Finally got some decent shots of my colored diamonds

[MAC-W]

Date: 12/30/2009 8:55:21 AM
Author: tapio
Some blather, I apologize. Just for some help for people wondering.

I will not spend more than I''m willing to loose (which is $2,000) when it come to gems -- especially where diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are concerned without at least a GIA certification.
They''re only $175 - $250 - and they''re worth every penny if it ever comes to resale.

tapio

Tapio, a green diamond of that size and colour is a lot more than $175-250 or even $2k. Did you miss some zero''s?

Regardless - fabby stone. When I (eventually) win lotto, do you want to sell it to me? Please!

 

[T L]

Date: 12/30/2009 10:18:01 AM
Author: MAC-W

Date: 12/30/2009 8:55:21 AM
Author: tapio
Some blather, I apologize. Just for some help for people wondering.

I will not spend more than I''m willing to loose (which is $2,000) when it come to gems -- especially where diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are concerned without at least a GIA certification.
They''re only $175 - $250 - and they''re worth every penny if it ever comes to resale.

tapio

Tapio, a green diamond of that size and colour is a lot more than $175-250 or even $2k. Did you miss some zero''s?

Regardless - fabby stone. When I (eventually) win lotto, do you want to sell it to me? Please!

MAC-W,
I believe Taipo was referencing the cost of the GIA cert.

 

[MAC-W]

Date: 11/11/2009 11:17:18 AM
Author: LaurenThePartier
TL - I love the dirrection you''ve decided upon - that setting sounds like it will be lovely!!! Once again - love your pics and they always tempt me to start looking at coloured diamonds . . . until I see the prices.

That .22 would be perfect if it was big enough to actually SEE the steps!

But, then, you know - I''d have to sell my house and my first born to get it!

Ach - whats a house! and you can always have more children

 

[MAC-W]

Date: 12/30/2009 10:21:05 AM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 12/30/2009 10:18:01 AM
Author: MAC-W

Date: 12/30/2009 8:55:21 AM
Author: tapio
Some blather, I apologize. Just for some help for people wondering.

I will not spend more than I'm willing to loose (which is $2,000) when it come to gems -- especially where diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds are concerned without at least a GIA certification.
They're only $175 - $250 - and they're worth every penny if it ever comes to resale.

tapio

Tapio, a green diamond of that size and colour is a lot more than $175-250 or even $2k. Did you miss some zero's?

Regardless - fabby stone. When I (eventually) win lotto, do you want to sell it to me? Please!

MAC-W,
I believe Taipo was referencing the cost of the GIA cert.

ooops!

No more wine for me

 

[stepcutnut]

That is a green diamond-wow! It does look like yours LD!!!

 

[LD]

Tapio - forgive me for asking but did the GIA comment on treatment please? A natural Vivid green of that size would have many many many zeros on the end of the price. Now, of course you could be Donald Tapio Trump for all we know but even so, that''s a big natural for a private collector. As I said earlier, I have a 1ct pear that''s irradiated green and honestly, I''d struggle to see the difference between mine and yours - and I''m definitely NOT Loving Trump Diamonds!

 

[platinumrock]

That''s why I love modifiers like gray, brown and yellow

I can get the "look" of a particular color without having to sell my house or pawning off my future first born.

And the play with metal colors and sidestones really help enhance the desirable color too!

 

[platinumrock]

Date: 12/30/2009 11:29:33 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Tapio - forgive me for asking but did the GIA comment on treatment please? A natural Vivid green of that size would have many many many zeros on the end of the price. Now, of course you could be Donald Tapio Trump for all we know but even so, that''s a big natural for a private collector. As I said earlier, I have a 1ct pear that''s irradiated green and honestly, I''d struggle to see the difference between mine and yours - and I''m definitely NOT Loving Trump Diamonds!

LD, your green pear will give my grayish green an inferiority complex. Remind me not to stand too close to you

If I was only rich

If I was only rich

If I was only rich

 

[tapio]

Dear people who replied,

If you look back to tourlamine lover''s quote per carat you get an idea - there are zero''s. Some people invest in real-estate, some in stocks, some in art, some in antiquities, some with Bernie Madeoff (poor souls), some in a company they began themselves. We all have to chose something.

