When collecting colored gems??

[colormyworld]

I like to collect many differing kinds of colored gems and am wondering what order of importance others place on the criterion for the species they are looking for?

Doug

 

[twodoor2]

Great question!!!
For me it''s the following

1) The color must be something I love. I think color is the most important aspect when buying a colored gemstone. If you like a rubies, try to buy the best color you can afford, same with any colored gemstone.
2) Clarity - important in most gem species.
3) Carat weight - I like bigger stones
4) Cut - This is the one thing you can always change about a colored gemstone. It''s important to have a well cut stone, but if you have great clarity and color, but a badly cut stone, it may be worth having it recut.
5) Enhancement. For some gems, they are actually more valuable after enhancement (i.e. tanzantie, paraiba tourmaline), but some enhancements are unscrupulous or just something I wouldn''t buy. For example, fracture filled stones, irradiated or coated stones (i.e. mystic topaz)
6) Durability. If I am to wear it in jewelry, it needs to be durable. I have some stones I would never set in a piece of jewelry, but I look at in a box only because they are extremely beautiful specimens. However, I would prefer a durable stone only because I do like to set them in jewelry.
7) Rarity - it''s always nice to have a stone that''s rare because this usually gives it some value. I don''t recommend investing in colored gemstones, but to have something rare is something special. I have some very rare gems, and they''re not very valuable in terms of their rarity, but it''s nice to know that I''m one of very few people in the world with something so rare. Diamonds are worth a great deal more, but plain white diamonds are extremely common, but I like to have them in my collection nonetheless. Rarity can also be in the aspect of quality - rubies and sapphires are not particularly rare, but to have a fine unheated clean 5 carat Burmese ruby, or a 10 carat fine unheated Kashmir sapphire is extremely rare and particularly valuable!!
Uniqueness. Is there something about the gemstone that sets it apart from other gems. For example, I am really into paraiba tourmalines because I don''t know of any other gemstone that exhibits it''s electric neon, glow in the dark, quality. Emeralds, rubies and sapphires, when in their top quality, have no equal when it comes to spectral green, red and blue. I have a rare blue stone called a benitoite that gives off laser beam flashes of red and blue color, unlike any stone I''ve ever seen - it''s quite amazing.

The most important thing to remember is to buy what you like. I love deep Siberian colored amethysts, they are not super expensive, but they still appeal a great deal to me and are rarer than most people think.

 

[chrono]

In no particular order (all these are equally important to me):

1. Colour is tops: I go for gemstones with my favourite colours (reds, blues, teal, purple, and lately pink), with high saturations, tone and purer hues. I avoid stones with gray masks wherever possible. No zoning either.
2. Clarity: it needs to be at least eyeclean.
3. Cut: I can't handle a bad cut. No windows, extinction, off shapes. Occasionally, I like fancy shapes or specialty cuts.
4. Size: Not really into size until lately. I used to like gemstones around 1 carats but I'm now going for larger stones.

5. Treatment: Absolutely no fracture filling, oiling, BE treatment, irridiation or coating. I can handle low heat on certain types of stones only like zircon, corundrums and paraibas.
6. Wearability: I go for spinels mostly due to its range of colours and durability. Tourmalines are also a good option.
7. Rarity: Once a while I go for the rarer stuff like a stop light red spinel, neon blue paraiba tourmaline, top siberian amethyst, etc. in as large a size as I can (within reason).

Most of these are unset for me to just play around with. I take my time to set them because they are very special.

 

[strmrdr]

1: that looks kewl
2: cheap

 

[Linda W]

Silly question, but what is a grey mask in a stone????

Linda

 

[chrono]

Date: 7/10/2007 4:01:25 PM
Author: Linda W
Silly question, but what is a grey mask in a stone????

Linda

I''m not sure how to explain it. When the colour of a gemstone is very pure, that''s all you see. When the stone has a grayish mask, the colour tends towards a darker, not so clear hue. As an example, this tends to be very apparent in blue spinels.

 

[chrono]

Here''s a picture of a stone with a gray mask. The colour is described as bluish green but you can see that it isn''t a strong bright colour. This darkness of the colour is called a gray mask.

 

[Linda W]

Thank you Chrono for explaining it to me. Now I understand. I learn something everyday, thanks to PS''ers.

