I understand you cannot ID from a photo

[gillyboos]

I have a ring that was left to me that I was told was an aquamarine. Since I was a teenager I always had the romantic notion of getting it reset along with my the diamonds from my grandmother's engagement ring that was also left to me. I actually got engaged on NYE and have an appointment with a jeweller who specialises in restyling/resetting jewellery. A flippant comment from my MIL to be actually made me doubt whether or not the stone was in fact a gemstone and not glass. I googled (I know this is far from gospel) and read that glass would feel room temperature if placed against the forehead, whereas my ring feels very cool. However my google search flagged up that the stone could be blue topaz rather than aquamarine, this is not an issue to me, as long as the jeweller does not have an issue with restyling the stone. The issue now is that I've said to her it is an aquamarine, so it could be awkward if she has to tell me it is something else. The ring is valuable beyond measure in terms of sentimentality so value of the stone means little to me. Can anyone confirm the forehead/touch test or have I been looking very silly?! Blue topaz I could handle but glass would be quite embarrassing!

I've added pictures just for fun!

 

[chrono]

Definitely impossible to ID and I do not have confidence in the touch test. A good gemmologist will have a refractometer which will check the RI and rule out what it is not - glass, topaz or aquamarine very quickly and easily. How old is the ring? The stone looks to be in remarkably excellent condition.

 

[LD]

Does it matter what it is? You love it and that's all that matters! Honestly, it doesn't mean anything if it's glass, rubber, wood or an expensive gemstone - if it's loved then that's the most important thing. I would be proud to wear my grandmother's ring.

Forget the forehead test because it's far from conclusive and certainly you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between aquamarine and topaz that way. When you take it to the jewellers, be honest, tell them you "think" it's an Aqua but ask them if they can test it for you. A simple RI test will be able to differentiate between topaz and aqua and even glass.

 

[ChrisA222]

It sort of looks like it could be Aqua though...as it has that slight greyish tinge to the blue. I personally haven't seen blue Topaz to have that greyish quality..its usually brighter, no? Or have they created blue Topaz with a greyish mod?

OP, is the stone a sort of greyish blue like the photo shows or is it a pure blue? Of course a simulant could be any color, but I was trying to see if we could rule out Topaz...

Also, if this is an old piece (how old?) was it common to use a simulant (for Aqua) if otherwise this is a piece with a high gold content? Is this piece made from a higher ct gold? That may be a clue..

Last question...how long has the irradiated blue Topaz been around? If this is an antique ring (and this is the original stone) would that help rule out Topaz?

 

[minousbijoux]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

 

[minousbijoux]

Hah! I wrote my response before I saw your answers, but Chrono and LD, I love how we are on the same page - love it as is!

edited for typo

 

[LD]

ChrissA - irradiated topaz has been around since the 1950s so it's not possible to rule it out. The stone could also have been switched out of the setting so again, you can't rule out anything.

Barratt posted a method of checking for Topaz (see below and slightly edited) BUT BUT BUT doing this assumes you have a knowledge of Aqua and Topaz so doing this without that knowledge won't prove anything:

Here are some simple ways to tell if it's topaz or what have you...

1. Close you eyes and touch it to your tongue. If it's glass, it will feel warmer than if it is topaz or aqua.
2. Keep your eyes closed, hold it behind your back and squeeze the stone. If it is glass or aqua, your finger won't slip. If it is topaz, it will.
3. Clean it very very well and put a tiny drop of water on the table of the stone. If it is aqua, the water will spread much more than it will if it is topaz (that's assuming you have both to hand so can compare - without this, I doubt that this will be easy to determine).
4. Learn the Hodgkinson Method. It is cheaper and you will learn a little gemology and not have to resort to a "black box".

 

[minousbijoux]

ChrissA - irradiated topaz has been around since the 1950s so it's not possible to rule it out. The stone could also have been switched out of the setting so again, you can rule out anything. Some blue topaz has a grey tint such as the London blues. Also, from these photos it's impossible to say anything about the colour.

All - wasn't there a similar thread recently with a very similar ring??????

I could tell you that if I had some semblance of a memory

 

[LD]

Minou - I had to go and look but couldn't work out the awful search function! Edited my post after you quoted it

 

[gillyboos]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

I appreciate your view but for me this is the only ER I want, nothing else makes sense to me. I don't wear gold so as my mother said, it makes more sense to have it reset rather than it just gather dust in a box.

