treysar
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Besidesa diamond - what stone round would you pick for a solitaire ?
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strmrdr
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chantal990
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treysar
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Jeez - what a hack job on the grammar in my subject!
Anyway, it''s a white gold 6 prong catherdral setting - very simple. i''ve never seen a solitaire colored stone - usually they are set with side stones or othre details in a setting. I''m wondering if I should just set it with a fake diamond.
I love the color red, but where can I get a really pretty red stone? It seems like all the red stones are really expensive. And I mean true red, not pink at all.
Maybe blue - that cornflower thread is pretty.
Anyway, it''s a white gold 6 prong catherdral setting - very simple. i''ve never seen a solitaire colored stone - usually they are set with side stones or othre details in a setting. I''m wondering if I should just set it with a fake diamond.
I love the color red, but where can I get a really pretty red stone? It seems like all the red stones are really expensive. And I mean true red, not pink at all.
Maybe blue - that cornflower thread is pretty.
Cath
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treysar
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Hest88
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That spinel is lovely. I''d also look into red garnets if that falls through. I''m not someone who''s attracted to fine rubies; I tend to like the black undertones of red garnets or less expensive rubies/red spinels. You can get something pretty large for very little moolah if prefer the same red tones I do.
chantal990
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The ring was intended for a stone of about 6-7mm no ? 'Guess a round or roundish oval or square cushion would fit.
I would probably vote for a spinel (anywhere from red pink or red) or green garnet is something can be found well cut of recut.
The reds by "Spinel" on this forum seem interesting. There are quite a few tsavorite and spinel that might fit listed on the usual AJS and Multicolour. And the posts from "Imperialjewels" brought that store up my list - they seem to have nice pieces in the "fun to wear" category. There's some fresh light & bright pink spinel on gemwow.com... (some of these picked below
)
How about pearls ? Last summer I came accross a very beautiful piece of the simplest design - basically a large pearl hung on the finger with nothing else around - definitely an eye catcher evening piece.
I would probably vote for a spinel (anywhere from red pink or red) or green garnet is something can be found well cut of recut.
The reds by "Spinel" on this forum seem interesting. There are quite a few tsavorite and spinel that might fit listed on the usual AJS and Multicolour. And the posts from "Imperialjewels" brought that store up my list - they seem to have nice pieces in the "fun to wear" category. There's some fresh light & bright pink spinel on gemwow.com... (some of these picked below
How about pearls ? Last summer I came accross a very beautiful piece of the simplest design - basically a large pearl hung on the finger with nothing else around - definitely an eye catcher evening piece.
innerkitten
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movie zombie
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well, i''ve been "lurking" around pricescope for about a month now mostly trying to get "educated" re diamonds but also re color stones....and i''ve learned lots.....thank you to everyone, especially those of you in california that made some bay area [and an aptos] recommendation re jewelers.
but don''t you know it, i have a commitment problem ''cause i just love those color gems just as much...perhaps more so. so what''s a girl to do?! more research and going to b&m''s for an eye candy fix.....looking at those color gems in the little black box all lined up and sparkly is simply better than chocolate! i''ll take one of each, please!
seriously: i have discovered orange garnets and would suggest that a lovely spessartite could be really yummy as a solitaire. my only hesitation is that i''m not sure even with a bezel that the stone is tough and hard enough for every day wear and tear.
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Hest and Treysar,
Yes, garnet''s a great choice for a red stone -- especially fine chrome pyrope garnet. It''s the only true red garnet because it''s colored by chromium which is also the chromophore in ruby. It''s very pretty and reasonably priced. Most other reddish garnets are colored by iron.
The main source is the American Southwest where it''s called "anthill" garnet because prospectors often find small bits in anthills, telling them they''re in a producing area. It''s found over a fairly large region of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico but the main producing area is the Apache Indian reservation in Arizona. Large cut stones can become too dark so it''s best in sizes under 5 mm.
Another interesting possibility in red is Oregon sunstone. The pure reds in this material are beautiful but they''re also quite difficult to find and pricey. I haven''t located a good red sunstone image but will post one if I find it.
Richard M.
Yes, garnet''s a great choice for a red stone -- especially fine chrome pyrope garnet. It''s the only true red garnet because it''s colored by chromium which is also the chromophore in ruby. It''s very pretty and reasonably priced. Most other reddish garnets are colored by iron.
The main source is the American Southwest where it''s called "anthill" garnet because prospectors often find small bits in anthills, telling them they''re in a producing area. It''s found over a fairly large region of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico but the main producing area is the Apache Indian reservation in Arizona. Large cut stones can become too dark so it''s best in sizes under 5 mm.
Another interesting possibility in red is Oregon sunstone. The pure reds in this material are beautiful but they''re also quite difficult to find and pricey. I haven''t located a good red sunstone image but will post one if I find it.
Richard M.
movie zombie
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pictures aren''t big but this is a great library:
http://www.gemstone.org/gem-library/sunstone.htm?choices=sunstone.htm&x=12&y=12
i really like sunstone number 010 and only wish i could figure out a way to enlarge the picture....being a mere user and not a techie doesn''t help.
forget what website i was on earlier today but i was looking at the oregon sunstone. i''ll see if i can find it.
my concern was that it would not be hard and tough enough for every day wear.....
http://www.gemstone.org/gem-library/sunstone.htm?choices=sunstone.htm&x=12&y=12
i really like sunstone number 010 and only wish i could figure out a way to enlarge the picture....being a mere user and not a techie doesn''t help.
forget what website i was on earlier today but i was looking at the oregon sunstone. i''ll see if i can find it.
my concern was that it would not be hard and tough enough for every day wear.....
