CaseyLouLou’s gemstone adventures

[CaseyLouLou]

Here are some more photos with a couple of other gems in my collection that I got out to play with today.

 

[Autumn in New England]

The very definition of eye candy!

 

[Kalynna]

@CaseyLouLou, you're getting quite the enviable collection!! I'm so in love with that bubble gum spinel, and I must ask, who did you use for your lavender spinel recut? I have a yellow sapphire who could use a "haircut"

 

[CaseyLouLou]

@CaseyLouLou, you're getting quite the enviable collection!! I'm so in love with that bubble gum spinel, and I must ask, who did you use for your lavender spinel recut? I have a yellow sapphire who could use a "haircut"

Thank you! My collection is a bit overwhelming at this point because I can’t seem to stop finding new things and I’m going broke. I am trying to slow it down a bit and just keep looking for used settings.

I will get you the info on the lapidary tomorrow.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thank you! My collection is a bit overwhelming at this point because I can’t seem to stop finding new things and I’m going broke. I am trying to slow it down a bit and just keep looking for used settings.

I will get you the info on the lapidary tomorrow.

I think we can all relate! I have, so far, successfully stopped buying "main" stones, so that I could begin setting what I have. But now I'm filling in all the gaps with accent and side stones for projects. And it isn't saving me any money at this rate.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

Here are some more photos with a couple of other gems in my collection that I got out to play with today.

I have new ring bling to show! I set the bottom middle stone in the photo above which is a pale peachy-pink spinel that looks like a ‘padparadscha’ color to me.

I have had the setting for several months while I tried to decide which stone to use and I finally settled on this spinel. The original stone was a dark but sparkly sapphire that just wasn’t doing it for me and I always planned on replacing it.

I’m very happy with the combination of this stone in this setting with the white gold prongs and super sparkly melee.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

I learned how to make a GIF from a burst photo which is way easier than trying to post a video on PS. The lighting wasn’t ideal in my bathroom to capture the spinel color accurately but I will try again in sunlight. The sparkle is amazing. I’m so happy with this ring.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

@CaseyLouLou, you're getting quite the enviable collection!! I'm so in love with that bubble gum spinel, and I must ask, who did you use for your lavender spinel recut? I have a yellow sapphire who could use a "haircut"

@Kalynna

I forgot to get back to you, sorry. I used Michael O’Neill and he’s very affordable and does excellent precision cutting.

[email protected]

 

[CaseyLouLou]

Here are a few photos in the sunlight. For some reason the spinel looks more lilac or lavender in these but it is more of a peachy pink to my eye.

 

[Autumn in New England]

That is the padparadschiest spinel I've ever seen! Love what you did with it too!!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

That is the padparadschiest spinel I've ever seen! Love what you did with it too!!

Thank you. The color is such a flattering pastel but it’s hard to capture. The first photos are more accurate. I have been traveling this week and haven’t been able to wear it so I can’t wait to get home!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thank you. The color is such a flattering pastel but it’s hard to capture. The first photos are more accurate. I have been traveling this week and haven’t been able to wear it so I can’t wait to get home!

Anything with a lighter tone is a bear to accurately capture in pix/vids! So many factors can influence the apparent color. I think it looks gorgeous.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

Anything with a lighter tone is a bear to accurately capture in pix/vids! So many factors can influence the apparent color. I think it looks gorgeous.

I did another photo shoot today in indirect, morning light and I think the colors came out better. I love how the stone glitters. It’s fun to see it’s different personalities too. In some light it’s more pale and peachy and sometimes it’s just pink. It’s nicely saturated with no grey and has a very sweet, light tone.

 

[CaseyLouLou]

I did another photo shoot today in indirect, morning light and I think the colors came out better. I love how the stone glitters. It’s fun to see it’s different personalities too. In some light it’s more pale and peachy and sometimes it’s just pink. It’s nicely saturated with no grey and has a very sweet, light tone.

One more

 

[CaseyLouLou]

My latest, and possibly last (yeah, right) loose stone has arrived. It’s a lavender purple spinel that doesn’t turn pink. It’s more bluish-violet-lavender. In low light it can be more of a grayish lavender but in bright enough light it is a gorgeous color of lavender. Spectacular color in sunlight!

Here are some photos with an amethyst ring that I’m planning on using as the setting for the spinel. The amethyst is too dark. I tend to prefer the sparkle of pastel colored stones. Photos show the variation in different lighting.

 

[Autumn in New England]

That's a fabulous lavender shade, @CaseyLouLou! I think it will work splendidly in that mounting. And I agree that pastel toned gems have a delightful brilliance about them... like pads. Enjoy!!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

My jeweler cleaned my jewelry recently and it looked so much better that I decided to buy a little ultrasonic cleaner. I had some jewelry that I didn’t like because it didn’t sparkle enough and I didn’t realize it was so dirty. The cleaning method I was using was apparently not sufficient.

So I cleaned all of my jewelry in the new ultrasonic. Yay!

 

[Autumn in New England]

What a stunning menagerie, @CaseyLouLou! Ultrasonic cleaners definitely have their rightful place in the gem world. But here is a list of "dos and don'ts" from the GIA, just to make sure everyone's pretties stay safe.

• Don’t use an ultrasonic to clean gemstones that have surface reaching breaks that have been filled. Diamonds, for example, can be fracture filled with a lead glass-like substance. Emeralds’ fractures are commonly filled with oil, resin or wax. The goal of these treatments is to improve apparent clarity. However, these types of treatment are not permanent and can be damaged or removed. Other gemstones may be similarly treated.
• Don’t use an ultrasonic to clean organic gem materials. These are porous materials and should never be cleaned using an ultrasonic machine because they can be damaged by the heat of an ultrasonic cleaner and the chemicals in most cleaning solutions. Pearls, coral, tortoise shell, ivory, shell cameos, jet, and amber should not be put in an ultrasonic cleaner.
• Don’t use an ultrasonic machine if the gems have been impregnated or coated with oil, plastic or wax. These treatments are often used on gems such as emerald, lapis lazuli, malachite, and opal.
• Avoid ultrasonic cleaners if the gem has been treated by heat, a method used to enhance color. While transparent ruby and sapphire require caution, star ruby and star sapphire should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic machine.
• There are many gems that are susceptible to heat and temperature changes and should not be cleaned in an ultrasonic regardless of whether they are treated or untreated. Some of these gems include tanzanite, feldspar (sunstone and moonstone), fluorite, iolite, kunzite, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, topaz, turquoise, zircon, and others.
• Use gentle cleaning solutions that are specially formulated for delicate gems or just warm, soapy water to clean these gems and metals that are oxidized or antique. Standard cleaning solutions can damage delicate gem materials and surface finishes.
• Check to make sure the gemstones in your piece are securely set in their mountings both before and after cleaning. The vibration generated by an ultrasonic cleaner can sometimes shake gems loose or cause damage if gems are set with their girdles touching.

 

[Avondale]

here is a list of "dos and don'ts" from the GIA

Sooooo what gems can you clean in an ultrasonic? Because it sounds like the answer to that question would be "very very few".

 

[Autumn in New England]

Sooooo what gems can you clean in an ultrasonic? Because it sounds like the answer to that question would be "very very few".

Bingo!

 

[CaseyLouLou]

Sooooo what gems can you clean in an ultrasonic? Because it sounds like the answer to that question would be "very very few".

Luckily the only one on that list in my box is the pink zircon and I didn’t put it in there. I cleaned it gently but I do wonder if eventually those tiny diamonds in the setting are going to need a better cleaning. I was surprised at how much more sparkly the other settings were after the U/S was used.