Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 3:59 am
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Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:33 am Posts: 102
I looked up tsavorite on the rebooted Geminterest website and looked at the inclusion photos therein. They are very small but they look very similar to the inclusions in my stones, at least the way they are small and the way they are dispersed in the stone. Does anyone have any close-up photos of tsavorite inclusions to share?
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 2:05 am
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Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:33 am Posts: 102
I purchased AA incandescent mini mag light to view the tsavorite. My results were very similar to my LED penlight.
tsavorite:
The blue absorption does not look exactly like the spectral examples that were posted so I'm still not sure if this stone is a tsavorite. I'm still waiting to receive my specific gravity kit in the mail to do further testing. Looking at my photos of the stone, the inclusions in my tsavorite look very similar to the ones posted on Geminterest.
I also took a photo of a red garnet:
This photo does not show the clarity of the 3 absorption lines that I saw through the spectroscope. My guess is that the CCD sensor of my iPad 3 is just too sensitive.
Here's another shot using my Canon powershot:
You can see the absorption lines better but the image is fuzzy.
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2012 7:24 pm
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Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:06 pm Posts: 2267 Location: Chapel Hill, NC / Toronto, ON
Beryllagem wrote:
Here's another shot using my Canon powershot:
You can see the absorption lines better but the image is fuzzy.
Now THIS is a nice shot of absorption lines. Sure, they're a bit fuzzy (and WAY wider than I thought they would be), but cool anyway! Thanks for posting your learning process - makes it easier for other beginners like me
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 6:47 pm
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Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:33 am Posts: 102
My specific gravity came in the mail this week and I finally got to measure this trillion tsavorite. I measured multiple times, yesterday and today. The specific gravity turned out to be 7! I measured a few other stones - sapphire, spessertite, rhodolite, and they all came within acceptable parameters. I just can't believe it and I'm exremely disappointed. I'm taking the stone to the local gemologist who can measure the RI.
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 7:29 pm
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Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:06 pm Posts: 2267 Location: Chapel Hill, NC / Toronto, ON
That...doesn't seem right. The only gem I remember offhand with an SG that ridiculously high is wulfenite, and your green stone didn't have nearly enough dispersion to be that.
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 8:35 pm
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Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:33 am Posts: 102
Hey Arya,
The stone could be Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (G.G.G.), which has an SG of 7. It has all the hallmarks of garnet - negative on the polariscope, dichroscope. Geminterest does not state it's reaction to the Chelsea. It is extremely dense and has off the chart RI. I met with the local gemologist (Hight & Randall Jewelers) and made an appointment for tomorrow at 10AM. My hope is that I somehow got the measurement wrong. SIGH. I tested a sapphire he sold me and the SG was good. Remember I mentioned my prized spessertite? Well, he sold me that one too. I'm getting really nervous. I may need to purchased that refractometer more sooner than later.
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2012 10:09 pm
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Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:06 pm Posts: 2267 Location: Chapel Hill, NC / Toronto, ON
Beryllagem wrote:
Hey Arya,
The stone could be Gadolinium Gallium Garnet (G.G.G.), which has an SG of 7. It has all the hallmarks of garnet - negative on the polariscope, dichroscope. Geminterest does not state it's reaction to the Chelsea. It is extremely dense and has off the chart RI. I met with the local gemologist (Hight & Randall Jewelers) and made an appointment for tomorrow at 10AM. My hope is that I somehow got the measurement wrong. SIGH. I tested a sapphire he sold me and the SG was good. Remember I mentioned my prized spessertite? Well, he sold me that one too. I'm getting really nervous. I may need to purchased that refractometer more sooner than later.
Aha! For some reason I thought GGG could only be white, but apparently it comes in red, blue, and green as well. That would explain that.
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 2:22 pm
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Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2012 8:33 am Posts: 102
I went to see Barbara at her jewelry store. She is GIA trained gemologist who actually taught at the GIA. She looked at my stone under her microscope and tested the RI and...it's a real tsavorite!!
Trying to measure specific gravity on small stones is very difficult as your scale is not accurate enough to enough significant digits. It's possible to get somewhat meaningful results on larger stones, but unless you scale is accurate to 0.001 ct. or more, trying to calculate SG on small stones is a waste of time.
Post subject: Re: Purchased Tsavorites that do not register red Chelsea fi
Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:13 pm
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Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:06 pm Posts: 2267 Location: Chapel Hill, NC / Toronto, ON
Beryllagem wrote:
I went to see Barbara at her jewelry store. She is GIA trained gemologist who actually taught at the GIA. She looked at my stone under her microscope and tested the RI and...it's a real tsavorite!!
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