I''m getting a color change garnet!

[Addlepated]

Richard Homer called the other day from the Tucson gem show and said he had seen some really nice color change garnets but they''re increasingly rare. I okayed a bump in price, and 10 minutes later he called back and said with the new price point he was able to find a fantastic stone which should cut to about 1.10 carats. He said it had a very nice color change from blue/green to raspberry red. I can''t wait! Now I gotta figure out how I want to set this bad boy. Any ideas?

(P.S. I wore my new H&A cushion ring to Las Vegas and absolutely mesmerized the clerk at the hotel when I was checking in... she was staring at my ring and didn''t hear a thing I said; shook her head as if coming out of a dream when I asked her a question, apologized, and said, "Wow, that is an incredible ring!"

)

 

[belle]

how exciting add! i want to hear everything about it when you get it...........i''m still toying with the idea of a color change garnet myself, and would love to hear all about yours!

 

[Skyblue]

Mmmm...... garnet is my birthstone but I have never heard of a color change stone. They sound incredible. Are they something new?

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Hey Addle:

Congrats..I remember you posting some Questions awhile back concerning CC garnets. I think a good setting to help accent the concave faceting would be one that lets alot of light into the pavilion.

I recently purchased a sapphire from Richard for Regina and the stone is beautiful, but is in a closed setting (Bezel)..The girdle of the stone will always be protected and the ring is beautiful, but it also darkens the stone a little, but when in direct sunlight conditions watch out.

Think about setting it in a ring with an open back or maybe think about prongs which have the stone sitting a little elavated so light can get in the back...

 

[Addlepated]

Skyblue, a color change garnet acts similarly to an alexandrite, in that it will be one color in incandescent light and another in fluorescent light. Some have changes from yellow to brown, some from red to green. The one that Richard Homer found changes from a blue-green to a raspberry red, similar to this one:

Josh, what color metal do you think it would look good in? I was sort of considering a cluster ring like this one:

But I am definitely open to suggestions!

 

[chantal990]

Congratulations

I can''t wait to see the finished product.
I think that a cluster setting would look great. Or having the stone as a centre stone and a diamond channel set band

 

[valeria101]

Addlepated... I just could not refrain to post this darling awaiting the color changer to show up

Let's call it "setting suggestion" :

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

I think white gold would work good to provide contrast for your colored stone and I also like the cluster ring surrounded by diamonds.

 

[Addlepated]

Date: 2/8/2005 1:46:45 AM
Author: valeria101
Addlepated... I just could not refrain to post this darling awaiting the color changer to show up

Bahahahahah! I love it. Didn''t the Victorians like bug jewelry?

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/8/2005 4

9:43 AM
Author: Addlepated

Date: 2/8/2005 1:46:45 AM
Author: valeria101
Addlepated... I just could not refrain to post this darling awaiting the color changer to show up

Bahahahahah! I love it. Didn''t the Victorians like bug jewelry?

Some ladybug !

 

[Addlepated]

Woohoo, I just got pics of the stone!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Oh my goodness! What a beauty....

....must...have...one.........

cheers--Sharon

 

[Kaleigh]

I have never seen color change garnets before, they're beautiful. Can't wait to see how you set it, I'm sure it will be lovely!

 

[valeria101]

The change is pretty impressive ! Congrats for the find

Do you know where it comes from ?

 

[Addlepated]

Date: 2/14/2005 10

8:38 PM
Author: valeria101
The change is pretty impressive ! Congrats for the find

Do you know where it comes from ?

Hm, I''m not sure; I will ask him tomorrow. He purchased the rough at the Tucson gem show, and that''s all I know.

 

[sevens one]

What a beauty. amazing

 

[belle]

it''s even better than i could imagine!!! congrats!

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Wow..Addle..It was worth the wait wasn''t it..

I can''t wait too see this mounted..

That is an awesome color changer...

 

[Addlepated]

About the origin of the stone, Richard says, "......Tanzania....the source of the original find of color change garnet when it was first discovered 20 years ago or so". He also said it''s a VVS clarity, which is apparently rather rare with this material. Anyway, he''s shipping it out today so I''ll have it in my sweaty little palms soon. I am eager to see what it looks like under "real world" light conditions.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 2/15/2005 3

7

1 PM
Author: Addlepated
He also said it''s a VVS clarity, which is apparently rather rare with this material... I am eager to see what it looks like under ''real world'' light conditions.

High clarity CC garnets aren''t common in my experience, but there are some. The 1.66 carat Tanzanian gem in the image is clean at 10-power magnification.

As for "real world" lighting conditions, you''ll find that light is seldom as pure as the lights used for photography. And the human eye doesn''t "see" color quite the same way as a camera lens and digital CCDs. In many day to day situations natural light is mixed with artificial light and your stone will behave accordingly.

I think that''s a "plus:" color-change stones are always displaying a range of fascinating colors that amaze and delight!

Richard M.

 

[Gale]

That''s one very beautiful garnet! Is it behaving as you expected now that it''s finally in your hands?

 

[Addlepated]

I don''t have it yet - it''s on the way.

When I get it, I will take some pics of it to show what it looks like outside of the lab. Watch this space!

 

[Addlepated]

The stone came in today and I have to say, I''m really happy!  I also want to mention that it''s really difficult to take pictures of it and see the same colors on the camera that I do with my eyes, just like Richard M. mentioned.  For example, there is a lot of red in the stone, but it photographs as violet or purple.  I only got one shot in mixed lighting that shows any of the red.  There''s also more green in the daylight, but it comes out as a steely blue in photos.  I was able to get a picture with the flash that indicates some of the green.

Without further ado (and please imagine that I have moisturized my hands!

) :

Daylight:

Daylight 2:

With a flash:

Halogen lighting:

More halogen:

A fuzzy halogen pic showing more of a violet side:

Camera flash and halogen lighting gave mixed colors:

The obligatory handshot:

I''m going to take it to my jeweler tomorrow to talk about settings. 

 

[belle]

okay, so do you love it or what!!? i think i love it!! i have sooooo been wanting to get one, but i wasn''t sure the color change would be that noticable......but it really looks awesome!! i am convinced now. the hunt begins..........
congratulations to you!!!!!

 

[Addlepated]

I''ll tell you, I was pretty nervous about it - I have seen color change garnets and alexandrites before, but they have been very inky or not a very good color change. So while I knew I loved the concept, I had not seen a well-executed stone, if you know what I mean. This stone is really pretty (and there is, of course, a price to pay for that; around $1100/carat). The color change is noticeable and immediate. In most well-lit situations, the color pops very nicely. In darker light, it does get a little inky but the nice thing about the concave faceting is that it lets any little bit of light pick up a stray facet, so even though the stone can look dark, little lines of blue or violet spark through it at random.

So in short, yes, I love it! And dealing with Richard Homer was fantastic. He''s a master craftsman and a very nice guy.

 

[icekid]

it''s gorgeous!

and ummmm i want one!

 

[DiamondExpert]

Congrats! Looks like an excellent change of color!!

ENJOY!

 

[belle]

the colors are beautiful! i''m sure you feel you couldn''t capture the trueness of it exactly, but it is very very nice!

 

[Gale]

Wow! That stone is amazing! How are you planning on setting it?

 

[Addlepated]

I just took the stone into the jeweler today for setting. I went with my original inclination, which was a setting like this one:

I should have it back in a couple of weeks, maybe sooner!