How MANY Colored Stones Do You Have?

[iLander]

So, I got to thinking (yes, that was the burning smell you noticed) about CSer's and all our stones:

How many does everyone have, exactly?

I thought I only had 5, but after thinking about it, I have 7;

Emerald from Dana @ Mastercut

Ruby from Gene @ Precision Gem

Sapphire from Gemrite

Tourmaline from Jerry @ Gemart Services

Citrine from Richard Homer

Mali Garnet from Litnon

Red Garnet from Barry (the original one that started it all, the bubble gum ring!)

I've been REALLY careful about not buying too many, because I have been down the "collecting" road before, and it leads to a slippery slope! If anyone wants proof, I can show you the 300+ teddy bears that are in my closets (mostly Steiff and other pricey ones). So, I have been very careful, not buying as much as I want, but not regretting anything, either.

Have you counted? Do you want to?

 

[minousbijoux]

iLander, you can come over any time you want and count them! But assuming it will take you a while to get here from Florida, I will say that I have more than 50, and I am very proud of myself for selling and giving away many more.

 

[ChrisA222]

Exactly....it was up over 200...but now it is a much more managable (and upgraded) 75ish. Can't give an exact count because there are some that are on their way...some rough that needs to be cut...and so on.

Its an addiction...really! And seeing examples that Chrono (usually...but all you ladies and gents have some awesome gems) posts makes it worse...because then you realize...hey, theres better out there...and then that leads to another purchase..or at least an attempt to purchase....and on it goes...

Honestly, one example...I cannot tell you how many vendors I have contacted...websites I have visited...collectors I have approached, trying to find a neon Chrysoberyl that even approaches Erins. So far--nada. May have found one that is remotely close...but...not Erins!

 

[PrecisionGem]

Believe it or not, I don't have any. I keep thinking I should have one set in something I can wear.

 

[chrono]

Somewhere between 30 and 40 total, set and unset. The count seems high because I count each earring pair as 2 stones.

 

[FrekeChild]

Oooh boy. I have:

Earrings:
2 hot pink Mahenge spinels
2 lavender/pink spinels (Barry)
2 blue oval spinels (Dana)
2 blue sapphires (were my moms)
2 Tiff aquas

Necklaces:
2 white topaz, 1 blue green tourm (Barry)
1 almost colorless spinel (Recut by Jerry)
1 gray spinel
1 hot pink mahenge spinel
1 lavender spinel (Gene?)
1 purple spinel (Dan)
1 light blue spinel (Peter)
1 Tiff tsavorite
1 cuprian tourm (Barry)
1 amethyst
1 light blue sapphire
1 Tiff aqua

Bracelets:
1 Tiff aqua
blue topaz

Rings:
breast cancer ribbon w/ pink sapphires
retro pink tourmaline
Giant blue topaz (Barry)
Gray spinel (Barry)
Creamy tourmaline (Barry)
White spinel (Barry)
Peach spinel
tsavorite (Barry)
Namibian tourmaline (Barry)
Blue spinel ering (Barry)
blue sapphire (Gene)
periwinkle spinel (Dan)
lavender sapphire (Gene)
lavender/pink spinel (Barry)
pink spinel (Dan)
Tiff blue sapphire
Tiff tsavorite

Multi-stone rings:
blue sapphire 3/4 eternity
blue topaz eternity

Loose stones:
red spinels for 3/4 eternity
tsavorites for 3/4 eternity
3 purple spinels for 3 stone (Barry, Peter, Barry)
2 mahenge spinels for 5 stone
1 periwinkle spinel for ring (Barry)
1 Big Blue spinel for ring (Barry)
1 blue sapphire for ring (Gene)
1 mahenge spinel for ring
1 Merelani mint garnet for ring (Barry)
1 blue spinel for necklace
1 tsavorite (+a baby tsavorite) for necklace (Gary)
2 green garnets for earrings

And here I was, thinking that my collection was FINALLY getting smaller....

 

[ForteKitty]

Color's a little off, but this is the best I can do. The tsav garnets and the blue/green tourmalines are more vibrant in real life.

 

[ForteKitty]

The ones in the tray are just the loose ones. I have some set too, but I hardly wear them since I keep most of my jewelry in the bank safe and only rotate some stuff out every couple of weeks.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Rings:
1 Light blue sapphire (Dana)
1 Alexandrite
1 Tourmaline (Dana)
2 Red spinels (Dana, AJS)
2 Mahenge spinels (Tan)
2 Amethysts (1 Gem Trader)
1 Peridot
1 Tanzanite
1 Citrine
1 Andalusite
1 Diamond ring with ruby sides

Bracelets:
1 Amethyst

Loose Stones:
3 Tourmalines (Dana)
1 Blue spinel (Gemcal)
2 Mahenge spinels (Tan)
1 Chrysoberyl
1 Alexandrite (lost - from Muticolour, I hope to find it one day, it has to be here somewhere)

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Color's a little off, but this is the best I can do. The tsav garnets and the blue/green tourmalines are more vibrant in real life.

Amazing!

 

[SB621]

FK you are my HERO!!!!

I have obviously been in the process of selling off the majority of my collection as I never wear even 1/10 of it.

From what I think I have left....

I have about 50ish CS's that are still unset that I'm undecided what to do about.

