Purchasing decision questions

[pwsg07]

1. Are these stones too pale in your opinion? The photo is very close to the stones irl

2. What inclusions will you accept in a stone?



The pink spinel has lot of crystals but hard to see with naked eyes



3. There is another stone that matches the Mali on the right. It has medium size feather at the pavilion. Although the vender offered cheaper price, I didn’t buy it. Will you buy the third stone?


4. Will you buy a stone with darker colour or a stone with pale colour? Assuming there is no medium tone stone.

5. What is the maximum depth percentage of a stone you accept?

6. Will you buy a smaller stone with better colour or a bigger stone with less perfect colour? Assuming the clarity and the price are similar.


Thanks in advance for your inputs.

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

1. I have a couple pale stones and the sparkle makes them fabulous! It also depends on what the stones are, and if a pale color means it is a poor stone.
2. I'll accept inclusions, depending if that's the norm. For example, I have an emerald with inclusions, as expected, as well as a pezzotaite. But their colors are crazy so I'm fine with inclusions. I do not want inclusions in an aquamarine, garnet, or tourmaline, but it's OK on some spinels, because, again-the color! I also don't want them to be visible. I'd accept the stone you posted.
3.I have some with feathers that aren't really visible. I'm not crazy about the Mali colors, so I can't speak to those. Oval shapes drives me crazy, too. I still go for color! I have a beautiful spinel that is cloudy, but it makes it look glowy.
4. Depends on the stone. Some are just too darn dark. I have some fancy stones that I bought before I knew anything. They are very dark. I'd prefer lighter. A dark rhodolite doesn't do much if you can't see the color. I also look at the cut, and sparkle. I have a lighter ruby, but I love the color and sparkle, same with a tsavorite. Out of your two, I'd take the lighter.

As far as depth and size, depends on the stone. My paraiba is shallow, but the color is incredible. Go with what sings to you and makes you smile. I like sparkle and bright color. It's not about the "top" colors for me, especially with rubies and sapphires. I like to see the bright reds and blues. Some of favorite stones are smaller, but brighter.

Sorry you asked?

 

[arkieb1]

I'll accept inclusions in rare material like paraiba tourmalines, Jedi and cobalt spinels and things that are difficult to find.

I don't like dark stones unless they are really vivid, for example I have a dark royal blue sapphire but it's velvety and when light hits it a near perfect rich intense electric blue.

Pale stones can be nice too, colour is a subjective choice, I like some pale coloured stones and not others....

 

[strawrose]

I like pale stones if they’re pretty and prefer them over dark. Slight to no inclusions are ideal in cheaper stones. As for paraiba, sometimes the inclusions maximize the glow. I would nix them if they make it difficult to set, though.

 

[CSpan]

Pale is fine depending on the color of pale. Pale blues and greens are lovely, pale morganite would be invisible on me.

That spinel looks perfection but admittedly I look to color first and then clarity and if I can't see issues (with my crappy eyesight) I don't let it bother me.

Too dark makes me crazy. I have 2 rings that were gifts when I was much much younger and they both look black, what's the point?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

1. They look saturated enough to me personally

2. Gorgeous. Buy buy buy. As long as it's not ugly and a hindrance to setting I would buy

3. N/A

4. Is the darker stone black? If it blacks out like a black hole then no. If it's lively then yes. I also think when lighter stones need to be lovely too in order for me to like them. I don't think being light or dark is a sin but the color needs to be nice and the stone lively.

5. No idea

6. Oooh that's a tough one. I think in stones like sapphire, Ruby, coloured diamonds and spinel if it's an amazing color I can go for a small stone because then the stone itself will be worth me spending money on lots of white diamonds to jazz it up and increase finger coverage.

It really depends though if I find the color of the big stone nice enough. It can't be wishy washy or with the wrong tone.

 

[chroman]

1) bigger one seems pretty pale - the smaller one seems on the cusp.

2) the bowtie bothers me much more than the inclusions - but oh that color! If the price was right, that color could win out

3) love the color on the right, but the cut feather on the pavillion sounds annoying

4) depends on the darker stone in that case, its too dark for my tastes, but thats just me

5) depends on the material (because of the RI)

6) smaller with better color, any day of the week.