It''s not a big deal. Just think of a retirement pension. I''m not an actuarial accountant, but in order to retire comfortably you need pensions in the million(s) to be reasonably comfortable. And, I''m not talking yachts in Cannes; just a paid house and the odd trip and maybe a slightly "miserly" characteristic. You diligently put away some, start very early, of each pay check, keep it separate -- then you have the story of "The Wealthy Barber".

In the country in which I I currently reside we have pretty good laws for investors. We did not have as huge a meltdown as the U.S. did; and I don''t believe the U.S. is going to get better very quickly (Very unfortunately. I love the country)-- I hope it does, but my "gut" says differently.(The latest tragedy at the airport is awful for travelling in the U.S. An entire paradigm shift is/has been happening and were in the middle of it. Do you change something just because someone says so - "no". Be intelligent: gather your own facts and counsel and make your own choices/decisions and then take responsibility for those choices. Don''t blame others and don''t follow like sheep. Choose informedly and take responsibility! Then always try to help some one less well off than your self. I have a Foundation I''m President of and last year I took the reins of a $250,000 deficit and the team I recruited took the deficit down to $5,000. Not bad during a full blown (depression). There is money out there. I not trying to use braggadocci -- but,

I am a believer in the power of positive thinking and positiveness attracts positiveness. Believe in yourself. If you think you can do it - you can; if you think you can''t -- you can''t. Never be jealous or envious of what another has -- someone always has more and many always have less. Be thankful each night before you go to bed.

There are no such words in my vocabulary as: can''t or don''t. Some people hate me for this.

I work from my gut quite often, so there is no full reason and so I never give advice. Because, sometimes I loose, or assets are difficult to disperse of quickly. I hate taking a loss, but it happens.

I believe diversification of a portfolio is important. I don''t mean diversify of: mutual funds, bonds, GIC''s, etc. They are all in the same basket. I mean; the preceding, plus maybe art, plus maybe jewels, plus maybe real-estate, plus maybe stocks in alcohol beverage companies - they''ll never run dry. And you have to research each area very carefully before putting down a dollar.

Whatever you do don''t trust just one person (like Madeoff) with all your money. You worked super hard for it: research, research, research! This is not even to mention the poor souls who lost everything through Enron, etc. It''s a really tough, unfair world out there. There is nothing saying something I invested in doesn''t collapse tomorrow and I have to sell a stone through a reputable auction house.

I''m not a financial advisor; it''s just common sense. You don''t have to be an ego-maniac with money to have some money. I apologize in advance to anyone in this forum if you are egomaniacs.
Any one with some jewelry should be thankful they have some disposable income to spend on jewelry - give thanks you have a small bit of beauty in/on your hand. Also, it really doesn''t matter the stone. If it''s a beautiful blue topaz go for it. If it a wonderful spinel go for it. If you are interested in resale value (and not everyone is) make sure you get the natural stones of excellent quality. It may mean they are smaller, but big auctions very rarely will put up treated or uncertified gems (there are exceptions to the rule).

And, quite honestly, for coloured stones (for me colour and clarity are very important) - I actually prefer the colour of the tsavorite over the green diamonds or emeralds
If you''re looking for blue I still think the best blue stones are the wonderful beautiful blue natural sapphires. It not to say I don''t love lapis luzi, Real sapphires are so beautiful and you can see so much inside each stone. It''s why I like stars -- it is the little imperfections that make them so individual and beautiful. I want a small inclusion that shows me a living stone millions of years old.

I''m not a fan of (IF) stones. It''s just me. Show me it''s real: like me (like my flaws), like the day (with a cloud wandering by), like a stained glass window (that is only beautiful because of it''s stains and imperfections), like the ephemeral beauty of a daisy in spring or the multi-colour of a foxgloves, an irises, and hollyhocks; or "a spot on my apple" (Joni Mitchell). What a shame to think if any of us actually really thought they were perfectus.

Love your defects of character, accept yourself for the imperfectness you may be (I''ll admit I''m far from perfect -- ask my wife). Love your stones for their natural beauty and little flaws that tell you "I am real, I am of the earth - like you". Let''s celebrate our imperfections.

Well that''s all. It just is what it is. No further comment. This tome has been far too long. I apologize to you all.

tapio

 

[platinumrock]

Date: 12/30/2009 7:07:13 PM
Author: tapio
Dear people who replied,

If you look back to tourlamine lover''s quote per carat you get an idea - there are zero''s. Some people invest in real-estate, some in stocks, some in art, some in antiquities, some with Bernie Madeoff (poor souls), some in a company they began themselves. We all have to chose something.

