My first Dan Stair stone... .57ct Namanga garnet!

[cushioncutnut]

I saw that Dan had a stone on Ebay a few weeks ago and could not bid on it as it was a little larger than what I wanted. (Imagine that!) So I sent him an email asking if he had more rough to cut me a 5mm stone to replace the sapphire in the ring pictured. The sapphire photographs better than it is IRL. I love the ring so much that I thought it would be nice to have a custom stone made for it so luckily, Dan had some extra rough to cut me this beautiful Namanga garnet. In sunlight it flashes a beautiful pinky orange and indoors it is a purpley-pink. I swear I beat my head against the wall trying to capture it's beauty!!

 

[cushioncutnut]

indoor lighting...........

 

[cushioncutnut]

more indoor....

 

[cushioncutnut]

outdoor shaded lighting.......

 

[Nashville]

Wow that color is just gorgeous! The cut really sets it off too.

 

[Arcadian]

Thats an amazing stone!!


-A

 

[Aoife]

Love the color and the cut. Dan Stair does good work, and seems pretty up front when you ask questions.

I'm really looking forward to seeing that Namanga garnet when you set it, please post more photos then!

 

[Taylorbug!]

Beautiful color....it will look great in that ring.

 

[JewelFreak]

Fantastic color! Pics when it's in the setting, please!!

 

[cushioncutnut]

Thanks everyone! I hope this stone just pops once it is set! For all those CS experts... would you say that garnets are more of a "day" stone like sapphires? The color really seems to pop when I look at it outdoors or in my car like my sapphire does.

 

[T L]

Thanks everyone! I hope this stone just pops once it is set! For all those CS experts... would you say that garnets are more of a "day" stone like sapphires? The color really seems to pop when I look at it outdoors or in my car like my sapphire does.

Enjoy your new stone CCN!

I wouldnt' say garnets are a day stone. My malayas look much better at night, while I think tsavorites typically look nice in daylight. It depends on the garnet and the species too.

 

[Largosmom]

Love that stone...I'm partial to color shifters/changers.

Performance daytime or nighttime is individual, I think...some like the sunshine, some like the candlelight, some do well in both.

Laura

 

[Magenta]

Very pretty!

would you say that garnets are more of a "day" stone like sapphires? The color really seems to pop when I look at it outdoors or in my car like my sapphire does.

I wouldn't say they're day stones, as such, just that the majority of them really aren't incandescent-lighting stones, which, at least around here, is normal night lighting. My umbalite garnets are best outside, or under halogens, but nothing to write home about when in energy-efficient lighting.

 

[Laila619]

Ohh, it's so pretty!

 

[cushioncutnut]

Very pretty!

would you say that garnets are more of a "day" stone like sapphires? The color really seems to pop when I look at it outdoors or in my car like my sapphire does.

I wouldn't say they're day stones, as such, just that the majority of them really aren't incandescent-lighting stones, which, at least around here, is normal night lighting. My umbalite garnets are best outside, or under halogens, but nothing to write home about when in energy-efficient lighting.

Maybe that is what it is! All the lighting in my house is the energy efficient lighting......so that is why I am not seeing it's true beauty indoors like I would like.

 

[libramom]

Hey Cushioncut!!!

I see we are both Dan firstimers

I love your Namanga garnet!!! I did see that on Dan's website, very pretty






LM

 

[cushioncutnut]

Yes, great minds think alike! Welcome to the Dan Stair club!

 

[marcy]

It is beautiful! Great color.

 

[jstarfireb]

Love that magenta color! It matches the orchids well.

 

[cushioncutnut]

It is currently with the jewelers being set. The jeweler said it is a tiny fraction too big for the setting, but I told him that I had looked at about 6 other stones already that were a little smaller but they were not that great of stones. I also worried if I used a stone that was too small, it would be swallowed up in the setting. I hope he can make this work without it ruining the stone/setting. He said some of the prongs may need re-tipped too. I really don't want to spend a boatload on this project. Keeping my fingers crossed that it works out beautifully without breaking the bank!

 

[chrono]

Some garnets look better under incandescent, others in fluorescent, and yet others outdoors; it all depends not only on the variety of garnet but sometimes the individual stones themselves. I don’t see a picture of the setting in question?

 

[cushioncutnut]

Some garnets look better under incandescent, others in fluorescent, and yet others outdoors; it all depends not only on the variety of garnet but sometimes the individual stones themselves. I don’t see a picture of the setting in question?

I am finding that out. Garnets seem to be such moody stones.......! LOL! Chrono, I plan to set it into the ring with the sapphire in the first few pics. (it will replace the sapphire) The ring was an Ebay find (I posted a link prior to the PS forum change and I think it is no longer there) Although this ring is usually not a style I would gravitate too.......... there was something about it that drew me in. It looks a little art-decoish to me and the diamonds are out of this world! Over 1ct of VS, E-F colored diamonds that just explode with fire! The sapphire is a bit rough as it is poorly cut and has a chip on the girdle.

 

[digitaldevo]

Beautiful stone, congrats!! I sooooo love garnets from a beauty side and the Gemological side as well!

 

[cushioncutnut]

Beautiful stone, congrats!! I sooooo love garnets from a beauty side and the Gemological side as well!

Thank you! But guess what, I just came upon this Bob Kast Nigerian Rubellite Tourmaline and I told my jeweler to "stop the presses" until I see the stone in person. It is .50cts and is a tiny fraction smaller which might fit perfectly in the setting. Decisions...decisions......

 

[chrono]

Are you looking for something pink or a little purplish? Bob has what he calls “passion pink” which is a shocking pink. His rubellites tend to be purplish pink to purplish red to red.

 

[cushioncutnut]

Are you looking for something pink or a little purplish? Bob has what he calls “passion pink” which is a shocking pink. His rubellites tend to be purplish pink to purplish red to red.

Chrono... this is how he describes it............This stone has amazing color - purple-red. The colors are very deep, and incredibly intense and vivid, but don't seem to "black out" even in low light. There are a few inclusions which are common in a class 3 gem but in person, the stone is really eye clean.

which I love the royal purpley red color. I just worry that in incandescent light, the Dan Stair garnet may look a bit more rhodolite looking and honestly, I don't want it to look that way. I want the stone to look lovely in "ALL" lighting if possible. I know a few PSer's have just loved Bob's tourmalines so I thought I would take a chance. I like how he shows many pictures of the stone too as we all know you really can't get the true color from just one picture of the stone...........

 

[Aoife]

I'm also seeing little flashes of orange in the Bob Kast stone, which I tend to like. Whichever you choose, your ring is going to be really striking!

 

[T L]

I think the color is much stronger on the tourmaline. I own three BK rubellites. I love them!!

 

[chrono]

I was under the impression that you already have the DS garnet in hand and can see for yourself the colour shift? I have both good and bad experiences with Bob’s rubellites so you’ll need to ask him additional questions. My first rubellite from Bob was purplish pink to my eye but he called it purplish red, which didn’t bug me too much. However, it turned a not so attractive orangish/brown colour under incandescent lighting so I knew it HAD to go back. He then sent me a replacement rubellite that was very red and held its colour very well both indoors and outdoors so I knew that was the stone for me. If you are concerned about it looking good under all lighting conditions, do ask Bob about the incandescent colour as well.

 

[cushioncutnut]

I think the color is much stronger on the tourmaline. I own three BK rubellites. I love them!!

YOu are one of the reasons why I took a chance and bought this stone!