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OEC zircon...a bit disappointed

CHRISTY-DANIELLE

CHRISTY-DANIELLE

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jul 10, 2017
Messages
2,582
I saw this 8ct oec cut zircon and just HAD to get it. Seller told me was light medium. Which was fine with me, as I actually prefer the lighter turquoise color. I was so looking forward to this stone, but it came today & it's not at all the color I expected. The cutting is beautiful, but I'm so sad about the color.

I just emailed Jeff White about commissioning one from him. The one he cut for @bright ice was phenomenal.

Compared with my other 2 zircons in pics.
20200917_161431.jpg20200917_161458.jpg20200917_161520.jpg
 
aww, I'd be bummed too. Zircons are heated and some do revert back to their original brown colors sometimes. I've had two old euro cuts in a pendant do that, they were in a deco piece. But after some googling, I read that UV light can bring it back so I left it in the sun a few mins and it turned back to a bright blue. It seems not all heat treatment is stable.
 
ForteKitty said:
aww, I'd be bummed too. Zircons are heated and some do revert back to their original brown colors sometimes. I've had two old euro cuts in a pendant do that, they were in a deco piece. But after some googling, I read that UV light can bring it back so I left it in the sun a few mins and it turned back to a bright blue. It seems not all heat treatment is stable.
Click to expand...

I remember reading something like that from a cutter too.

It’s a very silly question. Blueish zircon could look as good as some of the commercial grade Paraíba type tourmaline. Is it a good alternative?
 
ForteKitty said:
aww, I'd be bummed too. Zircons are heated and some do revert back to their original brown colors sometimes. I've had two old euro cuts in a pendant do that, they were in a deco piece. But after some googling, I read that UV light can bring it back so I left it in the sun a few mins and it turned back to a bright blue. It seems not all heat treatment is stable.
Click to expand...

The seller was surprised by my pics, said he never saw it with those colors. So now I wonder if you might be right? He sent me pics of the actual rough it came out of (from Joe Henley) and here are 2 stills from the cutters videos in different light.
I am SO disappointed, the cutting is amazing, the dispersion is mesmerizing. If this had better color I'd be on cloud 9!
20200917_180300.jpg
 
CHRISTY-DANIELLE said:
I saw this 8ct oec cut zircon and just HAD to get it. Seller told me was light medium. Which was fine with me, as I actually prefer the lighter turquoise color. I was so looking forward to this stone, but it came today & it's not at all the color I expected. The cutting is beautiful, but I'm so sad about the color.

I just emailed Jeff White about commissioning one from him. The one he cut for @bright ice was phenomenal.

Compared with my other 2 zircons in pics.
20200917_161431.jpg20200917_161458.jpg20200917_161520.jpg
Click to expand...

It still looks quite pretty on its own away from the other two
I quite like the sea green look

still i understand your disappointment
 
So I chatted with Michelle (mvmgems) who cut this. She couldn't believe my pics either, said she never saw it that color. She suggested I expose it to incandescent light for awhile. So I'm going to try that. I'll let ya know if miracles occur.
 
This looks like a stone that riouxrocks was offering on insta for awhile. Did you have it set (the first photo) or is it still loose?
 
yes, that's this stone! It's not set, just put it in a plastic ring mold I had.

I think the incandescent light might have worked, but I'll be able to tell better tomorrow in natural light. Fingers crossed. I so want to keep this!
20200917_212551.jpg
20200917_222055.jpg
 
CHRISTY-DANIELLE said:
yes, that's this stone! It's not set, just put it in a plastic ring mold I had.

I think the incandescent light might have worked, but I'll be able to tell better tomorrow in natural light. Fingers crossed. I so want to keep this!
Click to expand...

Got it!! Give it all the light treatment it needs!! I almost bought this stone, it's the exact same dimensions as the OEC in my engagement ring in my profile image. Fingers crossed for you! ❤️
 
Also I'd sit down and think if you really want to keep a gem that you have to almost "charge" if you will under the light or it'll turn muddy. That may sound exciting- like a game or for people like me that sounds tiring. Almost like taking a certain medication on time or you get really sick.

The faceting is truly beautiful but the color is really no bueno...I'm so sorry that this has been a less than thrilling purchase. Both of those IG vendors seem so sweet so I really think it was brighter but that for whatever reason it reverts back to the muddy color without light.

I hope it all works out girly ♥️
 
Hmm, so if the color is corrected by incandescent light, it will get muddy again? Michelle asked if it had been exposed to UV light from a tanning bed or nail salon (literally got this only hours ago, so NO) but I thought maybe (?) It was exposed to some kind of xray in the postal system?

I do not want a ring I have to "charge" up. (My lord, one more thing that would make dh ask: "What are you doing?!")
 
CHRISTY-DANIELLE said:
Hmm, so if the color is corrected by incandescent light, it will get muddy again? Michelle asked if it had been exposed to UV light from a tanning bed or nail salon (literally got this only hours ago, so NO) but I thought maybe (?) It was exposed to some kind of xray in the postal system?

I do not want a ring I have to "charge" up. (My lord, one more thing that would make dh ask: "What are you doing?!")
Click to expand...

Hmm...I honestly don't know but I just thought if it was a beautiful blue and changed that there's a good chance once that beautiful blue that it would change again.

Hopefully I'm wrong though, but plain lighting forever changing the stones color seems so odd to me!
 
CHRISTY-DANIELLE said:
So I chatted with Michelle (mvmgems) who cut this. She couldn't believe my pics either, said she never saw it that color. She suggested I expose it to incandescent light for awhile. So I'm going to try that. I'll let ya know if miracles occur.
Click to expand...

