Searching for Alexandrite

[cawacawa]

A couple from the All that glitters website look promising BUT I seem to recall that the vendor isn't reliable - apologies if I've got that wrong but I think you might need to do a search for them on this forum to see if people have been happy or not with their purchases.

Well I contacted them anyway to get some more info on a stone. I wanted a video of the color change and some additionnal pictures, since there are only 2 on the website. And while the guy seem very professionnal, he said that they don't have the equipment required to show the colors of the alexandrite on video, and that it looks terrible on an iphone.
But you can imagine I can't buy a stone if i only see 2 pictures, under 1 angle only.
So buying from there is not an option.

 

[LD]

Well I contacted them anyway to get some more info on a stone. I wanted a video of the color change and some additionnal pictures, since there are only 2 on the website. And while the guy seem very professionnal, he said that they don't have the equipment required to show the colors of the alexandrite on video, and that it looks terrible on an iphone.
But you can imagine I can't buy a stone if i only see 2 pictures, under 1 angle only.
So buying from there is not an option.

Ok so how did he take those initial photos?!!!!! Very strange. If there's a good returns policy then you could always get them to see but it does seem odd.

 

[AV_]

I always break the bank - www

 

[cawacawa]

I always break the bank - www

I don't know how you keep finding these. I have browsed all the internet for alexandrite, I feel like I found every possible source, but you keep finding new stuff !

This gem is very dark though, and seems to have a huge window when he shows it under incandescent light. But I appreciate that you keep coming up with these for me !

 

[AV_]

It is nonetheless fine because of the color saturation & change & my low expectations for alexandrite too. The window would lighten things up a bit. Then, this is just a picture. You may want to ask for options - it is a fabulous shop!

Then, the first here is lighter - maybe: www

 

[cawacawa]

It is nonetheless fine because of the color saturation & change & my low expectations for alexandrite too. The window would lighten things up a bit. Then, this is just a picture. You may want to ask for options - it is a fabulous shop!

Then, the first here is lighter - maybe: www

You can see the video of the stone below on the page.

And yea this last one is a stunner, but it's also $15k/ct....

 

[LD]

I always break the bank - www

Not a good one. Loots like a black hole. I can understand the green looking dodgy in the video but there's no excuse for the incandescdent lighting being so awful! Also, why a torch shining on it? If I walk from outside to inside where the lights are on, the stone literally changes automatically. No need for torches.

 

[LD]

So you can see what I mean ............... I'm standing by my back door at the beginning of this video with natural daylight. I "see" an emerald green with my eyes but the camera picks up some weird gray looking stone (definitely NOT what I see). I then walk inside to where the lights are on (and it's daylight outside) so you can see how effortless it changes. I'll find a photo of the stone with the green I see in a minute.

 

[T L]

LD, wow!! I love the tone as well, its really a museum piece. In fact, I wish our local museum had an Alex that nice, it’s pretty hideous. Poo brown to some olive ugly color and very dark. They photoshopped it to show green to purple red in their website. Lol!

Okay, I’m done gushing over your stone now!

 

[T L]

Not a good one. Loots like a black hole. I can understand the green looking dodgy in the video but there's no excuse for the incandescdent lighting being so awful! Also, why a torch shining on it? If I walk from outside to inside where the lights are on, the stone literally changes automatically. No need for torches.

Maybe some alexandrite color changes can only be viewed if you go back to the middle ages? I actually heard that as an excuse for the candle/torch lighting being used on alexandrite once.

 

[cawacawa]

@LD very nice alexandrite color change ! Did you buy all your alexandrites stones from David Wein ?

 

[Eady]

Sorry if this vendor has been suggested already: https://www.kingstonegems.com/product-category/fine-loose-coloured-gemstones/alexandrite/

The emerald cut one looks to me but I don’t know much about alexandrite!!

 

[LD]

@LD very nice alexandrite color change ! Did you buy all your alexandrites stones from David Wein ?

No. I bought a few from him but I've been collecting for over 25 years so lots of my Alex I bought from other sources.

 

[AV_]

I "see" an emerald green with my eyes but the camera picks up some weird gray looking stone (definitely NOT what I see).

rite

I haven't heard any recipe for shooting Alex & tend to not take pictures too seriously. Have only seen one with nice colour (by green & purplish/red standards for anything), & it is not mine...