Thank you all for your input.

 

[Roger Dery]

Last question...how long has the irradiated blue Topaz been around? If this is an antique ring (and this is the original stone) would that help rule out Topaz?

ChrissA - irradiated topaz has been around since the 1950s so it's not possible to rule it out. The stone could also have been switched out of the setting so again, you can't rule out anything.

It is possible that Topaz colored by irradiation was available in the 50's. However, from a commercial standpoint the 'Sky Blue Topaz' entered the market in 1977. This was the Brazilian material and it was common to have a slight grey component. Then, the variety known as "London Blue" came available in 1980. The process for this was provided by a firm in London, hence the name. Following this, came the color referred to as "Swiss Blue" in 1982. This was a combination of the two processes.

All of them began from using clear/colorless Topaz. Originally mined in Brazil, and then followed by Namibia sources.

Hope you find this helpful.

 

[LD]

Oooops got my decades wrong! Thank you for correcting me Roger.

 

[chrono]

Are you referring to this thread?
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/once-again-blue-topaz-aquamarine-or-something-else.182164/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/once-again-blue-topaz-aquamarine-or-something-else.182164/[/URL]

I'd almost forgotten another likely possibility: aquamarine coloured synthetic spinels were also used as aquamarine substitutes in the past. Blue topaz comes in a myriad of colours, ranging from very pale (untreated) to strongly saturated blues, and some also have a green or gray tint so it is definitely a possibility.

If you know how to do it and what to look for, you can attempt to look for double refraction lines in the stone. Aqua is weakly refracted and will not show double refraction lines as strongly as blue topaz. Try holding the ring (or rather the stone) at an angle and look down into the gem at the top of the girdle. If you can see the doubling of lines easily, the stone could be blue topaz. Again, you have to know what you are doing and what it looks like.

 

[distracts]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

I appreciate your view but for me this is the only ER I want, nothing else makes sense to me. I don't wear gold so as my mother said, it makes more sense to have it reset rather than it just gather dust in a box.

Then please use it as an occasional e-ring only or have it set in a sturdy bezel - aquas are more prone to damage than diamonds or sapphires so you won't be able to wear the e-ring in the way people usually want to without damaging it, especially since it's so big. It's very beautiful and I'd absolutely use it as your e-ring stone if that's what you want to do, but read up on caring for aquas and help give it the longest life possible.

 

[gillyboos]

Are you referring to this thread?
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/once-again-blue-topaz-aquamarine-or-something-else.182164/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/once-again-blue-topaz-aquamarine-or-something-else.182164/[/URL]

I'd almost forgotten another likely possibility: aquamarine coloured synthetic spinels were also used as aquamarine substitutes in the past. Blue topaz comes in a myriad of colours, ranging from very pale (untreated) to strongly saturated blues, and some also have a green or gray tint so it is definitely a possibility.

If you know how to do it and what to look for, you can attempt to look for double refraction lines in the stone. Aqua is weakly refracted and will not show double refraction lines as strongly as blue topaz. Try holding the ring (or rather the stone) at an angle and look down into the gem at the top of the girdle. If you can see the doubling of lines easily, the stone could be blue topaz. Again, you have to know what you are doing and what it looks like.

As LD stated, if I love it, it doesn't matter what it is. My main concern was that it was glass, as I'd feel a bit silly going to a fancy bespoke jewellery company with it.

I've looked for the lines in the manner you have explained but I cannot see any, I'm not taking this as an indication of the type of stone, more so how weak my eyes are!

 

[gillyboos]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

I appreciate your view but for me this is the only ER I want, nothing else makes sense to me. I don't wear gold so as my mother said, it makes more sense to have it reset rather than it just gather dust in a box.

Then please use it as an occasional e-ring only or have it set in a sturdy bezel - aquas are more prone to damage than diamonds or sapphires so you won't be able to wear the e-ring in the way people usually want to without damaging it, especially since it's so big. It's very beautiful and I'd absolutely use it as your e-ring stone if that's what you want to do, but read up on caring for aquas and help give it the longest life possible.

Thank you for the advice, I will look at sturdy bezels and also discuss it with the jewellery designer.

