Avast!

Cheers Rog ~ I've been called mercurial in the past XD. It's funny to me how i've been theatrically disposed since forever, but some truths just have to be expressed and will announce themselves on my person. When I love it I love it, and have contempt for it... I ooooooze.

@@GemologyforSchmucks Ha, yea I totally agree. Over marketed, over priced, but it’s a Diamond, I must have it! What a load of old toot. There are, as you well know, so many coloured stones that are so much more beautiful than colourless Diamond, yet sadly underrated. Consumer Monkeys spring to mind Peter. If you want white sparkle then man made Moissanite is just as, if not more sparkly than Diamond as it is doubly refractive.

Thanks ~ I'm glad you enjoy it aswell.

Welcome to the channel~

Symmetry and sparkle definitely draw a lot of attention. My perspective is: like what you like. It's not for anyone else to say what you can and cannot like, and that also applies when folks have different preferences to my own. Cheers Peter

Much appreciated, Greg

I'm glad to be of service, and lovely to hear that you've been enjoying my work. and F%&*^@ Quartz

Thanks ~ glad it was helpful.

Thank you ~ prices definitely depend on which gemstone. Some are more expensive than in the US and others much cheaper and there doesn't seem to be much logic to it. It "just is" As you noted above, if someone is aware of the markets and general availability of qualities and colours, there can be some great deals found here. I suppose thats stones in general.

I'm glad to be of service, Jennifer. With your background, I think the transition into appraisal would be quite smooth. You have so much of the knowledge that appraisers lack at the beginning and have to scramble to acquire. Best of luck~

Thanks Phoebe~

Step cuts (large facets in general) tend to amplify colour more, rather than scatter light and create scintillation. There are some combined faceting techniques that can do both, but in general you're correct.

I like Old European cut for moissanite

I know a few things about padparadscha sapphires, yes. At this stage in history the definition and what labs are designating are two very different things. That said, beryllium treatment I believe rules out the possibility of any LMHC aligned lab giving it the name padparadscha on a report. For prices on your particular stone, you'd need to shop the market.

I think that largely depends on the body colour and tone as well as the original crystal rough. We have to be efficient with those crystals, but we also need to show off their strengths. Dark stones and lighter body colour stones don't have the same advantages with the same types of cuts. Most ruby and sapphire you'll see cut with a mixed cut (brilliant crown and step cut pavilion, often with small facets).

Thanks Thoralf. There's some cool stuff in tourmaline for sure, but bi-colour/ particolour sapphires can be astounding. Theres some Afghan deposits that have ruby-sapphire intergrown. It makes me want to scream. Sometimes I do.

Getting a taste-test at a lapidary club can be invaluable.

Asscher cut is a favourite of mine aswel. I've not hear of the the Lagune cut personally, but there are tens of thousands of cutting diagrams and new ones are being made each day.

@@GemologyforSchmucks The same, i also like the Asher cut. I would like to get a raw best quality vivid light blue Sapphire and let it cut in Asher shape ( darker then aquamarine) Then design a men ring and fit it with little best quality briljant cut diamonds surrounding it. The Ashercut sapphire i would like must be at least 2 carats after cutting. All can be costly but i have no hurry. 🤗 Btw, the biggest gap in the high end Jewellery world is a special famous line or brand of Men Jewellery !!! In all gradations. Silver, gold, platinum. With real top 10 gemstones. And maybe with real natural saltwater pearls.😅 5 on mohr grades upwards. No cubic zirkonia and no rock christal that cant be tested. The Pandora silver jewellery i like because of their quality finishing, so i see its posible to make good jewellery in high volume. 🤗

If you're looking for lab sapphire, you might check out Tyler Ferrari on instagram @tylerpferrari He does some really cool precision cuts and concave cuts on lab sapphire and many other stones.

Synthetic gems by definition are chemically and crystallographically the same as natural stones. Are they identical? There are subtleties that I don't know if I have measurements to explain them with. What I can say is that my most senior gemologist colleagues get a feeling when they look at the stone and then confirm it with the microscope (natural or synthetic inclusions). I think science starts with a basic assumption that: if you can observe a difference, then look for a way to measure it. So to come full circle on your question, are they identical? Totally? Absolutely not. Identical in many physical ways? yes. The price difference is going to come down to rarity. They can manufacture as many synthetic stones as they want provided they have the chemical resources, machinery and money for energy (which for flame fusion process is cheap cheap cheap). Natural, high quality rubies are exceptionally rare in nature, which makes them the most expensive coloured stone in the world by weight.

Labs can (and some do) add inclusions and even fractures to mimic natural gemstones. Most notably emeralds, because buyers know natural stones have fractures and inclusions by default. Loupe clean emerald is almost unheard of. There is still a difference between natural and lab inclusions that are detectable, but only a trained professional could tell them apart.

@@DonariaRegia sure ~ with enough ingenuity, scientists can do most anything they want. Often times though its cost-prohibitive to manufacture synthetics just to mimic natural inclusions for deceitful purposes. Flux synthetics (particularly for emeralds) are some of my favourites, and also the most difficult to identify in my experience.

Yeah ~ cutting is a whole other discipline with its own considerations. As to a career in piracy... I might not be opposed to that. Less taxes etc ;)

@@GemologyforSchmucks lol!😁👍

I'm having a hard time uploading the picture

Hi Valeria, here is a link to a video that explains the complexity of identifying gemstones without having the stone. Hopefully it helps clarify the situation. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ariogZl4vc_eo40.htmlsi=PmTk5yWCE6QOu_Gx

Shapes speak to people, definitely. I have significant prejudice when it comes to various ovals and an utter loathing for heart-shapes faceted gems. Abomination I say!

@@GemologyforSchmucks LOL. The heart-shaped ones look cheap, frankly, because they've always been seen on kids' costume jewelry. I do like a nice, slim raindrop, of course, but not the fatter, pear-shaped ones.

Thank you~

Thanks~! I'm glad you enjoy

By definition, absolutely yes.

There are definitely others that will agree with you. I think both cuts have their place, and even with different gem materials.

Thank you for your concern

I wish you health. I really enjoy watching your channel and I wish it would continue. I have a question: are you able to roughly assess the stones collected in a certain place in Kazakhstan? Link here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/a9Cne6p_udWqYZ8.html The gold-colored metal found there is tombac - not gold.

There has never been a claim to be Jewish. As a linguist and lover of languages, it is my pleasure and right to banter in any of the languages that I choose to learn.