My Gem Box is Full :)

[melave]

Hi all

Well i got into coloured stones after visiting on here last year to research my engagement ring. I am now hooked

My OH bought me a gem box around November last year. It is now full, well more than full. I have managed to fill it in less than a year

I made a deal with OH that once it was full, that i would set some of them. So far i have only set one stone . I also cheated by doubling and tripling up stones. But she is definitely full now

so I need some ideas if you have them. I can't buy any more stones until i set some. I have a few ideas i will throw at you and please give your honest opinion. Budget for each setting is less than $600.

 

[melave]

ok so i bought this little peridot from Precision gems recently and i love it. It is only 1.44ct but it is gorgeous!!!






I am thinking it should go in a cuff bracelet. I am liking sally's new design, but maybe a bit less swirly with some of the pink sapphires i bought from Dana in his sale

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90837391/dream-bangle-in-18k-yellow-gold-and

 

[melave]

I am liking these for a set of dangly earrings. The trillion are colour change garnets from memory but i can't get it to change.

I just can't decide on metal colour. Rose would wash the rhodolites out, yellow would wash the garnets out, so maybe silver??
Opinions??

 

[melave]

ok last lot for now

The following two are from Uli and are big!!! So pendants? I will probably go with sally again and her Iolani ring design but in a pendant, rose for the amethyst and yellow for the citrine. Do you think it would be ok?

 

[LD]

Ok first things first ............ you need another gem box You know you'll be filling another soon, so get prepared!

Next ........... and this is speaking from experience ............ only set those gems that you can't bear NOT to wear and MUST have them set. Some gems are better to look at, turn over and play with. Others cry out to be worn!

I love the Peridot from Gene. It's lovely. It'll look great in the bangle because the gem and bangle are both very organic so it's a match made in heaven. Just have a think about how the gem will be set into the bangle though.

The earrings I would hold off on until you're sure of metal colour. Also be careful combining colour changers with other stones because gold colour really is important them. Also, do you have a designer in mind for this? Sally? Silver would cut costs but just check how it looks with all the gems in all lighting conditions before you pull the trigger.

How big are the BIG gems? Just remember if you put them in pendants they will swing and turn over because of their sheet size and depth unless the design stabilises them. That should be a consideration.

 

[Enerchi]

I'm sorry to say I have no immediate suggestions for you - but I LOVE LOVE LOVE the liquid flower and your peridot!!! WOW!!

What a great gem box collection! And I'm pretty sure LD is bang on - you "think" you're done.... but I suspect you may be tempted to refill the empty holes, as you set them!!

 

[Pandora II]

Buy more gem boxes...

I've maybe set 1% of my stones, so don't feel you have to! I even buy pieces of jewellery and remove the stones for my collection and give my father the settings for his jewellery course!

 

[fussykiki]

What a great collection! Are the small pink gems on the second row pink sapphires? They look so cute.

 

[melave]

Hi all
Thanks for the replies

I know i will need to buy another gem box and have one sitting in my ebay list. But i think i really should set some of them. I do love loose stones, but i love jewellery as well. I have calmed down with my buying (sort of) and only buying stones that "talk" to me, rather than, i need an amethyst and i need a sapphire sort of buying that i was doing. Now i am starting to get specific on what i want.

The stones i stated i did buy to set, i think I had the ideas i mentioned in mind when i bought them.

Thanks for the feedback LD. I was thinking maybe two tone? yellow gold for the cc and silver for the others. But maybe that will look a little too weird?

The liquid flower is 7.45ct 13.7 x 8.5mm and the citrine is 11.8 x 7.9mm. Big for my little collection. So would they be too big for pendants?

Enerchi - I am so not done!!! I have so many on my wish list but i have to wait patiently for them to come up

Pandora, i will definitely have to buy another gem box, I know i have an addiction. It will turn into my good stone box and not as good stone box. I have a couple of cheapy stones just floating around in containers but don't tell the OH

Kiki they are pink saphires from Dana. I bought them to put into the cuff i have been thinking of but there is a lot of them.

 

[LD]

Melave - I love two tone pieces but the colours have to work with the stones. I would definitely sit the stones next to the colour metal you're considering and then move it around in different lights. That will tell you if it works or not.

In terms of the pendants, both stones are very deep. Of course anything is "do-able" but you'll have to think about how you anchor the stones so they don't flip/rotate/fall forward. One way is to design a slider, or anchor the pendant at both corners. I wouldn't use a simple centre bale as that wouldn't do the trick. Hope that helps.