Leafless trees, lighting environments and gem viewing

[Michael_E]

In a different thread we were discussing viewing environments for gems and I had mentioned a leafless tree on a bright day as being a great lighting environment for viewing gems due to the high contrast background that would be reflected by the gem causing an increase in sparkle and fire. The image in this post is of a "desk gem" which I cut from a quartz crystal years ago,(the marks in it are inclusions, not scratches). This thing sits on the windowsill and fills the room with rainbows on a sunny day. The neat thing about this, and all lighter colored gems, is that it can show fantastic sparkle and fire in the right viewing environment, (even though it has a very low refractive index and dispersion). This first image was taken later in the day with a partially cloudy sky...not much sparkle or fire is there ? Next image coming up !

 

[Michael_E]

Here''s a view of the same stone, in the same light environment, with leafless tree branches added. Huge difference in fire and a lot more sparkle, (since our eyes perceive "sparkle" as a changing contrast between light and dark areas in a gem). The moral here is that if you don''t like how your gem looks in one place...find a different place. It may look much nicer if you find the right place to view it in. Anyone else have unusual places where a particular stone looks its best ?

 

[RockHugger]

The grocery store . Any gemstone or diamond looks AWESOME at the grocery store. I dont know why, but the lighting they use makes my jewelry sparkle and fire.

Oh, and resturants where the lighting is dim. For some reason that makes my jewelry pop!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Oddly enough, Church.

And the Barnes and Nobles!

 

[T L]

I''m sitting underneath a single fluorescent light bulb at my office today, two bulbs are turned off because the additional light gives me headaches. I''m wearing my spinel, a cuprian, and a spessartite, and they all look amazing under this lighting, but they look great in sunlight and halogens too. I think it depends on the gem as well. Some gems die in sunlight and some look fab in it. Home Depot is great for diamonds. If you get bored shopping with the husband there because he''s looking for a new garbage disposal

, bring your diamonds. It''s great entertainment. Many other gems look fantastic there as well.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/31/2010 4:06:23 PM
Author: RockHugger
The grocery store . Any gemstone or diamond looks AWESOME at the grocery store. I dont know why, but the lighting they use makes my jewelry sparkle and fire.

Oh, and resturants where the lighting is dim. For some reason that makes my jewelry pop!

And while there, compre how fanta your fanta spess is next to the actual soda. Been there, done that. DH thinks I''m nuts and I''m sure most people reading this do as well.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/31/2010 4:31:27 PM
Author: MakingTheGrade
Oddly enough, Church.

And the Barnes and Nobles!

MTG,
So admit it, what do you pay more attention to, the sermon, or your gems? LOL!

 

[RockHugger]

ditto to home depot! something about that place makes em sooo perty!

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 3/31/2010 4:32:10 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I''m sitting underneath a single fluorescent light bulb at my office today, two bulbs are turned off because the additional light gives me headaches. I''m wearing my spinel, a cuprian, and a spessartite, and they all look amazing under this lighting, but they look great in sunlight and halogens too. I think it depends on the gem as well. Some gems die in sunlight and some look fab in it. Home Depot is great for diamonds. If you get bored shopping with the husband there because he''s looking for a new garbage disposal

, bring your diamonds. It''s great entertainment. Many other gems look fantastic there as well.

Agree with you a 100% that it depends on the gem. DH does the shopping hence no opinion on grocery stores but fluorescent light in my office kills my alex and does nothing to the ruby or diamonds. Alex looks very nice in a car with a dim light inside, at dawn. Also in the swimming pool where my kid goes to swim. The lamps are fluorescent as well, but mounted very high. Maybe it is a different type of fluorescent, it makes my face greenish but the stone turns absolutely gorgeous green.

 

[platinumrock]

I agree, Home Depot has the best lights for jewelry. Sams Club makes grocery shopping so much more fun too! I try not to stare too much at my hand while checking out though. Hehee...

The incandescent lights at restaurants can create quite a distraction as well.

But my favorite lighting environment is outside in direct sunlight, when my stones glow and look more intense because of fluoro!

 

[T L]

Date: 3/31/2010 5:58:13 PM
Author: crasru

Date: 3/31/2010 4:32:10 PM

Author: tourmaline_lover

I'm sitting underneath a single fluorescent light bulb at my office today, two bulbs are turned off because the additional light gives me headaches. I'm wearing my spinel, a cuprian, and a spessartite, and they all look amazing under this lighting, but they look great in sunlight and halogens too. I think it depends on the gem as well. Some gems die in sunlight and some look fab in it. Home Depot is great for diamonds. If you get bored shopping with the husband there because he's looking for a new garbage disposal

, bring your diamonds. It's great entertainment. Many other gems look fantastic there as well.

Agree with you a 100% that it depends on the gem. DH does the shopping hence no opinion on grocery stores but fluorescent light in my office kills my alex and does nothing to the ruby or diamonds. Alex looks very nice in a car with a dim light inside, at dawn. Also in the swimming pool where my kid goes to swim. The lamps are fluorescent as well, but mounted very high. Maybe it is a different type of fluorescent, it makes my face greenish but the stone turns absolutely gorgeous green.

Slight thread jack, but a man that does all the grocery shopping????!!!

I'm jealous

 

[ma re]

Places like department stores or grocery stores tend to make gems look great simply because they have many individual light sources shining from many different directions - super-extra sparkle guaranteed. Same reason why gems (especially diamonds) look great at Oscar''s; a ton of spotlights all around.

 

[T L]

Date: 4/1/2010 2:55:21 AM
Author: ma re
Places like department stores or grocery stores tend to make gems look great simply because they have many individual light sources shining from many different directions - super-extra sparkle guaranteed. Same reason why gems (especially diamonds) look great at Oscar''s; a ton of spotlights all around.

. . . and also because the gems at the Oscars are HUGE and $$$$$$$$$$

 

[klewis]

A couple of nights ago I saw a doco on the history of the Windsors and there was some old footage of Queen Mary and other members of the British Royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. It seemed to be evening or very low light and the diamond necklace she was wearing caught the light in the most spectacular way.