blue-green stone buying spree!

[Sungura]

Lovedogs: all the stones look great. I like the recut by Dan Stair but the profile on the electric blue topaz made be gasp. What a beautiful high crown. I look forward to the handshots!! Congrats

 

[Rockinruby]

Gorgeous stones! Love the new photos and inspiration pics. Those colors are fantastic!

 

[Lovinggems]

Nice purchases, I also love blue green stones.

 

[lovedogs]

Have you received any other of your stones yet? My vote is for the acinom setting!

I received the recut just now, and finally had the chance to take decent pictures of the Jim McCormick blue/green spinel. Here they are

First up is the recut tourmaline:










Then the spinel






EDIT: no idea why the pics are coming up huge--I've resized them a million times. Sorry everyone!

 

[Acinom]

Thanks for sharing your pics!! Both stones look good based on these photo's. Are you thrilled with the outcome?

 

[lovedogs]

Thanks for sharing your pics!! Both stones look good based on these photo's. Are you thrilled with the outcome?

Yup, I am very excited To be honest I'm not sure what to do in terms of setting w. the spinel, but the re-cut tourmaline may go into a setting inspired by this one that is currently for sale on DB (but I will likely have it set in white gold rather than rose or yellow due to the stone's color).



I really love the double bezel look, especially with the milgrain.

 

[Acinom]

That's such a gorgeous setting! It's an Erika Winters setting, isn't it?
I have been eyeing this setting as well and considered it for my purple garnet. As the the garnet has a darker color though, I have decided to opt for a more open setting. We must have the same taste
Looking forward to see your tourmaline in a similar setting.

 

[minousbijoux]

I love the color of the tourmaline - you have a beautiful stone there. Its hard to tell about the spinel...is there any way you can take a photo of them together on your hand? Please oh please oh pretty please?

 

[lovedogs]

That's such a gorgeous setting! It's an Erika Winters setting, isn't it?
I have been eyeing this setting as well and considered it for my purple garnet. As the the garnet has a darker color though, I have decided to opt for a more open setting. We must have the same taste
Looking forward to see your tourmaline in a similar setting.

aha! I knew the DB setting looked familiar! I admired it on Erika's site at some point. Not sure if the one on DB is actually hers or one that looks like it, but either way I love the look, and think the blue tourm will look good in it

 

[lovedogs]

I love the color of the tourmaline - you have a beautiful stone there. Its hard to tell about the spinel...is there any way you can take a photo of them together on your hand? Please oh please oh pretty please?

You asked for it, Minous! haha here are way too many pics of them together In multiple lights (living room, by the window to get an idea of "natural" light, etc). The spinel is definitely darker than the tourmaline, and doesn't pop in all lights as much, but I think the color is beautiful--just more subdued in comparison

 

[Acinom]

I personally love the character of both colors! The bright color of the tourmaline as well as the more subdued tealish blue of the spinel. Thanks for sharing more pics

 

[minousbijoux]

Thank you so much for all the photos. (Btw, I think I have a trick for you for their size: some where after you upload your photos onto your computer, you will have the option to open them in some program. I use Apple computers, so for me its in "Preview." In Preview, as in other photo programs, there is an option to resize your photos. In Preview, look under Tools --> Adjust Size. In there, you will see options for dimensions of the photos, which you should resize down. Also, there is an option for resizing the pixels per inch, or PPI. Resize those down to around 120 with dimensions of, say, 4 x 6 and you should be good to go)

I can honestly say that I have not seen a spinel that color before, so good for you! As to the tourmaline, it looks good in all your photos. It would look awesome halo'd or with tapered sides, or as a pendant, or...

 

[lovedogs]

yay, the stones from South Africa (the vendor found through various Facebook groups for gem buying) are here! both are blue tourmaline, the larger is almost 3 carats and the smaller is 1.6 carats. Here are hand pics of both.

 

[Siameseroo]

Ohh your stones look fabulous! My favourite colour too!

 

[Acinom]

Gorgeous stones from South Africa!! I love the colors. How do you view these stones in real life. Are the vendor pics and descriptions accurate?

 

[lovedogs]

Gorgeous stones from South Africa!! I love the colors. How do you view these stones in real life. Are the vendor pics and descriptions accurate?

