Icy’s CS adventures

[icy_jade]

Moonstones from Sri Lanka


I think they look nice n clear with good blue sheen on the two bigger stones... is there anything I should be checking for? Certification is expensive so probably not worth it vs cost of stones?

Paging @Burmesedaze and any other experienced PS-ers for advice. TIA!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Should be inexpensive and easy to find.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Us$20/ct. Bkk fair. Seaglow's palm. Spotted by her

 

[icy_jade]

Us$20/ct. Bkk fair. Seaglow's palm. Spotted by her

Omg looks really good!

 

[Burmesedaze]

Commercial grade... Ok for play jewellery. But shouldn't overpay. Plenty here.

 

[YC]

$20/carat? Looks like we need to go to the bkk fair!

 

[icy_jade]

$20/carat? Looks like we need to go to the bkk fair!

Yeah let’s have a PS Gtg there...

 

[icy_jade]

Ok time for a few updates...

First my lovely paraiba pendant:


More details and pics here:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-paraiba-pendant.243456/

And then these:


The moonstone cabs are from Sri Lanka, the pear is 4.84 ct and vendor pic:

(The brown speck is dirt)

The oval is a recut from the original 5.55 ct cushion, down to 5.4ct


And I also got two pairs of small cabs for earrings... 8mm rounds and 7x9mm ovals


Cos of this but I may do something different


Amethyst from the Gem Trader (TGT), 10.1x14.1mm


Quartz also from TGT, 16.2x21mm


And lastly the oval 6ct sunstone iolite, 11.7x14.9mm

 

[icy_jade]

Posting my topaz convertible pendant/ring and diamond pendant/brooch (yellow diamonds so kinda CS ya).

Sneaking in some group pics with other gems including my Paraiba that’s been keeping me happy...


And my 4 yo son rushed to pass me his “treasure” to take photos as he felt I needed red since my “treasures are all blue and only a little bit of yellow and no red”. Such a cutie. Good eye for color too! Such an intense red.

 

[voce]

Such delicious eye candy, I'm definitely saving these to my inspirations folder! I love how it looks on you and enjoyed seeing the family shots of blues. Your 4yo sounds cute and I'm sure the cuteness will be multiplied if he plays with @mellowyellowgirl's kid.

 

[Lovinggems]

Wow love the convertible pendant/ring. How about a matching pair of earrings?

 

[icy_jade]

Such delicious eye candy, I'm definitely saving these to my inspirations folder! I love how it looks on you and enjoyed seeing the family shots of blues. Your 4yo sounds cute and I'm sure the cuteness will be multiplied if he plays with @mellowyellowgirl's kid.

Thank you! My 4 yo is a sweetheart. Very supportive of mama’s “treasures”.

Wow love the convertible pendant/ring. How about a matching pair of earrings?

I’m looking for some earrings indeed! Not much luck though.

Wasn’t happy with how the shank turned out so sent in the convertible for adjustments.

 

[icy_jade]

Bought the bubblegum pink tourmaline cabs for earring drops, a really clean 4 ct moonstone and a pair of zircons (8mm, but windowed) at the recent Singapore fair.



And a pair of bracelets, earrings and another donut from Kathy Jade’s anniversary sale... ruyi pendant also from Kathy but an earlier buy.

Love the bracelets. The greens are the kind of green that costs a fortune in bigger sizes. Since I can’t afford those I can only get itty bitty ones to scratch the itch.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Omg just fabulous @icy_jade

Love love love all the jade and the tourmaline cabs.

 

[icy_jade]

Haven’t updated this for so long but @qubitasaurus said she enjoyed reading my adventures so ok wanted to update but the pics I took today turned out mostly crappy... plus I really can’t recall what I haven’t posted... here’s some of them... pics turned out darker than the stones looked...

Various jadeite, two paraiba, a huge rose zircon, rubies...


Also took these a little while back... family shot of most of my jadeite collection...


Green jadeite...


Pendants without the new convertible paraiba and purple jadeite cab in first pic...


Most of my icy/glassy jadeite collection - missing the long drop pendant (in first pic)...


Growing rings collection... ruby and diamonds on ring finger,
Moonstone, paraiba, star sapphire and topaz on middle
And pearls (old collection)


Maybe I should post regularly so that I won’t keep buying. I actually feel a bit embarrassed about buying so many things...

 

[voce]

I love your family photos!

CS is addictive. I'm also embarrassed by how much I bought. I added the numbers up, and it was twice what I had THOUGHT I spent... at least I am aware of it now, though.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Yes I totally love this thread, everything in it is gorgeous .

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Gorgeous collection!!!!

What did you decide with the sapphire?

 

[icy_jade]

I love your family photos!

CS is addictive. I'm also embarrassed by how much I bought. I added the numbers up, and it was twice what I had THOUGHT I spent... at least I am aware of it now, though.

Yeah... if it gets too much I’ll have to give myself a total ban... at least I still dare to do family shots for cs. For pearls I don’t even dare to... plus I’m not sure I have the space hahahah. Maybe need to use a king sized bed and a ladder.

Yes I totally love this thread, everything in it is gorgeous .

Thank you!

