First Post, First Project: Amethyst Asscher

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 6/25/2009 8:01:43 PM
Author: cellentani

Date: 6/25/2009 6:21:08 PM
Author: fierypyropixy

Oh, I like the look of uniquesettings . . . something I''ve wondered with adwar too was if it was difficult to ''persuade'' a jeweler to order something from a company like this. If they don''t happen to subscribe to their catalog or haven''t dealt with them in the past.

Of course, I also wonder about taking in one of the LOGR settings, for instance, after reading on here (I can''t remember who though) about a jeweler that was very rude regarding the origin of the setting. THAT makes me a little paranoid!

Do you have an established relationship with a local jeweler? When I took my LOGR in, the first thing he did was snatch it off my finger and scrutinize it under the microscope (to look at the diamond quality). He usually asks how much my jewelry is (pieces I didn''t get from him), and I find it rather amusing that he''s always comparing prices. I didn''t have any problem telling him where it was from, and if your jeweler gets snooty, you can always say that you might re-set later, but it''s convenient for you to use this setting now. And snooty jewelers suck.

Ditto. My jeweler has only repolished the inside of baskets and replaced pave prongs that may not be the best. Otherwise, he''s always been pretty impressed with the cost:value quality from LOGR and now, Jewe2004/Jewelryhoo.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Chrono, Cellentani, and LaurenThePartier - Thank you!

Re: Local Jeweler: I wish that I had an established relationship with one! The one we''ve used here is closing next week but was really only good for selling, sending repair work off somewhere. Loved a lot of his jewelry, didn''t love his overall demeanor too much. That''s why I left my husband to deal with him!

The other big jeweler in our sights is a totally custom shop which, while not necessarily "snooty", likes to specialize in . . . hmmm . . . "artistic" pieces which aren''t exactly my style. I haven''t contacted them since the notion of this project started . . . I will have to investigate and see if they are willing to do settings/repairs as much as they are to create their art.

Most of my limited setting experiences have been with a trustworthy sort of humble jeweler at home (we are currently transplanted about 12 hours away) who was great for exactly this -- pre-made catalog settings and prong repairs and such. Like I said, I''ll have to investigate . . . they may be great for this too and I just didn''t get that vibe initially.

 

[marcy]

Wow, that is gorgeous!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/25/2009 10:17:34 PM
Author: marcyc
Wow, that is gorgeous!

Thanks . . . I can''t wait to see it!

 

[CharmyPoo]

Date: 6/25/2009 11:35:09 AM
Author: fierypyropixy
Along with the VeraWang-type setting, this LOGR setting has really stuck with me too. The detail shots make me think that the basket wouldn't be deep enough to accommodate my stone though. So that makes me ask:

When you ask for the customization to these, like upgrading the diamonds or changing the gold, can you specify a depth for the basket? Or would LOGR only size it up to a 'standard' 12mm setting size? How specific are you allowed to get?

I have that setting. I will tell you how it looks when I get it. I am changing both the stone size and the ring size. They are usually pretty good about it.

I am making the following setting except with double prongs for my octangon (asscher) like stone.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/25/2009 11:28:32 PM
Author: CharmyPoo

Date: 6/25/2009 11:35:09 AM

Author: fierypyropixy

Along with the VeraWang-type setting, this LOGR setting has really stuck with me too. The detail shots make me think that the basket wouldn''t be deep enough to accommodate my stone though. So that makes me ask:


When you ask for the customization to these, like upgrading the diamonds or changing the gold, can you specify a depth for the basket? Or would LOGR only size it up to a ''standard'' 12mm setting size? How specific are you allowed to get?

I have that setting. I will tell you how it looks when I get it. I am changing both the stone size and the ring size. They are usually pretty good about it.


I am making the following setting except with double prongs for my octangon (asscher) like stone.

I''m not a pro at the forum searches yet, but is this the purple cushion from Barry? It will be great to not only see the setting but see how the amethyst reacts with the white gold. Yay! And the pink tourmaline (from the same thread) is going in the IceStore setting? Lovely!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Very exciting . . . it arrived today!

