Pendant Deconstruction idea?

[ChrisA222]

If you've read my posts, you know I'm a guy, I love gemstones, but I am not that knowlegable about jewelry. I've asked for advice about a pendant, and I got some good ideas. I was going to use an Osiris Octagon Garnet..and still may....but...

I found this Pendant for sale...lets just say it is "not my style" no..not in the least! It is HUGE....Torquoise isn't my thing, etc etc. But, I absolutely love the stone...which I was told by the seller/cutter that it is an uncommon stone and valuable. I just really like it, and if I can get past the size, I think I can make something work. The stone is an Oregon Sunstone...in a reddish-orange color (do you see any grey in it? I don't!... but maybe some brown? lol). I was told its an excellent Sunstone, maybe it is, maybe it isn't, I know you guys are tough on judging stones. Anywho...the stone is 7cts, and is 11mm round/octagon (I cant decide what shape it is, LOL). So, I love the stone, and I love the sterling silver setting and metalwork. The metalwork was done by the seller/cutter and is all sterling silver. Its currently set in that big Tourqoise thing.

My idea...Since I love the stone (at least the pics) and the crude-ish looking setting (and the metalwork) I was thinking of having the setting taken out of the torq. pendant, and having a simple bale fashioned out of the sterling metalwork of which there is a ton of. I am assuming this is an easy job"? But I'd have to find a jeweler who would do such a thing.

So...Im (holding breath) asking for opinions. Do you think that, if you like the setting/metalwork which I do (and realize others may not) do you think I have a good idea, of using the existing setting and metalwork and making a simple bale out of it? Or, am I nuts, it will look horrible, the stoneis too big for a guy (or conservative me), etc etc?

Also, if the picture of the stone is close to IRL, do you agree that it is a valuable stone? I've heard its very clean, is a nice reddish orange, and of course is well cut (to me?) and is big at 7cts.

Oh, I paid $96 for the pendant including the stone. It is "new". So I do feel a bit bad deconstructing it, but the seller knows I may do this...he actually suggested it in his ad for the piece because he was stressing the quality of the stone.

Lastly, If this is a piece that I am severely undervaluing, where this is a pendant that is worth lots and lots of money, should I not deconstruct and just try to sell it on DB? I have no clue because to me it is hideous but it has a nice looking stone and setting.

So..fire away. I'd love to hear if my pendant idea is feasible, may turn out looking ok if done properly, if the stone is as nice as i think it is, but not super nice where I should be re selling it to help pay off my student loans..lol That type of info.

 

[ChrisA222]

Weird..the pictures are brighter and redder on my PC, I am not sure what happened once I posted them..LOL...they got lighter/less saturated?? I swear I am not seeing things?!

 

[distracts]

Well I think $96 is a fair price. I don't know if it's possible to just take the sunstone part out and slap a bale on it, but if it isn't, they could certainly unset and reset the stone into something of your choosing.

Sunstone is "rare" in that it's kind of hard to find in cut form... probably due to lack of demand... but it's not, like, extremely valuable or anything. It's feldspar. I will say that looks like the nicest sunstone I have ever seen. Most sunstone I have come across has not been anywhere near so saturated.

 

[ChrisA222]

Thanks!

Well here's my idea...you see how the stone is set by the silver and then in that hole in the torq? You see how there is that metal work that goes from the middle of the setting and then starts to wrap around the torq? Why not use that existing metal and use that, basically looping it around. I am having a very hard time describing what Im trying to accomplish. LOL. Do you see what I mean? Like leave the stone in its setting and then use the sterling "wire" to form a bale...most of it is already there....no?? LOL

 

[chrono]

The turquoise is providing part of the support strength at the moment. Looking at the thinness of the setting, without the turquoise, the sunstone and silver alone will not hold up well to wear, even as a pendant. You'll have to do major "surgery" and shorten up the bale to beef up the overall pendant durability.

