New garnet

[MakingTheGrade]

Went to go pick it up It wasn''t quite what I wanted, but it was fun to try and photograph Very dreary day today though

I think I"ll wait to see it in the sunlight before I decide to keep it or not.

 

[ma re]

Kewl

Reminds me of ametrine.

 

[icekid]

Date: 3/29/2009 1:23:17 PM
Author: ma re
Kewl

Reminds me of ametrine.

me too! I totally see the purple and yellow. What kind of garnet is it?

 

[innerkitten]

Thats interesting. I like the colors! What type of garnet is it?

 

[Linda W]

MTG. I really like it. Love the color play

 

[LD]

Call me daft but it looks like the Pad you''ve just bought!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

It was sold as a malaya.

Unfortunately, it only looks lively in really specific lighting conditions and angles, most of the time the brown just takes over though. And in general it just way too closely matches my own (asian) skin tone, so back it goes

 

[zeolite]

Don't send it back! You, and maybe the vendor, do not realize what you have!

Garnets are of cubic crystal structure, so they can't show dichroism, as a tourmaline can. The two colors you are seeing is from two different types of light sources: red-purple from incandescent lighting, and yellow from daylight. What you have is a color shift (if not a color change) gem. That makes perfect sense, since all color change garnets are pyrope-spessartines (malaya is a sub group of this type).

In addition, pastel (hence brilliant) garnets are VERY rare. You have a winner there. I'm sure Pandora or I will want it, if you don't!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Thanks for the input Mr zeolite! Although, in person I don''t see the two colors separately, it''s more of a camera phenomena I think...

I also don''t know why it generally looks a murky brown, I don''t know if it''s a cutting issue or a strong brown tone.
I''ll take some more pics tomorrow when the sun is out.

If you''re interested, I can send you a link to the vendor, she has a few of those pieces left.

 

[zeolite]

it''s more of a camera phenomena I think

We can only go by the pictures. Yes, send the info.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Actually, if I look closely, I can see the orange and pink flashes simultaneously.
I took some more pics in slightly better controlled lighting.

Here it is in sunlight only. It looks WORLDS better when my hand is shadowing it from the direct sunlight (it''s sitting on the window sill, facing away from the window)

 

[chrono]

If it's too brown for you, just return it. It's not worth keeping something you don't love, even though it's inexpensive unless you plan to gift it down the road. The skin tone thing is another reason why I haven't jumped on the Malaia bandwagon - I'm concerned the orangish pink colour will blend too well with my skin tone.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Incandescent lighting (not a very attractive lighting for it)

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Mixed lighting (windows open, lights on) And some next to my skin color

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Body color shots.

 

[chrono]

The incandescent shows the behavior typical of most garnets and tourmalines where the colour get muddy or closed.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 3/29/2009 5:56:46 PM
Author: Chrono
If it's too brown for you, just return it. It's not worth keeping something you don't love, even though it's inexpensive unless you plan to gift it down the road. The skin tone thing is another reason why I haven't jumped on the Malaia bandwagon - I'm concerned the orangish pink colour will blend too well with my skin tone.

I'd agree. Although, it was pretty inexpensive (80$, it's a 1 ct stone). And while I wouldn't regift it, I do like to collect garnets as a hobby, hopefully one day I'll get to learn more about them indepth, and I'd hate to have given up on something gemologically (if not aesthetically) interesting. Also, it's brown in some lighting, but it's lovely in others.

Here's the link to the vendor, I kind of bid on it as a lark because the color in the photo looked nice (No LD, you aren't daft, it is close in color to the pad, which is why it caught my attention) and I figured the vendor wouldn't sell it to me for 80$, but she did.

Malaya

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Sun went down, this is what it looks like with the incandescent at full force, face on.

 

[movie zombie]

$80?! i''d keep it....but then i like it.

mz

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Here are the pad and garnet together, the difference in color is much more noticeable in incandescent light.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Actually that quit weird. Every malaya I have seen turns more pink in incandescent light, and goes more to the brown colors in daylight or florescent light.
Garnets almost always look their best in incandescent light, but this stone is just the opposite. Pink/Red Tourmaline behave just opposite to pink/red garnets with incandescent light.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 3/29/2009 6:42:47 PM
Author: PrecisionGem
Actually that quit weird. Every malaya I have seen turns more pink in incandescent light, and goes more to the brown colors in daylight or florescent light.

Garnets almost always look their best in incandescent light, but this stone is just the opposite. Pink/Red Tourmaline behave just opposite to pink/red garnets with incandescent light.

Oh. Does that mean it isn't a garnet? And just to clarify, incandescent is your run of the mill yellowish light-bulb lighting? I can check my bulbs, but I don't think they are florescent..
(Side note: it went from sunny to large chunks of hail in 20 minutes...)

 

[FrekeChild]

I think it''s cool how it goes golden brown. I''d keep it for $80...

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 3/29/2009 6:50:25 PM
Author: FrekeChild
I think it''s cool how it goes golden brown. I''d keep it for $80...

Heh, that''s actually my thought process going into it when I submitted a bid. I figured it was a risk, but for 80$, meh.

 

[icekid]

Hmm, I think it''s a pretty cool stone, too. For $80, I''d keep it in the collection, even if there are no future setting plans.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 3/29/2009 6:52:50 PM
Author: icekid
Hmm, I think it's a pretty cool stone, too. For $80, I'd keep it in the collection, even if there are no future setting plans.

Hehe, I'm so easily swayed. I'd like to see what Mr. Zeolite might have to say about the new pics though. He seemed pretty adamant about keeping it around, and I would definitely take his advice
Although, he also says that the red flashes should be coming from the incandescent, and the yellow should be coming from the sunlight...but this stone is notably more pink in the sunlight, and golden brown when faced with the lightbulbs. ...huh?

 

[LaurenThePartier]

It''s kind of a cool stone, and it didn''t cost too much. I''d probably be the type to keep it.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 3/29/2009 6:42:47 PM
Author: PrecisionGem
Actually that quit weird. Every malaya I have seen turns more pink in incandescent light, and goes more to the brown colors in daylight or florescent light.

Garnets almost always look their best in incandescent light, but this stone is just the opposite. Pink/Red Tourmaline behave just opposite to pink/red garnets with incandescent light.

Ok, I am an idiot, my sincerest apologies!!
My fiance recently changed all my lightbulbs in my study, and I had thought they were incandescent, normal lightbulbs, but apparently they are GE energy-saver fluorescents.

SORRY!!!!
<----Idiot.

 

[PrecisionGem]

That would explain it. Those energy saving bulbs make everything look crummy.
Incandescent are the old fashioned bulbs.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 3/29/2009 7:25:32 PM
Author: PrecisionGem
That would explain it. Those energy saving bulbs make everything look crummy.

Incandescent are the old fashioned bulbs.

Haha, yes. Sorry again for all the confusions! I didn't realize, they cast the same yellowish light as all the other bulbs around the house.

Once again:
<---idiot
But here, snuck into the bathroom where the bulbs are still the old fashioned ones. And you're right, it's very pink