 

[LD]

Are you referring to this thread?
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/once-again-blue-topaz-aquamarine-or-something-else.182164/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/once-again-blue-topaz-aquamarine-or-something-else.182164/[/URL]

I'd almost forgotten another likely possibility: aquamarine coloured synthetic spinels were also used as aquamarine substitutes in the past. Blue topaz comes in a myriad of colours, ranging from very pale (untreated) to strongly saturated blues, and some also have a green or gray tint so it is definitely a possibility.

If you know how to do it and what to look for, you can attempt to look for double refraction lines in the stone. Aqua is weakly refracted and will not show double refraction lines as strongly as blue topaz. Try holding the ring (or rather the stone) at an angle and look down into the gem at the top of the girdle. If you can see the doubling of lines easily, the stone could be blue topaz. Again, you have to know what you are doing and what it looks like.

As LD stated, if I love it, it doesn't matter what it is. My main concern was that it was glass, as I'd feel a bit silly going to a fancy bespoke jewellery company with it.

I've looked for the lines in the manner you have explained but I cannot see any, I'm not taking this as an indication of the type of stone, more so how weak my eyes are!

You absolutely WON'T look silly going into a jewellers and saying "I don't know what this stone is and perhaps it's glass BUT I love it and inherited it from my Grandmother so it has sentimental value". People are more likely to be rooting for you that it's something other than glass. The people who DO look silly are those that go in to a jewellers and insist a piece of glass is a prized Ruby or something similar and then won't listen when told it's glass!!!!

I have a green piece of unknown material in a beautiful silver setting that my mum wore as costume jewellery. It's probably worth about $10 and I've never even attempted to identify the stone because I don't care what it is!!! I just love it because it was my Mum's and is really pretty. To be honest, I think it's paste or a synthetic but I haven't even got my loupe out onto it (and if you knew me you'd know how unusual that is)!

So, walk into that jewellers and get them to make the ring of your dreams!

 

[minousbijoux]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

I appreciate your view but for me this is the only ER I want, nothing else makes sense to me. I don't wear gold so as my mother said, it makes more sense to have it reset rather than it just gather dust in a box.

Thank you all for your input.

gillyboos I am so sorry if I came across as making a negative comment at all - it was certainly not how it was meant. I think the ring and stone are truly lovely. My comment about it not being suitable was simply for the reasons stated by distracts - that due to its large size and fragility it could be easily damaged if you wore it all the time. But I absolutely agree with the others and think you said it really well above. How wonderful to feel so adamantly as you do. In that case, I agree with LD: march in proudly no matter what the material. Personally, if it were an heirloom and it turned out to be glass, I would love it as much for the sentimental reasons, which it sounds like you will.

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh, and may I ask what gillyboos means?

 

[gillyboos]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

I appreciate your view but for me this is the only ER I want, nothing else makes sense to me. I don't wear gold so as my mother said, it makes more sense to have it reset rather than it just gather dust in a box.

Thank you all for your input.

gillyboos I am so sorry if I came across as making a negative comment at all - it was certainly not how it was meant. I think the ring and stone are truly lovely. My comment about it not being suitable was simply for the reasons stated by distracts - that due to its large size and fragility it could be easily damaged if you wore it all the time. But I absolutely agree with the others and think you said it really well above. How wonderful to feel so adamantly as you do. In that case, I agree with LD: march in proudly no matter what the material. Personally, if it were an heirloom and it turned out to be glass, I would love it as much for the sentimental reasons, which it sounds like you will.

Apologies if I came across as a little bit defensive, I've had a few comments about choosing not to have a diamond and I think I was a bit over sensitive. As I have said, for me this is about so much more than how much my fiancé (eeek not used to saying that yet!) spends on me. My grandma won't be at the wedding as she is no longer with us, in fact she never even got to meet my partner, she would have adored him, this way she is part of our happiness.

The name was her nickname for me, she was my mother's mother so we didn't share the same surname and she would tease me by making fun of it with said nickname. As I'm sure everybody has gathered we were very close.

 

[LD]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

I appreciate your view but for me this is the only ER I want, nothing else makes sense to me. I don't wear gold so as my mother said, it makes more sense to have it reset rather than it just gather dust in a box.

Thank you all for your input.

gillyboos I am so sorry if I came across as making a negative comment at all - it was certainly not how it was meant. I think the ring and stone are truly lovely. My comment about it not being suitable was simply for the reasons stated by distracts - that due to its large size and fragility it could be easily damaged if you wore it all the time. But I absolutely agree with the others and think you said it really well above. How wonderful to feel so adamantly as you do. In that case, I agree with LD: march in proudly no matter what the material. Personally, if it were an heirloom and it turned out to be glass, I would love it as much for the sentimental reasons, which it sounds like you will.

