Lessons needed in looking for gemstone rough

[Clairitek]

I am trying to get a Christmas gift project started right now. My mission is to have a gemstone ring made for my mother. Currently my desire is to end up with a cushion cut green stone (my preferences right now are peridot or mint garnet) that I will set probably set in a yellow gold bezel setting.

I have been in contact with Jeff White and he does have a mint garnet but its a little out of my price range so I am guessing that I will have to settle for peridot.

I have been looking online for some rough to send him to cut but I have NO IDEA what I am looking at or what the terminology is for describing gemstone rough. I am also not sure on what size I would need to yield a 6.5-7 mm cushion cut stone.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to educate me on the ins and outs of buying rough online. Feel free to post potential stones if you feel up to looking.

Here is one option that I found...
It measures 11x8x5 mm. It is priced at $17.13 and weighs 5.71 carats.

 

[Clairitek]

Another angle of the same stone

 

[Clairitek]

Last shot of the stone

 

[neatfreak]

Have you asked Jeff what to look for? I would think he would be the best source of information.

 

[Clairitek]

Date: 10/29/2008 9:25:51 AM
Author: neatfreak
Have you asked Jeff what to look for? I would think he would be the best source of information.

I have asked him. I just sent the email to him asking for his advice. I just thought that I would put the feelers on PS as well to see what people had to say.

 

[Harriet]

I would leave the sourcing to Jeff. He''d know better what the weight loss will be, what cut the rough will take, etc.

 

[PrecisionGem]

The best advice I can give you is not to buy any rough. Leave this up to the cutter. Buying good rough is very very difficult, takes a lot of experience and years to develop good trusted sources. And then, you still get burned from time to time.

Mint green garnet is going to cost a lot more than peridot. Have you thought about a green tourmaline? This would be something that would be less than the garnet, and a bit more than the peridot. Peridot is actually a tricky stone to buy in the rough, as the inclusions hide very very well in it, and often don''t show up until you are into the cutting stages.

 

[Clairitek]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I can see why this is something I should just leave up to the cutter.

Jeff did have some peridot that he said was a lovely color from Arizona but it was too large for what I needed. My mother tends to lean towards more understated jewelery. I figured that the mint garnet was going to be a lot more than the peridot.

I have also been considering green tourmaline and I will ask him about that as well. I prefer the bright green color of peridot or the pale minty hue of the mint garnet (I fell in love with that cushion he has in his gallery) but the tourmaline is pretty too.

I wish I knew what my mother would love the most but I don''t want to spoil the surprise.