It''s not a big deal. Just think of a retirement pension. I''m not an actuarial accountant, but in order to retire comfortably you need pensions in the million(s) to be reasonably comfortable. And, I''m not talking yachts in Cannes; just a paid house and the odd trip and maybe a slightly ''miserly'' characteristic. You diligently put away some, start very early, of each pay check, keep it separate -- then you have the story of ''The Wealthy Barber''.

In the country in which I I currently reside we have pretty good laws for investors. We did not have as huge a meltdown as the U.S. did; and I don''t believe the U.S. is going to get better very quickly (Very unfortunately. I love the country)-- I hope it does, but my ''gut'' says differently.(The latest tragedy at the airport is awful for travelling in the U.S. An entire paradigm shift is/has been happening and were in the middle of it. Do you change something just because someone says so - ''no''. Be intelligent: gather your own facts and counsel and make your own choices/decisions and then take responsibility for those choices. Don''t blame others and don''t follow like sheep. Choose informedly and take responsibility! Then always try to help some one less well off than your self. I have a Foundation I''m President of and last year I took the reins of a $250,000 deficit and the team I recruited took the deficit down to $5,000. Not bad during a full blown (depression). There is money out there. I not trying to use braggadocci -- but,

I am a believer in the power of positive thinking and positiveness attracts positiveness. Believe in yourself. If you think you can do it - you can; if you think you can''t -- you can''t. Never be jealous or envious of what another has -- someone always has more and many always have less. Be thankful each night before you go to bed.

There are no such words in my vocabulary as: can''t or don''t. Some people hate me for this.

I work from my gut quite often, so there is no full reason and so I never give advice. Because, sometimes I loose, or assets are difficult to disperse of quickly. I hate taking a loss, but it happens.

I believe diversification of a portfolio is important. I don''t mean diversify of: mutual funds, bonds, GIC''s, etc. They are all in the same basket. I mean; the preceding, plus maybe art, plus maybe jewels, plus maybe real-estate, plus maybe stocks in alcohol beverage companies - they''ll never run dry. And you have to research each area very carefully before putting down a dollar.

Whatever you do don''t trust just one person (like Madeoff) with all your money. You worked super hard for it: research, research, research! This is not even to mention the poor souls who lost everything through Enron, etc. It''s a really tough, unfair world out there. There is nothing saying something I invested in doesn''t collapse tomorrow and I have to sell a stone through a reputable auction house.

I''m not a financial advisor; it''s just common sense. You don''t have to be an ego-maniac with money to have some money. I apologize in advance to anyone in this forum if you are egomaniacs.
Any one with some jewelry should be thankful they have some disposable income to spend on jewelry - give thanks you have a small bit of beauty in/on your hand. Also, it really doesn''t matter the stone. If it''s a beautiful blue topaz go for it. If it a wonderful spinel go for it. If you are interested in resale value (and not everyone is) make sure you get the natural stones of excellent quality. It may mean they are smaller, but big auctions very rarely will put up treated or uncertified gems (there are exceptions to the rule).

And, quite honestly, for coloured stones (for me colour and clarity are very important) - I actually prefer the colour of the tsavorite over the green diamonds or emeralds
If you''re looking for blue I still think the best blue stones are the wonderful beautiful blue natural sapphires. It not to say I don''t love lapis luzi, Real sapphires are so beautiful and you can see so much inside each stone. It''s why I like stars -- it is the little imperfections that make them so individual and beautiful. I want a small inclusion that shows me a living stone millions of years old.

I''m not a fan of (IF) stones. It''s just me. Show me it''s real: like me (like my flaws), like the day (with a cloud wandering by), like a stained glass window (that is only beautiful because of it''s stains and imperfections), like the ephemeral beauty of a daisy in spring or the multi-colour of a foxgloves, an irises, and hollyhocks; or ''a spot on my apple'' (Joni Mitchell). What a shame to think if any of us actually really thought they were perfectus.

Love your defects of character, accept yourself for the imperfectness you may be (I''ll admit I''m far from perfect -- ask my wife). Love your stones for their natural beauty and little flaws that tell you ''I am real, I am of the earth - like you''. Let''s celebrate our imperfections.

