Guess those gems

[zeolite]

O.K. Lets test you again. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to identify what the gem is in each picture (not just say one of the two is an "x"). You need to say the left gem is x and the right gem is y. Oh, and to confuse the issue, they might be the same gem species. Let''s play!

 

[FrekeChild]

Garnet and tourmaline!

(I really have no idea!)

 

[zeolite]

You need to say which is garnet and which is tourmaline.

 

[Richard M.]

Zeolite,

I can''t see any evidence of back-facet doubling in either X or Y even with my magnifying glass. It appears both gems are singly refractive unless the tables on both happen to be perpendicular to an SR optic axis. Of the SR/color options I can think of, Malaia garnet(pyrope-spessartine)seems to fit best. I''m guessing both X and Y are Malaia garnets of a particularly lovely hue.

 

[zeolite]

Richard,
Quite astute. The right opposed bar gem is a 2.24 ct malaia garnet of amazing brilliance and delicate color. The left shield cut is another type of gem. And Frekechild, you were correct that one was a garnet.

 

[Richard M.]

OK. On second examination I see some slight fuzziness in facet junctions on gem X (left). Tourmaline.

 

[zeolite]

No, but you''re right that it is doubly refractive.

 

[Richard M.]

Last guess before I have to leave for the evening: topaz, and a very fine one if so.

 

[zeolite]

No, but thanks for playing, and getting the first one so easily.

 

[Richard M.]

Well, I''ll squeeze in one more. The birefringence seems too low for zircon and morganites of that intense saturation are rare. I trust you''re not fooling us with synthetics so I can only think of padparadscha sapphire.

 

[zeolite]

Yes, 0.94 ct padparadscha. Putting in synthetics would not be fair. I chose this pair for their similar color.

 

[BWise]

Ops - I didn't scroll down far enough to see the answer for left. With that, I retract my guess.

 

[Richard M.]

Great color on both! And I didn''t mean to imply you might not have an ultra-saturate morganite in that big collection of yours!

 

[zeolite]

Actually, I do. Haven''t pictured it yet. It is a strong pink from Madagascar. All pink, no orange.