Rhapsody dilemma - I need your advice!

Hi all, I haven't posted for ages because a) been under the weather with a stupid (ie annoying but non life-threatening) health problem and then b) I lost my password! Duh. But I still follow the posts and it's good to be back!

Anyway, I would really appreciate your advice... I've been lusting after a pear-shaped tanzanite Rhapsody pendant for over a year. Last week I finally gave in and bought one! It arrived today. It is beautiful, but...

I'm having some doubts about the colour of the stone. It was sold as AAAA, right? And I know that tanzanite turns different colours with every small change of the light - that's one of its attractions. This 5 carat stone has some beautiful deep blues in it, but it also seems to have quite a noticeable paler violet/greyish area on the left, visible in some but not all light conditions. I was expecting an AAAA tanzanite to be consistent in 'Vivid' colour all the way through... wouldn't you?

I have a ring made from an ungraded 4ct oval tanz from tjc - they didn't even claim it to be AAA - which is very nearly as rich in colour, but without any paler bits to distract the eye. In shaded sunlight, it's incredible - I can't stop looking at it. I was expecting as much or more from a tanz described as AAAA. Wouldn't you?

Am I expecting too much? Is the colour variation something to do with the pear-cut? This item cost A LOT of money and I really can't afford to keep it unless I'm 100% happy with it. I've probably just answered my own question, but I would love to hear your opinions!

I've tried to photograph it but not yet got one good enough to show what I mean. It actually looks fantastic in the pics and they don't show the paler patch! Maybe it's me, maybe I'm being too fussy? I'll post an image as soon as I've got one I'm happy with! xxx

Here's my first go... you can see some of the paler violet on the right, but not so much on the left.

I'll try again with photos tomorrow.

Where's Meeshoo when you need 'er? :wave:

RubyRose, I am no expert on gems, but you are not being fussy. If you spend money, no matter how much, and are not happy with what you bought it isn't worth it. The niggles will grow and you may find yourself not wearing it because you see the bits you didn't care for, not the overall loveliness of the stone that others might see. It is a lot of money, go for perfection - in your eyes!

I'm here but on holiday so just a quick one!

A pear cut is more likely to show variations in saturation even if the cut is superb. So what you might be seeing is the result of the cut (but I'm on a tiny laptop and can't see your pictures well - too strong sunlight!!!) so I can't tell to be sure.

Bottom line is that with coloured stones, irrespective of what they are, colour is KING! So if you're not bowled over by it, then it should go back. Grey is not acceptable in a top notch Tanzanite (even when it may be the result of the cut).

If I were in your shoes, I would definitely speak to the lovely Miles (Customer Care Manager) to see if there is another in stock or whether they could get one for you. It sounds like you love the piece so it's worth seeing if there's an alternative.

Good luck and hope you get something.

Thank you both, thank you Meeshoo! Hope you're having a lovely time on holiday!

I had thought of phoning Shopper about it - I've still got 29 days to make up my mind! How does one get to speak to Miles?

I like this style of pendant so much - but I had hoped for one that was rich royal blue like most of their Rhapsody tanz appears to be! Will try again with pics later...

Hi RubyRose, just caught up with this. Love the tanzy pendant, but if it doesn't make you go wow I would send it back.

I don't know how to get in touch with Miles, but I have spoken to him and he is a great guy! Maybe e-mail CS and ask Miles to call you back!

Hi RubyRose,my daughter in law came to visit last week,my son had just bought her a 4.5 tanzy and diamond ring from Boodles,well I naturally tried to find out how much it cost but apparantly they wrote the price on a card and gave it to my son.
It's the best tanzy for saturation i have ever seen however at a distance it is very dark and although my supposedly 4A ring is nowhere near as good a colour I actually believe I prefer it,well it was undoubtedly cheaper £1400 from Gems in the good old days.
So I guess its the same old story,you get what you pay for.
Just remember when you give your sons your money,blood sweat and tears they will grow up and buy someone else the tanzy.

Whoah, Boodles, I dread to think!!! Hubby and I were in Chester the other week and they have lots of high-end jewellers and lots of tanzanite - but waah, the prices! Two, three times or more higher than tjc, the sky was the limit. I've looked at A LOT of tanzanite, even tried some on if the jeweller was encouraging, and I agree that sometimes it can be too dark or too purple, or both. It's a hard stone to judge, too, because it looks so different in differing light conditions. I like one that shows glowing royal blues and cornflower blues in a good light. Once I fell totally in love with a pear-shaped stone (ring) in the Jewellery Quarter in Brum... it was full of red flashes, which you so rarely see. Beyond my budget, alas... I will go back and worship it for as long as it stays in the window... anyway, I digress.

Nannie A, I have no sons, but I have a step-daughter, two step-grandchildren and two step great-gandchildren... which is very scary because I'm really not that old! (Early 50-something, still convinced I'm 27...) I take your point, though. If I spend all my savings on tanzanite, rubies, tourmaline etc etc, the state will have to take care of me in me old age, right? :cheeky:

I'm still in conflict about this pendant. Will try to post more pics later. It's gorgeous at some angles, but can I live with the paler flashes? I'm also feeling a bit faint at what it cost... if I got the money back, I'd feel far less guilty at spending part (not all) of it a second time!!! :angel:

Right, here are some more images. Please excuse the horrible fingers - I think this one best shows the 'pale' streaks that are coming through in certain lights.

