Can one of you knowledgable spinel people look at this one for me?

[beaujolais]

Hi. I'd so appreciate it if one of you knowledgable spinel people (Oh, Chrono & all) could look at this one for me (to put in a pendant):

http://www.multicolour.com/detail/index.html?-544010291

Is that a big bowtie in the middle?

---

I've been a bit undecided about color. I've got a fair amount of tanzanite, so maybe this light pink. I prefer a pastel light pink and this seems about as pastel light pink as it will get.

Would a more square stone have less of a bowtie?

Thanks so very much for all your help.

 

[Pandora II]

The colour's pretty, but I don't like the window, the bowtie and slightly grayish saturation would also bother me.

I guess it comes down to what you are after?

Do you just want something pretty - or do you want an 'important' piece of jewellery? (wasn't sure how to describe what I mean - so I hope you get the idea...

)

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks Pandora. How''s the beautiful tsav doing?

Oh, actually, just something pretty. Not looking to put money into this.

Now do you buy your own setting (it seems there are some sites where you can) or have your local jewler purchase it for you, which probably includes a huge markup?

Tx.

 

[Pandora II]

Most of the big catalogue suppliers Stuller etc you need to purchase through a jeweller.

To be honest, I trust my vendors to charge me a fair price - I expect them to take their cut, after all it's their time and we all need to make a living, but I've never felt that I have been overcharged.

If you buy your own, you still need to have someone set it for you, so the saving is probably negligible.

My tsav is happily back on my hand - and without a scratch on it.

I had a great conversation with the gemmologist at the jewellers I took it into to have the prongs sorted. I was there for nearly an hour talking rocks and what we had both ordered at Tucson.

She showed me a ring of her own with two amazing untreated rubies - they were at least 1.5ct each - fat cushions. One was an amazing colour, the other a little pinker. They were also great cut and very good clarity. She was looking for a matching bigger one as the centre stone - but was having a problem colour matching and finding a stone without a window. The only thing was, the setting so didn't do them justice.

She also gave me her number as I need to do a couple of pieces over here and she'll take a look at my designs and tell me who the best London manufacturer for pave, or platinum or whatever is. They have their own workshop, but she said I'd be better to go direct to a benchman - which was cool as she could have just said they'd do it.

I've got a big new commission in for a pendant for a 1ct D IF rb. The client is from a very important family in London, so I really need to come up with something perfect, as it could lead to a lot of other work. I'm petrified!

If I'm buying the stones as well, I do everything in the US, but if the stone is already here, it makes sense to do everything over here - so it was just the conversation I needed to have!

Right now, I'm also dying to see the photos of the Sphene that Richard Homer found me in Tucson. I know one of the stones is having a 'haircut' - I'm so excited!

 

[Swala Gem Traders]

Dear Sonoma,

I tend to have a biased opinion towards spinels which I love...

For retail, I would buy the gem without hesitation. It''s not too expensive. The gem is probably cut in Thailand and may be a little heavy, but perhaps not. If it is heavy, you can slightly have it recut and the gem should still be a good deal.

There is not enough tone to be "considered" as top, far from it. The redder ones are much more expensive. Nonetheless, I think pastel colour/tone combinations can be very nice.

Good luck...

 

[beaujolais]

Pandora:



You know what, you are right. It would not be correct of me. I think I''ve gotten cautious as I''ve been burned a time or two but it was due to my lack of education.


Dark green is such an elegant, elegant color.



Sounds like you had fun, great. It''s wonderful to have something you love, right?


Oh, you design ! ! Fantastic. No wonder after seeing your wonderful green one.

Best,
Sonoma

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks Swala,

tone combinations can be very nice.>

I know it''s not the best cut but the color works for me (on the computer at least). I may do it.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 2/16/2008 11:09:12 AM
Author: sonomacounty

Oh, you design ! ! Fantastic. No wonder after seeing your wonderful green one.

Best,
Sonoma

I trained as a designer and used to do it full-time, but haven''t done it as a job for 5 years now.

I started helping some of my friends do e-rings for their FI''s. They speak to their friends etc and now I''m getting rather a lot of enquiries through word of mouth.

I''m loving doing something a bit creative again - a lot of the time there''s not a lot of actual design work involved as I try and find stock settings where I can to keep within budgets. Also there is not a lot that hasn''t been done with the classic/traditional looks for e-rings. It''s more talking them through choices and showing them what''s available.

However it''s starting to grow into what could potentially become a nice little business on the side one day - FI goes nuts because I do everything for free

! I have a lot to thank PS for - not only the amazing vendor contacts, but giving me the boot up the backside to dip back into my true passion.

 

[beaujolais]

Well, it starts getting your name out there and starts a following of sorts. Maybe LEON even started that way.
I''m a great believer in those methods. (*If you build it, they will come.*) And one day we will be able to say we knew you (and the tsav) back when you were Pandora II.

I love when people have a passion.

Best,

Sonoma

 

[Pandora II]

LOL!

And I''ll be calling Sonoma County for the best spinels in town!

 

[Iwantitall]

Hi, I''m a newbie so I hope I''m not cutting into anyone''s thread (please tell me if I am!) but I absolutely LOVE spinel (the genuine article, not those tacky manufactured things). I mean, to me, spinel has it all. Great hardness and durability, rich colors (and what a rainbow of colors!), sparkle--what I cannot understand is why it isn''t more popular!

Now yes, if it suddenly became wildly popular the prices would go thru the roof (moan) but a good, genuine spinel is so hard to find!!

Anyone have any theories on why spinel is not as popular as it should be (IMHO)??

Thanks!

 

[beaujolais]

Welcome, Iwantitall.

Of course you are not cutting in. Good question. I can't shed any light on it but perhaps some of the others can.

Oh, and I did just buy *pinkie*. I wanted a better cut and more square but the color appears to be the only one out there like it right now (after much searching). Crossing fingers that it's o.k. in person.

- - -

If you set a pale pastel pink in gold, does it have the appearance of making it darker and more orange?

Gold? White?

Sonoma

 

[Pandora II]

I think it''s because people still have this outdated idea of ''precious'' v ''semi-precious'' and so don''t think to look beyond blue sapphires/rubies/emeralds.

Although there is no dividing line between precious/semi-precious and the term is obsolete it still sticks in people''s minds and hence their is less demand for them.

I would definitely prefer an amazing spinel to anything but the finest of rubies.

You wouldn''t believe how many people think my tsav is an emerald and ''must have cost a fortune'' - as soon as I tell them what it is, I see their faces change. One person even said ''Oh, isn''t a garnet a bit of a cheap stone for an e-ring''.

I told them I could have bought a respectable sized diamond for what my tsav cost, they looked a bit shocked. I hate to say it, but I tend to tell people now that it''s ''a very rare gemstone called a tsavorite'' - and just miss the garnet bit off altogether, unless they are genuinely interested.

 

[chrono]

I''m much too late to join in the fun and from the missing picture, I guess SC and bought the stone. Do let me know how it turns out.

 

[colormyworld]

Most all school class rings are made using man made synthetic spinel as the gemstone. Most people do not know that there is a natural spinel. This is changing though as more and more people are looking beyond the big three. (Ruby,Sapphire and emerald) As natural spinel is " discovered" it will become more popular and prices will rise. We are starting to see this now.