Maybe this:

Reversible Color Modification of Blue Zircon by Long-Wave Ultraviolet Radiation | Gems & Gemology

Determines whether blue zircon, inadvertently altered to brown by exposure to long-wave UV radiation, can be restored to its original color through the use of incandescent light.
www.gia.edu www.gia.edu
 
icy_jade said:
Maybe this:

Reversible Color Modification of Blue Zircon by Long-Wave Ultraviolet Radiation | Gems & Gemology

Determines whether blue zircon, inadvertently altered to brown by exposure to long-wave UV radiation, can be restored to its original color through the use of incandescent light.
www.gia.edu www.gia.edu
Click to expand...

This is the article mvm forwarded to me and suggested I try incandescent light.
But if uv exposure is the issue, I don't know how it happened? It looked off colored when I opened the package. I can only assume something odd happened on its way to me ?
Anyway, experiment seems to be successful, but tomorrow's daylight will decide.
 
It is not the first time I heard about heated Zircon fading. I hope its colour will intensifies by light exposure, as the cut looks good!

DK :))
 
@CHRISTY-DANIELLE I am sorry the color changed (though thankfully only temporarily). It looks like exposure to an incandescent source will restore its blue color (and in a relatively short time frame ie 20 minutes) but you have to be careful about exposing it to long wave UV light because it can change back to a brownish color. I mean you can then re-expose it to incandescent light and get it back to blue but not sure how much effort you want to put into maintaining the color. It is a beautiful faceting pattern however and I hope it works out for you.
 
CHRISTY-DANIELLE said:
It looked off colored when I opened the package. I can only assume something odd happened on its way to me ?
Click to expand...

I wonder if the flight exposed it to more radiation than it would typically get, or perhaps before the vendor packed it, it sat in the sun for a bit. If the color is now the blue that you love, I kind of think it's a cool and scientific feature to change the color through exposure to different light sources!
 
Incandescent light seems to have worked , however I'm SO on the fence. It is lighter than I anticipated but I love the cutting. If it was a $500 stone I would gladly keep it--- a different flavor of zircon for my collection. But it's not exactly the color I expected. So I'm thinking long and hard on this one. It is a beautiful blue in the sunlight, but lighter indoors.
Opinions welcome ;)
Screenshot_20200918-150255_Gallery.jpg20200918_154607.jpg
 
CHRISTY-DANIELLE said:
Incandescent light seems to have worked , however I'm SO on the fence. It is lighter than I anticipated but I love the cutting. If it was a $500 stone I would gladly keep it--- a different flavor of zircon for my collection. But it's not exactly the color I expected. So I'm thinking long and hard on this one. It is a beautiful blue in the sunlight, but lighter indoors.
Opinions welcome ;-)
Screenshot_20200918-150255_Gallery.jpg20200918_154607.jpg
Click to expand...

The cut is beautiful, but if you aren't sure about the color.....I would be inclined to return and keep searching. IF you have doubts now (based on $$$) do you think your feelings will change? Sorry it's not what you had envisioned. :???:
 
Yes I agree with @Taylorbug!
I am very sorry it isn't what you had hoped for but if it bothers you now it probably will just bother you more as time goes on. Color is so important with blue zircon and while the cut is just beautiful and chunkalicious if the color isn't what you want it to be I would keep searching. Plus if it keeps changing back to the muddy brown that would just be too much work to maintain a color you aren't even in love with...JMO but I would return it and find one that suits your desires better.
 
I've only heard of this happening on another board which we're not supposed to talk about. Having never seen this happen in real life, that would be really flabbergasting.

I on the other hand would keep it, I got a ridiculous amount of zircons but that would be really cool to me, but I can understand why you wouldn't

I'm sad you're not loving your new stone! My feeling is that if you're doubting it, you probably always will. Send back if within the return period. I'm sure the cutter will understand.
 
Based on the photos and the posts above, if it were me, I'd return it.
 
Taylorbug! said:
The cut is beautiful, but if you aren't sure about the color.....I would be inclined to return and keep searching. IF you have doubts now (based on $$$) do you think your feelings will change? Sorry it's not what you had envisioned. :???:
Click to expand...

Hey girlie!!:wavey:
I know, I have such a short window to return it too. If he offered a heavy discount I would keep it and bezel it in gold. I did get an email back from Jeff about a commissioned stone , so that discussion has started.
I probably will return it, but it's a hard choice..the cut is that good in person, trust me. Ugh.
 
Arcadian said:
I've only heard of this happening on another board which we're not supposed to talk about. Having never seen this happen in real life, that would be really flabbergasting.

I on the other hand would keep it, I got a ridiculous amount of zircons but that would be really cool to me, but I can understand why you wouldn't

I'm sad you're not loving your new stone! My feeling is that if you're doubting it, you probably always will. Send back if within the return period. I'm sure the cutter will understand.
Click to expand...

Hello fellow zircon collector! It is my fave gem honestly, and hard for me to let one go once it's in my hands! If I could afford to keep them all, I would!
 
CHRISTY-DANIELLE said:
Hello fellow zircon collector! It is my fave gem honestly, and hard for me to let one go once it's in my hands! If I could afford to keep them all, I would!
Click to expand...

Well there you go, we have problems...lol
 
That is so weird, but mine did the exact opposite. I had mine in a safe and away from most light when it turned brown, but a few mins under the sun it turned bright blue. It hasn't been exposed to UV since, and it stayed blue... for a few years now. Mine wasn't expensive, and I wouldn't keep a zircon without stable color if it was over $500.
 
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Ah, it’s tough but I will return it if the tendency to color change bothers you. There will be other zircons with nice cuts.
 
I've decided to return it (I can't keep ALL the precious, sadly). But I'm feeling much better about the situation anyway. Jeff says he has the perfect rough for me , so I think I'm going to go with that :)
 
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