Are there any nice thanksgiving/back friday sales from usa vendors?

[chrono]

Date: 12/4/2009 9:37:05 AM
Author: mariedtiger
It is Gene''s Chrono, I''m so glad you chimed in. Do I recall correctly that you''ve seen a lot of Gene''s gems in real life? Did you happen to see this one? I don''t like the photo very much, but from what Gene says I think this is a wonderful gem, and I have that good feeling about it too.

Well, I guess it can be called a lot; I did get a chance to see them in person when we met once near where I live. He brought a case full of cut stones and lots of baggies of rough. Unfortunately, I did not see this particular one. Is this one a Loliondo from his African trip earlier this year? Since you are terribly far away, maybe Gene will be kind enough to give you an additional picture on the hand? I know sometimes orange stones just don’t want to “pose” for the camera.

 

[mariedtiger]

Chrono, thanks for telling me, I just wanted to ask since I think you have a remarkable eye. It''s a good idea to ask for a picture on the hand. I''m hoping this one will be a little like your Jeff White. For me three carats has proved to be the ideal size.

 

[cushioncutnut]

Date: 12/4/2009 10:19:57 AM
Author: mariedtiger
cushioncutnut I have no idea What do you think?

hmmm... well do you want a pendant or a ring? Because of the shape, I see it set as a pendant, but I know what it is like to want to have it as ring so that you can stare at it all the time!!

 

[mariedtiger]

Yup, that''s my dilemma, ring or pendant. But in a way it''s nice to have a miracle stone like this (I wasn''t supposed to be able to afford it, but my husband of all people enabled me

I hope he makes a habit out of it) and I will just see if I love it as much as I think I will and take it from there. I haven''t had anything done by Annette, the local designer who made the ring in my avatar, in a while. She does amazing work and I might just ask what she envisions for this one.

 

[chrono]

If she’s designing the ring, I’m confident she’ll be able to work wonders with a trilliant cut stone. I prefer rings so that I can enjoy the stone myself.

 

[mariedtiger]

Good point Chrono. I prefer bigger stones with great color but inclusions in pendants since few people can spot the inclusions in them. Something this beautiful would probably deserve a ring. I want to look at it. Well, now I''ll just have to wait.

Has anybody got their sale goodies yet?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Very pretty MT!!!

 

[mariedtiger]

Thanks MTG, coming to think of it, this is entirely your fault

Your Tanzanite from Gene and your pictures were what really convinced me that it was time for me to see one of his gems for myself

 

[glitterata]

Date: 12/1/2009 1:29:47 PM
Author: glitterata

Date: 11/29/2009 2:08:22 PM

Author: Largosmom

I hope someone picks up that color-shift Tanzanian garnet pretty soon!

I just did. Can''t wait to see it in person.

It arrived, along with a matched pair of wee tsavs, a matched pair of Loliondo spesses, and a Nigerian spess pear that Dana sent me as a gift for being a first-time buyer.

The Tanzanian color-shifter is gorgeous and strange. It''s darker than the pictures--that is, it does show all the colors the pictures show, but only in flashes. In daylight it''s a dark purple with fuchsia flashes. In incandescent light the flashes turn red. I don''t know how I''m going to set it. I meant to put it in a JKT silver bezel like my Infinity S, but I''m afraid bezeling it will make it even darker. It wants to be set in platinum with pear-shaped diamond side-stones. But that''s WAY more than I want to spend. Hmmmm...

The tsavs are an amazing dark rich green, the color of Harriet''s tsav. I bought them with earrings in mind, but they''re a little small for that--I think they''d make better side stones. I''m not sure what I''ll do with them.

The spess pair are lovely. They match my new cushion spess. I bought them with earrings in mind as well, and that''s what I''ll probably do with them, though they would make good side stones for something.

The sun''s behind a cloud now; I''ll take pictures later.

The gift spess is a little dark for me, though it''s a pretty red-orange.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Yay Glitterata, looking forward to pics!

Hopefully this means I''ll be getting my stones from him tomorrow...

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 12/4/2009 1:00:39 PM
Author: mariedtiger
Thanks MTG, coming to think of it, this is entirely your fault

Your Tanzanite from Gene and your pictures were what really convinced me that it was time for me to see one of his gems for myself

Haha, why do people keep blaming me for these things?

I''m sure you''ll love the cutting! Post lots and lots and lots of photos when you get it!

 

[MissMina]

My spinel just arrived. My first precision cut gem.
It is 6.8 mm but looks more like 8.
The perfect size for a ring.
Unlike my native cut gems, it catches the light
like my OEC diamond and sparkles like crazy.
I don''t know what to call the color yet.
The day is overcast and so far I see lavender and pink.
I will get some pictures tomorrow.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Can anyone tell me if Dana has posted anything new? I know he said he was going to resume posting on Wednesday, but I haven''t seen anything since. . . and I''ve emptied out my cache and cookies and everything.

