Show Us/Tell Us Your Stones that Hold Color

[minousbijoux]

I have recently had some beautiful stones set and have been disappointed with either how they darken when set, or how they change depending on light source and can black out in certain lighting types. For example, after Ilander got her bubblegum stone from Barry, I received a few from Barry and chose one to keep. From the photos Ilander shared, I would say that her stone keeps its color and vibrancy in most lights, whereas it is the exception rather than the rule for my red garnet to glow scarlet red.

So that got me to wondering - what stones do you have where you have been amazed that either set or in different lighting sources they retain their color and don't black out? You might just help us all with our next purchases!

 

[chrono]

In general, I stay away from stones that are darker than medium dark because there is a greater risk of the stone becoming extinct or overly dark once set. In fact, my preferred tone for most stones is medium because I want to see colour as the main feature of the stone, not just flashes of colour. Most gemstones are going to shift a little depending on the light source (garnets, spinels, beryl, corundum, tourmaline, and etc) so it is very important to check them out in as many different lighting situations as possible to decide if it is the stone for you.

I own a few stones where they colour shift but the colour shift is acceptable to my eyes, such as yellowish green to green (cherysoberyl), blue to violet (spinel and sapphire), green to bluish green (tsavorite) and the like. I have also returned many stones that did not keep its colour well (pinkish purple rubellite that become brownish red and also some blue spinels that showed tinges of green or became overly gray under certain lighting conditions).

 

[minousbijoux]

Thanks, Chrono, that is really helpful, particularly your thoughts to only get medium toned stones. I realize that knowing about gemstones and their characteristics is one thing, its a completely different thing to understand the setting process and how those stones perform when mounted. I also know that there are glow-ey stones which will perform well in many lights, particularly low light. I have a few cuprians like that. It seems like many rubellites perform that way as well? I would love suggestions from others, cause there's nothing more disappointing than looking down at a black hole on one's finger...

 

[chrono]

I believe there was some discussion or at least recommendation on how to set certain types of stones to maximize or minimize certain desirable/undesirable traits a while back. Most light toned and lighter saturated stones do better in something more enclosed, such as a bezel, semi-bezel or halo style setting. A darker toned stone seems more suited to an open setting to allow maximum light penetration from all angles. For example, even though my Tan blue sapphire is medium toned, it did darken a notch once set into a setting with a decorative basket. Fortunately, because the tone is medium to begin with, the sapphire did not become overly dark as the end result. I am sorry that some of your stones do not look as pretty once set.

 

[minousbijoux]

Chrono: you're so sweet! I may claim to know a bit about stones, but setting them is a horse of another color! I have an absolutely beautiful, 5 ct flawless Burma sapphire that I adore; it has that deep, glow-ey blue. I picked out an understated platinum and diamond basket and prong setting for it which I absolutely love (like I said, I wanted it understated, but not just simple prongs). The basket underneath is pretty closed in and to my disappointment, while the sapphire is still pretty, it darkened considerably. In some lights, all you see are the flashes of that glow-ey blue, kind of like Princess Diana's e-ring. Sigh. So for now, I'll just go around holding a flashlight...

But seriously, it was an education for me and some day, I'll have a setting built to show off its glory

 

[iLander]

Hi minousbijoux!

I have to say, my red garnet is an exception to the garnet "rules", because of the extra chrome. Instead of going black, it goes darkish red. But even the high chrome garnet does go dark in a darker room. And in flourescent light, it's the brownish color of an orangy-red fall leaf. I think I just live for the moments when it's in bright light and the sparkly red comes out. Which is not all the time, by any means. I love the stone in the kitchen and the bathroom, not so much in the den. Hate it in the library, when it's so orangy brown.

When I showed the photos of the ruby and the garnet, I think you can see how even a ruby, which many people suggested as a red stone that would hold it's color in all lights, still went pretty much black. I hadn't really noticed that before I shot the pictures!

I've found that with almost all my stones, they seem to shift and change a lot. My jumbo pink/magenta tourmaline will go brownish in some lights, peach in others, hot magenta in bright light.

I don't know enough to make this statement, but it seems to me that all colored stones seem to vary at least a little bit. I'm hoping another PSer will expound on this.

Maybe you'd like a high refractive index stone like a demantoid? I have puny one, 4 x 6, but it seems to be sparkly green in all light.

 

[LD]

This is interesting because most of my gemstones hold their colour but I'm exceptionally fussy and try to choose very vibrant colours to begin with. A huge disappointment was a red spinel that blacks out in daylight but looks superb in incandescent lighting. I think you have to be careful with sapphires as well. I have a stunning blue sapphire that holds its colour all the time BUT I have seen a few blue sapphires that have blacked out (returned for that reason).

 

[m76steve]

my 2 cnts-as u said the trick is what lighting u view ur stones in-when i buy stones i try to buy with good tone/saturation & clairity-sometimes this can b viewed on line & changed to a small degree how u view the stone on the pc-i use a laptop & picture position on screen can change what a stone looks like in terms of lighten/darken the stone or presence on screen-i think most stones that are bought are a compromise to a small degree-perfection is what one trys for but not always possible so u compromise a little & usually the result is very good-if a stone is reported a certain size-that is what u should receive-most of these sellers know exactly what they are selling quality/size wise & if any change is present on received material, the seller should b informed-iv said b4 that people are buying natural occuring material in nature & a little compromise can still produce beautiful gems that are a joy to show off-steve...

 

[Fly Girl]

My Mahenge spinel from Gene at Precision Gem holds its color in all lighting. I have to remind myself how unusual this is, because when it looks the same in every room you start to get rather used to it. This is one exceptional spinel.

 

[T L]

All stones shift color somewhat in various light sources, or even black out. What you don't want is a stone that turns very brown and/or greyish in one light source vs another, where it's more saturated, unless you like that sort of thing. It does decrease the value of the stone though.

 

[LD]

I've just thought of a stone that's notorious for shifting colour and that's rubellite. A good one won't shift but I consider "bad" Rubellites (and would prefer to call them pink tourmalines) the ones that shift to brown (yuck) in incandescent lighting. I can't tell you the number I've bought and returned because of this!