Linda

 

[twodoor2]

Another thing to note about colored stones is that they might look good in certain type of light. Most tourmalines look great in daylight, but go very dark in incandescent light. The velvety color of an emerald might disappear in floursecent light, or the extinction in a stone may be more visible in incandescent light, it may sparkle more, or the stone may change color. Some amethysts look very purple/blue in daylight, and go more purple/red in incandescent light. When you go to a jewelry store, they show most stones in optimal diamond lighting conditions (incandescent pinpoint hallogens). It''s also best to look at it in daylight and flourescent lights as well. Paraiba tourmalines are famous for glowing in dim lighting conditions. Light is a key factor when judging a colored gemstone.

 

[marcy]

I buy gemstones for 2 reasons. One is to put in a crystal dish just for the fun of having it. I pick things for my dish that are unique and as cheap as I can reasonably get them The other reason I buy gemstones to use in jewelry. Then I look for color, cut, clarity. If I like it then I''ll have it put in a piece of jewelry (i''ll switch out gemstones in existing jewelry or get a new mounting). If I don''t like the gemstone enough to use in jewelry I''ll either add it to my gemstone dish or return it for a refund depending on how much it cost.

 

[kcoursolle]

I don''t own nearly enough gemstones to be a collector, but I do look for a few qualities.

-I have to fall in love with the stone when I see it. If I have doubts about a stone, I return it right away.
-Ultimately, I like to set my stones. Each stone must serve a purpose and I tend to pick stones with a setting in mind.
-I like variety, a blue sapphire ring, a red sapphire ring, green tourmaline earrings, etc. Even though I love garnets, I try to purchase other colors and stones.
-It has to be practical. I wouldn''t buy a stone that is softer than an emerald, because I actually want to wear my stones.
-I don''t have any prejudice for cheaper stones. Many garnets, amethyst, etc. are very beautiful and inexpensive...that''s great to me! Of course, I also like rubies and sapphires, and other more expensive stones...but in general I tend to go for appearance rather than expensive/rare. For example, I think a tsavorite garnet is more attractive often times than an emerald (imo).
-For size, I want stones that are large enough to be noticeable, but small enough to be wearable for frequently. (2-3 carats usually)
-It has to be cut well and eye clean at the very least.
-I don''t always like the qualities of top of the line color grades, but I have to really like the color. For example, I tend to like medium colored blue sapphires more than dark vivid colors. Minor zoning okay...if not that noticeable.
-For treatments, I''m not that much of a snob. Heating is fine as long as I know about it, but fracture filling, etc. I''m not okay with.
Unusual qualities are fun, but ultimately I like classic and antique styles the most.

 

[colormyworld]

Collecting fine examples of colored gems seems to be a difficult juggling act. I try to collect the finest colors of a given species but finding them with the proper hue,saturation and tone is tough. On cut I am less picky, as long as there is enough depth to improve. Except with stones where color zoning can cause a problem with a re-cut. When you add clarity and ct. weight prices start to climb fast.

The finest colors in a blue sapphire will leave you wondering how such a color could exist.

Doug

 

[africagems]

If you are collecting for your passion for colored stones, than buy what you love to look at. Buy something that when you take it out of the safe you say "Wow that is a beautiful gemstone"
With that thought in mind, always buy quality. For me that means something special. Something that a gemstone wholesaler would say is special. Once I had a piece of Zambian aquamarine rough with a slight chrome green color, about a 3 gram piece. After I had it cut, I realized that this gem was something very special. In Tucson, a very well known brazilian gem dealer offered me $ 1,000/ct for it! And this was in 1988! I didn''t sell it

 

[kcoursolle]

Date: 7/13/2007 3:14:49 PM
Author: africagems
If you are collecting for your passion for colored stones, than buy what you love to look at. Buy something that when you take it out of the safe you say ''Wow that is a beautiful gemstone''
With that thought in mind, always buy quality. For me that means something special. Something that a gemstone wholesaler would say is special. Once I had a piece of Zambian aquamarine rough with a slight chrome green color, about a 3 gram piece. After I had it cut, I realized that this gem was something very special. In Tucson, a very well known brazilian gem dealer offered me $ 1,000/ct for it! And this was in 1988! I didn''t sell it

do you have any pictures, it really sounds lovely!

 

[africagems]

I ended up giving the aquamarine to my father, who mounted it in a ring as a gift to his wife.
I'll try and get a picture of the piece to post.

 

[Stone Hunter]

This is a very helpful thread for a newbie in colored stones. I have lurked and posted here. I have searched the colored stone vendors, but I have yet to get my feet wet. Love the ideas. Thank you.