Help me with my first CS - aquamarine

[EllieTO]

I've never had a colored stone, but I've been inspired by a coworker who wears a different ring every day in all kinds of beautiful colors and settings. I never thought I could pull one off, but I'm gonna try I picked up this ring on a whim today because I fell in love with the setting, and an aquamarine is one of my top choices to start dabbling (and I just found out my yearly bonus yesterday, haha!).

I can't find fault with the setting and workmanship (except maybe some claw prongs would be nice!), but unfortunately I have no idea where the stone ranks on the level of awful to acceptable. It's a light color, but I like the shade so I'm not concerned with that. I'm more concerned about the cut. Can all of you super knowledgeable pricescopers critique it for me? I do have a return period, so tell me the truth. If it's not worth keeping I'm sure you'll help me find something else. I will share the cost and the source, but I want some opinions first.

All the pictures and videos were taken indoors close to a window in natural indirect light.

 

[EllieTO]

 

[EllieTO]

 

[voce]

I think both the stone and setting are lovely! Whether or not it's "worth it" depends 1) how the ring makes you feel, and 2) the price you paid for it.

 

[dk168]

Colour and setting preferences are very personal.

The stone and ring setting look nice in photos and the videos.

How big is the stone in dimensions/carat weight please?

To me personally, I would pass on the stone for the following reasons:

• I prefer a hint of green in Aquas
• It is not a precision cut
• It is not an emerald cut (I prefer EC in Aquas and other lighter-colour CSs)
• I could see a bit of a window, however, it is small enough to live with

I would definitely pass on the ring setting for a number of reasons based on my own likes and dislikes.

All personal preferences and all that.

However, if you like it, and at a price that is acceptable to you, then that's all that matters.

DK

 

[LilAlex]

I think it's very pretty -- especially the middle hand shot. And I like the basket behind the stone.

No reason to second-guess yourself on how pretty it is. I have no idea if it was a good value but I doubt you missed by much even if it wasn't (vs., say, a Kashmir sapphire).

Aqua is a great "gateway" gem -- pretty and affordable. I have recommended them to others!

 

[Niffler75]

@EllieTO Hiya It's a really pretty aqua. I have seen stones that are very paled out and yours is a lovely blue.
The setting and size are really lovely. Congrats on your purchase!

 

[MarionC]

It’s beautiful and you love it.

 

[MarionC]

I think it's very pretty -- especially the middle hand shot. And I like the basket behind the stone.

No reason to second-guess yourself on how pretty it is. I have no idea if it was a good value but I doubt you missed by much even if it wasn't (vs., say, a Kashmir sapphire).

Aqua is a great "gateway" gem -- pretty and affordable. I have recommended them to others!

OMG gateway gem. I know ! I just bought my first milky aquamarine and my first thought was ...definitely need more of these. And other CSs. Smitten and hooked!

 

[pwsg07]

It looks good to me. For pastel stones, they will look pale under direct sunlight. Just make sure you love the stone in every lighting.

 

[EllieTO]

Ok then I think it's a keeper. I really had no idea about the cut because I know nothing about cushions and I'm not used to CS so I wasn't sure if the color variation and the little window were ok.

I picked it up at Costco. It's the third ring I've bought there (plus diamond huggie earrings) and I've been so happy with all my purchases. Now I'm wondering whether I should check the other ones they had in stock to see if I like any of the other stones better (the associate said they had 4). I just don't know what to look for and I know I'll be flustered as the Costco environment isn't the most conducive to leisurely jewellery shopping.

@dk168 The stone is 9 x 7 according to the cert. It's sized at 7 now, I need to get it sized down. With a thin band, I need a 5.5 on my middle finger (no hope of getting it down to my ring finger).

 

[voce]

I think Costco is ok for citrine, amethyst, peridot, aquamarine and tourmaline, but I wouldn't buy any ruby, sapphire, emerald from Costco, because they don't test those for treatments. There's a big price difference in the gem world between heated and unheated sapphire, heated and unheated ruby, and insignificant clarity treatment and heavily treated emerald. Costco only offers GIA certificates for their diamonds, but I would want certificates for the big colored gems, too.

 

[EllieTO]

Thanks @voce , good to know! I don't see myself buying a ruby or emerald soon, but I would like a pink sapphire. Not a good idea from Costco then?

One more question - will the aqua stand up to frequent wear (maybe once or twice a week) and what is the best way to clean it? I read that it will get dirty quickly and I can't have that! Am I ok to put it in my ultrasonic cleaner? It's just a cheaper item off Amazon, so it's not very powerful (definitely not like the real sonicator I used to use on my old diamond e-ring back when I worked in a lab!). Can I clean it with a brush frequently, and occasionally put it in the ultrasonic to clean the underside and the pave thoroughly?

 

[voce]

Thanks @voce , good to know! I don't see myself buying a ruby or emerald soon, but I would like a pink sapphire. Not a good idea from Costco then?

One more question - will the aqua stand up to frequent wear (maybe once or twice a week) and what is the best way to clean it? I read that it will get dirty quickly and I can't have that! Am I ok to put it in my ultrasonic cleaner? It's just a cheaper item off Amazon, so it's not very powerful (definitely not like the real sonicator I used to use on my old diamond e-ring back when I worked in a lab!). Can I clean it with a brush frequently, and occasionally put it in the ultrasonic to clean the underside and the pave thoroughly?

No to Costco, yes and yes on other two.

 

[missy]

@EllieTO I think it is a lovely ring. Love the size, shape and the color. Costco rocks. Pun intended.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Gorgeous ring! I think the color stands up really well as a lot of aquas often die in terms of color.

I love the setting too! If you love it and it was a fair price go for it!

Settings are such a personal thing. For instance if I were a bezel lover I'd hate your ring simply because I'd want to go bezel the aqua or something.

I actually loathe bezels but you get my point!

 

[EllieTO]

Thank you, I feel better about it now. I also showed it to my coworker who's really into CS (she buys her stones at trade shows and does custom settings, no Costco pieces for sure!), and based on just a visual examination she couldn't find anything objectionable other than that it's a light colour.

Can anyone ballpark how much resizing should cost, I'm in San Diego. I'm new to California, so any recommendations for local jewellers would be great!

 

[voce]

Thank you, I feel better about it now. I also showed it to my coworker who's really into CS (she buys her stones at trade shows and does custom settings, no Costco pieces for sure!), and based on just a visual examination she couldn't find anything objectionable other than that it's a light colour.

Can anyone ballpark how much resizing should cost, I'm in San Diego. I'm new to California, so any recommendations for local jewellers would be great!

Oh man, if you really intend to go down the CS rabbit hole you should visit Gemfix in person! They're stone vendors, but there's a jeweller in the same building.

 

[EllieTO]

Oh man, if you really intend to go down the CS rabbit hole you should visit Gemfix in person! They're stone vendors, but there's a jeweller in the same building.

I'm afraid I can't afford to go down the rabbit hole. I would want all my stones set into beautiful settings and I can't afford an expensive hobby right now, I'm trying to buy a house soon. I'll try to keep it to maybe one per year or big milestones. Last year was a Tiffany Paper Flower ring for my new job, which is totally overpriced but I wanted something special I would never get otherwise. Next I think I want a low color OEC (or OEC flower cluster) and hopefully a custom setting unless I find something I really love. Then we can talk about a pink sapphire

 

[Polabowla]

I love the ring the setting & the stone! Enjoy & wear it well