Windowing: Need answers ASAP

[chrono]

I received the CC garnet from Multicolor: cc garnet
The colour change is obvious and has nice flashes of colour. It is somewhat on the dark side as expected and I can accept that. What bothered me the most is that it has this huge gaping window through the middle which just bothers me. I suppose it''s not worth keeping and I should return it, right? But CC garnets are so hard to find.

Here''s what I was told:
The stone may be somewhat dark and the window may lighten the color. It is a very rare stone and if we had removed the window, it would have weighed less, looked smaller, and been worth less. Windows are easy to remove but the weight of the stone is always reduced and it often isn''t worth it especially with rare stones.

So, the window was there to lighten the colour of the stone, and if the cc garnet was recut to remove the window, then it would be darker and also worth less because it weighs less. Am I right? So, I should return this one and keep looking? If so, I need to return it pronto before the refund period is over.

What do I do now? I haven''t seen any nice ones around that is also reasonably priced. The super nice ones I''ve seen are $1200 per carat and I''m not willing to pay that price.

I just want a cheap one to play with.
1. Obvious colour change (not too particular about from what colour to what colour)
2. Not too dark
3. Any shape
4. NO windows!

Can anyone help? AJS'' stuff doesn''t look too nice, Multicolour offered me their best which wasn''t what I was looking for, Awesomegems is too expensive. Where else do I look?

Thanks,
Chrono

 

[strmrdr]

I hate large windows.
Id return it in a heartbeat.
There are other ways to lighten up a stone other than a huge window.

 

[Gale]

Chrono, I don''t know anything about windows in stones, but I think if this feature bugs you a lot, then returning it is your best bet. Another example in that fits your requirements and budget will eventually turn up.

if I am not completly happy with something, then it usually ends up being a waste of money because I get rid of it by giving it away, hiding it somewhere in a closet, selling it for pennies on the dollar, or donating it to charity. When I was just starting out I bought a car I really did not like - it was in my budget at the time, and a perfectly practical car. I drove that thing for 7 years, and hated every minute of it. Just looking at that car irritated me. Purchasing this stone would put me in that frame of mind at once - It would be going to a local charity shop for sure.

 

[valeria101]

The description does fit CC garnet and not much else I can think of. There''s CC fluorite (aqua greenish blue to purple - at least the more famous, other versions are feasible) but that''s quite soft, and diaspore but small stones don''t really show change because of the light color... Can''t think of much else really.

Now, things might improve for your garnet without major shaving - but if it is worth it is yet another question. Actually, quite a different Q for you than it is for the seller. The statement by Multicolor is a blanket statement: it appears with more than one item. Surely it is safer for them to present the pieces this way and let buyers decide - once cut off the extra weight cannot be put back.

Would you have it recut ? Asking can''t be that expensive. It doesn''t seem that such garnets with nice chance and color and cut are easily found even below 1 carat.

For price refs (including below 1 carat, as this guy might end up if the cut is improved) I would check These guys - that''s the presentation of their CC garnets, see inventory page here.

 

[Michael_E]

Chrono,
Stones that are inexpensive and cut in major cutting areas tend to be cut to maximize the face up size. They also cut very well cut stones, but they are never cheap. If you look at your stone from the side it will most likely look shallow, sort of like a flying saucer. To recut this to have no windowing would probably redue the weight of the stone by 20% to 30% as well as its face up size. As far as availablity, there are some suppliers of rough that have color change garnets, some are pink to green, some blue to purple and some are red to orange. They are not cheap though. The roughs cost up to and sometimes over $25 per carat. You will lose about 60% to 70% of the material during cutting and then the costs of cutting put you up to at least $250 per carat, (and often WAY more), on the better material. If you are looking for something less expensive, you can sometimes find cheap stones that have already been cut on E-bay and then just have them re-cut. They won''t be big, but they may be just what you''re looking for. If the stone that you received from Multicolor is deep enough and cheap enough, it may be worth re-cutting. Can you measure it ?

