Do you buy gems without any ideas for them?

[Kaleigh]

I am the opposite. I have the design in my head, and then search for the stones to complete it. I know, practical and not fun. But it''s the way my mind works. I am a designer at heart. I am very picky about the stones I buy. It''s a lot of fun for me. I am working on a new ring now, sapphire center, emeralds on the sides, in a yellow gold trellis setting. Love that blue and green combo.

 

[Sparkles22]

Oh I am so bad, I bought another one and I don''t even know what I am going to do yet.... here is a pic of the other one (from a different seller):

It was such a great deal I couldn''t pass it up

.

I sort of have an idea in my head, but I will have to see the stones in person first, they wouldn''t be in the same "project" though

Here are the "specs"
PRODUCT NAME : Natural Rhodolite Garnet
SHAPE : Pear
WEIGHT : 1.90cts
SIZE : 9.37mm x6.62mm x4.28mm(depth)
QUANTITY : 1 pieces
COLOR : Pink Purple AAA Color
CLARITY : FLAWLESS High Quality
ORIGIN : Africa
HARDNESS : 7
LUSTER : Excellent
TREATMENT : 100 % Natural Unheated

 

[Pandora II]

Er, yes...

I would love a box - like the Matthews Collection in the Natural History Museum. I couldn''t find a picture, but basically its a set of leather cases each about the size of a paperback book - Inside there are 5 rows of gemstones. Mmmmmmm. So jealous...

I''ve just bought 3 titanites/sphene that Richard Homer found at Tucson for me. I got to see them on Wink TV on Friday night and they are AMAZING with incredible dispersion!

They''re a honey-brown base colour, with blue, red, green and white fire everywhere.

I bought 2 round''s which are 2.03 tctw, and a 3.70ct fat oval - it was 4cts but Richard gave it a ''hair-cut'' to improve the dispersion (which is after all what you buy titantite for)

They''re now on vacation in Wink''s safe, and sadly I have no pictures as you can''t capture anything with a screen shot on video.

They look very like Revolution''s though.

I''ve had to start calling them titantite because I get so many weird looks from people who think I''m planning on wearing body-parts!

I''m thinking of having a very simple plain prong setting in yellow gold - I''m tempted to halo the fat oval with seed pearls and a big air-gap between the stone and the halo (as a pendant). I don''t want anything competing with the fire of the main rock - and putting diamonds around may take away not add.

 

[simplysplendid]

All the time!

 

[marcy]

Sparkles, your new rhodolite looks pretty. I can''t wait to see what you''ll do with it.

 

[Sparkles22]

Pandora~ I wish you could post some pictures! I would love a box of gems too! How fun!

Maryc~ Thanks I hope they look good in person too. I will take some pictures to post when I get them. I think it will be awhile before I set them. I sort of know what I want to do with them, but don''t know how much it will cost, and I will have to find someone that does custom.

 

[tradergirl]

How about this? The best of both worlds (diamonds and pretty color).

http://www.leverington.com/ladies3.html

 

[jszweda]

Date: 2/25/2008 8:26:14 PM
Author:Sparkles22
There are some pretty gems out there that I am looking at, but I don''t know what I would do with them and it will be awhile before I can afford my ideas for them.

So my question is do you purchase gems with the intent to set them fairly soon? Or with an exact idea in mind?


ETA: what does calibrated mean?

I do it all the time. LOL. When I can afford to, and when I see something I like. In my case, being a guy, our options are more limited. With the price of gold being what it is now, and to have something custom made like I like to have done?

Sometimes, I''ll buy a given stone just to have it as part of my small but growing collection. I think of what I have bought, I''ve only bought a very select few items that I had specific plans for. I remember looking for a pair of calibrated matched white sapphires for accent stones once, and I remember buying a blue zircon last year soley so I could have that as a birth stone ring.

To me, there''s nothing wrong with buying a stone just to have and admire it for what it is. That''s just me though. Personally, I don''t look for calibrated sizes. Sometimes you loose more weight or you don''t get as good of a cut in doing that or there is too much loss. Sometimes though, you can get a stone that isn''t quite cut as well, but for what it is, sometimes you have to accept that...and sometimes it turns out OK.

 

[jszweda]

Date: 2/26/2008 6:36:25 PM
Author: Sparkles22
Another thought I had was to look at pink tourmalines... here is one I liked:

If you''re looking at www.ajsgems.com, and you like pink tourmalines, here is a hint.

I actually got one from him, and I was really impressed with it. Sometimes what he has for pink, pending the light, you''d swear it was either rubelite or borderline rubelite. In that case, and under his lighting, it will be pink with some red in it. If you can find one like that from him, jump on it.

 

[Sparkles22]

tradergirl~ pretty but a little too big for my taste

jszweda~ thanks for the info I will definately keep that in mind. I bought the rhodolite garnet from ags.com so I am hoping it will look great in person too. Maryc recommended them also, so it''s nice to know that I will be getting it from a place with a good review. I don''t know if the cost of gold will ever go down, but it may be more affordible in the future (for example: once I start working full time). I kind of have my eye on pallidum for the setting. I think I will eventually set it in a 3 stone necklace at some point.... I don''t think the 2 I got are calibrated. I figured I will probably have to do custom either way so, might as well pick out what I think looks pretty. I will keep my eye out for a pink with red tourmalines from that website.

Thank you!

 

[Sparkles22]

So both Rhodolites came today!!! Of course there was NO sun

so I couldn''t get a true picture of the color. I think the trillon has a beautiful purple color, but it has to be in just the right light or it looks way too dark. The pear is more of a pink, and I like the size of it for a pendant:

What do you think?????

 

[Sparkles22]

...no sun

 

[Sparkles22]

Hopefully the sun will be out on Saturday or Sunday and I can get some photos then.

 

[marcy]

They are lovely. I do agree the trillion is a little dark but it''s still very pretty. The pear would be lovely in a pendant. I hope you got some sunlight today. We had some off and on.

 

[Independent Gal]

Oh, those are gorgeous! Can''t wait for more pics.

 

[Sparkles22]

Date: 3/15/2008 8:19:35 PM
Author: marcyc
They are lovely. I do agree the trillion is a little dark but it''s still very pretty. The pear would be lovely in a pendant. I hope you got some sunlight today. We had some off and on.

When the sun decided to come out I was already at work. Today looks a little gloomy, but maybe later today the sun will come out.

 

[Catmom]

Sparkles, I hope the sun comes out soon! I love the pear and think it will make a fantastic pendant!! Of course I also have to admit that trillions really aren''t my cup o'' tea so I''m sure I''m biased here.

 

[Sparkles22]

It snowed here all day go figure

! UGH! I hope the weather is nice soon, and the sun out long enough to take pictures!

 

[marcy]

We had snow all day too. It looks like later this week we''ll be getting warmer so maybe the Sun will come out then.

 

[Sparkles22]

Finally some sun

but it was soooo windy, and it blew the trillion right off the table outside (yikes!

) so I figure I will take more when it isn''t so windy (also made for blurry pictures)

 

[Sparkles22]

...

 

[Sparkles22]

...

 

[Sparkles22]

wind is crazy

sorry these are so blurry

 

[Sparkles22]

 

[marcy]

Stupid wind! They look like they are a great color! I wore my rhodolite jewelry this week.

 

[marcy]

Sparkles, have you had any of your jewelry made yet?

I went to our favorite store this afternoon and looked in every single show case. I didn''t ask to see anything though since I didn''t want to be tempted. I am scoping out my shopping list for the next time I go there.