Catch all thread - talk or better yet show us

[leslie1956]

Oooh, Leslie! The color really is exceptional!

I can imagine you enjoying these in lots of situations, with blue jeans, a dressy office ensemble, or out for an elegant evening. Such a pretty color and timeless setting!

Thank you, MissyBeaucoup! Yvonne promised to find me a darker blue aqua for a ring the next time she goes to Madagascar. She still has a pair of the 4 mm size stones in her shop if anyone reading is interested. I agree the color and style is very versatile!

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

They both look amazing! Cleaning is easy just use dish wash liquid and a soft brush. I clean my rings once a week because even stones with a super refractive index like zircon lose their glow with dust.

I remember the setting now! The jeweller did a great job adapting it to a round

Thank you, Rare gem lover! Do you use a toothbrush or makeup brush? I need to get in the habit. I heard that house dust is mostly quartz, so it’s not soft either. Sorry for the smudges in the photos, y’all!

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

@leslie1956 I look forward to seeing your aqua ring too! Doesn’t ‘the next time she goes to Madagascar” sound awfully adventurous and fun?

 

[Rare gem lover]

Thank you, Rare gem lover! Do you use a toothbrush or makeup brush? I need to get in the habit. I heard that house dust is mostly quartz, so it’s not soft either. Sorry for the smudges in the photos, y’all!

I use a baby toothbrush! Quite soft. I suggest first soaking it in foaming dish wash for a bit and then gently brushing off. I usually just brush from the bottom

 

[voce]

Thank you, MissyBeaucoup! Yvonne promised to find me a darker blue aqua for a ring the next time she goes to Madagascar. She still has a pair of the 4 mm size stones in her shop if anyone reading is interested. I agree the color and style is very versatile!

Oh no Leslie, I was the one who bought the dark blue aqua she listed on Wednesday. I thought higher saturated aquas were rare, so I just went for it. Sorry if you wanted it!

 

[leslie1956]

No problem, voce, I wasn't going to get that stone for myself I wanted a slightly larger stone, like in the 1.5-2 carat range, so I am happy to wait until Yvonne's next trip to Africa. All of this darker blue aqua comes from Madagascar.

 

[voce]

No problem, voce, I wasn't going to get that stone for myself I wanted a slightly larger stone, like in the 1.5-2 carat range, so I am happy to wait until Yvonne's next trip to Africa. All of this darker blue aqua comes from Madagascar.

I'm relieved that I didn't take that stone from you. Darker blue aqua is harder to come by, and as soon as I saw it I thought it would be perfect to go in one of Yvonne's Edwardian ring designs. I was supposed to be on a ban, but the aqua did not cost much.
Does she go just once a year to Africa? I hope you get what you're after

 

[leslie1956]

Your piece of aqua will look great in her Edwardian ring! I agree the cost was great, too This was only Yvonne's second trip to Africa, her first was a couple of years ago. She says that the gem mining industry is still pretty new in Madagascar so she can get some really good bargains. You might enjoy reading her blog where she recounts her adventures in Africa.
If I'm patient, I'm sure that I can get what I want, she says that the dark blue aqua is readily availa

 

[leslie1956]

@leslie1956 I look forward to seeing your aqua ring too! Doesn’t ‘the next time she goes to Madagascar” sound awfully adventurous and fun?

I agree it does sound adventurous Thanks re the aqua ring. A while ago, she had this amazing dark blue aqua that was 4 karats! A customer set it in a custom WG ring that looked awesome. Sizewise that would be way too big for me, but something around the size of your gorgeous green tourmaline would work

 

[suzanne2]

This is a 1.86ct pink sapphire I purchased at a gem show. @elle_71125 suggested I post it here, a fabulous idea, since I don't really want an entire thread for her. She (I don't know why it's a she, but she is) has an AGL brief only because I didn't trust my instincts. It's hard to make a decision when there is a smiling salesman whispering sweet nothings, stroking your ego. I could see the inclusions clearly with the loupe but liked the color so much I bought it anyway.
When I sent it to AGL it came back with the little smiley face. Someone must have thought she was cute.



@mellowyellowgirl, the first two were taken on my patio but I don't have any good handshots. Sorry. I'll try later today.

 

[elle_71125]

This is a 1.86ct pink sapphire I purchased at a gem show. @elle_71125 suggested I post it here, a fabulous idea, since I don't really want an entire thread for her. She (I don't know why it's a she, but she is) has an AGL brief only because I didn't trust my instincts. It's hard to make a decision when there is a smiling salesman whispering sweet nothings, stroking your ego. I could see the inclusions clearly with the loupe but liked the color so much I bought it anyway.
When I sent it to AGL it came back with the little smiley face. Someone must have thought she was cute.



@mellowyellowgirl, the first two were taken on my patio but I don't have any good handshots. Sorry. I'll try later today.

Love love love her!!! Perfect cushion shape. Sweet (but saturated) pink color. She’s the whole package. Clearly someone else thought so too, since they drew you a cute smiley face. Now, I know you’re planning your tsav setting now but I will be excited to see what you do with this one in the future.