Apologies if I came across as a little bit defensive, I've had a few comments about choosing not to have a diamond and I think I was a bit over sensitive. As I have said, for me this is about so much more than how much my fiancé (eeek not used to saying that yet!) spends on me. My grandma won't be at the wedding as she is no longer with us, in fact she never even got to meet my partner, she would have adored him, this way she is part of our happiness.

The name was her nickname for me, she was my mother's mother so we didn't share the same surname and she would tease me by making fun of it with said nickname. As I'm sure everybody has gathered we were very close.

Well, you most definitely need to hang out with us more! Diamonds are available EVERYWHERE and they're easy to get. You try getting great coloured gemstones and it's far harder as typically they're much less common. So, next time somebody makes a "comment" just smile.

 

[JaneSmith]

I can say only that I love the prongs and the simple elegance of the ring. I would leave it as is and love it with its sentimentality intact, aquamarine, especially one of that size, would not be suitable as an ER.

I appreciate your view but for me this is the only ER I want, nothing else makes sense to me. I don't wear gold so as my mother said, it makes more sense to have it reset rather than it just gather dust in a box.

Thank you all for your input.

gillyboos I am so sorry if I came across as making a negative comment at all - it was certainly not how it was meant. I think the ring and stone are truly lovely. My comment about it not being suitable was simply for the reasons stated by distracts - that due to its large size and fragility it could be easily damaged if you wore it all the time. But I absolutely agree with the others and think you said it really well above. How wonderful to feel so adamantly as you do. In that case, I agree with LD: march in proudly no matter what the material. Personally, if it were an heirloom and it turned out to be glass, I would love it as much for the sentimental reasons, which it sounds like you will.

Apologies if I came across as a little bit defensive, I've had a few comments about choosing not to have a diamond and I think I was a bit over sensitive. As I have said, for me this is about so much more than how much my fiancé (eeek not used to saying that yet!) spends on me. My grandma won't be at the wedding as she is no longer with us, in fact she never even got to meet my partner, she would have adored him, this way she is part of our happiness.

The name was her nickname for me, she was my mother's mother so we didn't share the same surname and she would tease me by making fun of it with said nickname. As I'm sure everybody has gathered we were very close.

Well, you most definitely need to hang out with us more! Diamonds are available EVERYWHERE and they're easy to get. You try getting great coloured gemstones and it's far harder as typically they're much less common. So, next time somebody makes a "comment" just smile.

Damn right! As much as I love diamonds, I really enjoy seeing a coloured stone e-ring.

Aqua or not, that is a fantastic blue stone with lots of sentimental value. Please keep us up to date on the ring progress.

 

[gillyboos]

Thank you everyone! I am so glad I posted now, it is nice to have some positive remarks! I'm using this lady http://sherryjewellery.co.uk/jewellery-restyling.asp She has been really helpful and I genuinely believe she will be able to create something really special for us.

 

[distracts]

Apologies if I came across as a little bit defensive, I've had a few comments about choosing not to have a diamond and I think I was a bit over sensitive. As I have said, for me this is about so much more than how much my fiancé (eeek not used to saying that yet!) spends on me. My grandma won't be at the wedding as she is no longer with us, in fact she never even got to meet my partner, she would have adored him, this way she is part of our happiness.

The name was her nickname for me, she was my mother's mother so we didn't share the same surname and she would tease me by making fun of it with said nickname. As I'm sure everybody has gathered we were very close.

We all understand - many of us don't have diamonds as our e-ring stones either! The important thing if you have something other than a diamond is that you know that it can't be put through the same things a diamond can and come out okay, and learn how to wear it best. Well, that and the fact that you should be prepared to get many more random compliments on it once you are wearing it because colored stone e-rings really stand out.

I imagine you may already have some setting ideas but this sprang instantly to mind (scroll down for lots of pics): [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/17ct-tourmaline-setting.150735/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/17ct-tourmaline-setting.150735/[/URL]

 

[pearlsngems]

I inherited 2 rings and a pair of earrings, all of which had been in the family many years, and I was told they were aquamarines. The earrings were set in 18K gold, as was one of the rings.

I was thinking of resetting them and went to have them checked.

The rings were both synthetic spinels and the earrings were glass.

