for the price you paid they are reasonable. i have no idea what that price may have been though. i do know that there will be tradeoffs to be made....as with diamonds....dependinig on budget. personally, i''d save more $ and take a jump up in quality or look for a smaller stone........ too bad re the first stone because the extinction was not so obvious. just more evidence though that we can''t judge a stone by a picture. good luck!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Ma Re - Yes, I liked how it looked in the indoor shots when I could manipulate it into some good firey sparkle too. In the end, I decided that although it was stunning when I could make it "show off", I didn''t want to spend half my time having to prod it and poke it into cooperating. But yes, I like brown stones too -- it was a lovely coppery pumpkin fall color and would have worked so well for me because I love wearing chocolate browns. I''m definitely seeing that a madeira citrine could get the same look, too. Thank you!

Chrono - I know, it WAS quite different from the pictures, wasn''t it! The second stone may not work either, but . . . I''m intrigued so I''ll give it a try. I actually like brown if it can be a constant color. We''ll see I suppose.

Jstarfireb - Oh! Ditz strikes again. YES, I forgot to mention those . . . I like both of those, except they are a bit small. But definitely swinging in the right direction. Thank you!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/4/2009 11:00:17 AM
Author: litebrite
Mastercut Gems has some other spess. That is where I got my spess which I love. Are you looking for ovals and rounds in particular?


Because I think this emerald cut is lovely: http://www.mastercutgems.com/preview.php?cat=256&id=5266 There are also some ovals there, you should email him to find out.


There are also more ovals on litnon:

http://litnon.com/preview.php?cat=53&id=7620

this one looks v orange

pear

I like that emerald cut from MasterCut, but something that held me back was . . . does the center of the cut look slightly off? Slightly crooked? And do you know if he does a PS discount?

With Litnon/GemLine, I''m a little nervous b/c those pictures are v.similar to how the original stone was photographed too. The pear is very interesting though -- if they looked like that in person I''d give it a go.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/4/2009 11:29:20 AM
Author: movie zombie

Date: 9/4/2009 8:07:52 AM

ps however, it is possible that for the price you paid they are reasonable. i have no idea what that price may have been though. i do know that there will be tradeoffs to be made....as with diamonds....dependinig on budget. personally, i''d save more $ and take a jump up in quality or look for a smaller stone........ too bad re the first stone because the extinction was not so obvious. just more evidence though that we can''t judge a stone by a picture. good luck!

Indeed re: judging by pictures -- thank goodness for a return policy!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/4/2009 11:42:23 AM
Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/4/2009 11:00:17 AM
Author: litebrite
Mastercut Gems has some other spess. That is where I got my spess which I love. Are you looking for ovals and rounds in particular?


Because I think this emerald cut is lovely: http://www.mastercutgems.com/preview.php?cat=256&id=5266 There are also some ovals there, you should email him to find out.


There are also more ovals on litnon:

http://litnon.com/preview.php?cat=53&id=7620

this one looks v orange

pear

I like that emerald cut from MasterCut, but something that held me back was . . . does the center of the cut look slightly off? Slightly crooked? And do you know if he does a PS discount?

With Litnon/GemLine, I'm a little nervous b/c those pictures are v.similar to how the original stone was photographed too. The pear is very interesting though -- if they looked like that in person I'd give it a go.

That emerald cut from MasterCutGems is stunning.

As for the discount, just send Dana an inquiry about the stone and see what he says.

 

[litebrite]

Sorry, I forgot that''s where you got it from originally

A good, affordable spess is hard to find but not impossible. I agree w/ MZ and FlyGirl.

Wow, I took a look at the Paraiba Intl prices for mandarin spess

 

[Lovinggems]

Hope you find the right spess fiery, I have yet to purchase orange coloured stones but from reading various threads it seem to be an especially tricky stone to buy online.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/4/2009 12:09:39 PM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 9/4/2009 11:42:23 AM

Author: fierypyropixy

Date: 9/4/2009 11:00:17 AM

Author: litebrite

Mastercut Gems has some other spess. That is where I got my spess which I love. Are you looking for ovals and rounds in particular?



Because I think this emerald cut is lovely: http://www.mastercutgems.com/preview.php?cat=256&id=5266 There are also some ovals there, you should email him to find out.



There are also more ovals on litnon:


http://litnon.com/preview.php?cat=53&id=7620


this one looks v orange


pear

I like that emerald cut from MasterCut, but something that held me back was . . . does the center of the cut look slightly off? Slightly crooked? And do you know if he does a PS discount?



With Litnon/GemLine, I''m a little nervous b/c those pictures are v.similar to how the original stone was photographed too. The pear is very interesting though -- if they looked like that in person I''d give it a go.

That emerald cut from MasterCutGems is stunning.

As for the discount, just send Dana an inquiry about the stone and see what he says.

Yes ma''am . . . I asked if he could show me any more pictures perhaps in natural lighting/hand shots, etc.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/4/2009 12:33:32 PM
Author: litebrite
Sorry, I forgot that''s where you got it from originally

A good, affordable spess is hard to find but not impossible. I agree w/ MZ and FlyGirl.


Wow, I took a look at the Paraiba Intl prices for mandarin spess

Yeah, they''re pretty high . . . too far out of my budget!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 9/4/2009 12:54:00 PM
Author: Lovinggems
Hope you find the right spess fiery, I have yet to purchase orange coloured stones but from reading various threads it seem to be an especially tricky stone to buy online.

It does sort of seem that way right now to me too.

Alright everyone, Michael at Gem Line is being fantastically cooperative and is going to hold the big Grossular I posted, for an exchange once he receives the Spessartite. He tells me that the Grossular is "considerably brighter and lighter" than the Spess, and that the inclusions aren''t as distracting in real life. I''m eager to see this one in person -- it seems very interesting. Woohoo!