Looking for a nice tsavorite

[annam]

My birthstone is a garnet but I love emeralds. The best of both worlds would be a tsavorite. I am looking for a bright green with an excellent cut. I know it won't sparkle as much as a diamond but I want the pop of colour. The bigger the better in a round cut. I cruised some of the websites recommended but didn't see anything I liked. My next step was to contact the websites directly but I was wondering if anyone here could recommend the perfect stone for me.

My budget is $200. Any help is appreciated.

 

[estelle]

What size stone are you looking for? I am asking because the price of tsavorite has gone up dramatically and well-cut, nicely colored, clean stones are quite pricey. You might be able to find something nice in the 5 mm range, but it will be challenging to get something larger that is also clean, nicely colored and well-cut. Yvonne Raley on Etsy has a pair of 5 mm tsavs that look nicely colored. They are just over $400. Perhaps she'd consider splitting the pair for you? If this size stone is too small for you, I'd reconsider your budget. Good luck!

 

[RedSpinel]

tsavorites are very rare, and like someone else said, the prices for tsavorites with good color has gone up considerably. You will find some very light green grossular garnets being advertised as tsavorites, and even yellowish ones, but ideally you want a nice, chrome green one. garnets are pretty dense, which means you get less stone for your money compared with less dense stones like emeralds. In order to get a decent sized stone it will probably need to be a little over a carat at least, and make sure you dont buy a shallow cut stone with a window. A tsavorite over 1ct thats well cut, clean and has good color will cost significantly more than $200. Supposedly they are many, many hundreds of times rarer than emeralds.

 

[annam]

Thank you so much for your advice. I am not picky about the size, it's more of a cost issue. But I still want the biggest bang for the buck with the best quality I can get. I'll look into the pair of tsavorites you suggested. Hopefully she will split them.

Updated to say: the pair you suggested are "dark". I thought medium green were the best? I am confused.

 

[endless_summer]

This:

http://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/tsavorite-cushion-at-5-dot-1-mm-dark-green-84-cts

Katharath's stone - I think it's pretty and in line with budget if under a carat will work for you

 

[JewelFreak]

That's a nice tsavorite. I'd recommend that -- it's probably the best you'll find within your budget, so if you like it, snap it up before somebody does.

As noted above, prices for tsavorites have risen a lot, partly because they are not as common as, say, emeralds, and also because most of the good stuff is being bought quickly in Asia, where they are investing in colored stones more than in earlier years. I don't think you'll do better than Katharath's pretty one for the same money.

 

[chrono]

Mining for tsavorites have slowed dramatically, due to weather, mining conditions and there just isn't nice rough coming out of the ground lately, hence pricing has almost doubled for fine material.

A little small at 4.2 mm but is only $50. I'm not sure what the shipping cost is like though. You'll have to ask David to pick the nicest yet cleanest tsavorite out of the parcel of 7 stones.
http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?-1093377657

Could be better coloured than the above but you'll have to ask David to confirm.
http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?-331512160

https://www.primagemsusa.com/content/043-cts-natural-tsavorite

The richer green starts to get really expensive.
https://www.primagemsusa.com/content/129-carats-natural-tsavorite-loose-gemstone-round

 

[LoversKites]

The ones Chrono posted are probably better (and less expensive) but I've liked this 4.6mm tsav for a while, if you don't mind sugar inclusions...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vivid-emerald-green-tsavorite-garnet-4-6mm-round-brilliant-excellent-proportion-/200763466398?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ebe6f629e

 

[chrono]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vivid-emerald-green-tsavorite-garnet-4-6mm-round-brilliant-excellent-proportion-/200763466398?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ebe6f629e

LK,
If one's eyessight isn't super sharp, that's a good buy for $100.

 

[annam]

Thanks for the new suggestions chrono, LK and JK. I do like kath's opinion and this posting that inspired me to get a tsavorite. I like the the shape and the colour. It seems really saturated and a true green with no yellow. If you think this is a good buy I'll pick it up. It's hard when you don't know what to look for. Thanks so much!!!!!

 

[LoversKites]

The stone potentially has half-half extinction. In some of the photos one half of the stone seems darker than the other. Could just be the reflection of the camera. I would ask just to make sure otherwise it's a lovely option.

Edit--look at the last photo on the listing to see what I mean.

 

[RedSpinel]

This:

http://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/tsavorite-cushion-at-5-dot-1-mm-dark-green-84-cts

Katharath's stone - I think it's pretty and in line with budget if under a carat will work for you

That looks like a really nice stone, especially for $225. In the pics it doesnt look too light or too dark. Doesnt appear to have a window either. I'm a bit surprised its not being sold for $500.

Edit: After reading Loverskites post, I took a 2nd look at the pics. Extinction is always a possibility with garnets, and in most of the pics you do see some dark facets, but it looks like only 30% of the facets show dark. In picture #4 with the garnets aside other smaller stones, it doesnt appear there is any noticeable extinction. In my humble opinion, this stone wont have a significant extinction issue, but as LK said, its probably best to inquire and maybe ask for a few more pics in different light, or maybe have the seller show you the gem live over video using your smart phone or computer under different lights.

 

[T L]

I think any stone with inclusions will be more in your price range. However, tsavorite garnets larger than a carat are usually more than $200, unless very highly included.