New Pendant/Pin with Raspberry Garnet Cab

[Fly Girl]

I purchased this slightly silky eyeclean 5.43 ct, 11.9mm oval cabochon of Tanzanian raspberry rhodolite from Barry at Artistic Colored Stones (link) back in January.

 

[Fly Girl]

Here it is under my lights at home.

 

[Fly Girl]

A couple of days later I dropped it off with Emily Johnson, a local designer who works with gemstones, sterling and gold. She made it into combination pendant/pin. The garnet is backed with highly polished rose gold to give it life, and bezeled with rose gold. The entire piece is set into blackened sterling silver. There is a rose gold accent stripe set with a 1 point champaign diamond.

 

[Fly Girl]

Showing the back of the piece which can be worn either as a pin or a pendant.

 

[Fly Girl]

The pendant is worn with a 24" rolo chain made of blackened silver and has a handmade clasp of rose gold. I had an additional jump ring put into the chain, so I can wear it at 22" as well.

 

[icekid]

Very nice piece! I always have my eye on those pretty cabs, but am never quite sure what to do with them.

 

[Fly Girl]

A neck shot.

 

[Fly Girl]

From the side.

 

[Fly Girl]

I like this earthy shot.

 

[Fly Girl]

With the sunny snapdragons.

 

[Fly Girl]

Last one.

Thanks for looking.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/8/2009 9:37:09 PM
Author: icekid
Very nice piece! I always have my eye on those pretty cabs, but am never quite sure what to do with them.

Thank you, icekid. I just made up my mind to have one set. I''ve been wanting a nice, substantial pendant. I like the idea of wearing a pin at well. I think it will look pretty nifty on a nice sweater or suit jacket.

I have another, slightly smaller cab, that I''m thinking of having made into a ring.

 

[packrat]

What a cool pendant/pin! I love the raspberry color!

 

[cellentani]

Wow, that''s really unusual, fly girl. Pretty cool how the finish on the chain matches the pin/pendant.

 

[AmberGretchen]

That color is so beautiful - love it!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/8/2009 9:59:49 PM
Author: cellentani
Wow, that''s really unusual, fly girl. Pretty cool how the finish on the chain matches the pin/pendant.

Thank you packrat, cellentani and AmberGretchen. My designer made the matching chain as well. I could have sprung for the entire rolo chain in 14k rose gold (she had one in the shop and it looked amazing), but I''m going to have to save up for that.

 

[mochi]

I love it, Fly Girl... and your shirt really goes well with the stone color and the design..

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/8/2009 10:20:57 PM
Author: mochi
I love it, Fly Girl... and your shirt really goes well with the stone color and the design..

Thanks, mochi. I just love those colors, and wear them a lot.

BTW, that was the pendant at the shorter length, 22". Here is the pendant at the longer length, 24" (and a different shirt!).

 

[Catmom]

Very cool and unusual design!! I like how it is so versatile.

 

[chrono]

There''s a huge improvement after it is set - the rose gold backing really made the colour pop. I also like jewellery that do double duty as both a pendant and a brooch.

 

[D&T]

way cool!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/8/2009 10:55:51 PM
Author: Chrono
There's a huge improvement after it is set - the rose gold backing really made the colour pop. I also like jewellery that do double duty as both a pendant and a brooch.

When I was playing with the stone at home, I noticed that it looked a lot better on a bright white background. The designer and I played around with the loose garnet cab and different color backings. I love polished silver, but figured that it would tarnish, so we looked at white, yellow and rose gold. All of them really helped brighten the stone, but we agreed that the color with the rose gold was the best. The bit of silk in the stone helps, too. It gives an extra glow.

Thanks, Catmom. I really wanted a pin, but figured why not make it so it could be worn as a pendant as well?

Thanks, D&T!

 

[Skippy123]

I love it Flygirl; the color is amazing and it looks fabulous on you!!!!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/8/2009 11:07:38 PM
Author: Skippy123
I love it Flygirl; the color is amazing and it looks fabulous on you!!!!

Thank you, Skippy! I''m liking this piece a lot.

 

[ma re]

How unique! At first I thought it was mounted on top of a piece of black mother of pearl, but then realised it was blackened silver - really not something you see often.

 

[Lovinggems]

What a cool pendant, Barry has another garnet cab up on his website btw.

 

[cinnamon013]

How cool and what a great use of the cab! Barry has several cabochons up that would make great pendants - they aren''t all garnets of course, but some really pretty ones.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/9/2009 2:56:46 AM
Author: ma re
How unique! At first I thought it was mounted on top of a piece of black mother of pearl, but then realised it was blackened silver - really not something you see often.

Thanks, ma re. This designer has a number of blackened silver pieces. Emily has this silver, pink gold and ruby ring up on her website Link . I keep going into the shop and trying it on. (Yes, it fits me perfectly.) The blackening on blackened silver will rub off, apparently, so it helps to either love the aged look, or be near the studio where she can reblacken it.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/9/2009 8:09:54 AM
Author: Lovinggems
What a cool pendant, Barry has another garnet cab up on his website btw.

Thanks, LG. I know about the other cab. It's hard for me to resist it!

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 6/9/2009 9:07:52 AM
Author: cinnamon013
How cool and what a great use of the cab! Barry has several cabochons up that would make great pendants - they aren''t all garnets of course, but some really pretty ones.

Thank you, cinnamon. I already have a second Barry cab that I''m thinking would make a great ring. Here is an example from my designer of what I have in mind. I just gotta save up some more $$$.