 

[dk168]

1. I prefer the more intense one on the right for a yellow stone.

2. Tiny crystals and a bit of silk are fine, it depends on a stone. Prefer eye clean, however I am unlikely to be able afford such a stone in Ruby and Emerald.

3. If the feather does not affect the overall look of the stone, then I am likely to get it.

4. I prefer to be able to see and appreciate the cutting of my stones, therefore I would avoid very dark ones.

5. I leave it to the cutter when commissioning a piece to get the most out of a piece of rough in terms size and colour as he/she knows best.

6. Colour is king in CS for me, therefore colour over size if all other factors are equal.

DK

 

[pwsg07]

Thanks everyone for your opinions. It is hard to make decisions because of the budget and it is hard to find a perfect stone. I want to make sure I don’t make too many wrong decisions

 

[pwsg07]

Some eye candies.

8ct sphene


20plus carat unheat cornflower blue sapphire


9ct unheat yellow sapphire

5ct spess

 

[pwsg07]

Pink sapphire
and spinel on the right

Vivid purple pink sapphire


3 ct spinel

Certified unheat pigeon blood ruby on the left and synthetic on the right

identical in colour



33 ct unheat pink sapphire


Irregular shaped huge spinels with affordable price


Aqua blue spinel

 

[derbygal]

That sphene had me drooling!

 

[T L]

1. Are these stones too pale in your opinion? The photo is very close to the stones irl

2. What inclusions will you accept in a stone?



The pink spinel has lot of crystals but hard to see with naked eyes



3. There is another stone that matches the Mali on the right. It has medium size feather at the pavilion. Although the vender offered cheaper price, I didn’t buy it. Will you buy the third stone?


4. Will you buy a stone with darker colour or a stone with pale colour? Assuming there is no medium tone stone.

5. What is the maximum depth percentage of a stone you accept?

6. Will you buy a smaller stone with better colour or a bigger stone with less perfect colour? Assuming the clarity and the price are similar.


Thanks in advance for your inputs.

1) Those yellow stones are pale, but you can find pale stones with better saturation. I see a great deal of grey in those gems. You cannot just evaluate tone, but tone and saturation as well.

2) it depends on the stone. If it’s magnificent color, I’ll accept eye visible inclusions or more silk, than a stone that’s not as ideal. I do think however, if the stone has too many eye distracting inclusions, even type 2 stones like emerald, it can impede color even.

3). If it’s a very saturated well cut Mali at a good price, I’d consider it. That particular Mali is too Grey. I would also tell my jeweler about the feather. I’m lucky to have a great jeweler that can set just about anything though.


4). Again, you must consider saturation, not just tone. I would just avoid stones that are way too dark in tone because that actually impedes saturation as well

5). It depends on the stone and some, like sapphire, are normally cut deeply. I tend to stay away from depths that are more than 75% of the width though, unless it has a fabulous high crown.

6) smaller stone with better color.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Omg that tray of pinks!!! I wanna dive right in!!!!

The pink heart

And the 3 carat pink spinel is gorgeous!!!!!

 

[NKOTB]

I would take pale over dark. Cut over size (unless large could be recut). Colour over size, or inclusions. As TL says, saturation is important.
In terms of depth, I have two very deep stones, which are also two of my favourite stones because their colours are fantastic. One is precision cut, 8.1 mm deep but also big overall, so I don’t know about ratio. The other has a huge belly relative to its overall size, so there was careful consideration to having it recut, but the colour is so perfect, it didn’t want to be messed with. Ultimately, it depends on budget and personal preferences. It took me a while and many stones to figure out my own priorities.

 

[qubitasaurus]

You know most of those are case by case questions.

But 1. No chryso looks insipid. 2. Yes small crystals often make it even more glowy 3. No. 4. Paler is better at least then itll be sparkly. 5. Depth is negotiable for the right colour. 6. Depends on how extreme, I've discovered that smaller than 5.5 mm is basically a straight up pass for me and so is grey so you might struggle to sell me anything with that kind of trade off on the cards