My experience with him was pretty flighty, so I''m torn between thinking he hasn''t, and being paranoid that I''m not getting the new additions.

 

[Largosmom]

Haven''t seen anything new yet either, keep hoping, though.

 

[mariedtiger]

MTG, I will!!!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Dana''s website says he''s been sick, but will resume posting on monday.

 

[chrono]

I hope he feels better soon.

 

[Largosmom]

I''ve been drooling over these amethysts from Finewatergems for weeks, and finally bought them today. Will make a pair of earrings for myself after the first of the year. I also bought that heart-shaped darkish orange/red spessartite garnet from Dana''s site and plan to contact Julia Kay Taylor for a claddaugh inspired pendant or slide as a gift. I''d like to have the "hands" be more modern and stylized and shaped a bit like some of her gold leaves and form the part that holds the stone...got to find my camera as I made a drawing before I decided to buy the stone. I''ll probably get it in silver, maybe with a bit of gold around the stone.

 

[chrono]

Largosmom,
Cool cutting; they look like Ying Yang or Tai Chi concave cuts.

 

[Largosmom]

Gary called them Yin Yang cuts (concave, I hope!), I can''t wait to see them, but will have to wait till week after next as I''m traveling next week, and I want to be home to see them when they arrive.

I expect these will be the finest cuts I''ve purchased yet, with the exception of the stone for my e-ring, which will be a couple of weeks more.

Laura

 

[lavenderlill]

I haven''t had the funds to add to my collection lately but I wanted to complement the new amethysts as well. I am a sucker for anything purple but the cut is really beautiful.

In an earlier post, someone mentioned the sale at Wild Fish Gems. I get their email updates and it is actually 25% to their mailing list until the end of December. Maybe other customers would be able to get a similar deal if they contact Ed.

 

[Largosmom]

Thanks much...I think the settings will need to be very simple to show off the cut, but I prefer dangles or hoops to posts, so will have to see what I can come up with.

Laura

 

[Kay]

Peter Torraca is having a 20% off sale. I just purchased a stone from him this morning: Prasiolite, 7.89ct, 12.15x12.17x9.31. I''m thinking about having Sally make me a slider pendant similar to the gorgeous bezeled beryl pendant she made for BizouMom. I''ll probably go with silver since it is not an expensive stone -- I just loved the cool, pale green color.

I''m still waiting for Dana to post new stones. I had him hold my indicolite to combine shipping in case I liked something else he listed. These two stones are the first colored stones I have purchased loose, so I am excited to see them. I am on the hunt for a lavendar spinel now -- PS is dangerous!

 

[Stone Hunter]

Largosmom -- Cool cut on those Amethysts! Congrats on finally buying them.

Kay -- Nice looking stone. That color is very appealing. Looks like an icy green.

 

[Largosmom]

I''m thinking about setting those amethysts in some sort of a dangle to attach to a hoop earring or below diamond studs.

My mom passed this year and her old wedding band had four diamonds in it. My sister and I are having two pair of earring studs made so that we can each have a bit of her jewelry with us. I''m probably going with setting mine into the three-prong martini studs.

So...I would like to make one or more sets of gemstones to dangle from the studs. My ears are pierced quite high, so I prefer hoops to studs, and having something that can dangle from the hoop or maybe from the new studs will suit me and help me to remember her when I wear them.

Laura

 

[Kay]

Date: 12/10/2009 10:03:59 PM
Author: Largosmom
I''m thinking about setting those amethysts in some sort of a dangle to attach to a hoop earring or below diamond studs.

My mom passed this year and her old wedding band had four diamonds in it. My sister and I are having two pair of earring studs made so that we can each have a bit of her jewelry with us. I''m probably going with setting mine into the three-prong martini studs.

So...I would like to make one or more sets of gemstones to dangle from the studs. My ears are pierced quite high, so I prefer hoops to studs, and having something that can dangle from the hoop or maybe from the new studs will suit me and help me to remember her when I wear them.

Laura

I think it is lovely that you and your sister will have your mom''s diamonds made into earrings. Those amethysts have such a cool cut -- they''ll make great looking dangles. Do you plan to bezel or prong set them?

 

[Largosmom]

Not sure...any thoughts?

 

[chrono]

I think an open prong dangle style is best to allow light and movement to show off the fancy faceting.

 

[Novel]

So, in my hunt for sparkly blue gray stone for a pendant, I think I''m going to get this little 5mm guy from Dana. Thoughts? I''m thinking a pendant, probably bezel, which is what I''ve been craving, but we''ll see when I get it. Dana says its quite brilliant.

 

[Largosmom]

Heard from Dana today...he and his family have been down with cold/flu...and I''m getting some stones next week!

Laura