- Joined
- May 17, 2014
- Messages
- 6,930
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.
Little Aussie sapphire. I love the colour, but I haven't come up with a way to set it.
@Autumn in New England did you set it? Would love to see your pics of it!
It reminds me of my heart jadeite
is that a brooch or a pendent ?
i hope you wear it
its lovelly
What a happy bubblegum color! Is it sapphire or spinel? Big and well-cut too...
RED is up again!!
That's magnificent! Those peridot cabs glow so brightly and set off the spessartite perfectly. It's a winner!
I can't keep up with the colour changes, otherwise I would play!
DK![]()
@mellowyellowgirl and @Autumn in New England I don't have any yellow CSs yet, and when I do, it is a lab stone (LuAG)!
DK![]()
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?
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.![]()