So of course the first thing I did was whisk it out of the box, and take pictures while trying to keep it as clean as possible!

It did have little specks on it from packaging material, so first I washed it off and here it was under our halogen bathroom lights . . .

 

[fierypyropixy]

Then I backed off a little bit so you can get a more general feel of the overall look under interior lights . . . very much the grape jelly look I LOVE!

 

[D&T]

Date: 6/26/2009 6:12:42 PM
Author: fierypyropixy
Very exciting . . . it arrived today!

So of course the first thing I did was whisk it out of the box, and take pictures while trying to keep it as clean as possible!

It did have little specks on it from packaging material, so first I washed it off and here it was under our halogen bathroom lights . . .

oh man that is gorgeous! I love step cut!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Then I took it outside because we were having a day of absolutely blinding sunlight (heh, yes, STILL on my trusty washcloth . . . I bet the neighbors wondered what in the world I was doing . . .)

 

[fierypyropixy]

And I thought of putting it with white vs. yellow gold to compare for settings.

ALTHOUGH. I am a little confused, b/c I bought this ring from an estate jeweler and I could have sworn that at the time, it was referred to not as yellow gold, but as a rose/rosy gold. In normal (aka, not blinding sunlight), it certainly doesn''t appear brassy and brash like the yellow gold I avoid. This gold works well with my fair skin . . . but it''s certainly NOT the pinky or coppery rose gold I''m seeing for certain LOGR settings, so . . . can anyone chip in? Is this more a difference in karat weight of the gold, and perhaps it''s yellow gold after all, or could it be a certain karat weight of rose gold that just isn''t "rosy"? Help straightening this out is appreciated.

 

[D&T]

Date: 6/26/2009 6:26:26 PM
Author: fierypyropixy
And I thought of putting it with white vs. yellow gold to compare for settings.

ALTHOUGH. I am a little confused, b/c I bought this ring from an estate jeweler and I could have sworn that at the time, it was referred to not as yellow gold, but as a rose/rosy gold. In normal (aka, not blinding sunlight), it certainly doesn't appear brassy and brash like the yellow gold I avoid. This gold works well with my fair skin . . . but it's certainly NOT the pinky or coppery rose gold I'm seeing for certain LOGR settings, so . . . can anyone chip in? Is this more a difference in karat weight of the gold, and perhaps it's yellow gold after all, or could it be a certain karat weight of rose gold that just isn't 'rosy'? Help straightening this out is appreciated.

could it be white gold NOT rhodium plated? or is it 10k? just curious, I know my 18 is a bit more brassier or richer in color

 

[D&T]

here is my amethyst in 14k yellow gold

 

[fierypyropixy]

This one (at least on my monitor) shows a little better how the purple reacts to the yellow/rose gold, whichever this is. It really warms it up dramatically in person!

 

[fierypyropixy]

And here, of course, is the amethyst next to white gold . . . which doesn''t "pop" as much as the yellow gold. Cools it down.

 

[fierypyropixy]

One more . . . comparison side by side between yellow and white.

I see now, especially, that I am going to need a very open setting in order to fully appreciate the cut . . . and I LOVE IT!!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/26/2009 6:28:05 PM
Author: D&T

Date: 6/26/2009 6:26:26 PM

Author: fierypyropixy

And I thought of putting it with white vs. yellow gold to compare for settings.


