Which spess should I buy?

[ColoredStonesLady]

After drooling over the "show your spessartite" thread I'd really, really like to find a nice one under $1k. So far, I found the ones below. Should I get any of these or keep looking?? I realize $1k is not a lot of money. So a great color and half decent cut are my biggest priorities, not the search for perfection. I'm very new to spessartite as a gem, so any advice would be great!




3.64 carat Nambian from gemfix
http://www.gemfix.com/garnet_spessartite.html




3.05 carat Nambian from Litnon
http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=9047




6.1 carat Loliondo from rough2refined
http://rough2refinedgemstones.com/?page_id=2078 (halfway down the page)



3.04 carat Nambian pair from gemfix
http://www.gemfix.com/garnet_spessartite.html
( my original dream was to have a pair of spess for earrings, but finding just 1 goof one is enough!)




PS I did pick up a fiery red Mahenge spinel and sphene from Mastercutgems. And one great opal ring from a friend in London. Will post photos when I get a chance!

 

[minousbijoux]

You know, it really comes down to the color you like. Some of the ones you've chosen are on the yellowish side and some more on the reddish end. The one that I would question from a cutting perspective is the Loliondo as it looks like it has a fair amount of extinction.

 

[T L]

It's hard to tell which one is best because the top and bottom photos definitely look enhanced, and it's harder to compare different vendor photos for the rest. I would definitely at least skip the top one, it looks to be brownish.

 

[chrono]

It all depends on exactly what shade of orange you are looking to get:
1. Kind of brownish on my monitor.
2. A bit brownish yellowish but the picture is definitely not enhanced.
3. Bright but there is a band of extinction (bowtie) right across the middle.
4. Really nice with a touch of yellow.

Since 1 and 4 are both from Gemfix, why not ask for his opinion on both stones?

 

[davi_el_mejor]

I would go with 3, love the color and I could live with the slight bowtie. It made me want to get a glass of OJ LOL

 

[ColoredStonesLady]

I asked about the top one, and they said no brown modifier... but it does look a bit too photoshopped...

I tend to like the more yellowish / dayglow looking color for spess so I got the 3.05 and 6.1! The second didn't look brown in the other photos on the site, and at 6 carats I just could not pass up the oval one!!

I think I'd like to make the 3.05 a ring and the 6.1 a pendant. Now for some matching round or oval earrings... I'm between these two I found on ebay. They are relatively cheap. I can tell that they are really very photoshopped. I'm hoping the real color is closer to the two that I bought today than the images online.

 

[distracts]

PS I did pick up a fiery red Mahenge spinel and sphene from Mastercutgems. And one great opal ring from a friend in London. Will post photos when I get a chance!

Was it the 0.88 spinel? Because I looked at that one but am just out of college so couldn't justify the money for it. But I will gladly drool over pictures...

 

[NKOTB]

Have either of your spesses arrived, and if so, what do you think?

 

[ColoredStonesLady]

@ distracts YES! I did get that spinel and another 4 or so stones from him. I was very naughty and went on binge.

@ NKOTB The pair from ebay, and the one from Litnon have. But I won't be able to see them (or any of the ones I have bought recently) until late May/ June. I'm abroad for work, so I'm sending everything to my mom for safekeeping in the meantime. She LOVES orange gems, so I'm a little scared they mights already be set by the time I get back!!

When I get to the states I'll have a lot of photographing and posting to do!

 

[chrono]

If you are away, wouldn't the review and return period be over by the time you get back, leaving you no recourse should you decide the spessartites aren't the right colour for you?

 

[ColoredStonesLady]

Dana @ Mastercutgem has graciously extended the review period until I get back. He's great to work with!! The ebay and Litnon stones are relatively inexpensive, so if I don't like them I plan to set them in LOGR settings and make them into gifts for someone who would.

I'm afraid that if I waited until returned to get the gems, they'd be gone or the prices would have gotten even higher. And I'd kick myself for passing up a deal, as I have many times already.