Well that''s all. It just is what it is. No further comment. This tome has been far too long. I apologize to you all.

tapio

Wow, very well said. It''s amazing how something so beautiful (diamonds) can be a billion years old, and its inclusion is just as pristine as the day it formed. They say that nothing inside a diamond ages. It is perfectly preserved, and it will remain that way forever. I also appreciate inclusions because they assure me that my diamond is real and it came from Mother Earth. We as a species may be long gone millions/billions of years from now, but our diamonds will remain. And they may graze the hands of the next species. Will they appreciate diamonds as much as we do or will they just adorn sidewalks like ordinary pebbles?

Tapio, thank you for sharing your insights. No need to apologize at all. I admire and agree with your outlook on life.

 

[LD]

Tapio thank you for your thoughts on life. I don''t know whether your diamond is natural or treated as you haven''t actually said but I hope you don''t mind me pointing out that there are never any safe investments (certainly none that would ensure you''d only lose $2k) and diamonds/gemstones/jewellery most definitely are NOT an investment. Re-sale is not guaranteed by any means. Also, prices do fluctuate - unless of course you''re sitting with the Hope Diamond in your possession.

I see so many people who buy gemstones or diamonds thinking they are a good investment and it makes me wince nearly every time. I am most privileged to have a reasonable collection BUT I would never ever assign a monetary value or even consider it in terms of investment. For my daughter or my daughter''s daughter perhaps at some point some of the more sought after gemstones will realise a tidy sum but .............. there are no guarantees!

I hope you don''t mind me pointing that out but there are many new readers/posters to the forum and I would hate anybody to buy for investment.

 

[tapio]

I completely agree with your response.

That''s why portfolios need diversification and never invest in one thing alone. Gemstones are also very personal like art. You must buy what you like and not think of it as an investment - although there are some "blue chip artists". If everything comes crashing down - we''re equalized - and truly in the end - we are all the same. Nobody takes it with them. We have to be willing to give it all up and in a way never get too attached: for each of us must have an anchor with which to hold steadfast during our storms. Mine is my "higher power" whom I choose to call God. In the end we and all our friends die. What is left if not your beliefs? Rudyard Kipling "If" -- a beatiful poem, Keat''s Ode to a Nightingale -beautiful, Breugels The Fall of Icarus.

Early on, (not meaning in a perjorative tone) I was asked about treatments: none.

Cheers,

Tapio

 

[RockHuntin]

I am really impressed by your collection! I didn''t have the chance to read through all the posts, but was wondering if you had considered setting your greyish-lilac diamond in a halo of either kunzites, pinkish purple tourmalines or light-medium violet tanzanites. Or, it would be an interesting dynamic to set it in a two-tone ring with yellow prongs and white shank. I even saw this multi-gemstone necklace which incorporates a couple of those setting techniques/ideas (but I personally prefer a cleaner rounded-border as opposed to the spikey prong look).

I definitely agree that a delicate diamond halo would be an very elegant option. Ma re''s idea of matte-finished metal is really intriguing too. I''ve even seen some oxidized white gold pieces with pave set tanzanites that look really striking (but that might too edgy for the intended design aesthetic).

You have wonderful diamonds to work with, and I am sure your ultimate design will turn out beautifully!

 

[T L]

Date: 12/31/2009 4:53:47 PM
Author: RockHuntin
I am really impressed by your collection! I didn''t have the chance to read through all the posts, but was wondering if you had considered setting your greyish-lilac diamond in a halo of either kunzites, pinkish purple tourmalines or light-medium violet tanzanites. Or, it would be an interesting dynamic to set it in a two-tone ring with yellow prongs and white shank. I even saw this multi-gemstone necklace which incorporates a couple of those setting techniques/ideas (but I personally prefer a cleaner rounded-border as opposed to the spikey prong look).

I definitely agree that a delicate diamond halo would be an very elegant option. Ma re''s idea of matte-finished metal is really intriguing too. I''ve even seen some oxidized white gold pieces with pave set tanzanites that look really striking (but that might too edgy for the intended design aesthetic).

You have wonderful diamonds to work with, and I am sure your ultimate design will turn out beautifully!

Thank you RockHuntin,
You are very kind, and thank you for the suggestions.