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Wear and tear can be a concern but it''s an individual thing. Some people wear tanzanite daily with no problems, others need recuts fairly often. Yes, sunstone is probably a bit on the "tender" side for everyday wear, especially since it''s a feldspar which is prone to cleaving. But certain people prize it very highly and seek it out for jewelry. Different strokes and all that...
If hardness/durability is the major concern you''re left with corundum (ruby and sapphire), and diamond, including colored diamonds. Chrysoberyl (alexandrite, cat''s-eye and yellow chrysoberyl) also has very respectable hardness, as does spinel. Those stones offer lots of color choices but have some drawbacks of their own such as treatments and very high prices, especially for rubies, alexandrites and colored diamonds.
Spinels, sunstones and garnets are generally untreated in any way except for heating in the case of demantoid and occasional oiling with spinel. Just some random thoughts for your consideration...
Richard M.
If hardness/durability is the major concern you''re left with corundum (ruby and sapphire), and diamond, including colored diamonds. Chrysoberyl (alexandrite, cat''s-eye and yellow chrysoberyl) also has very respectable hardness, as does spinel. Those stones offer lots of color choices but have some drawbacks of their own such as treatments and very high prices, especially for rubies, alexandrites and colored diamonds.
Spinels, sunstones and garnets are generally untreated in any way except for heating in the case of demantoid and occasional oiling with spinel. Just some random thoughts for your consideration...
Richard M.
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innerkitten
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raddygast
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I hate to be a naysayer, but I''d just like to chime in on the issue of looking for "true red" in a spinel.
Be prepared for disappointment. Unless you are a) willing to be *very* patient, b) willing to work your butt off with the legwork, and c) willing to pay significantly high prices, you won''t be finding a "true red" spinel anytime soon.
Unless by true red you mean something without pink undertones, which is easily achieved if you go the darker, iron-rich, garnety red variety (which is very cheap, fairly abundant, and certainly not pink). However, if you want a red that just screams red, oozes crimson like a traffic light, and so forth, be prepared to fork over the benjamins.
It is perhaps sad but also very understandable that the color red is the head honcho of colored gems. Pretty much ANY gemstone that comes in red is well received, and the red varieties are often scarce; at least I believe it''s true for rubellite tourmaline, and certainly spinel and ruby. Garnets never achieve the kind of red I''m talking about. Oregon sunstone, as was mentioned, can be vividly red (though typically somewhat more orangeish, I believe, than straight red) but it is extremely hard to find in those top color specimens.
The same is true a hundredfold for spinel. Even if you''re willing to pay, you will have to be referred in the right circles or simply wait a great deal of time until something really amazing comes your way.
It''s too bad, but that''s red for you. I think on Richard Hughes'' site, there is a quote from a Burmese miner that goes: "To ask to see the true pigeon''s blood (red color) is to ask to see the face of god."
Be prepared for disappointment. Unless you are a) willing to be *very* patient, b) willing to work your butt off with the legwork, and c) willing to pay significantly high prices, you won''t be finding a "true red" spinel anytime soon.
Unless by true red you mean something without pink undertones, which is easily achieved if you go the darker, iron-rich, garnety red variety (which is very cheap, fairly abundant, and certainly not pink). However, if you want a red that just screams red, oozes crimson like a traffic light, and so forth, be prepared to fork over the benjamins.
It is perhaps sad but also very understandable that the color red is the head honcho of colored gems. Pretty much ANY gemstone that comes in red is well received, and the red varieties are often scarce; at least I believe it''s true for rubellite tourmaline, and certainly spinel and ruby. Garnets never achieve the kind of red I''m talking about. Oregon sunstone, as was mentioned, can be vividly red (though typically somewhat more orangeish, I believe, than straight red) but it is extremely hard to find in those top color specimens.
The same is true a hundredfold for spinel. Even if you''re willing to pay, you will have to be referred in the right circles or simply wait a great deal of time until something really amazing comes your way.
It''s too bad, but that''s red for you. I think on Richard Hughes'' site, there is a quote from a Burmese miner that goes: "To ask to see the true pigeon''s blood (red color) is to ask to see the face of god."
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Hey Tiptoe:
Vermarine, also known as Prasiolite or "Greened" amethyst a light to medium green quartz produced by careful heating of amethyst (purple Quartz) from one location which is the Montezuma mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil . The color produced by heating is known to be permanent and stable displaying lighter shades to a deep velvety green. I think some of the confusion is the color in this variety of gem is produced by originally heating amethyst which results in this color variety and is often termed “Old World Amethyst”
A little confusing but hope this makes things more clear. Enjoy the pic..
Vermarine, also known as Prasiolite or "Greened" amethyst a light to medium green quartz produced by careful heating of amethyst (purple Quartz) from one location which is the Montezuma mine in Minas Gerais, Brazil . The color produced by heating is known to be permanent and stable displaying lighter shades to a deep velvety green. I think some of the confusion is the color in this variety of gem is produced by originally heating amethyst which results in this color variety and is often termed “Old World Amethyst”
A little confusing but hope this makes things more clear. Enjoy the pic..
Sasori
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WTNLVR
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