- Joined
- Apr 4, 2018
- Messages
- 75
Haha, we sure have both great taste. Now we only need a Liz Taylor budget and we are all set
Somebody's Gotta Buy This Stone!
- Thread starter minousbijoux
- Start date
boerumbiddy
Brilliant_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2013
- Messages
- 552
Star ruby, neon red, decent certification. Wonky shape, though. What do you think of the price? $2950
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/4-dot-81ct-mogok-star-ruby
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/4-dot-81ct-mogok-star-ruby
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2018
- Messages
- 75
I think the price is good when taking into account the GRS report and Burma/Mogok origin. You probably have noticed the naturals in the back, but many stars have them and I think it should not affect value too much.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2016
- Messages
- 4,000
I showed my local jewellers that listing. They commented that the colour is lovely, star is decent, but it's on the opaque side. However, good star rubies that percolate to the local market here come mostly with a purplish tinge now rather than that listed shade, so I guess it's a trade off.
The naturals on the back is ok. Most of the star corundums here come with pitted backs and inclusions which are sometimes cut out from the back. I don't see that lowering the prices, unless the inclusions show face up.
The naturals on the back is ok. Most of the star corundums here come with pitted backs and inclusions which are sometimes cut out from the back. I don't see that lowering the prices, unless the inclusions show face up.
voce
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- May 13, 2018
- Messages
- 5,161
I found this gorgeous alexandrite at skyjems.ca: https://skyjems.ca/collections/certified-gemstones/products/2-06ct-alexandrite-with-gia-certificate
Don't know if I'm linking correctly here, but it's 2 cts and the color change is dramatic!!
Don't know if I'm linking correctly here, but it's 2 cts and the color change is dramatic!!
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2016
- Messages
- 1,384
That’s probably the prettiest one I’ve seen.Star ruby, neon red, decent certification. Wonky shape, though. What do you think of the price? $2950
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/4-dot-81ct-mogok-star-ruby
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2014
- Messages
- 2,396
https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...re-blue-slash-green-sapphire-and-diamond-ring
This ring totally speaks to me..the color combination and finger coverage with lots of diamonds to sparkle (ugh...my size too). I hope someone buys it so I can stop having to tell myself that its too similar ring to another ring I own (and love)
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2017
- Messages
- 1,681
I LOVE that ring! I'd buy it if was closer to what she paid, but then we'd all fight over it!
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2015
- Messages
- 1,148
I LOVE that ring! I'd buy it if was closer to what she paid, but then we'd all fight over it!
What do you mean?
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2017
- Messages
- 1,681
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Gary of Finewater Gems. He's a very nice, knowledgeable man, and showed me some incredibly beautiful stones, my favorite being this spinel. The photos don't do it justice. It looked like a shimmery, sparkly piece of candy. Just wow! I can't afford it, but if anyone is looking, here is a beauty:
https://www.finewatergems.com/store/p405/2.40_ct_Burmese_Pink_Spinel.html
https://www.finewatergems.com/store/p405/2.40_ct_Burmese_Pink_Spinel.html
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2017
- Messages
- 735
So I’ve had my eye on a Paraiba forever but I can’t spend now but there is such an awesome deal on LT right now. Someone buy it and spare me the heartache of gawking at it every day
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/71ct-paraiba-tourmaline-round.234111/
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/71ct-paraiba-tourmaline-round.234111/
- Joined
- May 17, 2014
- Messages
- 6,252
JD just put up a blue aquamarine! No treatments! With all the wedding hype I wonder how long until it sells! It is an oval though!
VapidLapid
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2010
- Messages
- 4,272
At over 3 carats and $120,000. this alexandrite is beyond my reality. Surely there must be someone here who can play on that level!
http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/alexandrite/yax856aa/&1244716636
http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/alexandrite/yax856aa/&1244716636
At over 3 carats and $120,000. this alexandrite is beyond my reality. Surely there must be someone here who can play on that level!
http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/alexandrite/yax856aa/&1244716636
OMG...that's gorgeous!! Gimme a second so I can go win the lotto real quick! and I'll snap that sucker right up!
