New spinel pieces!

[kt]

It's been awhile since I got something new, but I finally got a few stones set! Also found a new Etsy vendor that I really like, Brian from BSKDesigns, who's been really lovely to work with and I think did a fabulous job....I'm thinking of getting a couple of pieces from his store, he does tons of bezel work - my favorite!!

First up, a platinum grey spinel from Dana (cut by Dr. Weaver) in a DTBY 14k WG bezel pendant (pardon the dishpan hands! I hate change of season, it kills my skin), and Dana's pic of the stone.

It sparkles like crazy and Dana mentioned it has pinkish-orange glow under UV but I don't have a UV light, so i'll have to go find one. LOVE this piece!! The stone change color quite a bit, from silver-grey to hints of bluish or purplish (but mainly grey).

 

[minousbijoux]

Oooh, I hate it when I interrupt a thread before the OP has posted all the pics - I'm so impatient!!!! Hurry, kt, hurry!

 

[minousbijoux]

...was in such a hurry that I didn't say how lovely! Please say more about the sparkle and dispersion...

 

[NKOTB]

Nice! I'm like Minou, also impatient. When I saw the thread title, and that it was you, I sat right up all excited - hope you set The One That Got Away (From Me)!

Love the first piece!!

 

[kt]

Then, I had this HIDEOUS "sapphire" ring that I hadn't worn for ages that I bought from eBAy awhile ago...this was in the days before I knew what were nice stones or rings and as you can imagine, the thing was completely BLACK....and not just that, the ring itself was a disaster - bad prongs, the stones basically falling out, and the stone didn't even really fit very well in the size of the setting. So, even though I wore it a lot in the beginning, it sat in my jewelry box...recently, I got an inexpensive, larger red spinel and I remembered the ring so I asked Brian if he could replace the stone - and to not spend a huge amt of time or money given I didn't love the ring anyway. Well, wow, I just got the ring back and I now LOVE it! It's definitely not perfect - the bones of the ring weren't great to begin with, but I think he was able to do a great job with what I gave him. The side stones came with the original - they are pale blue sapphires so they aren't the perfect side stones for the spinel, and the spinel is a bit dark...but I definitely love wearing it now.

 

[Enerchi]

oooooh!!! loving the new "spinel show"!! Your new pieces are beautiful kt!

 

[innerkitten]

Nice! Isn't spinel a fun gemstone?! I'm a pendant person and feel you can never have enough. Great simple design on the pendant. And the red spinel is very velvety. Great idea to recycle an older ring that you no longer wear.

 

[kt]

Thanks everyone! I haven't really had time to post in awhile so it's also nice to see everyone's goodies too!

I have one more piece coming - it's a pad-colored spinel, also from Dana that i'm having Brian set in a milgrain rose gold bezel sliding pendant that i'll put on a neckwire...it's also been hanging out for awhile waiting to get set, so i'm psyched to get that one as well!

As for the platinum spinel, it's definitely predominantly grey, but in the light it throws off pale grey-lavender flashes and a hint of grey-blue...but it's really hard to capture, as you can imagine! I feel like it's almost like a greyish diamond sitting in the bezel, and since I wear a ton of black and grey in the winter I thought it'd be perfect for my wardrobe.

NKOTB, which stone was the one that got away for you? I think it was the cut corner lavender spinel? I'm actually saving my pennies to ask Brian to set that one, I think that might be next, with my color-change garnets in a 3-stone!!!

 

[NKOTB]

That one was also lovely, but the one I actually shed tears over (not your fault, don't worry! Crazy nursing hormones...lol) was PT's Mahenge spinel. Any setting plans for that one yet?

 

[kt]

NKOTB, i'm thinking of haloing that one - it's so small it really needs something to give it a bit more finger covereage. So that one has to wait, unless I put that ahead of the lavender square. Maybe early next year?? i'm thinking yellow gold tiny claws set in a small octagonal wg halo to bring out the shape.

 

[Jereni]

Very fun, I like the pendant especially!

 

[NKOTB]

NKOTB, i'm thinking of haloing that one - it's so small it really needs something to give it a bit more finger covereage. So that one has to wait, unless I put that ahead of the lavender square. Maybe early next year?? i'm thinking yellow gold tiny claws set in a small octagonal wg halo to bring out the shape.

Sounds lovely.

 

[texaskj]

More, more, more photos please!
And how did I miss BSKDesigns on Etsy? Love his stuff!

 

[kt]

a couple more perspectives in better lighting....The red spinel is a nice red in incandescent and daylight (not as much pink as in this photo), but in some lights it shows a bit of orangey-brown, but given I think I paid about $35 for it, I can't complain! If you could have seen the disaster the ring was before the reset...I have to try to find an old picture of it - it's just embarrassing! I think the prongs looked like staples bent over and just holding the stone in. Now at least they are neat and even...the sides of the basket aren't very refined but there's nothing I can do about that, so at least face up it's a respectable piece now, I think!

The grey spinel pic here is showing its bluer side.

 

[JewelFreak]

Wow, your last photo really shows off that spinel beautifully. Nice! I'm crazy about the ring, though -- what a super surprise for you that it came out so well from a drek ring!!! I actually love the side stones - the slight blue-ish tint brings out the rose in the spinel without taking over. Also their shape & dimensions are just rightf w/the center stone. Congratulations!

 

[chrono]

The setting job looks very clean and recycling settings? Love it! Nothing better than breathing in new life into something old.

 

[colorluvr]

The setting job looks very clean and recycling settings? Love it! Nothing better than breathing in new life into something old.

Congratulations! I have a few recycled settings that turned out surprisingly well, and then a few.... not so much....

 

[minousbijoux]

I have one more piece coming - it's a pad-colored spinel, also from Dana that i'm having Brian set in a milgrain rose gold bezel sliding pendant that i'll put on a neckwire...it's also been hanging out for awhile waiting to get set, so i'm psyched to get that one as well!

Somehow I missed this before. Pinky orangey colored spinel?!! whats not to love?!! I love rose gold, I love milgraining and I haven't seen Dana's stone but I'm sure I'd love that too! Sight unseen, I call dibs if you decide to sell it...

Do you have any photos of Dana's stone, or have you posted it somewhere else and I already oohed and aahhed over it?!

 

[kt]

Hi Minous - I don't think I ever got a chance to post a pic of the stone, i'll have to see if I took a photo, otherwise Brian's got it and I have to wait to get it back! but I love it and I debated a long time (almost a year??) whether to put it in an antique ring that already has a Peter Torraca garnet in it, or have it set in a necklace. In the end, I figured i have so many rings already and Peter's stone was so nice (I bought it from the lovely FrekeChild) that I decided on the pendant. I'll post a pic as soon as I get it!

 

[kt]

I found a pic of the pad spinel that I must have taken in a rush cuz it's covered in cotton fuzz and it's smudgy but here's an idea of what i'm waiting to get back! It also makes the stone more orangey than I think it is...it's 6.7mm.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Beautiful spinel pieces! I can't get over that you paid $35 for the red spinel and how pretty is looks in the ring.