 

[cawacawa]

Sorry if this vendor has been suggested already: https://www.kingstonegems.com/product-category/fine-loose-coloured-gemstones/alexandrite/

The emerald cut one looks to me but I don’t know much about alexandrite!!

The colors of the Brazilian alexandrites look very similar to the colors showcased on africagems :
https://www.africagems.com/alexandrite1caratplus.html?page=1&s=pricedesc
And since LD said it's photoshopped to hell I wouldn't trust the pictures. Also there is no mention of a certificate for the gems, so I don't know...

 

[voce]

The colors of the Brazilian alexandrites look very similar to the colors showcased on africagems :
https://www.africagems.com/alexandrite1caratplus.html?page=1&s=pricedesc
And since LD said it's photoshopped to hell I wouldn't trust the pictures. Also there is no mention of a certificate for the gems, so I don't know...

I'm so worried now. I impulse purchased a couple spinels from Africagems during the Memorial Day sale, and now I don't know if the stones will come in not looking how I expect them to. I thought the spinels were underpriced compared to what they were being offered by other vendors, but if the photos were PSed, I don't know that I got a good deal out of it. Shipment's expected to arrive next Wednesday due to the gems being at a gem show, probably Las Vegas, until Monday.

 

[cawacawa]

I'm so worried now. I impulse purchased a couple spinels from Africagems during the Memorial Day sale, and now I don't know if the stones will come in not looking how I expect them to. I thought the spinels were underpriced compared to what they were being offered by other vendors, but if the photos were PSed, I don't know that I got a good deal out of it. Shipment's expected to arrive next Wednesday due to the gems being at a gem show, probably Las Vegas, until Monday.

Well I hope they will turn out to be good in the end ! I would be interested to see photos comparisons from you vs photos from the website when you receive the gems though.

 

[LD]

I'm so worried now. I impulse purchased a couple spinels from Africagems during the Memorial Day sale, and now I don't know if the stones will come in not looking how I expect them to. I thought the spinels were underpriced compared to what they were being offered by other vendors, but if the photos were PSed, I don't know that I got a good deal out of it. Shipment's expected to arrive next Wednesday due to the gems being at a gem show, probably Las Vegas, until Monday.

Please do not compare any other gemstones on their website to what I've said about the Alex. If you read this thread you'll see that Alex are incredibly difficult / impossible to photograph and the majority of vendors have to resort to photoshop or some type of photo manipulation to show the colours they see in real life. This is NOT the same with other gemstones. I'm sure you'll be very happy with your purchases.

 

[voce]

Thanks @LD and @cawacawa for the reassurances; I feel better now.

I hope someone knowledgeable can put up a thread on why alex colors are impossible to photograph with our regular cameras. I'm so curious now!

 

[natasha-cupcake]

I purchased two stones from Africagems. Both were really beautiful. I decided to return them, not because they were substandard, but because they just didn't fit my needs. Return shipping was free and Mark was super pleasant and easy to deal with. No questions asked, just polite and prompt service.

 

[cawacawa]

I purchased two stones from Africagems. Both were really beautiful. I decided to return them, not because they were substandard, but because they just didn't fit my needs. Return shipping was free and Mark was super pleasant and easy to deal with. No questions asked, just polite and prompt service.

It's good to know the vendor is reliable, but were those stones alexandrites ?

 

[new-beginning]

A year or so ago I purchased a small (i.e. tiny) Alex from David at Multicolor - the color in the photos was/is totally accurate to the stone 'in real life'. I haven't had it set yet so no current photo. I would totally trust the color in real life of the photos David shows on the web (and he does have a return goods offer available should you not like your purchase. Emerald cut, .47 ct.

 

[AV_]

But you can imagine I can't buy a stone if i only see 2 pictures, under 1 angle only.

The usual way is to make use of a return policy, either have the object shipped to you or to a third party local to you. I wouldn't dream of buying otherwise - the procedure is taken for granted.

The pictures just set my expectations & no more; else I would not have mentioned most of what I have - I immagine what things must be rather than take the shots at face value.

 

[LD]

Thanks @LD and @cawacawa for the reassurances; I feel better now.

I hope someone knowledgeable can put up a thread on why alex colors are impossible to photograph with our regular cameras. I'm so curious now!

From the Alexandrite collector's guide

"Please note, that alexandrite is especially difficult to photograph. Not only does the color change as a result of illumination under different kinds of light sources, but it also varies as a result of geographical location and time of day. Photographers can maximize the observable color change by obstructing any unintentional ambient light so that the resulting image is a function of a singular unmixed light source.

