Gemstone question...can I say of this is garnet or tourmaline?

[cleio]

A while back a very nice person tested the red stones in this gold ring for me with their gem tester, but the results came back a bit ambiguous.  The note said that the stones fell between tourmaline and garnet with spinel also thrown in the mix.  Unfortunately the little note has disappeared just as I need it, but thats the gist of it.

Ruby Lane wants me to specify exactly what the stone is.  It definitely looks like garnet, but can I say with any certainty? Do any one of these stones types dramatically increase the value over the others? I dont want to be misleading

[old.crows.nest]

I would lean towards Garnet based on the (Victorian) style of the Ring with the seed pearls. Also, thinking Garnet based on the range of reds (orangey to true red) for the stones. I am not familiar with Spinel.

[rixstuff]

Was it this tester? (I have this one)

[rixstuff]

Both Garnet and tourmaline show in the same range but your stones appear a brighter red than most garnets** so I think tourmaline is a likelihood.  Spinel is on the far edge and outside the range for garnet/tourmalines.  HOWEVER...it isnt unheard of in vintage pieces that sometimes the original maker made a mistake and put the wrong stone in so one or two of your stones might actually BE spinels.  I got some lighter color sapphires in one bracelet from the 1920s that all the other stones were topaz.  Cant tell if someone along the way did a quick incorrect patch job or the original maker put the wrong stone in at the beginning.

**also not saying they arent actually garnets just brighter than most. Sorry to keep muddying the water.

[kpamber]

That was a pretty typical cut for garnets then as well, so although my gut tells me garnet, I'm not sure, for reasons of accuracy, that I would say so definitively...

I've never seen tourmaline in such a setting or such a cut.  I would have just assumed that they were garnets. 

[cleio]

yes it was a presidium gem tester...looks like spinel should be out of the question if it ranges around garnet and tourmaline

[whering660]

In red values in garnet run from wine, like the Rhodolites, to purple, like the Orrissa. 

That being said, Spinels in the red value, run from pinks, to red (very valuable), to purple. It's just hard to say.

Do you know any jewelers that would just test it for you or give you an opinion?  Most of them loooovvvee to gem talk.

diane

[thirry]

Hessonite and pyrope garnets are both orangey in color.

[evelyb30]

If you want to make sure no one can come at you later, call them garnets.  The orange-red ones aren't hugely valuable, and anyone getting spinels by mistake won't complain; the last I checked they were more valuable.  

[dream*peddler]

When not absolutely sure, I just write, "tested in the garnet range,"  in the listing.  The value in that ring lies in the age and design.

[gauntlettgems]

I would have never suspected garnets by just looking at them. Wow

[rixstuff]

If nothing else, the Presidium AT LEAST tells you they are gemstones and not glass.  Most of the time it is pretty accurate as to what the item is but I can see where there may be some areas on the dial that arent spot on or are hard to read.