Tan''s videos

[packrat]

This is probably a dumb question but I''ll ask anyway! I''ve been browsing stones and watching videos. When the stones are turning head on, I see black on them. Is that a reflection of the camera or something to do with the lighting or is it the stone itself? The angle it''s sitting maybe? I saw a couple pretty stones this evening but there was quite a bit of black on them, so it''s hard to see the color.

 

[Indylady]

Hmmnn...

Do you have a link so we could see what you''re talking about?

I can''t say I''ve noticed anything of the sort, but it would definitely be easier to say if we had an example.

 

[packrat]

I should''ve saved them. I looked at so much tonight I''m not sure even what color stones I was looking at. But now tho, it''s really dim in here, and the videos I watched just now while looking for the ones I had seen, don''t seem that black. Maybe when it''s bright daylight in here it makes images look different? I noticed things look different when I''m in explorer instead of firefox. Maybe it''s almost 2am and I''m just talking out my rear. I''ll look again tomorrow.
kinda here

 

[Agnesg]

Tan''s videos are not accurate, the photos beside it are slightly better. Got a spinel that looks sapphire blue in the VDO but turns out real gray in my hands... I also got a chrome tourm after seeing some good examples here..back to the sender again..poor cut and color black out, not as good..Sad to say

 

[T L]

Packrat,
Yes, that is the camera shadow.

As for Tan's videos, I find his blue spinel videos and photos to be better than IRL as Agnesq mentioned. I returned three blue spinels to Tan (no problems with refunds though). However, I find most vendor's blue spinel photos to better than IRL. I think blue spinels are one of those gems that are difficult to buy from a photo. They change too much in various light soruces. You really need to ask questions like "is it grey?" "is it dark in tone?" etc. . .

As for my other gems from Tan, three Mahenge spinels, two chrysoberyls, my new mint grossular, a tsavorite, two pink-orange spinels, a sleepy pink lavender spinel, a sapphire, the gems were either like the videos or better. I don't judge by his photos, but more by the videos. I've stopped buying blue spinels from most vendors unless I can get accurate and definitive answers about the color, change of color in various light sources, tonality and saturation. I have one blue spinel cushion from Tan that I decided to keep. For a blue spinel, the saturation of blue color was acceptable to me, and it was 2.5 carats for $100. I am very happy with that stone, but I will say it did look more saturated in the video. It's still a nice blue Tunduru spinel though.

 

[packrat]

oops, I forgot I posted this. I should maybe rethink posting things when I''m so tired I about fall off my chair-it seemed like such a dire emergency I *had* to know right away I guess.

Thanks TL! I figured it was the camera!