- Joined
- May 17, 2014
- Messages
- 6,252
For $120,000 I can't deal with the culet at the bottom! Looks like an eye to me! Unless it's just a photography issue...
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2007
- Messages
- 4,730
@Frost - What do you think of the saturation of the stone - it is graded 5/2, slightly greyish. From the pics it looks beautiful but I am very interested in your thoughts. I haven't seen a top tier Alexandrite.
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2016
- Messages
- 4,000
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2017
- Messages
- 1,681
Which is exactly why I'm not buying it! Well, that, and I'd like to keep my house.
- Joined
- May 17, 2014
- Messages
- 6,252
hehe to be honest I'm not sure if I'd even drop $800 on it. Like I would if it's a bargain that I can resell for $120K or more money but if it's like "Well you can buy it for $800 and NEVER resell it I don't think I'd actually want to wear it."
Gems are such a personal thing!
@LisaRN Well, in my opinion its saturation is amazing for alex in daylight if what's on the screen in that video equals reality (although the lights used in it seem to be either very strong or very close or both). The "slightly greyish" part refers to the purple and that it is.
I don't know the seller but I have noticed that many of their depictions of stones do them no favours - blue sapphires, for example, sometimes look worse than they actually are due to how they are photographed or filmed. This one, for example, I'm willing to bet it's a better/purer/less blackish blue than it looks:
I've never seen one of their stones in reality but you can deduce these things from looking at the photos - when someone has a stone and they say it was called royal blue by lab x, and then the photo looks a bit washed out and lavender-ish, and other gem species look the same when they're supposed to be the top of their kind, then it's probably more a matter of photos than wrong lab opinions. I've also noticed that a lot of their stones tend to be backlit in the images, as in that there's a light shining from the back or above the stone in addition to the lights in the front (or that there's something very reflective in the background). This has its uses and can make things look more '3D' but in their case results in many, many 'washed out' looking stones which I'm willing to bet aren't like that in real life. Like this one: http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?-1351640679 I mean, that's not even a sapphire color. The stone is probably nicer than it looks but it's burnt out/washed out because of backlight. Lighter tones in any species don't usually take too kindly to that.
Anyway, photo yammering and all that.. No alexandrite with a strong change will ever be as saturated as absolute top tier tsavorites, tourmalines, sapphires, rubies etc. so it's not a fair comparison in absolute terms. But in relative terms, for alexandrite, on my screen (a MacBook currently with default screen calibration) this is amazingly good in daylight. It looks as saturated as a typical good quality blue-green tourmaline would be, which is difficult to find in alexandrite with any amount of appreciable change.
Incandescent light, well... That's about what you'd expect from an alex with a nice daylight color. Alexandrites are really tough; if you have a good daylight hue, then usually the incandescent one is bad. If the incandescent one is good, then usually the daylight one isn't. Vivid green to stoplight red is more often an ideal in laboratory conditions than a reality in real life. Real life is more about finding a balance between the two and managing expectations. But I'm not suggesting anyone settle for a brown-to-red or a green-to-yellowish-green though, haha.
Regarding cutting, since others have mentioned it... They probably paid so much for it they don't even want to breathe on it, much less recut something. The window could be removed keeping 3 carats but when you get to stuff that's both rare and expensive you sometimes have to take it as it is. Just look at auction catalogues. You'll have to count what most PSers would consider well cut stuff on the fingers of one hand, if even that, but the stones sell for a lot anyway. And besides, photos blow things out of proportion - the window is probably so small in real life it wouldn't even show much when set.
EDIT: Tried... and failed... to remove the embedded video. Meant to post just links.
