My Care Package

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/27/2009 1:44:53 PM
Author: cellentani
So flygirl, which ones did you pick?

And the prices that I see are per piece, right? Those pink tourms look delicious, but I think they're on the small side. For some reason, I thought those spess briolettes were already yours, but maybe I was wrong. And I'm dying to string some of those ultra blue apatites!

The prices you see in the first shot are for the entire baggie of stones.

I already have the spess at the jewelers for setting. The pink tourmalines are too small. The citrine are exactly the right size, but I finally decded they were a lighter shade than I like. So, they are going back.

I'm keeping the peridot, the earth toned tourmaline and the tanzanite for stringing. The tanzanite is already laying on my brand new necklace board.

 

[Linda W]

OMG I LOVE those strawberry quartz!!!!

I would have a hard time choosing FG, but those strawberry quartz, are to die for. They are yummmmmmmmy.

 

[cellentani]

LOVE the necklace board, flygirl, and bravo for making your own!

I can''t wait to see how it turns out. So, all those peridot briolettes are going on a necklace? I loved those too. How is the color on those ultra blue apatites? I took a second look, and now I''m wondering if they''ll be a too dark. The other apatites look pretty too... Okay, now I''m just yammering.

 

[LD]

Oh my goodness! It''s like Christmas!

As I was scrolling down I was thinking - ok, two peridots, two topaz and THEN ............ the garnets OMG! I love the shape! I REALLY love the shape! That''d be the ultimate winner for me.

The sapphire''s not soddy either is it?! lol Are you keeping it?

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/27/2009 2:20:27 PM
Author: Linda W
OMG I LOVE those strawberry quartz!!!!

I would have a hard time choosing FG, but those strawberry quartz, are to die for. They are yummmmmmmmy.

They are pretty, Linda, but way too heavy for me. Those are big chunks of quartz. I know I would never wear them. I suppose I could hang them in the window as decoration....

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/27/2009 2:26:00 PM
Author: cellentani
LOVE the necklace board, flygirl, and bravo for making your own!

I can''t wait to see how it turns out. So, all those peridot briolettes are going on a necklace? I loved those too. How is the color on those ultra blue apatites? I took a second look, and now I''m wondering if they''ll be a too dark. The other apatites look pretty too... Okay, now I''m just yammering.

Thanks, cellentani. The ultra blue apatites are a shade greener than my camera is picking up, and not quite as dark as the first shot. Here is another picture for you.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/27/2009 2:27:34 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Oh my goodness! It''s like Christmas!

As I was scrolling down I was thinking - ok, two peridots, two topaz and THEN ............ the garnets OMG! I love the shape! I REALLY love the shape! That''d be the ultimate winner for me.

The sapphire''s not soddy either is it?! lol Are you keeping it?

Hi LD! I''m sending back the sapphire. It is a beautiful shade of blue, but it isn''t quite what I''m looking for. Close, but I can wait.

I''m keeping all of the peridot. They will become a bracelet. I just love the color.

 

[cellentani]

wow, thanks flygirl - they are really stunning (mind whirling about a future project)!

 

[oddoneout]

Wow it would be hard to choose with all those great choices.

 

[Kismet]

holy moly! it must have been like christmas when you opened that package.

 

[Stone Hunter]

WOW that's alot of gems!!!

I like what you've chosen and you have the skill to show them off! (ETA: I was referring to your beading skills but your photos are great too)

TFS!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/27/2009 5:40:09 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
WOW that's alot of gems!!!

I like what you've chosen and you have the skill to show them off! (ETA: I was referring to your beading skills but your photos are great too)

TFS!

Stone Hunter - Thanks, but please don't be too quick to complement my beading skills. All of the beads are still on the original strands.

oddoneout - I certainly do want to buy more! It is that candy store thing going on again.

Kismet - Yes, I wasn't sure what was going to be in here. I'm pleased with these spess garnets, particularly given Dana's generous pricing. Here is a shot of them hanging out on my window sill.

 

[Porridge]

DROOOOOOOOOOOL!!!

Thanks for posting these!!!

 

[marcy]

Wow, it is like Christmas. What a treasure box you had there. It would be a tough decision. I love what you decided to keep and can''t wait to see your finished projects. They are gorgeous.

 

[Lovinggems]

I love the strawberry quartz too.

 

[yanaazul]

Ooh, those are lovely. Pretties like that are exactly why I can never leave a gem and bead show without having bought something. But you definitely don''t see ones like those strawberry quartz very often.