I hope you will have the stone tested before beginning costly work. I realize the ring is very sentimental but ask yourself if you would want to spend a great deal to reset a lab grown spinel or glass?

 

[LD]

Apologies if I came across as a little bit defensive, I've had a few comments about choosing not to have a diamond and I think I was a bit over sensitive. As I have said, for me this is about so much more than how much my fiancé (eeek not used to saying that yet!) spends on me. My grandma won't be at the wedding as she is no longer with us, in fact she never even got to meet my partner, she would have adored him, this way she is part of our happiness.

The name was her nickname for me, she was my mother's mother so we didn't share the same surname and she would tease me by making fun of it with said nickname. As I'm sure everybody has gathered we were very close.

We all understand - many of us don't have diamonds as our e-ring stones either! The important thing if you have something other than a diamond is that you know that it can't be put through the same things a diamond can and come out okay, and learn how to wear it best. Well, that and the fact that you should be prepared to get many more random compliments on it once you are wearing it because colored stone e-rings really stand out.

I imagine you may already have some setting ideas but this sprang instantly to mind (scroll down for lots of pics): [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/17ct-tourmaline-setting.150735/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/17ct-tourmaline-setting.150735/[/URL]

I love this too! Just a word of caution (and you probably are still in the "OMG I've just got engaged" phase) with the size of the ring that you will need to accommodate your stone, unless you have very long fingers, you may not be able to fit in a wedding band OR you design it in such a way that you can. The alternative is that you have this ring as a right hand ring? Just a few thoughts for you!

 

[minousbijoux]

Apologies if I came across as a little bit defensive, I've had a few comments about choosing not to have a diamond and I think I was a bit over sensitive. As I have said, for me this is about so much more than how much my fiancé (eeek not used to saying that yet!) spends on me. My grandma won't be at the wedding as she is no longer with us, in fact she never even got to meet my partner, she would have adored him, this way she is part of our happiness.

The name was her nickname for me, she was my mother's mother so we didn't share the same surname and she would tease me by making fun of it with said nickname. As I'm sure everybody has gathered we were very close.

We all understand - many of us don't have diamonds as our e-ring stones either! The important thing if you have something other than a diamond is that you know that it can't be put through the same things a diamond can and come out okay, and learn how to wear it best. Well, that and the fact that you should be prepared to get many more random compliments on it once you are wearing it because colored stone e-rings really stand out.

I imagine you may already have some setting ideas but this sprang instantly to mind (scroll down for lots of pics): [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/17ct-tourmaline-setting.150735/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/17ct-tourmaline-setting.150735/[/URL]

I love this too! Just a word of caution (and you probably are still in the "OMG I've just got engaged" phase) with the size of the ring that you will need to accommodate your stone, unless you have very long fingers, you may not be able to fit in a wedding band OR you design it in such a way that you can. The alternative is that you have this ring as a right hand ring? Just a few thoughts for you!

A threepeat on the loving of that ring, though it might be a little OTT for some as an engagement ring. And yes, now that you've found us, you have found your kind! I have bought more colored stones than I can count, but the only diamonds I own (other than melee) are those I inherited. Maybe some day a diamond will sing to me, but its likely to be orange if it happens

 

[chrono]

Not knowing what the stone is, I would play it safe with regards to the setting in order not to damage it. I would keep it low set and in something protective so it won't chip easily if it is indeed aquamarine. Actually, the bench will want to know what the stone is so that the correct care can be taken with regards to how much force / pressure it can take during the setting process.

 

[gillyboos]

Well I went to see the jewellery designer today, she was fantastic. She had all the equipment ready to test the gem as I had emailed ahead just to let her know we were actually a little unsure of the stone's specifics. It did turn out to be an aquamarine! She really loved the stone, said that she very rarely sees aquamarines as dark/blue as this. We discussed exactly what I wanted and I really think she understood I wanted to keep the integrity of the original ring design. I decided upon a very similar design to the original, double prongs, diamonds set in the shoulder, in platinum. I will have the computer images by Friday hopefully. The sketches she drew were beautiful, I honestly believe she will do it justice. I am one happy girl.

 

[LD]

What fabulous news! Many congratulations and I'm so glad you took the plunge and got it checked.

Your jeweller sounds lovely - one thing I would urge is that you design the setting to protect the stone as much as you can - then you simply should wear it and enjoy it!

Congratulations again.