I am making my way back into colored stones again.....

[cushioncutnut]

I have to admit, I have been a bit trepidatious about doing so since there is so many treatments out there. I took a chance and bought some stones from a newer Ebay seller and I really hope that taking a chance will pay off as I don't have alot to invest in stones. Of course, if I did so, you best believe I would get the proper lab reports to back up what I have purchased. I did not spend alot on these stones, so therefore, I will just tell myself to enjoy them at the price I paid and not get worry if they are treated. That said, if a stone is under 1ct.........do you think that the sellers will take the time and efforts to treat these stones when they are not making much profit on them??

 

[cushioncutnut]

lavender spinel........

 

[cushioncutnut]

pink tourmaline

 

[cushioncutnut]

tsavorite garnet............. this will be my first tsavorite garnet. Keeping my fingers crossed that these stones are nicer IRL. Sucks that you always have to wonder if they are treated or not even if I didn't spend alot on them.........

 

[cushioncutnut]

another vendor photo.......

 

[T L]

I have not seen synthesized blue or violet spinels with a grey modifier, and when buying spinels, I always look for negative crystal inclusions, which are indicative of spinels. They look like bubbles, but on closer inspections they are crystals within the stone of smaller spinels (octahedrons). As for rubellite or hot pink tourmaline, I have stopped buying it. Much of it is heated than irradiated and the gemological labs at this time cannot determine the treatment as far as I know. If buying red spinel, I do insist on a lab memo or report becuase the synthetics are very convincing. Sometimes they do have the negative crystal inclusions, but if they do not, you have to be careful because the synthetics have inclusions as well.

 

[chrono]

CCN,
Some gem varieties are not treated because it doesn’t improve a thing so those are quite safe to purchase at the moment. If something is originally worth 50 cents, the treatment costs not much more (due to bulk treatment) and the eventual sale will be many times more, why not? The profit isn’t necessarily from a single sale but also from volume. Also, I have now heard of spinels being treated to improve clarity. The next hurdle once the fake, synthetic, treatment obstacle is out of the way is with picture modification. There is always the risk that the photograph has been altered to improve the colour, among other things. However, like you said, you didn’t spend much on these so there’s really no reason to worry about treatment or anything else and just enjoy them at face value. I do like the violetish (first one) spinel and green garnet pear you posted.

 

[cushioncutnut]

This stone is actually from Dan Stair. He recently had an Ebay auction on a stone that was a little bit bigger than what I wanted to replace a sapphire in a ring that I have. I asked him if he had rough to cut me a smaller stone and he did. It is a Namanga garnet. He describes it as a pretty good medium pink color that can be slightly orangy more like a pink sapphire in appearance under incandescent light. It seems to have only a mild color shift to "maybe" sligthly purplish pink in daylight".

 

[cushioncutnut]

CCN,
Some gem varieties are not treated because it doesn’t improve a thing so those are quite safe to purchase at the moment. If something is originally worth 50 cents, the treatment costs not much more (due to bulk treatment) and the eventual sale will be many times more, why not? The profit isn’t necessarily from a single sale but also from volume. Also, I have now heard of spinels being treated to improve clarity. The next hurdle once the fake, synthetic, treatment obstacle is out of the way is with picture modification. There is always the risk that the photograph has been altered to improve the colour, among other things. However, like you said, you didn’t spend much on these so there’s really no reason to worry about treatment or anything else and just enjoy them at face value. I do like the violetish (first one) spinel and green garnet pear you posted.

Thanks Chrono for you input. I do have to tell myself, you will never know until you take a chance. Nothing ventured nothing gained! I am also considering purchasing a Mahenge pear from Odysseygems as I just go "GA-GA" everytime I see your ring!!! It is a small one though and it wants to be like yours when it grows up!!

 

[cushioncutnut]

I have not seen synthesized blue or violet spinels with a grey modifier, and when buying spinels, I always look for negative crystal inclusions, which are indicative of spinels. They look like bubbles, but on closer inspections they are crystals within the stone of smaller spinels (octahedrons). As for rubellite or hot pink tourmaline, I have stopped buying it. Much of it is heated than irradiated and the gemological labs at this time cannot determine the treatment as far as I know. If buying red spinel, I do insist on a lab memo or report becuase the synthetics are very convincing. Sometimes they do have the negative crystal inclusions, but if they do not, you have to be careful because the synthetics have inclusions as well.

Yes, I have read that about Tourmalines which makes me wonder if this stone is too good to be true. The seller does show the back of all of the stones with the inclusions (lots of bubbles/chrystals in them) and all the stones, with the exception of the tsavorite are stated as being I1. Not to be naive, but most of the Thailand Ebay sellers are not honest enough to state the stones to be I1 as I have seen stones that look more like I3 listed as VS or better!! At least that makes me less skeptical of this seller. I won't say thier name yet on this forum until I get the stones. I hope that I can give rave reviews. Keeping fingers crossed.

I also made really lowball best offers on these stones knowing that they are I1 and they do look kinda scary from the back of the stone , however, the looked good from a distance and the color looks spectacular. I do like that they take a picture of the stones on the fingers to show the color next to skin tone............ Just another factor that made me think these where worth taking a chance. o.k... I know I am rattling on......

 

[Largosmom]

I had a bid on Dan's Namanga Garnet but forgot to check on it so missed bidding at the end. Glad to see it is in your hands.

 

[Largosmom]

I had a bid on Dan's Namanga Garnet but forgot to check on it so missed bidding at the end. Glad to see it is in your hands.

 

[dzop]

My understanding is that the Gamma irradation that the pink tourmalines are receiving to enhance their color is exactly the same mechanism by which all-natural pink tourmalines are colored in the ground. Given this, and the (related) undetectability of the treatment, I wonder if the treatment will inevitably be widely accepted.

To me, there's a huge difference b/w something like Be-diffusion (wholly unnatural) or neutron bombardment (wholly unnatural, outside of Oklo) and gamma irradiation.

 

[cushioncutnut]

I had a bid on Dan's Namanga Garnet but forgot to check on it so missed bidding at the end. Glad to see it is in your hands.

Largosmom... I will post pictures when I get it. Should get it tomorrow. If you like what you see, Dan does have some more rough left and he could possibly cut you a stone. Hint: It may be a little less expensive than what it went for auction.

 

[Largosmom]

He's had several of those yummy garnets lately! Thanks for the hint...I'm about out of my play money for now though...will post pics shortly showing why!

Laura

 

[cushioncutnut]

He's had several of those yummy garnets lately! Thanks for the hint...I'm about out of my play money for now though...will post pics shortly showing why!

Laura

Sounds like a good reason to be out of play money. Will keep my eyes peeled!