 

[chrono]

Michael,

I''m not looking for size (althought it has to be at least over 0.5ct).

The Multicolor stone is an 1.06ct oval that measures 7mm x 5.1mm x 3.2mm It doesn''t look shallow but I also noticed a lack of crown height, so perhaps it is the play of angles between the crown and pavilon that created this window? The stone is pretty cheap at $265.

I originally wanted teal to puple but discovered that it''s so hard to even find anything that I can remotely consider pretty. Therefore I''m now considering all sorts of colours as long as it looks pretty, the colours are decent (non murky) and the change is strong. Even so, it''s been a very difficult and long search.

 

[Matata]

These folks have a few left but they''re more than $300. However, they may be another source to find one for you that meets your requirements http://www.mineralminers.com/html/ccggems.stm Don''t know anything about them, but I think they were listed on the long list Josh compiled last year.

 

[chrono]

Wow Matata!
I went to MineralMiners and spotted this one: ccg105
What do you all think?
Too dark?
Keep looking?

 

[Michael_E]

Chrono,
3.2mm is deep enough to have very little windowing. In this case I would bet that the cutter followed the shape of the rough pebble and cut the pavilion facets closest to the girdle very steeply and then cut the facets closest to the culet at an angle that is too shallow to allow any light return. Looking at the stone from the side and facing its longest axis it probably looks like a canoe with the steep sides and shallow bottom. The shallow crown is actually a good thing in that it gives you more depth to play with in the pavilion to get good angles in recutting the stone. The price seems a little high to me for a cut that isn''t acceptable, but if the color is really great, then the price is still pretty darn good.
One thing to remember is that you need to be in the right lighting conditions in order to get a good idea about windowing. Diffuse strong daylight is best, something like a bright overcast day or shaded ares with bright light from the north is the best light. You also need to be looking directly at the table, as any colored stone will show windowing as it is tilted. Also remember that pictures are always taken at the most attractive angles and lighting conditions, so view them with that in mind.

 

[chrono]

Michael,
I really appreciate your input. The colour is nice but not great.
GB/BG*7/3 (dark green blue or blue green)
PR/RP 6/3 (medium dark red-purple)
It looks best in bright sunlight where it turn greenish. Yes, I looked at the stone straight into the table and I can see the window in all light conditions. I''m thinking the stone might get too dark after a recut and may not be worth it. A darkness of 7 is pretty dark, don''t you think?

 

[chrono]

Thanks for all the replies. The stone is on it's way home to Thailand.

I've found another one that looks nice but I'm not 100% sure if I want to call it in. It's ccg105 at MineralMiners (picture posted above earlier).
What do you think? No windows but does it have the potential of being too dark?

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 2/24/2005 1:25:35 PM
Author: Chrono
I''m not looking for size (althought it has to be at least over 0.5ct)...

I''m now considering all sorts of colours as long as it looks pretty, the colours are decent (non murky) and the change is strong. Even so, it''s been a very difficult and long search.

Some of the smaller stones from Tunduru, Tanzania and Voi, Kenya might suit. Because they''re seldom large they haven''t been promoted heavily like the larger alexandrite-change stones from Sri Lanka and Africa. The color change is usually some shade of medium or dark yellow to vibrant reddish-pink. This half-carat 5 mm. stone from Kenya is typical. Cutting is very good and stones are mostly eye clean with some rutile inclusions at 10X.

Richard M.

 

[belle]

richard,
where can stones such as the one you describe be found?

 

[chrono]

The trillions he posted sure looks yummy. The colours are so bright. I want some too. 5mm is perfect. Where can I get these? Are they expensive (I''m on a budget

)?

 

[Richard M.]

Belle, you have a P.M.

 

[Richard M.]

I also P.M.''d you, Chrono. I should have mentioned it my post to Belle.