Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

[pinkjewel]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Just received my 1.25ct blueish-lavender Sapphire set with half moon diamonds and bullets created by DK. Very happy with the result I'd also never seen a ring box with a light inside! The Sapphire reminds me of a Vietnamese spinel.

That is gorgeous- I'm in love with the color and the setting is lovely!

 

[elle_71125]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Elixia, your new ring is stunning. I love that gorgeous purple-blue hue.
More pics please!

 

[Desertrose]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Elyxia, it's gorgeous! So classic. I agree, it does look like a spinel from viet nam. Nice job!

 

[Elyxia]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Thank you pinkjewel , elle_71125 and Desertrose. I may make a separate thread later with more pictures!

 

[mochiko42]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Just received my 1.25ct blueish-lavender Sapphire set with half moon diamonds and bullets created by DK. Very happy with the result I'd also never seen a ring box with a light inside! The Sapphire reminds me of a Vietnamese spinel.

That is beautiful! I love that bluish lavender color. Let me add my support to the request for a separate thread for this ring, we need more photos!

 

[VapidLapid]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

this is not the one from the february drop, but is a rainbow moon sphere, 4.3 carat

 

[chrono]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

That is beautiful! I love that bluish lavender color. Let me add my support to the request for a separate thread for this ring, we need more photos!

Another vote for it too!

 

[chrono]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

this is not the one from the february drop, but is a rainbow moon sphere, 4.3 carat

When I first saw the pictures, I thought it was a Tahitian pearl, albeit a bit rough looking. What are your plans for it, VL?

 

[tourma-guy]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Hi all! I'm back from a bit of a hiatus. Hope everyone has been well.

My fiance and I got a new puppy and we've been pretty busy with her the past several months, so I kinda took a break from the gemstones and such. I decided to get my feet wet again (actually more like dive in the deep end ) with a couple stones. One of which has been on my "must have" list since I got into colored stones. Both are currently on their way to me.

First one is a 6mm grey Spinel from Jeff Davies. I don't have a picture handy at the moment, but its your typical lighter grey Spinel with a very slight purple modifier.

Second one (and the one I'm super excited to see) is a 0.90ct Mahenge Spinel from finntastic2006 on etsy. Her listing said it is from the "old material" from one of the first Mahenge parcels that Yvonne sourced.

The Mahenge looks pretty saturated and I'm hoping it has less purple than I see in the pictures, but I guess we shall see. Julie said in her listing that the pictures don't do the stone justice. It looks very promising.

 

[tourma-guy]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Hmm. I was searching the interwebs for some pictures of other "old material" spinel that Yvonne has sourced, in the hopes of getting a better idea of the color of the material, and I ran across this LT listing from about a year ago.

https://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/sold-slash-old-material-mahenge-spinel-90-ct-at-6x5-mm-cushion

What caught me by surprise is the fact that the size and weight of the stones are the same, AND parts of both listings are identical. Could it be the same stone? The LT listing said that our very own katharath sold the stone, so maybe I am getting the same stone from the person she sold to? Seems like too much of a coincidence for them to both be the same size from the same parcel and be different stones.

Not that it matters as long as the stone is what I'm looking for, but my inner detective is curious as to the story here.

Here's the listing verbage for my stone from Etsy:

I have an over abundance of loose gems and while it pains me to list this one, I happened to get 2 from the initial offering, one I immediately set into a Gotham and diamond pendant by Yvonne of Cecile Raley Designs.
- I've been sitting on this one thinking I would do a matching ring, ....
My photos do not do this gem justice, it is a stunning piece!

Stats:
- "old material" strongly colored mahenge spinel (untreated)
- .90 cts, cushion cut
- 6 mm x 5 mm
- never previously set
- appears eye clean to my eye

This is a mahenge from the very first parcel Yvonne Raley offered of the "old material" that she has sourced over the last couple of years. This piece was one of the top 3 of the parcel (Yvonne kept one and I got the next best)
- Yvonne has had several parcels since, but none have been quite as saturated. This is a gorgeous gem. At just under a carat it's a nice size and the color really makes it stand out!
The cut is not precision, there's no window, and this faces up nicely for the size.
....

If it is the same stone then WOW I hope it looks like the pictures katharath had in her listing!

 

[_lovesvintage_]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Wow, I am now just catching up on this thread. Congrats to everyone and their lovely gems, jewelry, and jewelry in the works. Congrats on your new baby OTL!

Here are my latest gem acquisitions... a spinel from Gemcal and two Mahenge garnets from Precision Gem...the ones Gene posted the rough of as pairs for earrings, but they may end up as a ring, who knows. The colors are not identical, but still close enough for me. We finally got a DSLR camera and my husband was testing it out and that was the best pic we could get for now of the garnets. All the gems are so sparkly and the spinel has red fluoro too.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

A 2.34 carat Spessartite and 3.02 carat Spinel from Tan. Sorry for the cruddy Iphone pics. I thought the color of the Spess was lovely and my thoughts were that I would ask Jerry to re-cut it. But I like it as is. I expected the spinel to be much greyer in person and am pleasantly surprised. It color shifts from pink/purple to purple to violet/purple.

Shaded sunlight:



Direct Sunlight:


Worst Light (low LED indoor light):

Beauty light- I love that this spinel does this- intense blue flash:

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Great scores, both of them, Lisa! I especially love that spinel. I had completely given up on Tan as a source, but hmm...

