Ametrine???

[Cleopatra]

I was wondering if anyone had any information on Ametrine. It''s a very cool stone that I came across recently. It seems to be half purple/half yellow - amethyst and citrine...

I''m considering purchasing a stone - I''m a huge LSU fan and would love to make a purple and gold ring - and it would be so cool to have the purple and gold in ONE stone! ha! I''m wondering if this is a durable stone for a ring? Most likely not an everyday ring, but would get a bit of wear.

Any information would be greatly appreciated...

 

[RevolutionGems]

Ametrine is like any other stone in the quartz family. It runs about a 7.5 on the mohs scale and is reasonably tough but certainly neither hard or tough enough for everyday wear.

Be careful when buying ametrine. The market has recently been flooded with lab grown material that is claimed to be natural. You can tell this material by: 1. The size. Typically will be pretty large pieces.(10+ carats) 2. The consistency. All of these stones are exaclty the same color, deep purple and bright gold with perfect divisions and flawless clarity. 3. The price. It may seem like a good deal but, like any other stone, you will pay for a good quality natural stone. If you don''t mind lab grown material, you can get a big, perfectly colored ametrine for really cheap. Just check ebay. If you want the real deal, be prepared to spend a little bit of money, though even the good natural matrial rarely exceeds about $25 a carat. Be aware also that natural material will not be as intensely colored as the lab stuff either and the divisions will probably not be as sharp.

In any case, good luck in your hunt!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Revolution has it all right. Ebay will also have some created ametrine in blue/green - lovely, but obviously manmade. It also generally only comes in an octagon cut, like emerald, because it shows the bi-color the best.

It might be a good idea to use it for a pendant as opposed to a ring, as it will get less wear that way and stay looking pretty.

 

[Cleopatra]

Thank you both for your replies! You''ve both given me very useful information!

 

[marcy]

I can''t add any more info for you than you already got but just wanted to add I have a 5 x 7 mm ametrine in my gem jar and it is very cool. It is an emerald cut and I like it a lot. I can''t wait to see what you get.