I don't know the seller but I have noticed that many of their depictions of stones do them no favours - blue sapphires, for example, sometimes look worse than they actually are due to how they are photographed or filmed. This one, for example, I'm willing to bet it's a better/purer/less blackish blue than it looks:
I've never seen one of their stones in reality but you can deduce these things from looking at the photos - when someone has a stone and they say it was called royal blue by lab x, and then the photo looks a bit washed out and lavender-ish, and other gem species look the same when they're supposed to be the top of their kind, then it's probably more a matter of photos than wrong lab opinions. I've also noticed that a lot of their stones tend to be backlit in the images, as in that there's a light shining from the back or above the stone in addition to the lights in the front (or that there's something very reflective in the background). This has its uses and can make things look more '3D' but in their case results in many, many 'washed out' looking stones which I'm willing to bet aren't like that in real life. Like this one: http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?-1351640679 I mean, that's not even a sapphire color. The stone is probably nicer than it looks but it's burnt out/washed out because of backlight. Lighter tones in any species don't usually take too kindly to that.
Anyway, photo yammering and all that.. No alexandrite with a strong change will ever be as saturated as absolute top tier tsavorites, tourmalines, sapphires, rubies etc. so it's not a fair comparison in absolute terms. But in relative terms, for alexandrite, on my screen (a MacBook currently with default screen calibration) this is amazingly good in daylight. It looks as saturated as a typical good quality blue-green tourmaline would be, which is difficult to find in alexandrite with any amount of appreciable change.
Incandescent light, well... That's about what you'd expect from an alex with a nice daylight color. Alexandrites are really tough; if you have a good daylight hue, then usually the incandescent one is bad. If the incandescent one is good, then usually the daylight one isn't. Vivid green to stoplight red is more often an ideal in laboratory conditions than a reality in real life. Real life is more about finding a balance between the two and managing expectations. But I'm not suggesting anyone settle for a brown-to-red or a green-to-yellowish-green though, haha.
Regarding cutting, since others have mentioned it... They probably paid so much for it they don't even want to breathe on it, much less recut something. The window could be removed keeping 3 carats but when you get to stuff that's both rare and expensive you sometimes have to take it as it is. Just look at auction catalogues. You'll have to count what most PSers would consider well cut stuff on the fingers of one hand, if even that, but the stones sell for a lot anyway. And besides, photos blow things out of proportion - the window is probably so small in real life it wouldn't even show much when set.
EDIT: Tried... and failed... to remove the embedded video. Meant to post just links.
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2017
- Messages
- 516
We bought many gems from MCG and never disappointed. They looked always better than on the pics.
I don’t agree with some „alexandrites“ which are color changing chrysoberyl imo ( and this is not the same!). But I don’t agree with GIA too btw.
You are right - it is a challenge for a cutter ( and often rough gives you no other chance) to decide...
good daylight and very good incandescent light color
or
exc. daylight and o.k. CC - like esp. many stones from India..
But his prices are fair - some are expensive and some quite low...
I recommend MCG.
I don’t agree with some „alexandrites“ which are color changing chrysoberyl imo ( and this is not the same!). But I don’t agree with GIA too btw.
You are right - it is a challenge for a cutter ( and often rough gives you no other chance) to decide...
good daylight and very good incandescent light color
or
exc. daylight and o.k. CC - like esp. many stones from India..
But his prices are fair - some are expensive and some quite low...
I recommend MCG.
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2013
- Messages
- 4,814
No idea what this stone is, but I like it!
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loo...ot-22-ct-unheated-precision-cut-green-zoisite
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loo...ot-22-ct-unheated-precision-cut-green-zoisite
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2017
- Messages
- 974
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2012
- Messages
- 6,202
Not a gem, but a ring. I saw this on IG. Someone *clearly* needs to get this ring!
P.S. - Totally a joke.
I’d wear it too!
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2007
- Messages
- 4,730
I would trade the ring for the kitten in a heartbeat!
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Did You Miss The Throwback Thursdays For April 2024? - 04/25
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