As for the stone, I also noticed that pictures on PS tend to get desaturated. Oregon sunstone isn't particularly uncommon and there are faceted and cabbed varieties. They are also not expensive. Sunstones are generally orangish red. Yours shows schiller in the stone and is transparent enough to facet, which is great. The price you paid also seems reasonable.

 

[Nicki]

I have to admit that I have a huge soft spot for sunstones, especially those will schiller. I love looking into the stones and seeing those little fields of platelets. That looks like quite a lovely sunstone. I like the color and shape.

That setting, IMO, isn't worth saving. It's quite assymetrical, the prongs aren't tight and it's not holding the stone very securely. I doubt very much that it would withstand having the stone removed and then reset, which would have to happen in order to do any modifications to it. It should be easy enough to find someone to make you a somewhat similar setting with an appropriately sized basket.

I think you paid a decent price for the stone, and it's really lovely!

 

[ChrisA222]

Nicki, thanks!! I appreciate it..this is stuff that I don't know. I'm learning as much as I can about the stones, and I found the Sunstones so interesting. I love the look of the stones, the schiller is interesting too. Distracts, I think of them a little differently than just "feldspar". That to me is like saying Siberian Amethyst is just "quartz".

What gets me is that I'm seeing large Sunstones like mine, even smaller ones, out there for $500 and up. The seller (and I realize sellers will say what they will) told me the stone is worth $600-$800..he was unhappy that the pendant didn't get higher bids but I'm not complaining. I have no interest in the pendant, I hate torquoise and I hate big and blingy. He also said to me that he probably shouldn't have put such a fine stone in that pendant, but he had a lot of the Sunstone rough.

I was really surprised to see nobody on here say that the stone is not worth a lot more than the $100 I paid, after I went on Ebay and didn't see anything this large/saturated for anywhere near that price, but whatever....I'll just do something with it for myself.

 

[Nicki]

I picked up a sunstone from a local cutter at a show about a month ago. It's a standard round ~6.5 carats if memory serves. Mine's a bit more copper colored and a bit less red, but I paid $70. I also picked up a smaller sunstone (can't remember weight) from Dan Stair a few months ago, that I paid around $80. Just to give you an idea about prices. I don't see sunstones going for hundreds of dollars, but I think you paid a decent price for that one. It's really a lovely stone.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

The sunstone looks lovely - nice cut.

How in the world did the vendor think that such a badly made piece would go for hundreds of dollars? The setting doesn't match the stone shape, the prongs are clumsy, etc. I wouldn't try to save the setting. Get a decent setting - the stone will sing out if better set.

 

[ChrisA222]

Lady Disdain...I think only because of the stone. Seriously, I'm not making this up...go to Ebay and Type in "Oregon Sunstone" and then search "gemstones" I think. Then search by "most expensive" first...and the ones that are all like $500-$1000 are very much like my stone...the ones that are around $200 or less are that much lighter color, or smaller...I dunno, just saying what I found on Ebay and what the seller told me. Again, I don't know...I will be happy with the stone for what it is, but I was very curious (and hopeful) that the stone had lots more value. I mean, everyone wants the big "score"...and I thought I found one...I thought I scored an amazingly valuable stone because I : A)saw through the hideously ugly pendant and B)saw similar stones priced at those high prices on Ebay. Thats all...no problem if this wasn't a "score" as I still like the stone, but it wasn't the find that I was hoping for. LOL

Im not being a brat, I just was hoping I had found one of those bargains that many people on here have been very lucky to find.

 

[LD]

Ok - I'm not sure what to say because after seeing your other thread from this vendor my alarm beacon was raised. This vendor is selling this as "turquoise", it's huge and it's being sold for under $100????????? If so, did he/she declare treatments i.e. could this be reconstituted, dyed, blah blah blah? I know that you're not buying it for the turquoise or the pendant BUT what worries me is there are alarm bells for the other parts of the pendant so that casts doubts in my mind as to what the central stone might be.