Gorgeous collection!!!!

What did you decide with the sapphire?

Still thinking... yeah great thinker I am.

===

Ok I have a long hair coloring session coming up so here’s a quick preview of what I did this morning. Not the best layout but was in a hurry before my (work) call started.

Most of my jadeite collection except the bangles.

 

[T L]

Moonstones from Sri Lanka


I think they look nice n clear with good blue sheen on the two bigger stones... is there anything I should be checking for? Certification is expensive so probably not worth it vs cost of stones?

Paging @Burmesedaze and any other experienced PS-ers for advice. TIA!

The blue sheen should be floating atop the stone, like a ghost. Fake moonstone looks like opalescent glass, and doesn’t have this “blue sheen floating” characteristic of adularescence. Very nice clean moonstones! I also like to buy them loose as you did, because many are real but set with a closed blue backing. If you do buy a set moonstone, never buy one with a closed back.

 

[icy_jade]

The blue sheen should be floating atop the stone, like a ghost. Fake moonstone looks like opalescent glass, and doesn’t have this “blue sheen floating” characteristic of adularescence. Very nice clean moonstones! I also like to buy them loose as you did, because many are real but set with a closed blue backing. If you do buy a set moonstone, never buy one with a closed back.

How do you set them with a blue backing? My jeweller mentioned using black gold but in the end mine was set without any backing.

This is a cleaner (less milky) 4.06 ct moonstone but with less blue sheen.



I really should set my other moonstones

 

[icy_jade]

What do you ladies think of these?



Am interested in the bottom pair which is 8.7mm x 7.7mm and 8.7mm x 7.6mm but the price is kinda steep...

Paging @Burmesedaze @YC @mellowyellowgirl

Ok so my glassy earrings which i’d posted earlier and set in custom removable jackets design...





I wear them often.

 

[icy_jade]

I’ve also gotten a few jadeite pieces, most recently this purple cab set with seed pearls.


Really high dome, the cab measures 1.5x1.3x0.75cm. Color is more accurate in above pic. Hard to photograph as it tends to look really saturated in most lighting.

 

[icy_jade]

A preloved 9.3ct rose zircon pendant

 

[icy_jade]

A few rubies... unheated silky Mozambique 1.2ct in ring, heated Burmese studs and heated Mozambique dangles (previously studs but converted to dangles as it was a bit too big as studs).

I don’t think I’ve ever photographed them accurately... the colors are either always too saturated (making the stones look more opaque than they are, esp the silky Mozambique), or the pink modifiers come out too strong making the studs and ring look way pinker than they are in real life.

The ring was an unexpected buy since I had been looking for a bigger, more crystalline ruby... but hey when you fall in love what can you do? Then of course I needed earrings...



Love it when the ruby glows... does that a lot due to the silk I think...


And fun to play with UV light too


Yeah the Burmese one really fluorescences much more.

And yeah it always looks different vs irl.

 

[T L]

How do you set them with a blue backing? My jeweller mentioned using black gold but in the end mine was set without any backing.

This is a cleaner (less milky) 4.06 ct moonstone but with less blue sheen.



I really should set my other moonstones

You have some really beautiful moonstones. The high cabochons are particularly a favorite of mine.

To answer your question, one can use blue foil or paper to put behind the gem . The backings sometimes craze due to trapped moisture or not being adequately secured, and you can see this.

 

[icy_jade]

Ok last one... and this is a funny stone cos it’s the only one where I’m always trying to make it look worse rather than better.

It’s a preloved convertible ring/pendant from Therealreal that was indicated as a tourmaline rather than a paraiba. 3.58 ct paraiba with 0.34 ct diamond in 18k WG setting

And the vendor pic is on the left. So I really had a surprise when I opened the package and saw what it really looked like. The pic on the right shows it as being much more glowy than it is irl.


Irl the color isn’t so intense nor is it so glowy. My other paraiba pendant is much more glowy irl (but not visible from photo) but in photos this one really pops.

Anyway thankfully it checked out as paraiba after being tested in my local lab cos it was a huge gamble...


And this is me trying to make it look not so glowy. I have so many pics like this and most ‘fail’ cos too glowy. Like I said, funny stone.

 

[lucida818]

Hello @icy_jade - The upcoming SIJE July 18-21
Any plan to invite fellow Singapore based PS-ers to visit together?

 

[T L]

How do you set them with a blue backing? My jeweller mentioned using black gold but in the end mine was set without any backing.

This is a cleaner (less milky) 4.06 ct moonstone but with less blue sheen.



I really should set my other moonstones

Sorry, didn’t see this question till now. Yes some unscrupulous vendors don’t disclose a blue backing which can be paper or foil. Moisture will affect the backing over time. A fine blue moonstone doesn’t need any backing. Your stone and ring are gorgeous, and I love the high cabochon and crystal clarity. Gorgeous!!

 

[icy_jade]

Hello @icy_jade - The upcoming SIJE July 18-21
Any plan to invite fellow Singapore based PS-ers to visit together?

Hi Lucida, no plans - I may have a work trip at that time but if I do go then I’ll prob bump into a few friends there and just take my time to look at stuff and browse.