Eight Cecile Raley Designs projects, to be revealed over eight days

[MissyBeaucoup]

Amazing choices! I am in awe!

 

[woweezowee]

LOVE this thread! Can’t beat Yvonne for color. Gorgeous pieces!

 

[lilmosun]

Love the combinations in both of the bands...I think the last one is my favorite (probably because I want it )

 

[voce]

The fun is winding down. This reveal is the plainest thus far, but one that seems to me effortlessly wearable with my casual clothes.

I actually bought the gem during Yvonne's 2/1/19 "clearance" sale. It's a 6mm cuprian tourmaline, and when I saw it, I thought, if denim was transformed into a gemstone, then this would be the color. It may not be the most colorful of my projects, but it's a practical accessory that I hope I'll wear often.

If you're hoping to see more color, don't worry, because I still have a very colorful one to reveal in another day! Hint: it's set in yellow gold. Anyone care to guess what color gems I chose?

 

[lilysweet]

Voce, this is sooooo much fun! The pieces are so lovely and unique and there is such a range! I am not very color adventurous and blue is my fave so the multi blue ring so far is my fave. I can’t wait to see hand shots. I would also love a neck pic of the most recent pendant. The color is dreamy!

 

[Keeliamira]

@voce what an ahmaaaazing group of projects, each one singularly lovely! I especially love the indicolite cluster ring and can’t wait to see your hand shots!

 

[clumberlove]

Lovely pendant, very wearable. I guess green stones in yellow gold! I'm hoping for tsavorites

 

[voce]

Lovely pendant, very wearable. I guess green stones in yellow gold! I'm hoping for tsavorites

Unfortunately, not right. Though... I'm having a Mahenge spinel set with tsav trillion sides in a rose gold ring whenever Yvonne's CAD designer can get to it. Here is the Mahenge spinel. I snatched it in January and Yvonne should still have it.

 

[leslie1956]

Unfortunately, not right. Though... I'm having a Mahenge spinel set with tsav trillion sides in a rose gold ring whenever Yvonne's CAD designer can get to it. Here is the Mahenge spinel. I snatched it in January and Yvonne should still have it.

Sounds gorgeous, voce, the stone is a beautiful color Yvonne doesn't have any designs using trillion sides, so this will be a nice addition.

 

[voce]

Unheated purple and pinkish-red corundum in 14k yellow gold. That's it, folks. I have a full day tomorrow and then am going on vacation to visit df in Toronto. Hand shots will come at some point next week.

 

[Curby311]

Now that February is over, I'm ready to share pictures of the pieces that Yvonne's team was making for me. I'm not going to receive them in hand until one more project is ready and I pay the final payments on these projects, so hand shots will have to wait until later in March.

First up, is a two-flower ring, with a purple garnet center surrounded by Merelani mint garnets, and a chrysoberyl center surrounded by heated African rubies.

Are the rubies red enough for this ring to be considered a "traffic light" ring? Not that I was going for that. I simply had the gems for the petals and considered what colors would fit the center, so I was matching each flower separately, without considering how the whole piece would look. I love the look of the purple and green garnets together.

I love this ring! So gorgeous! How exciting to see what's next.

 

[Curby311]

My Easter Joy Paraiba Ring. Actually, it's an oval camellia ring done by Cecile Raley Designs, but in case you don't like the riot of colors on display here, the choice of the melee stones for the halos were all mine, and CDR worked with my choice of melee stones and my layout for the arrangement.

Since I saw the oval paraiba, I thought that 1) it would be a great candidate for the camellia ring style, and that 2) I didn't want a paraiba ring that has already been done before. I decided I wanted a colored stone halo, but then what colors would work best? The inspiration came to me that since my loose paraiba resembled a blue robin's egg, I could use all these bright colors in an abstract representation of an Easter basket, filled with all sorts of bright eggs, but with the paraiba egg being the brightest and the most precious one.

Cecile Raley Designs' work is exquisite, and I was delighted when I received the photos. Yvonne said that she was a bit worried with how colorful it was, since it's not everyone's cup of tea. But because I gave so much thought to the CS halo layouts (lots of symmetry and geometry in arranging all the colors) and selected the gems, I feel it's really true to my aesthetic. Will be so excited when I get to wear it proudly!


First halo: 1.75mm rubies, sapphires, Merelani mint garnets
Second halo: 1.25mm canary yellow diamonds, paraiba tourmalines, demantoid garnets

How unique! It turned out great.

 

[clumberlove]

Unfortunately, not right. Though... I'm having a Mahenge spinel set with tsav trillion sides in a rose gold ring whenever Yvonne's CAD designer can get to it. Here is the Mahenge spinel. I snatched it in January and Yvonne should still have it.

Ooh, sounds gorgeous! That colour of the spinel is stunning, I'm excited to see when it's ready.