And....what’s the orangey one below it in your pic?

 

[suzanne2]

And....what’s the orangey one below it in your pic?

That's one of my rhodochrosites!! It's not orange, it's a bright, bright red. I didn't pay much for it - a good thing - cause it's too soft to set...Another one that's just for viewing pleasure. I'm such a sap.

 

[elle_71125]

That's one of my rhodochrosites!! It's not orange, it's a bright, bright red. I didn't pay much for it - a good thing - cause it's too soft to set...Another one that's just for viewing pleasure. I'm such a sap.

I freaking love rhodochrosite! I have a major lust for this one from Mayer & Watt (top row - second one from the left). Its so juicy looking.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQDa78yjrGS/?taken-by=mayerandwatt

I wish they weren't so soft. I would freaking love to have it in a ring!

ETA: Did you see that giant paraiba?

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

This is a 1.86ct pink sapphire I purchased at a gem show. @elle_71125 suggested I post it here, a fabulous idea, since I don't really want an entire thread for her. She (I don't know why it's a she, but she is) has an AGL brief only because I didn't trust my instincts. It's hard to make a decision when there is a smiling salesman whispering sweet nothings, stroking your ego. I could see the inclusions clearly with the loupe but liked the color so much I bought it anyway.
When I sent it to AGL it came back with the little smiley face. Someone must have thought she was cute.



@mellowyellowgirl, the first two were taken on my patio but I don't have any good handshots. Sorry. I'll try later today.

I’m officially jealous!! That stone is freaking gorgeous!!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@suzanne2 that is a gorgeous pink!!! Don't cut it!!! Set it!

I love the colour so much. It is *my* definition of a true pink.

 

[voce]

@LisaRN do you know the origin of this pink tourmaline I got from @Rare gem lover, who got it from you? I got it set as a birthday gift to my future mother-in-law, and she just loved it. However, she has since asked me about the origin of the tourmaline, because when she asked me about my loose gem collection I knew the origin for almost all of them, but not the ones I had gotten from @Rare gem lover.

 

[Rare gem lover]

@LisaRN do you know the origin of this pink tourmaline I got from @Rare gem lover, who got it from you? I got it set as a birthday gift to my future mother-in-law, and she just loved it. However, she has since asked me about the origin of the tourmaline, because when she asked me about my loose gem collection I knew the origin for almost all of them, but not the ones I had gotten from @Rare gem lover.

I’m pretty sure it’s nigerian!

 

[Rare gem lover]

A glowing emerald on its way! Fingers crossed

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

OMG niiiiiiiice!!!!!!!

How big and how many carats?

I LOVE emeralds! Well green but emeralds are mighty nice!

Gonna go out dressed like a freak in green this week! All shades

 

[Rare gem lover]

OMG niiiiiiiice!!!!!!!

How big and how many carats?

I LOVE emeralds! Well green but emeralds are mighty nice!

Gonna go out dressed like a freak in green this week! All shades

Just 6 mm and I think under a carat. But I’m still excited! I love small stones now.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Just 6 mm and I think under a carat. But I’m still excited! I love small stones now.

oooh 0.1 bigger than mine!!!! It will look big enough! The glow makes up for it!

This is coming from me who likes giant honkers!

 

[Rare gem lover]

oooh 0.1 bigger than mine!!!! It will look big enough! The glow makes up for it!

This is coming from me who likes giant honkers!

That’s so awesome! Thanks for the perspective , I’ve never bought emeralds before!

 

[peacechick]

That’s so awesome! Thanks for the perspective , I’ve never bought emeralds before!

Yours looks like a twin of mellow’s emerald! Hope it is just as bright and glowy!

 

[marionberry]

yay or nay?


https://www.etsy.com/listing/525633526/high-grade-genuine-colombian-emerald

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@marionberry just to warn you 2-4 mm is very small

This is 2-4 mm on my neck. I love it and wear it lots but that might give you perspective in terms of size.



ETA: I got mine from:

https://www.mineralminers.com/html/emejlry.stm

 

[marionberry]

@marionberry
This is 2-4 mm on my neck.

Thank you so much! I love that look though. Do you think yours are oiled/in-filled? Or are beads not worth these enhancements?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Thank you so much! I love that look though. Do you think yours are oiled/in-filled? Or are beads not worth these enhancements?

I honestly couldn't tell you for sure. They are pretty small it doesn't seem worth it. Plus they sell some really cheap necklaces with the really rough and shaggy looking beads I'd imagine they'd just use the material for cheaper products rather than go to the trouble of enhancing it.

I know some people say a lot of emerald rough is tossed in oil as soon as it's dug up so maybe oiled if the original rough was thrown in oil.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Sigh. Anxiously waiting for this to arrive...

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Might set it as a bypass ring with this tsav as a “leaf” for the pad sapphire.

 

[2Neesers]

I have been looking for an affordable and well cut red stone and was excited to see this garnet added to the Finewater site this morning was noted as almost a pure spectral red, so I purchased it .
This is my first purchase from Finewater and I’m wondering, from those of you who have purchased from him, how do the pictures compare to real life?