Cool daylight tubes (around 6000K) for daylight colors and studio or photo flood lights (3300 - 3500K) as an incandescent light source will always produce a good change. Natural daylight is more difficult to use unless the time of day is standardized and even then, the weather will still be a factor. Morning light will display the best greens and the stone will appear less green and more reddish in the late afternoon, especially in direct sunlight."

This is from a professional photographer and whilst he doesn't add in the complication of different lighting situations he says this:

"Chromium is an interesting chromophore - it is responsible for the red in Ruby, the green in Emerald, and BOTH in Alexandrite. It is very sensitive to the color of the light - Alexandrite looks like a Ruby under incandescent and like an Emerald outdoors (good ones are really freaky, but also really rare). It also fluoresces, which further complicates things (but which is responsible for the famous "glowing coal" appearance of some Rubies - Iron impurities quench the fluorescence, so iron containing rubies like Thai and most Sri Lankan do not "glow").

I have the same problem, which seems to be CCD related. Regardless of color balancing, chromium containing gems appear bluish on the Pentax CCDs and yellowish on Nikon.

Other than manipulation of the image afterwards, I know of no way to correct for this."

 

[natasha-cupcake]

It's good to know the vendor is reliable, but were those stones alexandrites ?

No, the stones I bought were not alexandrites. I just meant to say that you can purchase without fear because Mark makes it so easy to return the stones if you're not happy.

 

[cawacawa]

Guys, I have decided to try to buy from David and will let you know how it turns out.

I want to pay through wire transfer, and he sent me by mail a different bank account for the payment (David Wein Limited), rather than the account displayed on the website payout page (Multi Colour Gems Co. Ltd.).

I'm asking people who bought from him recently, is that normal ? I'm not saying he is not trustworthy but I don't wanna fall for some phishing or scam if someone is impersonating him for example.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Guys, I have decided to try to buy from David and will let you know how it turns out.

I want to pay through wire transfer, and he sent me by mail a different bank account for the payment (David Wein Limited), rather than the account displayed on the website payout page (Multi Colour Gems Co. Ltd.).

I'm asking people who bought from him recently, is that normal ? I'm not saying he is not trustworthy but I don't wanna fall for some phishing or scam if someone is impersonating him for example.

That is probably the account for his other buisness for set jewelery (David Wein jewelery). I really think you should pay by credit card if you can though -- in particular if you don't have a card which aquires miles with each purchase now is definitely a good time to get one before you start racking up wedding vendor fees.

 

[T L]

That is probably the account for his other buisness for set jewelery (David Wein jewelery). I really think you should pay by credit card if you can though -- in particular if you don't have a card which aquires miles with each purchase now is definitely a good time to get one before you start racking up wedding vendor fees.

I think he would charge an extra fee if you pay by credit card. He charged me a restocking fee when I paid by credit card and made returns. He is a no risk vendor though. If you’re not happy, returns are easily accepted.

 

[qubitasaurus]

I think he would charge an extra fee if you pay by credit card. He charged me a restocking fee when I paid by credit card and made returns. He is a no risk vendor though. If you’re not happy, returns are easily accepted.

Visa charges the merchant fees so I would be expecting wire transfer to be a little cheaper, and would definitely be a good option if this is the case.

I just like my visa, as it gets frequent flier miles and I have bad experiances of dealing with my bank when wire transfers have gone missing in the pass (I had to learn the hard way that my bank insists on not providing any statement of what account you made the transfer to for privacy protection reasons. So when the money goes missing they insist on not being able to tell you where they sent it. Even if it bounced back and they have it in some other holding account somewhere (but err have no intention of ever returning the money to me). I have had this happen twice, so now I just prefer to deal with visa if I can help it -- they're actually very helpful and reliable.)

 

[cawacawa]

That is probably the account for his other buisness for set jewelery (David Wein jewelery

Can anyone confirm that ? Someone who has bought from him recently ?
I'm being extra cautious but that's a lot of money...
I wouldn't want to wire him the money, and then that multicolour.com says that they didn't receive anything and that I should have wired the money to the account written on the instructed steps !

I would have absolutely no way of getting my money back if that happens. So I just want to make sure the bank account David sent me is the correct one. When I asked him about it he just replied : send the money on the David Wein account.

Do you see my concerns ?