Show us your best Rhodolites! Are they ever perfect?

[RedSpinel]

What....Did you expect me to post a photo of a nice, non-black looking Rhodolite? That wont happen til I actually find one, if they truly exist, which is kind a mystery to me.....

I have seen some light colored, kind of diluted looking Rhodolites, but I have not yet seen, in real life, a truly nice, medium colored Rhodolite that isnt too dark, and doesnt have the tendency to show black facets all over it.

I have bought at least 6 of them, one at a time mostly, after seeing pics of them which made them look lighter and not too black, but once I got them home it became clear that the seller had played some lighting tricks to make them look less dark and black-ish. They have good looking color, but they are just too dark!

Thats a shame, because many Rhodolites have soft, fantastic color, and like most Garnets could be very bright and flashy if only they only werent so dark, and didnt show the black facets.

I have pretty much stopped trying to buy them, because I'm sure that the sellers are using lighting tricks to lighten them, so that 99% of them will end up being blackish once I get them home.

Maybe I'm just being too pessimistic, or maybe I'm looking for something that doesnt exist in the first place! But I've heard they do, so.....

What causes the facets to show completely black? I've seen that on some other stones(like Tourmalines), but it seems prominent and prolific on Rhodolites......

Have any of you found the type of Rhodolite I'm talking about, and if so, could you post a picture or 2?

Thanks........

 

[Pandora II]

Rhodolites come in a whole range of tones from the grape coloured Royal Rhodolites through to a medium rose colour - Rhodolite is a mix of almandine and pyrope rather than a specific colour.

I have about 8 in my collection and none of them are black at all. No photos I'm afraid.

Are you sure you are buying rhodolites?

 

[RedSpinel]

Rhodolites come in a whole range of tones from the grape coloured Royal Rhodolites through to a medium rose colour - Rhodolite is a mix of almandine and pyrope rather than a specific colour.

I have about 8 in my collection and none of them are black at all. No photos I'm afraid.

Are you sure you are buying rhodolites?

Yeah, they are definitely Rhodolites, as they have that raspberry red color to them, not the brick red of Almandines. They all have pretty much the same type color tone to them too. Its all that soft, raspberry reddish color, which is the best way I can describe it. But they are dark, as have been most of the rhodolites I've seen in the internet or at jewelry stores(the ones that carry them).

I did see a few at a jewelry store years ago that were lighter, but still had that raspberry red, but they were too light and washed out looking. The Rhodo in Rhodolite is supposed to detail that soft raspberry red or purplish red from what I've read, like some Rhododendron.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Rhodolite is one stone that thrives on certain types of light, and can close up with others. These new energy saving CF bulbs are particularly bad for rhodolite. The old fashioned incandescent are the best.

It's tough to find bright large rhodolite, but in the 1 to 3 ct size you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[cellentani]

I have a pair of rhodolites from Gene, one from the Umba valley and the other from Tanga. It's difficult to tell them apart, so I set them as earrings. I'm not fond of dark tone in rhodolites either, and was very lucky to get these! I also feel like this is one of the best possible cuts for these types of stones.

 

[RedSpinel]

I have a pair of rhodolites from Gene, one from the Umba valley and the other from Tanga. It's difficult to tell them apart, so I set them as earrings. I'm not fond of dark tone in rhodolites either, and was very lucky to get these! I also feel like this is one of the best possible cuts for these types of stones.

^^Now thats what I was talking about!!!

Those are the nicest, best colored, not too dark Rhodolites I've ever seen.......

I had hoped that something like that actually existed, as I love the color of Rhodolites, but I simply couldnt ever find it, which is why I started this thread. I've seen thousands of Rhodolites, and I'd say 99.5% were too dark, or too dark and poorly colored, and the other .5% were too light.

But its good to see there are actually medium colored, non-black faceted Rhodos!

Now I have to find one of my own!(which will probably be a project!)

PS: Who's Gene?

