- Joined
- May 14, 2010
- Messages
- 4,328
TL|1305399461|2921832 said:The cutting superb, but it's not the best color for an aqua (trade preference). It's rather pale. Pale aquas tend to look glassy, and get dirty fairly easily. It earns high marks in the cutting department though, and some people prefer cutting to color, so if you're one of those, then go for it. At least it is cut deep which may help the color a bit.
BTW, aqua is one of the few gemstones that is valued more for darker tone than richer saturation. Therefore, many expensive aquas still have a lot of grey in them, even though they are darker in tone.
For an example of a fine aqua, see this photo.
http://www.raymondcyard.com/raymond/shop/pages/jewelry_shop4.asp
It has nice saturation and is a great deal darker in tone than the one you're considering. However, the price point may be acceptable for the stone above. I don't know how much it costs.
ETA: I saw the price, and I think it's rather expensive for the color. I think you're paying more of a premium for the cutting, which is fine, but know what you are paying for. Also check out greenish blue aquas that have been unheated. They are very pretty. I have to disagree with the vendor description that it's not pale. Again, I don't know how accurate his photos are, but for what he is charging, I would want a darker toned aquamarine. I do think this one is on the pale side.
bookworm240|1305401470|2921853 said:I haven't posted in a while...
Both my children are born in March and aqua is the birthstone. My favorites are called Santa Maria Aqua. I haven't bought one yet because of the price. Topaz and Blue zircon come in a smiillar color pallet and can be less expensive. I toy with buying one of them instead...as I am more interested in the color than the stone. Sometime in the next 20 years I will get one!!
http://www.modernjeweler.com/web/online/Colored-Gemstone-Gem-Profiles/African-Aquamarine/1$292
amethystguy|1305426422|2922077 said:Well gosh darn, I had been looking for where i had seen or heard about Lagoon beryl and you found it for me, TL. Do you know where any additional info can be found, if any, on it, TL?
bright ice|1305421685|2922023 said:Does anyone have suggestions as to where to find a good color, well cut, reasonably priced aquamarine? Somewhere in the 3-5 ct range.
PrecisionGem|1305431678|2922137 said:Before the Mozambique Pariaba Tourmaline was found, there was some nice darker Aquamarine coming out of Mozambique. Then the tourmaline find came up, and there was a rush to mine that, and the aqua was kind of abandoned. THe past few years, the tourmaline is tried up and the aqua is stating to be mined again, but it seems the color isn't as deep. Darker aqua is very scarce, and what is being found is rather expensive.
My avitar is one of the older Mozambique unheated stones, but Im not seeing this color anymore at this time. (the avitar stone is long gone sold years ago)
Rough dealers are asking pretty high prices now for lighter material. I don't know if there is such a thing as a good deal on darker clean aquamarine.
TL|1305435536|2922160 said:PrecisionGem|1305431678|2922137 said:Before the Mozambique Pariaba Tourmaline was found, there was some nice darker Aquamarine coming out of Mozambique. Then the tourmaline find came up, and there was a rush to mine that, and the aqua was kind of abandoned. THe past few years, the tourmaline is tried up and the aqua is stating to be mined again, but it seems the color isn't as deep. Darker aqua is very scarce, and what is being found is rather expensive.
My avitar is one of the older Mozambique unheated stones, but Im not seeing this color anymore at this time. (the avitar stone is long gone sold years ago)
Rough dealers are asking pretty high prices now for lighter material. I don't know if there is such a thing as a good deal on darker clean aquamarine.
In that case, I don't think it's worth it to pay such high prices on light aqua, as it is very glassy looking, and if there isn't color going for it, then what? I do hear you though because I've also noticed that darker aqua is hard to come by. I would just skip buying aqua altogether in that case because the darker material is overpriced, and too grey, and the lighter material is too glassy.
faegrace|1305469400|2922296 said:Just because something is common/readily available, doesn't make it a mistake or worthless. Hey, there are celebs who could've afforded orchids but chose daises instead....
minousbijoux|1305491164|2922498 said:This is a long shot, but you might want to contact Dana at Master Cut, as over the years, he seems to have collected great amounts of rough of all different kinds. Now here are the equivocations [forgive me Dana for being honest, but I think you would agree with these ]:
1. If he has any rough to begin with;
2. If he can find it (it seems like he has so much - boy, I'd love to be a fly on that wall - and his organizational system sounds a bit challenged);
3. If you don't have a hard and fast deadline, but are okay waiting until he gets to it (time has a way of getting away from Dana and he admits that with the farm and garden, he doesn't cut much this time of year); and
4. If he will cut an asscher if that is what you have your heart set on. He has mentioned in the past that he has done his fair share of asscher cuts and now seldom gets the urge to cut one...
But of course, totally worth with it if he has something to offer you
bright ice|1305635512|2923814 said:What do you think about these two Aquas? Available by GemFix. Cut by Andrew Guliji