Need some help please!

[theredspinel]

Ok I need honest opinions; yvonne has a pair of 5mm mint garnets... what do the experts think about the colour.

I love the pictures but if I'm paying for a mint I want 1 that's truly representative of a mint... are these it?

Or are they too yellow... with no blue modifier?

Thanks!

 

[gingercurls]

Hi theredspinel,

I think that you have asked a good question.

I like these gems because they are round, which is somewhat of a rarity in green garnets in general, and seem to be clean. Mint garnets can be difficult to shop for because green can be tricky to photograph. For example, I purchased a stunning mint garnet from Gene. In his pictures, the stone looked to be a little grey but in person it has absolutely no grey modifier and has a slight blue secondary hue.

Based on Yvonne's pictures of the stones, they do appear to have a yellow secondary hue. Technically, mints with a yellow secondary hue are less valuable. However, it could very well be that these gems do not have a yellow secondary hue and just appear so in the pictures.

I have purchased five mint garnets and kept three out of those five. The three that I kept all had a blue secondary hue that was pretty obvious when first opening the package and these stones also have a neon quality to them in most lighting conditions. The two that I returned either had a yellow secondary hue or a grey modifier.

 

[chrono]

1. Do you want a single stone or it has to be a pair? I think there is a slight premium for a matched pair, especially for rounds.

2. No pics for us? People have varying definitions of mint garnet = light green, a little yellow, and a little blue. Which is your preference?

3. You are in the UK or somewhere that has import taxes, right? Can someone be your eyes here before buying it? Maybe a video? Don't forget to ask about indoor vs outdoor.

 

[theredspinel]

Thanks for your replies both. Chrono I want a matched pair for earrings. Yes I'm in the uk and yes we get taxed so sending it back wouldn't be an option. I unfortunately don't have anyone that could check it out for me in person!

As for my preference, for me the exclusivity of a stone has a massive impact... although I do have to find the colour attractive too. I like the colour of these but when I read bluish tones are more sought after... It somewhat dampens me.

But to be honest the bluish ones I've seen online havnt been very saturated so I don't know if I would really like blue undertones or if I just havnt seen a good example.

I don't normally like yellowey greens but I think the prospective sparkle/brilliance in these stones are whats attracting me to it as well as its name. Pics to follow

 

[theredspinel]

Pictures. It's the same colour in all the pics!

 

[theredspinel]

Gingercurls please could I see your mints with the blue if possible? These have been confirmed to have a yellow undertone and no blue.

 

[chrono]

Various shades of greens and lots of very saturated slightly bluish green garnets here:
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-us-your-green-garnets.215814/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-us-your-green-garnets.215814/[/URL]

 

[theredspinel]

Haha I just found that thread a couple of hours ago and been going through it repeatedly! What do you think of these ones? Please totally honest opinion.

Also would these be considered nicely saturated (what level?)

 

[chrono]

I am so partial to those with a blue hue that it's not even funny, therefore my opinion of the pair is going to be incredibly biased.

 

[theredspinel]

Lol Chrono I swear I am the same!!! I normally don't like light green let alone ones with a yellow undertone... but I don't know why these stones are just really stuck in my head.

The thing is I don't understand if I am truly attracted to the stones themselves or just wanting to be able to say "I own a melarani mint". I can't seem to seperate the two issues in my head!

Oh also, for what they are (NOT mints with a blue ) are they nicely saturated? If I do get them I want to know they are great stones anyway (just without a blue undertone).

 

[theredspinel]

Ok I've taken the plunge and just brought them! Damn my crazy impatient side

Yvonne provided some hand shots; just ignore the peridot in the middle

 

[Garnetgirl]

The colour looks much nicer in the hand shots - more of a bluish green. Hopefully the stones will resemble these last photos, rather than the ones on her website. Good luck with your earring project.

 

[Lovinggems]

The colour looks much nicer in the hand shots - more of a bluish green. Hopefully the stones will resemble these last photos, rather than the ones on her website. Good luck with your earring project.

This.

 

[theredspinel]

Thank you!

To be honest I really don't mind the fresh minty green colour if it's as saturated as it looks to my eyes it's a really fresh and vibrant colour. Not one I've ever gone for before so will be interesting when I open the package.

 

[chrono]

Naughty, naughty! How long will it take to arrive?

 

[theredspinel]

Ages yet Chrono, I've done a 3 month payment plan just to make myself space out my purchases

Ive put most of my spare funds into the pendant I'm doing with the black opal n pallasite peridot... and that's still a few months away too. Oh so much waiting ahead!

 

[theredspinel]

I was recently reading about kornerupines after I came across the small grass green ones yvonne has in her shop. I love the rarity factor (when don't I) and the fact that I kept going back again and again to the stones; I loved the bright green colour that much.

(Am I actually falling for lighter greens??? I've hated that colour all my life )

So long story short, I have an awesome idea for my mints earring project (sorry I can't share it just yet ) and I realised I needed the kornerupines..... so here they are with my mints (mint garnets being the bigger ones).