[re-post from Nov 20, 2019]
These Umbalite Garnets, like many gems from the Umba Valley are so light-sensitive!
Umbalite Garnet, selected rough, 5.00-8.00cts size
1st image in series:
Upper part taken in transmitted daylight; Lower part taken in transmitted white LED light
2nd image in series:
Upper part taken in diffused white LED light; Lower part taken in diffused yellow LED light
3rd and 4th images in series:
Taken in diffused white LED light
It’s somewhat counterintuitive to appreciate that objects (including gems!) don’t inherently have any color, as observed by Isaac Newton. The only colors that humans see are the colors that are reflected by objects. All the other colors that make up light are absorbed by whatever we’re looking at.
We recommend that all gems be seen under different lighting conditions as most gems will vary from daylight to artificial light to dim light at nighttime events.
Several factors affect our perception of color:
Daylight varies from location to location and its intensity depends on time of day. For example, a stone seen at midday on a clear day at the Equator will inevitably look brighter than the same gem seen on an overcast day in winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
The types of lighting used make a significant difference to the appearance of gems.
Today’s LED bulbs operate at different wavelengths than the incandescent bulbs and florescent lights that many of us grew up with.
Additionally, each screen has different specifications and shows gems a little differently. Desktop monitors may show the same gem very differently than a cellphone screen or tablet.
And of course, our eyes. We can only see the visible part of the spectrum between ultraviolet and red light. Each of us perceives color a little differently and it is estimated that we can distinguish up to 10 million colors!
Always buy the gem that speaks to you…COLOR FIRST!
#COLORfirst #Gems #Gemstones #Umbalite #UmbaliteGarnet #Pyralspite #Malaya #Rhodolite #Garnet #ColorChange #ColorShift #Color #Light #Education #NaturalGems #RoughGems #JanuaryBirthstone #2ndAnniversary #Colorful #LiveColorfully #AGTA #BuyAGTA #AGTAMember #AddMoreColorToYourLife #GemstoneLover #Gemology #InstaGems #InstaJewels #ColoredGemstones #DesignInspiration