Colored stone (and setting) HELP please

[mn_shopaholic]

Hello!

I’ve been lurking here for a few years since deciding I needed a new pair of earrings to celebrate my first real grown-up job. Now, 2 pairs of BGD diamond studs later, I thought I might dip my toes in the world of colored stones.

While shopping around some repairs on my grandma’s ring, I came across a setting on clearance and thought it would make a nice right hand ring with a pink sapphire (or something else pink). The ring was a former display and held what I was told was a 7x7mm stone. So after a few weeks of debating, I bought the setting and proceeded to look for a pink stone; both through the sticky list of PS colored stone vendors and through the jewelry store where I bought the setting.

At the same time that I found a pink spinel through Jeff White which might work, I heard from the jeweler that the setting is actually intended for an 8.5mm stone.

My questions/issues are:
- How do I know for certain what size stone my setting is meant for? I watched the store size the display stone that was in there with a digital caliper that come back with 7x7, so I don’t know where 8.5 is now coming from. I took the setting to 2 other jewelers yesterday, but that only made matters worse when one said it was for a 7mm stone and the other said it was for an 8.5 mm stone.

- Are restocking fees common with colored stones? The Jeff White spinel is not a pre-cut stone in his inventory - it would be cut from rough for the purpose of this ring; so if it didn’t work out, he said there is a 15% restocking fee that would be deducted from the return. While I can understand the reasoning behind it, I'm curious to know if it is common practice or not.

- How do you tell a good colored stone from a bad one, especially if it is being cut from rough and you can’t see it prior to having to place a deposit? For me, buying the diamond studs from BGD was easy, but I also had a frame of reference for what an AGS 000 stone would look like and I could compare prices across vendors. I don’t have that same security blanket for this project, which makes it hard for me to know how to proceed (especially with the confusion around what size center I am looking for).

- For those who have commissioned stones from vendors (instead of buying a cut stone already in inventory), have you been happy with the results and why? Would you please share any tips you have on how to make such a purchase as easy and successful as possible.

If the setting question would be best answered in another forum, please let me know where to go. If I don't get that issue taken care of, I won't be able to look for or select a stone; thus rendering the next few questions irrelevant for the time being.

Thank you in advance for any assistance, suggestions, ideas, or opinions you are able to give!

 

[distracts]

Is it possible that while it will hold a 7x7 cushion, if you put in a round it needs to be 8.5mm or the diagonal length of the cushion would be 8.5mm?

If you are having a stone cut from rough for you, the common practice is either it is non-returnable or there is a restocking fee. If it is already cut, usually there isn't one.

With colored stones, you can tell it's a good one if you think it's pretty. At least, that's the way I do it. With Jeff White, you have nothing to worry about with the cutting.

 

[minousbijoux]

Welcome - we're glad you're dipping your toes in!

Your questions are excellent. Most folks who buy colored stones don't start off by getting stones custom cut, but instead, find what they like and go from there. Its not that one way is the "right way," but I'd say its easier to get acclimated if you can see what it looks like; having a stone custom cut, unless you're okay with a no return or restocking fee policy, means you aren't exactly sure what you're getting until its in hand. But Jeff is quite experienced at cutting and from my experience has a good ability to read the rough to know how it will look when cut, so from the color perspective, I think you're in good hands. In general, its a good idea to get the stone first and the setting second, for the very reasons you're encountering. If the stone doesn't fit that setting, don't scuttle the stone, get a new setting!

In all honesty, I think it highly unlikely that you'll want to return Jeff's stone once you see it...

 

[mn_shopaholic]

Is it possible that while it will hold a 7x7 cushion, if you put in a round it needs to be 8.5mm or the diagonal length of the cushion would be 8.5mm?

If you are having a stone cut from rough for you, the common practice is either it is non-returnable or there is a restocking fee. If it is already cut, usually there isn't one.

With colored stones, you can tell it's a good one if you think it's pretty. At least, that's the way I do it. With Jeff White, you have nothing to worry about with the cutting.

I didn't think of diagonal length - I might have to try some math here to see what the diagonal length of a 7x7 cushion would be. I know at the second two places I went to, I asked specifically about what size square stone (like a cushion) would fit because the mounting has a square halo, but I didn't think to ask how they determined those measurements.