ALTHOUGH. I am a little confused, b/c I bought this ring from an estate jeweler and I could have sworn that at the time, it was referred to not as yellow gold, but as a rose/rosy gold. In normal (aka, not blinding sunlight), it certainly doesn''t appear brassy and brash like the yellow gold I avoid. This gold works well with my fair skin . . . but it''s certainly NOT the pinky or coppery rose gold I''m seeing for certain LOGR settings, so . . . can anyone chip in? Is this more a difference in karat weight of the gold, and perhaps it''s yellow gold after all, or could it be a certain karat weight of rose gold that just isn''t ''rosy''? Help straightening this out is appreciated.

could it be white gold NOT rhodium plated? or is it 10k? just curious, I know my 18 is a bit more brassier or richer in color

I really don''t have the slightest clue. My parents bought me this ring when I was a freshman in college. As my high school graduation present, I''d had a diamond pendant made with a new exaggerated buttercup setting, and when my mom saw the ring at an estate jeweler''s, she couldn''t resist since it "matched". I''ve never paid attention to gold in terms of karats, and the ring is circa early 1900''s.

I''m wearing it inside now, and it just doesn''t scream bright yellow gold the way the pictures want to portray. I almost say coppery, but then again it''s not . . . it''s just a darker looking gold. So I am feeling at a loss as to the right descriptive phrase. I see gold research on PS in my v.near future!

 

[cellentani]

Date: 6/26/2009 6:45:26 PM
Author: fierypyropixy

I really don't have the slightest clue. My parents bought me this ring when I was a freshman in college. As my high school graduation present, I'd had a diamond pendant made with a new exaggerated buttercup setting, and when my mom saw the ring at an estate jeweler's, she couldn't resist since it 'matched'. I've never paid attention to gold in terms of karats, and the ring is circa early 1900's.

I'm wearing it inside now, and it just doesn't scream bright yellow gold the way the pictures want to portray. I almost say coppery, but then again it's not . . . it's just a darker looking gold. So I am feeling at a loss as to the right descriptive phrase. I see gold research on PS in my v.near future!

Is there a gold mark inside the ring that could give us a clue? Rose gold can vary in color depending on the amount of gold content and the particular alloy(s) used. A higher carat weight yellow gold will be a richer and deeper in tone. I know this generalization is practically useless to you, though.

ETA: I can't believe I forgot to comment on your stone - that thing's magnificent!!! Can you tell us what setting you're leaning towards, or will it be a surprise? I have been and will be following this with great interest!

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/26/2009 6:53:23 PM
Author: cellentani

Date: 6/26/2009 6:45:26 PM

Author: fierypyropixy


I really don''t have the slightest clue. My parents bought me this ring when I was a freshman in college. As my high school graduation present, I''d had a diamond pendant made with a new exaggerated buttercup setting, and when my mom saw the ring at an estate jeweler''s, she couldn''t resist since it ''matched''. I''ve never paid attention to gold in terms of karats, and the ring is circa early 1900''s.


I''m wearing it inside now, and it just doesn''t scream bright yellow gold the way the pictures want to portray. I almost say coppery, but then again it''s not . . . it''s just a darker looking gold. So I am feeling at a loss as to the right descriptive phrase. I see gold research on PS in my v.near future!

Is there a gold mark inside the ring that could give us a clue? Rose gold can vary in color depending on the amount of gold content and the particular alloy(s) used. A higher carat weight yellow gold will be a richer and deeper in tone. I know this generalization is practically useless to you, though.


ETA: I can''t believe I forgot to comment on your stone - that thing''s magnificent!!! Can you tell us what setting you''re leaning towards, or will it be a surprise? I have been and will be following this with great interest!

Hmmm, this is the only mark, besides a previous owner''s inscription. No usual gold mark, just this star and a v. (I hope I''m not being stupid and this is some sort of "usual" gold mark! My others have specific "14k" and such.) I suppose this can honestly be a yellow gold, and not a rose gold as we were told, b/c I have no other gold jewelry to compare with it. It''s just always been darker and not the bright yellow gold I am used to stereotyping.

And thank you, that''s sweet. I''m feeling sort of conflicted now about the setting. What I thought I was pretty set on (for the time being at least) is making me wonder if it''s going to allow the stone to catch enough light . . . and now I''m a little hesitant about yellow vs rose gold thanks to my buttercup ring!

