Help choosing a peridot for Daniel M halo pendant!

[Cherokee1979]

Hi all.

Thanks so much to everyone for their advice thus far regarding my project with Daniel M to create a halo bezel pendant for my wife! The pendant will be in silver (akin to the below sample picture), and I have asked Caren to source some single-cut diamonds for me (which will hopefully be cheaper or the same price as their stock full-cut melee):



Caren has sourced two 6mm peridots for us (see pics below), and I was wondering if I could get your opinions as to whether the stones look any good and whether I should choose to go with one of those stones (for an extra charge of $40 on my limited budget) or to simply go with one of Daniel M's stock peridots. Caren tells me that she and Daniel are very happy with the color of the sourced stones in person. They do look nice, but I noticed that the color on some of Daniel M's stock stones (pics below) is also pretty good. I will also ask Caren to give her honest opinion as to whether she thinks the sourced stones are much nicer than their stock stones, as she has the benefit of seeing them IRL.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Cherokee1979]

CAREN'S SOURCED STONES:

 

[Cherokee1979]

Daniel M's STOCK Peridot:

 

[chrono]

Can Caren take a picture of the loose peridot right next to one of their standard offerings? I'm surprised there's barely any difference for an extra $40 but best to be sure.

 

[Cherokee1979]

Thanks, Chrono! I just emailed Caren and asked her to kindly send me a photo or two with their stock stones right next to the sourced ones.

I was also thinking that there was barely (if at all) any difference in cut/color between the sourced stones vs. stock! I know that the stones will likely darken when bezeled, but the color on the sourced stones does not look very good to me. The color looks quite washed-out. In fact, I think that I might actually even like the color in their stock photo better (the face-on photo of the silver ring above)!

 

[Cherokee1979]

Caren informs me that she will be able to send me some further pics. In the meantime, any further opinions from you all would be most welcome! In the sourced stones, do you feel that they show a good deal of windowing?? Thanks.

 

[tara3056]

Caren's photos aren't so good, so it's pretty difficult to get an accurate idea of the color/quality of the stones. I'm not blaming her, though, because it can be incredibly difficult to get accurate photos of gemstones, particularly green(ish) ones! I would do a few things: definitely wait and see what she says about whether the color is noticeably better on the sourced stones vs the stock stones... then:

1. Since you have until August (I think, right?), see if Caren would be willing to ship you a few peridots for in-person viewing (the sourced stones + a stock or 2). This may not work well. For one, she may be on a timeframe herself for returning the sourced stones; two, it would cost extra $ in shipping costs to have her ship them to you and then for you to have to ship them back.

2. OR, I would simply choose to trust her and Dan's opinion if they say the sourced stones are or are not better than the stock ones.

One added benefit to going with the stock stone & setting is that I believe you could return it if you aren't happy with it. In fact, that might be where I'd have started: just order it exactly as it is stocked on their site and see how you like it, then either keep it or not.

**OH, edited to add: I don't think those peridots are windowed. Peridot has a relatively low refractive index, which means you will be more inclined to see a tilt window when the peridots are viewed at a slight angle / tilt / not dead-on. Luckily, the sliding halo pendant will almost never allow a tilt window to be seen (I know, because I got one made for my Mom using a pink tourmaline, which also has the low RI/tilt window issue and it's really not a problem). I think Caren and Dan are experienced enough to never use a truly windowed stone (i.e. where the window is in the center of the stone).

 

[chrono]

I don't think those peridots are windowed. Peridot has a relatively low refractive index, which means you will be more inclined to see a tilt window when the peridots are viewed at a slight angle / tilt / not dead-on. Luckily, the sliding halo pendant will almost never allow a tilt window to be seen (I know, because I got one made for my Mom using a pink tourmaline, which also has the low RI/tilt window issue and it's really not a problem).

Ditto this. You are seeing a tilt window which is more obvious in a low RI stone like peridot.

 

[Cherokee1979]

Hi Chrono and tara3056!

Thanks so much for your advice. Well, I just got done emailing back and forth with Caren this morning regarding the choice of going with one of her sourced stones (for and extra $40) or going with one of the stock stones. Caren sent me two pictures showing the sourced stones (on the left) next to one of their stock stones (on the right):



From these pictures, I told Caren that both my wife and I vastly prefer the stock peridot. The color is SO much more saturated, and Caren agreed and said that all of the stones have good cuts. I told Caren to kindly pick from her stock stones what she thinks is the best and most saturated stone. I told her that I am not too worried about the color of green (she described her pictured stock stone as more of a "lime" vs. "apple" green, which color she was trying to aim for in the sourced stones), so long as there is no medium or strong yellow tint.

What do you all think about the comparisons? Do you have any other advice? Thank you SO much for all of your help & patience with my ongoing thread

 

[chrono]

I wouldn't waste $40 for a stone that looks essentially the same as their stock peridot. Their stock peridot is yellower but more saturated.

 

[Cherokee1979]

Tara3056: as a total aside, that is so funny that you also have an endless love ER and decided that the Daniel M halo would compliment it! I think you made a good choice, as your pendant is to die for! My wife's ER & WB is below. She still loves it, as do I, and I am SO happy to have found PS in my search for a stone. The AGSL 0 center stone is smaller, but man does it perform well!

 

[Cherokee1979]

Thanks for your advice, Chrono! I tend to agree. If I had to choose between more saturated Lime (little more yellow) color or more of a pure green color (but kinda washed out and less saturated), I think I'd go for the first option every time.... especially if it saves me a few bucks!

 

[tara3056]

Sounds like you're well on your way now! I'm glad you feel more confident in your peridot decision! You know you must come back when it's all finished and show us pics and tell us what your wife thinks, right? I'll also be interested in knowing what you think of the Argentium. I've never used it, but I'm very much a white-metal fan, and not everything needs to be in wg or plat!

Aside: My husband proposed with a diamond in a Tiffany-style 6 prong setting. I loved it at the time, but we eventually decided to do an upgrade by keeping the same diamond and putting it in the Ritani EL. I've now had the Ritani for 8 years now, and I still LOVE it! It's exactly my style, and I've never felt a desire to ever upgrade further, esp because the diamond is sentimental to me, and the halo gives it much more presence than it had as a solitaire. (My center stone is a 0.90, and looks about like your wife's when it's on my size 5.5 finger). I've been really impressed by how comfortable it is, and also that I've never had a melee go missing! (For micro-pave work like this, I have to think that's pretty rare over nearly 10 years of wearing it.) An added funny benefit is that when my fingers have swollen up a bit due to pregnancy (I'm currently 6 mo right now + we have a 2.5 year old), the little gap where the culet hangs down makes the e-ring still fit even when the band doesn't. LOL.