 

[stepcutnut]

Oh my! I would have a terrible time choosing!!! I do really love the strawberry quartz too.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 9/27/2009 5:58:16 PM
Author: Fly Girl

Date: 9/27/2009 5:40:09 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
WOW that''s alot of gems!!!

I like what you''ve chosen and you have the skill to show them off! (ETA: I was referring to your beading skills but your photos are great too)

TFS!

Stone Hunter - Thanks, but please don''t be too quick to complement my beading skills. All of the beads are still on the original strands.

Yes but you''ve successfully done the beading thing before and I''ve tried it and failed! So I''d never be able to buy some of the cool things you''ve purchased unless a friend would bead them for me.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/28/2009 2:32:04 AM
Author: tntyau
Ooh, those are lovely. Pretties like that are exactly why I can never leave a gem and bead show without having bought something. But you definitely don''t see ones like those strawberry quartz very often.

o.k., you all, I''m getting the message about the strawberry quartz. That''s why I posted here before I sent the package back. I''ll try to choose a pretty one to keep. It would make a cool focal stone on a necklace.

Thanks Linda, Porridge, marcyc, Lovinggems, tntyau, and stepcutnut.

Stone Hunter - My local gem shop has beading classes (and one-on-one counseling

) in case I have problems. Is it really that hard? I''m curious as to how one can fail beading.

 

[brandy_z28]

Love those strawberries and the peridot!

Those garnets are very interesting too!

 

[Arcadian]

Date: 9/28/2009 11:38:46 AM
Author: brandy_z28
Love those strawberries and the peridot!

Those garnets are very interesting too!

ditto. the peridot immediately caught my eye.

-A

 

[chrono]

What an amazing selection. Too bad about the strawberry quartzs being too large; I like the colour and the "fat" drop appearance which looks much like a real strawberry.

 

[litebrite]

FG, holy cow! I haven''t been on PS in a little bit but I came back to post because of this. It''s like having a gem shop in a box. I''m glad you are keeping the spess briolettes - those popped out at me immediately.

Lots of gorgeous choices, I''m surprised you didn''t keep the whole box.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/28/2009 5:58:34 PM
Author: litebrite
FG, holy cow! I haven''t been on PS in a little bit but I came back to post because of this. It''s like having a gem shop in a box. I''m glad you are keeping the spess briolettes - those popped out at me immediately.

Lots of gorgeous choices, I''m surprised you didn''t keep the whole box.

So true about the gem shop in a box. That''s exactly what it was. I can''t keep everything. That would be like buying an entire gem store.

Thanks brandy, Arcadian, Chrono, and litebrite. The peridots are definitely keepers, and I''ve picked a few strawberry quartz to hang on to.

I just finished stringing up the tanzanite into a necklace.

 

[chrono]

It''s really pretty - nicely graduated size snuggling next to each other. How long did it take?

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 9/28/2009 9:36:09 PM
Author: Fly Girl

I just finished stringing up the tanzanite into a necklace.

I failed at crimping! And I did get help at the bead shop. Then my item fell apart and I lost the beads. Happened on 3 of the 4 items I made. Well I only lost the beads on one and had to re crimp the other two.

The necklace looks just LOVELY!!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/28/2009 9:39:09 PM
Author: Chrono
It''s really pretty - nicely graduated size snuggling next to each other. How long did it take?

Thanks, Chrono. It was a couple of hours, not counting the extra trip to the gem store. It''s a good thing I''m nearsighted. Those teeny tiny holes in the itty bitty stones were 0.012" in diameter. I realized this when I tried using 0.018" Beadalon, and no way were they sliding onto it.

This is actually my first beading project. I''ve never been attacted before, because I generally don''t wear costume jewelry. But, this is might be a way to satisfy my champagne tastes on a beer budget.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 9/28/2009 9:43:24 PM
Author: Stone Hunter

Date: 9/28/2009 9:36:09 PM
Author: Fly Girl

I just finished stringing up the tanzanite into a necklace.

I failed at crimping! And I did get help at the bead shop. Then my item fell apart and I lost the beads. Happened on 3 of the 4 items I made. Well I only lost the beads on one and had to re crimp the other two.

The necklace looks just LOVELY!!

Thanks, SH. Yes, after I made this I realized that crimping is definitely the weak spot on my necklace. I threw on two crimps on each side for good measure. The necklace survived dinner out this evening, but I checked it a couple of times for any slippage. So far, so good.