That is good to hear about Jeff's stones. I ended up emailing him because I liked a sapphire in his gallery and wanted to see if he had anything similar, so it seems safe to say I think his stones are pretty and that will be the direction I take.

Thank you!

 

[chrono]

I think it depends on how the stone is measured. My guess is that one of them is measuring height x width, while the other is measuring the diagonal side.

Restocking fees are not common with lapidaries. I own several Jeff White stones that were not pre-cuts in his inventory and accepted the 15% non-refundable deposit policy. In order to reduce the risk of returns, I made sure to ask detailed questions and took my time in trying to understand his answers. When necessary, I also showed him pictures of what I have in mind, which sometimes works better than just printed words. Like everyone else, Jeff isn't perfect all the time. I have returned a pair of stones that did not turn out as expected but neither did he expect the stones to exhibit that colour after cutting either. In that situation, he was very generous in offering me a way out of that transaction.

 

[mn_shopaholic]

Welcome - we're glad you're dipping your toes in!

Your questions are excellent. Most folks who buy colored stones don't start off by getting stones custom cut, but instead, find what they like and go from there. Its not that one way is the "right way," but I'd say its easier to get acclimated if you can see what it looks like; having a stone custom cut, unless you're okay with a no return or restocking fee policy, means you aren't exactly sure what you're getting until its in hand. But Jeff is quite experienced at cutting and from my experience has a good ability to read the rough to know how it will look when cut, so from the color perspective, I think you're in good hands. In general, its a good idea to get the stone first and the setting second, for the very reasons you're encountering. If the stone doesn't fit that setting, don't scuttle the stone, get a new setting!

In all honesty, I think it highly unlikely that you'll want to return Jeff's stone once you see it...

Thanks for the welcome!

I never do things the easy way it seems, and this is just another example how I make some things harder than they need to be. I don't know how many stones I saw while going through every colored stone vendor listed in the sticky thread and wanted, but it didn't fit the setting so I had to pass. If it had it to do over, I would definitely find the stone first and worry about the setting later.

Thank you for the reassurance on Jeff's abilities. I was all set to order the spinel, but proceeded to work myself into a tizz because of the size thing and then started second guessing everything to do with this project. My big fear isn't so much that I won't like the stone, but that it won't fit and I'll like it too much to want to return it... At least if I start accumulating gemstones, they don't take up too much space.

 

[mn_shopaholic]

I think it depends on how the stone is measured. My guess is that one of them is measuring height x width, while the other is measuring the diagonal side.

Restocking fees are not common with lapidaries. I own several Jeff White stones that were not pre-cuts in his inventory and accepted the 15% non-refundable deposit policy. In order to reduce the risk of returns, I made sure to ask detailed questions and took my time in trying to understand his answers. When necessary, I also showed him pictures of what I have in mind, which sometimes works better than just printed words. Like everyone else, Jeff isn't perfect all the time. I have returned a pair of stones that did not turn out as expected but neither did he expect the stones to exhibit that colour after cutting either. In that situation, he was very generous in offering me a way out of that transaction.

Chrono-

What sort of detailed questions should be asked if commissioning a stone? I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything - life has been a bit up in the air lately, so it wouldn't surprise me a bit if I forgot to ask something important.

We have gone over:
- size (the stone should come out in a size that will fit my setting)
- shape (rough in question should produce an asscher or square cushion)
- color (he sent me a photo of what he expects of this spinel, though he said it might be a touch more saturated)
- price
- clarity should be eye clean or better
- this spinel has not been treated
- return policy (7 days less the 15% deposit and shipping)

Thank you!

 

[chrono]

For me, colour is the most important thing so I asked about colour using the old GIA colour grading set of hue, tone and saturation.

Hue: How pure is the colour? Is it a pure pink, has a touch of blue (making it purplish) or a touch of orange?
Tone: How light or dark is it? Can also be thought of as how pale or dark it is.
Saturation: Is it a bit grayish or orangish or is the colour an eye popping neon colour?

I also asked about colour shifts (indoor and outdoor colour). You mentioned that he showed you a picture of what the end result colour will look like. Is that what you are looking for? What type of light condition was that picture taken in?