New rings! Help to ID stones?

[rainbowtrout]

Well, I finally have some modest new jewelry. I picked up a siver ring today which looks for all the world like it has nice tangerine-y garnets in it. The silver is real (stamped, etc), but I only paid about US $12 for the ring. However, garnets are dirt cheap here.

I''ve attached the best pictures I can--help with ID-ing the stones is appreciated! Clearly if they are fake I''m not out any serious cash, so all opinions welcome.


The second ring isn''t exactly "colored stone" but I''m not sure where else to file it. It''s carved camel bone in the shape of a good-luck cicada in a heavy sterling ring. Quite a find, it is hard to find stamped silver Western Sahara style jewelry. Much more traditionally Shararian/Moroccan than the garnet ring.

Pics to follow shortly.

 

[rainbowtrout]

1

 

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2

 

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3

 

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You can see a little in the pictures that none of the little stones extactly match each other--the ones around the main gem are a very light orange, and the rest hit all the colors in between.

 

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no flash

 

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camel bone ring on its side. Um, disregard the filename, it means bone ring abbreviated...ack.

 

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against computer

 

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normally I wear it on my right hand with no other rings, but I needed it to hold the camera!

I bought this one in Tangiers by the way, after an epic 1.5 hr bargaining session. The guy wanted 80 USD, I ended up paying around 45. Which considering the amount of silver and labor, seems fair.

 

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full hand shot

 

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Aw. I know they aren''t very expensive or fancy, guys, but I really am curious about the stones in the first ring.

 

[chrono]

RT,

I have absolutely no idea what the stones are; they look a very vibrant orange. They could be garnets, but I''ve never seen such lovely garnets sold loose for under $12! For all I know, they could be real or synthetics. But whatever they may be, they are beautiful.

The bone ring though...it''s huge! Very unique too. I guess this is a Morrocan ring? Does the carving have any meaning?

 

[rainbowtrout]

Yeah, it is a traditional Moroccan piece in the style the tribes who live in the Sahara. The jewelry is huge and heavy bc it was a way to carry around wealth and display it on women at weddings, etc. The whole wedding ensemble weighs over 50 lbs!



The orange stones--I have heard garnets are rarely faked, which is why I was curious. Also they don''t really put a lot of value on garnets in general here so I thought perhaps I had gotten lucky--wondered if there was a relatively easy was to tell with a loupe or the like.

 

[strmrdr]

sides look like garnet but im not sure about the center.
If i had to guess id say maybe sythetic spinel.

 

[TravelingGal]

Date: 7/10/2007 7:00:56 PM
Author: rainbowtrout
camel bone ring on its side. Um, disregard the filename, it means bone ring abbreviated...ack.

I can''t help you ID the rings, but the file names just made me laugh out loud. My big chuckle of the day.....LOL

Nice rings!

 

[rainbowtrout]

Synthetic spinel, huh? Neat. Wish there was a way to tell easily. I''m not paying more money than the ring cost to get it appraised, though There''s such a thing as too much rock geekiness.