 

[cellentani]

I have a pair of rhodolites from Gene, one from the Umba valley and the other from Tanga. It's difficult to tell them apart, so I set them as earrings. I'm not fond of dark tone in rhodolites either, and was very lucky to get these! I also feel like this is one of the best possible cuts for these types of stones.

^^Now thats what I was talking about!!!

Those are the nicest, best colored, not too dark Rhodolites I've ever seen.......

I had hoped that something like that actually existed, as I love the color of Rhodolites, but I simply couldnt ever find it, which is why I started this thread. I've seen thousands of Rhodolites, and I'd say 99.5% were too dark, or too dark and poorly colored, and the other .5% were too light.

But its good to see there are actually medium colored, non-black faceted Rhodos!

Now I have to find one of my own!(which will probably be a project!)

PS: Who's Gene?

Gene Flanigan is the lapidary of precisiongem.com (the poster who commented before me), and that's his Star 80 cut on those garnets. They look amazing in indirect natural light and incandescent, but don't completely close up in fluorescent either. A larger stone, deeper cut, or darker toned garnet might however. I hope you find one - I have enjoyed mine immensely!

 

[txgreeneyes]

I have a pair of rhodolites from Gene, one from the Umba valley and the other from Tanga. It's difficult to tell them apart, so I set them as earrings. I'm not fond of dark tone in rhodolites either, and was very lucky to get these! I also feel like this is one of the best possible cuts for these types of stones.

Wow! Gorgeous!!

 

[chrono]

A pair of truly unwell cut pair of rhodolites passed down from my mother. These are my only rhodolites so they are my best.

 

[movie zombie]

they may be your "only" and poorly cut but since color is the goddess of this forum, they certainly hold their own, Chrono!

 

[RedSpinel]

A pair of truly unwell cut pair of rhodolites passed down from my mother. These are my only rhodolites so they are my best.

Those certainly have good color and arent too dark. In the picture, they could almost pass for rubies.

 

[RedSpinel]

Rhodolite is one stone that thrives on certain types of light, and can close up with others. These new energy saving CF bulbs are particularly bad for rhodolite. The old fashioned incandescent are the best.

It's tough to find bright large rhodolite, but in the 1 to 3 ct size you shouldn't have a problem.

Thats probably part of the problem I've been having, as I changed over to ALL compact fluorescent bulbs a long time ago, about the time I started buying Rhodos. But I have also looked at them in other lighting on a few occasions, and they are dark, and do show black facets when you move them around in the light. But they have good color tint, and are clean, which is the shame of it all, as they'd be nice, bright stones if not for the darkness.

Fortunately I didnt pay too much for any one of them ....... Thank heavens!

 

[movie zombie]

my reaction, too, re looking like rubies in the picture.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Fortunately I didnt pay too much for any one of them ....... Thank heavens!

That might be one of the reasons they are too dark. Nice, bright rhodolites are not inexpensive gems.

 

[orbaya]

I have a pair of rhodolites from Gene, one from the Umba valley and the other from Tanga. It's difficult to tell them apart, so I set them as earrings. I'm not fond of dark tone in rhodolites either, and was very lucky to get these! I also feel like this is one of the best possible cuts for these types of stones.

These are stunning!! It's exactly what I want for a RHR! Garnet is my son's birthstone and at some point soon I'll be looking for one!

 

[PrecisionGem]

Rhodolite is one stone that thrives on certain types of light, and can close up with others. These new energy saving CF bulbs are particularly bad for rhodolite. The old fashioned incandescent are the best.

It's tough to find bright large rhodolite, but in the 1 to 3 ct size you shouldn't have a problem.

Thats probably part of the problem I've been having, as I changed over to ALL compact fluorescent bulbs a long time ago, about the time I started buying Rhodos. But I have also looked at them in other lighting on a few occasions, and they are dark, and do show black facets when you move them around in the light. But they have good color tint, and are clean, which is the shame of it all, as they'd be nice, bright stones if not for the darkness.