I''m actually enamored with this double halo blue diamond ring, but I would keep the double halo white and white diamonds, but rose gold for the prongs and basket. Because the diamond is a delicate shade of lilac, I''m afraid surrounding it with pink stones, and more pink, might take away from it''s color.

 

[RockHuntin]

You''re welcome; it''s a pleasure to see all this diamond eye candy! I definitely agree that the delicate lilac hue should take center stage - its beautiful. I can imagine how striking it will be in that setting; the rose gold will really highlight the center diamond amidst the halos of white diamonds. I took a look at the setting on the Leon website and really like the clean lines of the profile (from what I can see of the angled perspective pic).

I was wondering (and my naivety and inexperience is showing here), when you refer to the basket for this style of setting, does that include the entire inner halo construct, or just the four pronged structure supporting the center diamond (which is integrated into the inner halo)?

 

[Indylady]

Date: 12/30/2009 8:10:41 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Tapio thank you for your thoughts on life. [/b]I don''t know whether your diamond is natural or treated as you haven''t actually said [/b] but I hope you don''t mind me pointing out that there are never any safe investments (certainly none that would ensure you''d only lose $2k) and diamonds/gemstones/jewellery most definitely are NOT an investment. Re-sale is not guaranteed by any means. Also, prices do fluctuate - unless of course you''re sitting with the Hope Diamond in your possession.


I see so many people who buy gemstones or diamonds thinking they are a good investment and it makes me wince nearly every time. I am most privileged to have a reasonable collection BUT I would never ever assign a monetary value or even consider it in terms of investment. For my daughter or my daughter''s daughter perhaps at some point some of the more sought after gemstones will realise a tidy sum but .............. there are no guarantees!


I hope you don''t mind me pointing that out but there are many new readers/posters to the forum and I would hate anybody to buy for investment.

Tapio stated that it is natural in a response to TL a page ago.

 

[T L]

Date: 12/31/2009 6:24:46 PM
Author: RockHuntin
You''re welcome; it''s a pleasure to see all this diamond eye candy! I definitely agree that the delicate lilac hue should take center stage - its beautiful. I can imagine how striking it will be in that setting; the rose gold will really highlight the center diamond amidst the halos of white diamonds. I took a look at the setting on the Leon website and really like the clean lines of the profile (from what I can see of the angled perspective pic).

I was wondering (and my naivety and inexperience is showing here), when you refer to the basket for this style of setting, does that include the entire inner halo construct, or just the four pronged structure supporting the center diamond (which is integrated into the inner halo)?

Thank you again RockHuntin. This is definitely a fun thread!!

To answer your question more specifically, the rose gold would only be the four prongs and the wire beneath the stone that you can''t see. I want both double halos to be white.

 

[LD]

Date: 12/31/2009 6:46:28 PM
Author: IndyLady

Date: 12/30/2009 8:10:41 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Tapio thank you for your thoughts on life. [/b]I don''t know whether your diamond is natural or treated as you haven''t actually said [/b]but I hope you don''t mind me pointing out that there are never any safe investments (certainly none that would ensure you''d only lose $2k) and diamonds/gemstones/jewellery most definitely are NOT an investment. Re-sale is not guaranteed by any means. Also, prices do fluctuate - unless of course you''re sitting with the Hope Diamond in your possession.


I see so many people who buy gemstones or diamonds thinking they are a good investment and it makes me wince nearly every time. I am most privileged to have a reasonable collection BUT I would never ever assign a monetary value or even consider it in terms of investment. For my daughter or my daughter''s daughter perhaps at some point some of the more sought after gemstones will realise a tidy sum but .............. there are no guarantees!


I hope you don''t mind me pointing that out but there are many new readers/posters to the forum and I would hate anybody to buy for investment.

Tapio stated that it is natural in a response to TL a page ago.

Yes I appreciate that but there''s a difference in "natural untreated" and "natural treated". In the world of coloured diamonds, as I''m sure you''re aware, this makes a vast difference in price.

 

[LD]

Date: 12/31/2009 9:18:41 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 12/31/2009 6:24:46 PM
Author: RockHuntin
You''re welcome; it''s a pleasure to see all this diamond eye candy! I definitely agree that the delicate lilac hue should take center stage - its beautiful. I can imagine how striking it will be in that setting; the rose gold will really highlight the center diamond amidst the halos of white diamonds. I took a look at the setting on the Leon website and really like the clean lines of the profile (from what I can see of the angled perspective pic).