 

[cellentani]

I'm definitely no expert, but I'm wondering if your ring is possibly Russian? The "V" could actually be a sickle? Just throwing that out there - I really have no idea.

ETA: here's a site I found. Note the first picture, and the hallmark with the star and tiny sickle beside it.

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/26/2009 8:21:57 PM
Author: cellentani
I''m definitely no expert, but I''m wondering if your ring is possibly Russian? The ''V'' could actually be a sickle? Just throwing that out there - I really have no idea.


ETA: here''s a site I found. Note the first picture, and the hallmark with the star and tiny sickle beside it.

Verrrrry interesting. It certainly resembles both the star and sickle, even though it''s not as close or as relative, size-wise.

Argh - I tend to get v.ocd and anal-retentive about details and controlling them in a project like this (you don''t even want to KNOW how I approached decorating our new house -- I was a tense whirlwind nightmare of coordinating paint swatches and granite countertops and drapes, OH MY). So suddenly questioning what I thought was a form of rose gold that I have personal experience with threw me all out of whack today.

Just now, though, I realized that I''ve been looking at YOUR thread about the LOGR rose gold setting with the pale morganite, and seeing the amethyst you placed in it for fun pretty much solidified that it will work as well with mine. I just have to UNCLENCH! LOL

 

[cellentani]

Date: 6/26/2009 10:20:09 PM
Author: fierypyropixy
Verrrrry interesting. It certainly resembles both the star and sickle, even though it''s not as close or as relative, size-wise.

Argh - I tend to get v.ocd and anal-retentive about details and controlling them in a project like this (you don''t even want to KNOW how I approached decorating our new house -- I was a tense whirlwind nightmare of coordinating paint swatches and granite countertops and drapes, OH MY). So suddenly questioning what I thought was a form of rose gold that I have personal experience with threw me all out of whack today.

Just now, though, I realized that I''ve been looking at YOUR thread about the LOGR rose gold setting with the pale morganite, and seeing the amethyst you placed in it for fun pretty much solidified that it will work as well with mine. I just have to UNCLENCH! LOL

I know exactly what you mean - I agonize over every decision too, and I drive my DH and jeweler nuts when I''m picking out new jewelry. Do you have any jewelry stores near you that might have some settings you could try? I''m sure you won''t find many that will actually fit your stone, but you could at least hold them next to each other to see the color combo. And if you''re going with a more open setting, there will be less gold next to your stone anyway. It''s a dilemma, but at least it''s a good dilemma.

When I was deciding on a setting for my morganite, I wasn''t sure how rose gold would look on my skin, so I picked a setting with diamonds on the shank so that I would see mostly white on my finger. I''d even thought about going 2-tone: rose gold head, white gold shank, but I''m happy (still!) with how it turned out.

 

[cellentani]

I know you didn''t post that icestore setting, but it kinda reminds me of this LOGR

And I swear I''m not working for LOGR, even though I keep posting their stuff.

 

[fierypyropixy]

The State of the Setting:

Still undecided.

The most viable are the LOGR rope setting, the LOGR slightly split shank with pave setting, and the Tripps plain basket setting.

LOGR Rope: It''s a slightly different look, I like that I can get it in the rose gold which I think will work well with the amethyst, and it seems rather low-maintenance in terms of not having to upgrade or worry about pave falling out if I bash it into something accidentally. Also, the basket is pretty open and we need all the light exposure that we can get here. But, I wonder in my ocd way, how the basket will appear when I get it extended to accommodate the extra height of the asscher.

LOGR Split Shank with Pave: I really like this one. Rose gold, upgraded pave, and I inquired about customizing the basket height too. Can''t wait to see more pictures at different angles when CharmyPoo gets hers. I suppose with the basket height I get nervous that it will throw the look of either of these two rings off when it''s altered. OCD.

Tripps Plain Basket: Plain, no competition for the stone itself. But looking at the pictures on the site, they don''t seem as deep as I''d need. Ebay seller Liebcor carries what looks like the same setting, in rose gold whereas Tripps only carries yellow or white. BUT, I''m sort of tempted to get the cheap sterling silver setting of this item number to test it out.