 

[ShinyPink]

Congratulations on your fabulous and successful jewelry expedition! Enjoy your new beauties, and stay warm in Toronto!

 

[lissyflo]

This is the best daily count down ever - even the beauty product Christmas advent calendars can’t beat bling! I love it! They’re all amazing, but your paraiba ring, flower ring and the stackers are really gorgeous.

 

[strawrose]

I’m jelly of your candy collection. It was fun to see the whole set over the week.

 

[voce]

Just wanted to post a few hand shots from df's new phone's camera.

 

[leslie1956]

Thanks for sharing, voce, they all look beautiful on your hand

 

[Acinom]

Beautiful pieces voce!!!
The blue ring seems to have enough contrast? How do you see it in real life?

 

[voce]

Beautiful pieces voce!!!
The blue ring seems to have enough contrast? How do you see it in real life?

The Montana sapphires aren't as dark irl, and there is contrast, but I don't know if it's quite enough contrast for ME, since the lovely Royal blue 1.75mm sapphires are difficult to pick out. Haven't had the chance to see this under the sun yet, but I think I will keep the ring as it is for two reasons:
1) the outer stones which blend together to my eye shimmer softly like water, which is an effect I like, and replacing the Montana sapphires with purple Madagascan sapphires would lose the nature effect;
2) a number of people like it as it is, including my brother and his girlfriend, who actually like it more than my paraiba Easter ring.

The rosette has incredible presence due to its size. That wouldn't change, though, no matter what color stones I choose. There may be another rosette in my future someday.


Wearing my two hexagon rings together in dim lighting at night. I know the demantoid needs strong light to dazzle, but I just can't use flashlight function on phones while taking the picture too.

 

[2Neesers]

Congratulations on your beautiful new pieces! I love all of your new pretties , and you have given me inspiration for new color combinations. This was a very fun thread to watch .

 

[lilmosun]

I love the color combinations and how they rings can be mixed together. What a great jewelry wardrobe you've put together for yourself!!

The Montana sapphires aren't as dark irl, and there is contrast, but I don't know if it's quite enough contrast for ME, since the lovely Royal blue 1.75mm sapphires are difficult to pick out. Haven't had the chance to see this under the sun yet, but I think I will keep the ring as it is for two reasons:
1) the outer stones which blend together to my eye shimmer softly like water, which is an effect I like, and replacing the Montana sapphires with purple Madagascan sapphires would lose the nature effect;
2) a number of people like it as it is, including my brother and his girlfriend, who actually like it more than my paraiba Easter ring.

The rosette has incredible presence due to its size. That wouldn't change, though, no matter what color stones I choose. There may be another rosette in my future someday.

I think it's pretty in its own right. If it doesn't grow on you and you want more contrast, I would consider replacing the center stone (deep purple sapphire? Grape colored garnet?) as opposed to the montana sapphires. Then you have a beautiful center stone for your second rosette

 

[elle_71125]

They all look gorgeous on you but that paraiba Easter ring looks fantastic! Love, love, love!

 

[voce]

Thanks @leslie1956 @Acinom @2Neezers @lilmosun @elle_71125!!

Currently stuck at the airport waiting on my delayed flight. The rosette ring looks dreamy under the morning sunlight. I think there is to the human eye enough contrast in this lighting. The canary yellow diamonds also look way more saturated in sunlight than in room light. Not sure my crappy phone camera can capture the colors correctly but here you go.

 

[scouty]

I love the Easter Egg basket ring even more on your hand then in Yvonne's glamour shots!!! The glow of the paraiba next to your ruby is

 

[voce]

I love the Easter Egg basket ring even more on your hand then in Yvonne's glamour shots!!! The glow of the paraiba next to your ruby is

This weekend I was telling df that I can't decide which one of the ruby or paraiba ring I like better. They're both so beautiful and special to me. He said it's not a competition and that it's OK for me to love both.

 

[scouty]

This weekend I was telling df that I can't decide which one of the ruby or paraiba ring I like better. They're both so beautiful and special to me. He said it's not a competition and that it's OK for me to love both.

So he supports your bing addiction? Good man And yes, they are both so gorgeous!!

 

[voce]

So he supports your bing addiction? Good man And yes, they are both so gorgeous!!

Thanks Scouty, he is a good man, and he's supportive insofar as he approves so long as I can afford it. He got me the ruby e-ring March 2018, and helped me pay for a gemstone haul including that paraiba August 2018. I've trained him to appreciate gemstones and jewelry.

 

[natasha-cupcake]

Of course, these are all gorgeous, but I'm really liking the tonal blue rosette--much more than I thought I would. It looks fantastic on you!

 

[voce]

My phone photographs pinker than they are irl, but I was wearing both the eternity rings today.