I was wondering (and my naivety and inexperience is showing here), when you refer to the basket for this style of setting, does that include the entire inner halo construct, or just the four pronged structure supporting the center diamond (which is integrated into the inner halo)?

Thank you again RockHuntin. This is definitely a fun thread!!

To answer your question more specifically, the rose gold would only be the four prongs and the wire beneath the stone that you can''t see. I want both double halos to be white.

Sounds like a winning combination! I set my lilac diamond in white gold with white diamonds and it does make the lilac the centre stage. I (believe it or not) think the rose gold will also look good for the prongs although it''ll have to be a delicate pink gold rather than coppery I think.

 

[Indylady]

Date: 1/1/2010 6:32:27 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds

Date: 12/31/2009 6:46:28 PM

Author: IndyLady

Date: 12/30/2009 8:10:41 PM

Author: LovingDiamonds

Tapio thank you for your thoughts on life. [/b]I don''t know whether your diamond is natural or treated as you haven''t actually said [/b]but I hope you don''t mind me pointing out that there are never any safe investments (certainly none that would ensure you''d only lose $2k) and diamonds/gemstones/jewellery most definitely are NOT an investment. Re-sale is not guaranteed by any means. Also, prices do fluctuate - unless of course you''re sitting with the Hope Diamond in your possession.



I see so many people who buy gemstones or diamonds thinking they are a good investment and it makes me wince nearly every time. I am most privileged to have a reasonable collection BUT I would never ever assign a monetary value or even consider it in terms of investment. For my daughter or my daughter''s daughter perhaps at some point some of the more sought after gemstones will realise a tidy sum but .............. there are no guarantees!



I hope you don''t mind me pointing that out but there are many new readers/posters to the forum and I would hate anybody to buy for investment.

Tapio stated that it is natural in a response to TL a page ago.

Yes I appreciate that but there''s a difference in ''natural untreated'' and ''natural treated''. In the world of coloured diamonds, as I''m sure you''re aware, this makes a vast difference in price.

If only you would go back and read his response, he said specifically, "This is not an enhanced or irradiated diamond. It is completely natural and your guess at price per carat is not debatable."

 

[LD]

If you took the time to read my post you will see I specifically asked what it said on the certificate. It is easy to assume that a diamond is natural or untreated but as this is certified, presumably, the certificate will state treatment. Since Tapio's original post didn't state what the certificate actually said about treatment, I asked for clarification of what was shown stated. Instead of shouting at me by using bold type, perhaps you could re-read to see exactly what I was asking?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I really liked that double halo ring when I first saw it, I think it''s a stunning look.

 

[Indylady]

Why would Tapio say that his diamond is not enhanced if his certificate did not say so?

 

[LD]

Date: 1/1/2010 9:40:28 AM
Author: IndyLady
Why would Tapio say that his diamond is not enhanced if his certificate did not say so?

Because you can find people who make wild assumptions about what treatments have/have not been applied and not always correctly either. So I was asking what the certificate actually said because Tapio didn't initially say and I wasn't sure whether it was his assumption, based on what he was told at the point of sale. If the certificate was silent then it would have been an assumption that the diamond was natural and untreated. Tapio has clarified that the certificate isn't silent and does state that the diamond is natural/untreated. That makes it a very important diamond and about 3 zeros difference in price!

 

[T L]

Date: 1/1/2010 6:34:51 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds

Date: 12/31/2009 9:18:41 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover

Date: 12/31/2009 6:24:46 PM
Author: RockHuntin
You''re welcome; it''s a pleasure to see all this diamond eye candy! I definitely agree that the delicate lilac hue should take center stage - its beautiful. I can imagine how striking it will be in that setting; the rose gold will really highlight the center diamond amidst the halos of white diamonds. I took a look at the setting on the Leon website and really like the clean lines of the profile (from what I can see of the angled perspective pic).

I was wondering (and my naivety and inexperience is showing here), when you refer to the basket for this style of setting, does that include the entire inner halo construct, or just the four pronged structure supporting the center diamond (which is integrated into the inner halo)?

Thank you again RockHuntin. This is definitely a fun thread!!

To answer your question more specifically, the rose gold would only be the four prongs and the wire beneath the stone that you can''t see. I want both double halos to be white.

