emerald help

[San Diego Bride]

i need help with a graduation gift. it''s for a very special high school graduate who loves emeralds and necklaces. (i think she''d be more attached to an emerald than to a necklace.) the budget is flexible, but probably ~$250. i know that''s not much, but i''m hoping to find something. please help!

 

[chrono]

Your post isn't clear but are you looking for an emerald ring as opposed to an emerald pendant?
$250 for the stone alone or the entire project?

 

[San Diego Bride]

sorry my post was unclear. in reality, i don't know what i'm looking for. i'm pretty out of touch with what 18 year olds like. according to her mom she loves emeralds and necklaces, but doesn't have any together. with only that bit of information, i figured i'd come here and post. sorry i didn't think it through.

i was originally thinking an emerald pendant, but as i look i realize that i would want to spend more than $250 on a nice emerald. i'm in my mid-30's though and buying for an 18 year old. my guess is that she'd care more about size than quality per se.

now i'm thinking about other green stones like averturine. i realize there's a huge difference in quality between the two stones, but think this type of stone will allow for a more "substantial-looking" gift. i found a possibility on the tiffany website, but i'm not quite sure about it. there's not one nearby so i can't see it in person.

so, in the end, i'm open to anything green on a necklace.

 

[chrono]

An emerald is probably not the best choice then in terms of budget and size. Let me go window shopping a bit.

http://www.mineralminers.com/html/greentourmalineearrings.stm
Mineralminers has a bunch of beautiful green tourmalines already set into rings and pendants at your price range.

 

[Kismet]

Mineral Miners does have emerald bead necklaces which are in your price range. $180ish for the polished beads and $260ish for the faceted beads.

 

[MustangGal]

That Tiffany necklace is beautiful! She might also appreciate the "name" to associate with the gift.

 

[Miscka]

Date: 5/1/2008 1:51:51 PM
Author: Kismet
Mineral Miners does have emerald bead necklaces which are in your price range. $180ish for the polished beads and $260ish for the faceted beads.

I looked this up....too cute!!! here
I liked the polished one, and could totally see it on a young girl. What a thoughtful gift!

 

[San Diego Bride]

thanks for your help, ladies! you''ve found some great things. at the moment i''m trying to decide between the tiffany aventurine necklace and the mineral miners polished emerald bead necklace. i posted a tiffany pic above and the emerald bead that was suggested below.

the tiffany piece carries the name, but i don''t think it will mean that much to the recipient since we don''t have a tiffany''s near us and i''m not even sure if she''s heard of it. on the other hand, it seems classic and i would think she could wear it as a college student and then later in life.

the mineral miners necklace definitely seems age-appropriate, but i don''t know if it will look dated at some point. i''ve also never seen emerald beads and i''m a little worried they''ll look like something she could make at home.

any votes?

 

[Kismet]

I actually have the faceted emerald bead necklace. It''s quite pretty and sparkles nicely. Obviously the emeralds are not super high quality but their color is a nice medium to medium-light green. The clasp is silver and I''m pretty sure they''re just strung all together (i.e. no knots between beads). The sizing of the beads was pretty well done and I don''t think it looks amaturish but YMMV of course.

 

[MustangGal]

Maybe ask her mom if she likes emeralds just because of the color, or just only likes emeralds? That might help when choosing between the 2.

 

[eac]

Unless your graduate is a groovy hippie chick girl, and you know she loves beads, I don''t recommend the beads!

I''d recommend one of the tourmaline pendants - the bigger, the better, such as the 9 x 7 oval - with a chain to wear it with.

Someone else recommended checking in with the graduate''s mom, and I think that''s a fine idea. That way you''d know if she''s a budding gem maven who''ll be getting her loupe out, or a girl for whom "Tiffany" on the box makes her shriek with glee.

 

[Miscka]

Date: 5/1/2008 4:51:06 PM
Author: eac
Unless your graduate is a groovy hippie chick girl, and you know she loves beads, I don''t recommend the beads!


I''d recommend one of the tourmaline pendants - the bigger, the better, such as the 9 x 7 oval - with a chain to wear it with.


Someone else recommended checking in with the graduate''s mom, and I think that''s a fine idea. That way you''d know if she''s a budding gem maven who''ll be getting her loupe out, or a girl for whom ''Tiffany'' on the box makes her shriek with glee.

I am not a hippie chick but I love it! I think if it were shorter than 18" and all one size it would be more hippie. The graduated beads are a classic silhouette IMHO.

 

[San Diego Bride]

thanks for all the great comments, ladies. i've emailed her mom to get more specifics. i'm still open to other ideas as well. it's hard shopping for an 18 year old!

i'm going away tonight and won't have email access for a couple of days, but i'll check the thread again when i return.

thanks to all.