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Wanted to quickly share my two newest acquisitions from Ryan Quantz. You could say I have a thing for his sugarloafs (and cabs)! He is so talented, and I'm super grateful to add these to my collection. Love them! One is a Namibian blue chalcedony and the other is an Afghan tourmaline. I'll make threads when I start the setting process.

 

[elle_71125]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Wanted to quickly share my two newest acquisitions from Ryan Quantz. You could say I have a thing for his sugarloafs (and cabs)! He is so talented, and I'm super grateful to add these to my collection. Love them! One is a Namibian blue chalcedony and the other is an Afghan tourmaline. I'll make threads when I start the setting process.

Ooh, so pretty! I can't wait to see what you do with them.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Ryan is my new favorite cutter of cabachons based on what he has been producing lately - gorgeous stones in amazing colors - that chrysophase he had was amazing!

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Thank you very much, elle! I'm excited to start thinking about both of them.

I completely agree, minou. He is very talented and he knows his material well. It sure was! If I didn't already have one from him (that I love), I would have bought it as well.

 

[NKOTB]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Have you set your chrysoprase, Sparklies? Or posted it?

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

I have not yet, NKOTB, but I do have ideas. haha I think I posted it when I got it, but for the sake of time, here's a link to it: https://www.instagram.com/p/3SXWP-x-eU/?taken-by=quantzstudios

 

[Acinom]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Your new additions are gorgeous Sparkliesluver!
Ryan's work is amazing.

Looking forward to see a groupshot with your stones and rings

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Thank you very much, Acinom! I'm definitely excited about them. Yes, it is; hopefully we'll see a lot more from him in the (present and) future.

ETA: I'll try to do that soon, especially since I have all my stones and rings right now.

 

[NKOTB]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

That is gorgeous!!!!

 

[EvangelineG]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Wanted to quickly share my two newest acquisitions from Ryan Quantz. You could say I have a thing for his sugarloafs (and cabs)! He is so talented, and I'm super grateful to add these to my collection. Love them! One is a Namibian blue chalcedony and the other is an Afghan tourmaline. I'll make threads when I start the setting process.

Beautiful SparkliesLuver! I have one coming from this batch too (the smaller blue chalcedony oval in the group shot), and I am very excited to see it! Ryan cuts such lovely cabs.

 

[Arcadian]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

I've been holding out....lol

Here's a few things (bad pictures but hey ) that I've gotten in the last 6 months or so.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

I've been holding out....lol

Here's a few things (bad pictures but hey ) that I've gotten in the last 6 months or so.

I think that zircon looks amazing against your hand. Of course, I love the blue in the butterfly ring as well (is it a tourmaline or a zircon?), but I'm a sucker for cushions and the size looks great on you.

Plans please? And what, pray tell, will be done with alllll your melee?

 

[Arcadian]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

I've been holding out....lol

Here's a few things (bad pictures but hey ) that I've gotten in the last 6 months or so.

I think that zircon looks amazing against your hand. Of course, I love the blue in the butterfly ring as well (is it a tourmaline or a zircon?), but I'm a sucker for cushions and the size looks great on you.

Plans please? And what, pray tell, will be done with alllll your melee?

The little guy in the butterfly setting is also a zircon. Very hard to find something big with the same color as it would be XPENSIVE, so I went more blue The big one was cut by Dana. They tend to deepen a bit after setting so being a little lighter is fine with me. the little guy didn't perk up until after setting too.

I'm working on a few ideas but nothing totally concrete just yet. I'm still waiting on some melee..like I don't have enough...lol Ive got some smaller tsavorites coming (about 50 of them) which will be here maybe mid April. I believe they're in the 1.3- 1.4mm range. I also had to see if I could source something blue.

at first I thought I could do an eternity ring with the ruby (but then again, with only 24, the ringer would have to shrink since I wear an 8.5...lol) but I don't think I can even get enough of them to be honest. I'll have to see what I can come up with.

I really don't know what I'm going to do with the moonstone. They're both very pretty, look lit from within. My pics are terrible and don't show their real beauty.

 

[arabella]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

LisaRN -- I love that spinel! Congrats on such a pretty stone, or stones I should say because that spess looks lovely too!

Sparklies -- I am loving all of Ryan Quantz's cabs lately. He has a really lovely rose quartz cab for sale right now but I've been eyeing his chalcedony too. I love your sugarloafs!! Can't wait to see what you do with them!

Arcadian -- The color of that zircon on your skin tone is gorgeous!! Its a great size too.

 

[Desertrose]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Arcadian - love that zircon, looks so nice on you!

Lots of nice stones getting shown off here, it's great to see all the future projects!

Here's a recent aquisition, one of several bought recently at a local gem show...I can't believe what I was finding, and the prices...this one has 145 cuts (Portuguese cut?) and took 8 hours to facet, bought it from the cutter himself. A spessartite or mandarin, I'm not sure what the difference is? In any case, it was a ridiculous $50!!! The glow is incredible, as well as the precision:

 

[Desertrose]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

More pics:





I also picked up some spess ovals from a different vendor, they aren't as pretty or precision cut, but could be used for some coordinating jewelry:

 

[lilysweet]

Re: Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

Desertrose, love all your new acquisitions! Lucky!!!!! Arcadian, your blues are gorgeous but where did you find the moonstones? I love!