Rings:
Pink/ Purple sapphire ring
ruby ring
Seafoam green tourmaline Legacy ring from Jeff/ LOGR

Necklace:
Ruby pendant

 

[LD]

Years ago I posted photos of my collection but have since removed them and won't do it again but as a guess it would be:

Approx 300 loose gemstones
Rings? No idea - probably about 200 - too many to wear unless I grow a few more arms.
Bracelets - probably about 20-30
Necklaces/Pendants - probably about 50
Earrings? I don't know maybe 50 or so.

To break it down I have about 17-20 Tanzanite rings, 18 Sapphire rings, 6 Ruby rings, 15 Paraiba Tourmaline rings, about 20 Alexandrite rings, 35 coloured diamond rings, 7 Emerald rings, 10 pearl rings, some rubellites, spinels, sphenes, peridots blah blah blah.

 

[ChrisA222]

FK...love the pic!! Can I hire you to take a picture of my collection for me? LOL

LD, it is really refreshing to see that you set "soft" stones. I have a Sphene that I absolutely love...3.55ct that Dan cut from a roughly 4.5ct bellied-stone...but I always worried that I'd ruin the stone. I was thinking of setting my other Sphene..not as nice (but still nice) and 8mm round, so that I wouldn't ruin the "good" one. LOL....but you should always set your best stones, right?

LD, would you go so far as to set a Sphalerite or a Zincite?

 

[rosetta]

I have about ten unset stones, and I'm now feeling MUCH less guilty about them lying in a bank vault!

 

[ForteKitty]

I know, I do feel bad, but the loose gems get more play than the set gems! I always carry loose gems and play with them at work, while the gem rings don't ever get any wear because I hate wearing rings on my right hand at work. My 2013 resolution was to set some stuff and actually wear them, we'll see how well that turns out. I've been visiting the bank quite frequently lately since I started selling stuff... sometimes I wonder if they suspect me of doing something illegal?

 

[FrekeChild]

I doubt it. They probably look at your bling and say "She's got crazy jewels in there..."

 

[chrono]

FK,
I sometimes wonder what the bank personnel think of me too since I visit my vault every week to rotate my jewellery. My sign-in sheet is the longest one spanning several pages. All the employees know me by name and face.

 

[ForteKitty]

So far, so good on my new year's resolution! The red spinel is from Prima, 1.98ct (i think), set in 18k split shank ring. The picture with the band is more accurate in terms of color. The one of it alone appears more orangy than it does IRL. The violet one is from Barry, 6.5mm, set in a Scott Kay ring, and is so difficult to capture. It shifts from blue to purple, depending on lighting. Bright little bugger!

 

[minousbijoux]

FK,
I sometimes wonder what the bank personnel think of me too since I visit my vault every week to rotate my jewellery. My sign-in sheet is the longest one spanning several pages. All the employees know me by name and face.

Hah! Who knew this is the direction this thread would take?!! I think about this whenever I go into the bank - do they wonder what I have in there? Stacks of cash? Gold bullion? Stocks? Contraband like guns or drugs (because I look like such a drug dealer and gun runner, lol)?

Oh, the trials and tribulations we PSers suffer!

 

[ForteKitty]

Haha! The day I took all my stuff home so I can figure out what to keep and what to sell (same day I took the picture of the pile of stuff on my floor), I walked out with a duffle bag full of stuff. That must have looked real legit!

 

[minousbijoux]

I love your gem tray photos, FK. I am such a color lover and seeing a tray full of color is always a pleasure. It also looks like you have a good eye for tone and saturation (um, I guess what that really means is that you and I have similar taste). A tray full of candy! Love it!

I love your new rings and will be happy when you sell them on DB - now if you can just grow your finger a few sizes larger that would be best.

 

[erinl]

Where do you get a bank vault of that size? On our last vacation I brought down two very small boxes for my husband to put in our vault and he said there was no way it would fit. I guess ours is about 6 inch by 8 inch by 4 or so--no way to fit anything!

 

[chrono]

My bank has those that span about 12 inches in width. Some are 6 inches in height and some are almost 12 inches in height too. To save space, I stack up the little cases, rather than put the entire display case in. On occasion, I have brought in a large black carrying case to take multiple items out for sale / send out to set. I don't know if I looked suspicious but I definitely felt suspicious.

 

[ForteKitty]

My bank has different sizes. The large one is about 15 inches wide and maybe 20 inches tall?

 

[LD]

So far, so good on my new year's resolution! The red spinel is from Prima, 1.98ct (i think), set in 18k split shank ring. The picture with the band is more accurate in terms of color. The one of it alone appears more orangy than it does IRL. The violet one is from Barry, 6.5mm, set in a Scott Kay ring, and is so difficult to capture. It shifts from blue to purple, depending on lighting. Bright little bugger!

Stunning rings. Love them both!

 

[erinl]

Forte Kitty:

What is the bright orange stone in the top right corner? Is it a spess or a fire opal?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I probably have about 20-30 set, 10 unset.

 

[minousbijoux]

I think FK should provide us with a full inventory of all those lovely stones

 

[FrekeChild]

I think FK should provide us with a full inventory of all those lovely stones

MB, she knows a lot of the specs by heart! But that's a lot of stones. I was a bit overwhelmed by them in person!

 

[iLander]

So far, so good on my new year's resolution! The red spinel is from Prima, 1.98ct (i think), set in 18k split shank ring. The picture with the band is more accurate in terms of color. The one of it alone appears more orangy than it does IRL. The violet one is from Barry, 6.5mm, set in a Scott Kay ring, and is so difficult to capture. It shifts from blue to purple, depending on lighting. Bright little bugger!

So gorgeous!