In real life (but I haven't looked at them outside in full daylight), the vendor pics and descriptions are very accurate of the smaller stone. On the bigger stone I see much more green (to my eye) than the pictures showed earlier. But I want to wait and see it outside before making any final choices. I certainly don't think its vendor "dishonesty" or anything, but maybe just differences in lighting, etc. She was extremely honest about the inclusions, etc, in the larger stone, so I'm happy with how clear she was about each one.

For reference, this is the vendor pic, where I see lots of blue and hardly any green


compared to my pic from yesterday where I see mostly green and hardly any blue

Ohh your stones look fabulous! My favourite colour too!

Thanks Ricezo for the kind words!

 

[Acinom]

Curious to learn what you see when you go outside! In your pics there indeed seems to be more green in the large stone. It's a stunning green to my eyes but probably not what you envisioned based on the vendor pics? Is it a keeper for you?

 

[lovedogs]

Curious to learn what you see when you go outside! In your pics there indeed seems to be more green in the large stone. It's a stunning green to my eyes but probably not what you envisioned based on the vendor pics? Is it a keeper for you?

Acinom I think that's what I'm struggling with--the green is certainly beautiful, but it isn't what I was expecting when I opened the package. I was SO excited about this stone, and built it up in my mind as being THE ONE that I've been waiting for, which is never a good idea

So I've been trying to wait a day or so in order to be able to view the stone from a more objective point of view. Still undecided, but the plan today is to take some (very careful!) outside pics, and spend some time with it in different lighting environments.

 

[gingercurls]

Lovedogs I think that is a very good idea. I agree that the stone looks like a very pretty green but it must have been a little jarring to see that color upon opening the package based on the vendor pics. Whatever you decide to do I wanted to reiterate some of the best advice that I have been given here. A stone should wow you as soon as you open the package. I have found that if I have kept a stone and did not experience that wow moment, I have regretted it later.

 

[lovedogs]

Lovedogs I think that is a very good idea. I agree that the stone looks like a very pretty green but it must have been a little jarring to see that color upon opening the package based on the vendor pics. Whatever you decide to do I wanted to reiterate some of the best advice that I have been given here. A stone should wow you as soon as you open the package. I have found that if I have kept a stone and did not experience that wow moment, I have regretted it later.

Yeah, I know that's true, and I know you are right, it just makes me sad I was SO looking forward to it, and it just isn't what I expected and doesn't "wow" me. I messaged the vendor just now saying that I'd prefer to return both stones, so we will see what she says. The original plan what for me to get both and be able to return one, so I would understand if the idea of me returning both isn't ideal. I do love the smaller stone, but it is so similar to my Jason Brim (recut by Dan Stair) that it seems almost silly to have both (and a waste of $$).

 

[lovedogs]

IT'S HERE!!! My Doug Menaude Electric blue topaz is here and I could not be more thrilled!!! It is an antique round cut, 7.5mm. I am seriously obsessed.

 

[Acinom]

Your EB certainly is a winner. What a stunning beauty. Doug did such a great job. Are you happy to have chosen the antique round design? It's beautiful!!

Any decisions on your South African stones?

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Your EB certainly is a winner. What a stunning beauty. Doug did such a great job. Are you happy to have chosen the antique round design? It beautiful!!

+1!

 

[lovedogs]

Your EB certainly is a winner. What a stunning beauty. Doug did such a great job. Are you happy to have chosen the antique round design? It's beautiful!!

Any decisions on your South African stones?

I returned both The potentially-copper bearing one was too green for my taste (although beautiful still!), and the smaller tourmaline was very similar to my re-cut by Dan Stair (from Jason). So I felt silly having two stones that were so similar. It was the right choice, but still a little sad the larger one wasn't as blue as I was hoping. But certainly a first world problem

 

[Acinom]

Sounds like a good move. The bigger one did not seem to wow you from the start and as the smaller one was similar to one you already have...

 

[lovedogs]

Sounds like a good move. The bigger one did not seem to wow you from the start and as the smaller one was similar to one you already have...

Yup--I'm happy with my choice overall, and working with the vendor was great and she's being very kind about the return. This way I have more $$ for settings

 

[Acinom]

Sounds like a good move. The bigger one did not seem to wow you from the start and as the smaller one was similar to one you already have...

Yup--I'm happy with my choice overall, and working with the vendor was great and she's being very kind about the return. This way I have more $$ for settings

Yay for reserving money for settings!!
Which of the stones will you set first?

 

[larryfish]

Do not forget this natural one!

 

[larryfish]

Nice topic name