Sounds like a winning combination! I set my lilac diamond in white gold with white diamonds and it does make the lilac the centre stage. I (believe it or not) think the rose gold will also look good for the prongs although it''ll have to be a delicate pink gold rather than coppery I think.

Thanks for your thoughts on this LD. Glad to see we finally agree on something with rose gold!! LOL!!

 

[mariedtiger]

HI TL,

I''m afraid I don''t know enough about colored diamonds in order to offer my opinion. I think I would have to see them IRL in order to be sure. Could you send them to me

?

P.S. I love that double halo ring!

 

[T L]

Date: 1/2/2010 11:48:56 AM
Author: mariedtiger
HI TL,

I''m afraid I don''t know enough about colored diamonds in order to offer my opinion. I think I would have to see them IRL in order to be sure. Could you send them to me

?

P.S. I love that double halo ring!

Sorry MT,
But I would miss them too much!!

 

[mariedtiger]

Oh, bummer

Well, they are just gorgeous!

 

[T L]

Thank you MT!!

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 12/30/2009 8:10:41 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Tapio thank you for your thoughts on life. I don''t know whether your diamond is natural or treated as you haven''t actually said but I hope you don''t mind me pointing out that there are never any safe investments (certainly none that would ensure you''d only lose $2k) and diamonds/gemstones/jewellery most definitely are NOT an investment. Re-sale is not guaranteed by any means. Also, prices do fluctuate - unless of course you''re sitting with the Hope Diamond in your possession.

I see so many people who buy gemstones or diamonds thinking they are a good investment and it makes me wince nearly every time. I am most privileged to have a reasonable collection BUT I would never ever assign a monetary value or even consider it in terms of investment. For my daughter or my daughter''s daughter perhaps at some point some of the more sought after gemstones will realise a tidy sum but .............. there are no guarantees!

I hope you don''t mind me pointing that out but there are many new readers/posters to the forum and I would hate anybody to buy for investment.

First of all, TL - thank you for sharing your pictures. I admit I hesitated to open this post because I was afraid of spoling my day with jealosy! I have not yet started a diamond collection because I feel I need to educate myself about diamonds. But your diamonds are beautiful, and they are not too green to make me green with envy! I especially like the photo taken in diffused light. I also like the round cut, it is still the best. Great diamonds, can not give advises on the setting, the color is indeed very delicate and you do not want to kill it with yellow.

Re. investment. I do agree with you, LD, in most cases gems are not an investment or they are a shaky investment. When Russian gentry fled the country after the revolution, most of them took nothing but the gems. Since very few of them could find jobs in post-war Europe, they started selling their gems, and the prices went sharply down because so many stones appeared simultaneously on the market! Felix Yusupoff, the assasin of Rasputin, fared best because he managed to smuggle out two paintings by Rembrandt, but even his money did not last for very long.

I suspect that most of us buy stones for the same reason: we like them. Much as I can explain that I bought my demantoid because the price will definitely go up, in reality, it may not! New mines will be discovered, see what happened with alexandrites. I just have to offer this explanation to justify spending money on a bling, and it has nothing to do with diversifying portfolio. WHy do we all spend so much time on PS? Many of you are professionals, for me it is a hobby, but for all of us, it is a passion! Otherwise we would not even take photographs of expensive gems and post it on the I-net.

Tapio, I do not know you, but you posted excellent sapphires and your stones are great - would you get offended if I express my opinion that it is not just a stash for a rainy day? Let''s just wish ourselves that this day doesn''t come.

But - have you all noticed how many postings have raised issue about certificates? This is a serious issue, I think one might wish to get at least two before he invests into something expensive. I am now planning to ask my assistant to look into the discrepancy between GRS and GIA certificates of my Burmese ruby and I shall tell you what we find out. Tapio has mentioned recent terrorist''s attack - well, I was flying in shortly after that, you should have seen what was going on at the airport! They were looking at each piece of plastic, even my son''s toy airplane looked suspicious. Poor security guys - they had to looki into each shoe, can you imagine the smell of the shoes after long flights? And sadly, it may not prevent anything, because the reaction comes after the event, and new ways of forgery or treating gems would always come first, and then new methods of detection would be developed.

This is not a comment on your stone, Tapio, you bought it with a good certificate and I am positive it is real. I just wanted to express my own concern.