Fortunately I didnt pay too much for any one of them ....... Thank heavens!

I really hate those CFL bulbs. We have a few and the color of the light makes me sick. Everything looks horrid with them, even the wall paint color. In my cutting room, I have changed out all the incandescent lights for LED's. The LED's cost a lot more, but actually use less power than the CFL's have a much nicer light and are supposed to last something like 20 years. If you drop one and break it, you don't need to call in the EPA to clean it up either. Stones look a lot nicer with them. You can get them at various color balances, so I buy the natural daylight balance. The big plus is the create almost no heat, so when I'm working close under them as I am on the faceting machines it's much cooler.

 

[LD]

Here is an Umbalite Garnet I purchased from Gene and it's phenomenal. It has a real personality and changes colour according to the lighting conditions - but never blacks out. Sometimes it has the coolest half/half look where it's blueberry and raspberry all at the same time.

 

[Jeweljunke]

LD - that is a beauty! This thread enabled me....just ordered a rhodolite....although I need VERY LITTLE excuse to buy anything sparkly

 

[EricaR]

I have one that does go dark in some lights, but man, sometimes it hits the perfect light and is just amazing. Cut by Barry. The little ones I picked up somewhere else. I have four or five of them. I'm about to set these into a necklace. Big one bezeled in the center with two small ones bezeled on each side, diamonds by the yard style.

 

[RedSpinel]

I have one that does go dark in some lights, but man, sometimes it hits the perfect light and is just amazing. Cut by Barry. The little ones I picked up somewhere else. I have four or five of them. I'm about to set these into a necklace. Big one bezeled in the center with two small ones bezeled on each side, diamonds by the yard style.

Thats the same basic color of most of my Rhodos, with the exception of 2 of them, which have the raspberry pink, but are closer to the red end of the spectrum. But most have that same basic tint, and in the right lighting situation, at the right time, and with just the right angle, they look really good like that, but a lot of things have to work out just right for that to happen!

LD: That looks really nice too!

Gene: I've looked at the LED lights, and I have bought numerous high end LED flashlights, but I havent yet purchased any LED bulbs for my home. I was disappointed with the extremely high price($60-$70) for a bulb that doesnt quite reach the brightness of a $2.50 cf bulb, and I was told at "Candlepowerforums" that they are yet to fully modernize the current home LED's. The price is supposed to eventually drop significantly too. But I've waited too long, so I'll probably bite the bullet and just buy a couple anyway.

I mostly use the so called "bright white" cfl's, and they are still a bit unnatural, and the "daylight" bulbs are blue-ish in my opinion. The "soft whites" arent usually bright enough.

In the mean time I might look at my gems under my different LED flashlights, as they have different model Cree Led's in each one, and they have different color temperatures, with some more on the yellow end and some more on the white to almost blue end. Maybe I'll get a good result through trial and error with them.

Anyway, back on subject as my current post is looking like something that should be on candlepowerforums.

I will have to talk to you in the not so distant future about getting a nice Rhodolite if you have any...

 

[beau-wy]

It is my understanding that most of the "perfect" rhodolites - and the Tanga and Umbalite are classic examples - have a minor component of spessartite in addition to the pyrope and almandine, that overcomes the tendency to black out.

 

[bobsiv]

Here's my best, this one has perfect rhododendron tone and isn't too saturated. Unfortunately I don't know anything about the origin, it just came in a bag of rough from my Uncle (a GG) that was labeled 'rhodolite'.

 

[PrecisionGem]

Redspinel, I got my LED bulbs at The Home Depot. The screw into regular bulb sockets, and look like a traditional light bulb. The price was around $17 to $20 per bulb. The light output is the equivalent of a 60 watt incandescent bulb. They advertise the bulb will last something like 20+ years, and will use around 5 watts. So they really do pay for them selves in the long run. Plus your stones won't look like crap under them.