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Let's play a game... rainbow gems.

Starstruck8 said:
See the darker 'bullseye' in the centre and the lighter 'rim'? The bullseye is the windowed area. I've verified this by holding it in front of a white card and a black card. And (being a geek...) I have also done some ray tracing.

Once you get your eye in for this, you see it in many (most?) translucent to transparent cabs. (Though it's often hidden by sleepiness, opalescence, or inclusions. Also, in some cabs it's hidden by roughening the base.)

If you think about it, 'low' cabs (i.e. those with a low angle at the edge) are all window. It's 'high' cabs (those with steep angle at the edge) that show the unwindowed 'rim'. This spess is just an especially striking example.
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Ahh I see what you mean... truly perfect color on that cab though. :shock:

Starstruck8 said:
Little Aussie sapphire. I love the colour, but I haven't come up with a way to set it.
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How I love this shield/trilliant hybrid... beautiful!!

BLUE is next!
 
mellowyellowgirl said:
@Autumn in New England did you set it? Would love to see your pics of it!

It reminds me of my heart jadeite
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Have not set it yet... that heart is a showstopper!!
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@icy_jade I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I think jade has the most perfect lavender hue of all gems. I tried like hell to find a spinel or sapphire in that color... no luck. And I just adore that sapphire cab/ring!!

PINK be up!
 
What a happy bubblegum color! Is it sapphire or spinel? Big and well-cut too...

RED is up again!!
 
Green, you say?:
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This is a tsavorite garnet lot from Tanzania, which arrived today, total weight 155ct/31 grams. They were actually sold as demantoid, but the orangey-pink fluorescence of most of the crystals, and the association with graphite on a few confirms the grossular var tsavorite ID. This is a picture from the auction, which is pretty accurate. Some beautiful, vibrant lush greens in there! Not a bad haul for $120 including shipping & VAT.
 
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Whoa, that is a haul indeed, @Nick_G! Beautiful crystals... and I can't believe the price. Nice buy!!

I've run out of blue faceted gems, so here's some turq (Ithaca Peak) in a gold pendant by Kee Yazzie (one of my favorite Navajo jewelers). I cut and polished the gem from rough myself. The matrix is all pyrite, so it sparkles in person. The pendant measures about 3".

PURPLE is next!

IthacaPeakPendant.jpg
 
Beautiful piece! There's a world in that turquoise. I so admire people who have craft skills - it must feel so good to wear a stone that you cut yourself. Do the motifs in the frame have a meaning or tell a story?
 
I, too, love the turquoise! I don't have any purple to show, but I have an unheated blue sapphire (around 1.40 ct) I haven't decided how to set yet, and a tiny, red Mahenge spinel cut by Jeff White (.5 ct). Together, they make purple?

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Starstruck8 said:
Beautiful piece! There's a world in that turquoise. I so admire people who have craft skills - it must feel so good to wear a stone that you cut yourself. Do the motifs in the frame have a meaning or tell a story?
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Thank you! Yes!! Kee Yazzie is of the Hopi and Navajo tribes, and he draws inspiration from the petroglyphs in the canyons near his home in the American Southwest. This is considered a "storyteller" piece. At the top is a storm cloud ("k'os") symbolizing change, renewal, and fertility. The weather is constantly changing and the power to adjust accordingly is important. Also, the production of water for sustenance is essential to life. Next there is a bear ("mato"), which represents a spiritual guide, symbolizing introspection and self-knowledge. The kiva steps represent the "staircase of life" and the different steps we take in overcoming obstacles. The 2 figures represent the "ancient ones" or Navajo ancestors, which were the Anasazi people. The migration spiral symbolizes the route the ancestors took across the Bering Strait to the Americas. Then we have a dragonfly, which represents adaptability, as these creatures are at home on land, in the sky, and in water. We have some repeated symbols and then, lastly, a cross, which represents life's journey and our paths crossing.

Fun fact (or not so fun fact): The swastika was a symbol originally used by Native Americans as a sign of friendship and good luck. Of course, the Nazi party adopted (and desecrated) it in the 1920's. Natives swore to never use it again in their textiles, pottery, or jewelry.

Apologies for the book! I just find this all so fascinating. :)
 
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