I mentioned LOGR being an ebay merchant and the hubs gave me one of those sideways raised eye "looks". He seems to be of the opinion that I should let it sit here on the desk and observe it for a bit, seems to think I''m rushing into something that doesn''t quite fit what I want, just for the sake of completing the project. And . . . I admit I do that.

 

[cellentani]

Waaaay off topic, but who is that cutie in your avatar?

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/26/2009 10:39:23 PM
Author: cellentani

Date: 6/26/2009 10:20:09 PM

Author: fierypyropixy

Verrrrry interesting. It certainly resembles both the star and sickle, even though it''s not as close or as relative, size-wise.


Argh - I tend to get v.ocd and anal-retentive about details and controlling them in a project like this (you don''t even want to KNOW how I approached decorating our new house -- I was a tense whirlwind nightmare of coordinating paint swatches and granite countertops and drapes, OH MY). So suddenly questioning what I thought was a form of rose gold that I have personal experience with threw me all out of whack today.

Just now, though, I realized that I''ve been looking at YOUR thread about the LOGR rose gold setting with the pale morganite, and seeing the amethyst you placed in it for fun pretty much solidified that it will work as well with mine. I just have to UNCLENCH! LOL

I know exactly what you mean - I agonize over every decision too, and I drive my DH and jeweler nuts when I''m picking out new jewelry. Do you have any jewelry stores near you that might have some settings you could try? I''m sure you won''t find many that will actually fit your stone, but you could at least hold them next to each other to see the color combo. And if you''re going with a more open setting, there will be less gold next to your stone anyway. It''s a dilemma, but at least it''s a good dilemma.


When I was deciding on a setting for my morganite, I wasn''t sure how rose gold would look on my skin, so I picked a setting with diamonds on the shank so that I would see mostly white on my finger. I''d even thought about going 2-tone: rose gold head, white gold shank, but I''m happy (still!) with how it turned out.

Oh, yes, it IS a great dilemma! I am such a hermit housewife . . . I have to force myself out of the house, but I AM planning a little excursion maybe this weekend, to the custom jeweler in town, as well as a store that I''ve heard very good things about, but is an hour away.

The morganite DOES look great in that setting . . . it''s interesting to see the difference when the gold isn''t white, so the pave doesn''t blend in . . .and I like it!

 

[D&T]

Date: 6/26/2009 10:48:26 PM
Author: cellentani
I know you didn''t post that icestore setting, but it kinda reminds me of this LOGR

And I swear I''m not working for LOGR, even though I keep posting their stuff.

lol.... post away.. I''m always looking for ideas for a future project

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/26/2009 10:48:26 PM
Author: cellentani
I know you didn''t post that icestore setting, but it kinda reminds me of this LOGR


And I swear I''m not working for LOGR, even though I keep posting their stuff.

Hehe . . . if you WERE, I''d totally buy from you!

It''s so easy with LOGR b/c they have SO MANY settings. It''s a little overwhelming at first . . .

 

[fierypyropixy]

Date: 6/26/2009 11:11:49 PM
Author: cellentani
Waaaay off topic, but who is that cutie in your avatar?

That's my baby.

My five year old tinytoy poodle Ava. She's only four pounds but rules the house nonetheless. LOL Doesn't care much for jewelry though -- her one downfall.

 

[ma re]

Just a few pointers - the metal of your antique ring may be harder to identify cause all gold changes color slightly over time. And that''s why many antique yellow gold pieces look coppery, orangy, rosy or something like that. I believe it has something to do with the oxidation of copper which is a usual ingredient of most (if not all) yellow gold alloys. Oh and, a karat isn''t a weight measurement (like a carat), but a purity measurement. It tells you how much pure gold there is in the alloy as opposed to other metals (example, 14k means 14/24 parts are pure gold, since pure gold is 24k, and the other 10 parts are most likely silver and copper).