Typical, ain't it - you try to photograph something beautiful and it looks cr*p. Try to photograph a perceived flaw, though, and all you can get is the item going, "Look how gorgeous and glowy I am!"

Please let me know what you think, anyway!

You can see it in comparison to my 'ungraded' 4ct ring, and with the lighter violet patches showing through at certain angles.

RR don't like the first photo of the pendant, but love the second one! No help from me whatsoever

Love the ring btw :flower:

Ruby Rose - the problem with photographs is that it's almost impossible to gauge the colour accurately. From your photos I would say that it's a nicely saturated Tanzanite but shows darkening at each end (which is typically associated with a pear cut). The lighter area at the side that you're seeing is either a tilt window (especially if you can't see when looking straight on) or is a result of the cut. In all honesty, the only way for you to compare is to see another similar carat size /cut to help you make an informed choice. Honestly though without having it in my hand, the only advice I can give is that a piece that you open the box, fall in love with, smile when you look at is a keeper. Those that don't do that should go back.

I agree 100% with Sue about expensive high end jewellers. They charge tons for their name and you don't get better quality stones than you do from TJC. TJC are only one of 7(?) sight holders so they get the cream of the crop of Tanzanite direct from the mine. High end jewellers do not unless they're affiliated with the mine also.

The best Tanzanite is a Vivid Intense blue/violetish stone (using the GIA grading). The very best are more blue than violet looking but of course, because Tanzanite is trichroic you will always see blues/purples/pinks and occasionally reds.

I have an 18ct Tanzanite that I bought from GemsTV in their height and it's the best example of Tanzanite for colour I've ever seen. I paid about £220 per carat (this is going back a few years) but I guarantee that I wouldn't be able to find the same based on quality and cost now. So, it's not always the case that high end jewellers are the best. For example, look at Tiffany's website ..... their coloured stones are SHOCKING. Truly truly truly awful. Of course, people buy from there because of the name! They don't even sell GIA graded diamonds - they have their own in-house system which in no way compares to GIA. So, you see, I would urge you to buy Tanzanite from TJC as I truly believe they have some of the best at the most affordable prices (and no, I don't work for them)!!!!!

I'm not far from Chester and will be back in the North West soon - if you want to meet one weekend before your trial period with TJC is up then I'd be happy to look at your pendant for you - but be warned, I'm always honest!!!!!!

Meeshoo, you're a star as always! Will reply properly later (or by Monday at latest!) xxx

Hi again, and thanks Meeshoo for your detailed answer - you're a hero (and a well-informed hero, too!). Alas, we live in the Midlands and no chance of getting back up to Chester before the 30 days is up - but thank you so much for the offer. It would be great to meet up one day and talk gems!!! Btw, d'you have a pic to share of that lovely-sounding Gems tanz? I'd love to see it...

Yep, it is difficult to capture an accurate impression of colour in photos. The middle one of mine is deceptive - it looks more purple than it is in reality, because the camera put a yellow cast over it for some reason. P'robly cause it was taking the light reading from the white background, not from the pendant itself. Anyway - the darkening at top and bottom is actually a beautiful glowy blue in real life - this colour is what I expected 'vivid' to look like. I know what you mean by 'tilt windows' - only because I pay attention to your posts! - but there is a dark well in the centre of this stone, and pale streaks at the sides, that you can see without tilting it very far at all.

Viewed straight on in a good light, this tanz does look very good indeed. But I think that the paler streaks are going to annoy me too much, because they show through all too easily - in some lights they even give the lower half of the gem a cloudy look, as if someone's breathed on it.

I think I'm 99.9% certain now I'm going to send it back. If it had cost a lot less, I would keep it. But it's too expensive for me to keep without being completely ravished every time I open the box! Plus I don't really want to be paying platinum prices... I would be happy with white gold, or the palladium my ring's made of... even silver, darn it... as long as the tanzanite makes me go 'Wow!' like my ring still does!

So I think I'll wait til my £££ comes back from tjc and then look at purchasing a loose stone... Have to go and pack it up again now and say goodbye, oh dear, oh dear!

Well, it's on its way, sob. :heartbroke: No, actually I'm fine about it. I was a bit sad taking a last look when I put it in the box but I'm not having any emotions about it now, just looking foward to getting the money back!

Shame it wasn't a) less expensive and b) perfect, but never mind, it was just a misjudgement... like my failure last year to buy a truly glorious 2-carat Paraiba tourmaline ring for less than £700... PT seems to have doubled in price since then... and I've no interest in small, pale stones surrounded by zillions of diamonds. Oops, wandered slightly off the subject there!

RubyRose - I'm a great believer that there's always something else waiting just around the corner and I'm sure your dream Tanzy will make an appearance soon! Don't forget that the only way to truly assess a coloured gemstone is head on, not angled at all. If set correctly this is how the gemstone will be viewed and so will be cut to give maximum effect. If you're sensitive to variations in colour then pears, ovals and marquise cuts will be the ones that will drive you bonkers!

Wow, I've had a personal email and a phone call from Miles today! And you are right, he was very, very nice and helpful indeed. He said he saw what I meant about the lighter flares in the stone, and he'd shown it to someone (buyer, assessor... can't remember how he described them) who said that this was a 'bow-tie' effect resulting from the cut, and legitimate in a AAAA tanz. But he (ie Miles) had never seen it before. By which I take it that their pear-cuts don't usually show this effect... and of course he understood I would prefer a fully-saturated gem.

He's going to sort the refund asap... and send me some pics of alternative pendants... so we'll just see what turns up!