Fingers crossed all of his/her gems are what they purport to be but my rule of thumb is that if something is cheap when you compare to gemstones that you know are good quality with/without treatments disclosed, then I always wonder why. Think about it this way ...... the vendor has made this him/herself - so on that basis, you know the price of silver at the moment and that pendant must have a substantial amount, add in a real turquoise, real sunstone and the $$$ start to mount up. Unless he's selling at a loss (doubtful)!

Another way of looking at it is you could get a jeweller to re-use the silver (if it's silver) and you've got a centre stone to use in another project that you obviously like - so with that in mind, is it worth what you paid? That's only a question you can answer

 

[ChrisA222]

LD, yes...its real Torquise...thats for sure..and the Sunstone is also definately Sunstone..that I also know. Sunstone has a definate "look" about it...plus theres a little schiller in there too. He says he is selling the stones, making some of these pieces, for fun as a hobby. He isn't trying to make money. He told me he has access to rough that others may not. he cuts the stuff himself, and made that pendant himself. I swear to you, everything in the piece is real. I didn't test the silver, but I do have a silver test kit.

Im really glad you posted all of this, because I thought I was going crazy thinking I was the only one that thought these stones were worth quite a bit more than I paid...it does make me feel better. I have no doubts that the stones are anythign but what they are claimed to be. Its just that I found a nice man who has access to rough most dont, at Im sure prices we'd all kill for, and does the cutting for fun.

LD, I'd be happy to send you the Torquoise if you would like it..if you can use it..I have no use for it. I dont know how long it will take me to get the stone or the stone/setting unmounted, but I can give you my word that I'll send you the torqoise if you would like it. Its pretty neat, he said its from North America, it has the veins of gold-looking stuff, Im assuming thats pyrite..maybe its copper,I really have no clue. I was really hoping to re use the sterling, only because i like the crudish look of the metalwork. But we will see. Eventually I think I will send the pendant to jeff Davies and have him work with it.

 

[chrono]

Even if free, I would question the turquoise. It is probably reconsituted and dyed.

 

[ChrisA222]

Chrono I dont think so...it has all kinds of matrix or whatever you want to call, running through it. There are pits etc everywhere on the stone. The hole that is cut out, where the bezel sits, shows the matrix running through the whole stone.But, since I believe the vendor is a really honest guy, I will ask him about this. He knows I care little about the Torq, so I don't see a reason he would lie about it. Ill report back. In the meantime, if you can help me find a way to determine if the Torq is real or not, please let me know! Also...I haven't done the silver test yet...the acid is packed away somewhere..but my backup test (the super strength magnet) showed the metal to be silver! No magnetism whatsoever....so its at least a real Sunstone (this I am 100% sure of) and the metalwork is at least a majority percent Silver. Next if anyone can help me figure out how to test the torq, let me know. IM going to google it now. I do have a Chelsea filter..but torq isn't on my chelsea filter reaction list. HELP!

 

[ChrisA222]

Chrono, I asked the vendor about the Torqouise...whether it is a real stone or reconstituted and/or dyed. He said that it is a natural stone, but said that it is stabilized like most Torquoise. He said that if it was reconstituted/dyed, that the center would not be the same blue color as the outside of the stone, and he is right, the inside of the hole is the same color. Thats what I thought at first, and is what he said back to me. He seemed a little insulted, I felt kind of bad about asking, but I said to him in my email that I really wasn't planning on using the Torq, but that I was thinking of giving it to a friend, and I wanted to be up front and honest about what the stone is and what it is not. So yeah I do think its a real Torq, but it is like a green more so than the typical blue that I am used to seeing in jewelry. Im assuming there are different types of Torq. This piece he said was from North America but I didn't get anything more specific.

Id call the color bluish-green, like the same color as unheated Aquamarine.

 

[LD]

Chrono, I asked the vendor about the Torqouise...whether it is a real stone or reconstituted and/or dyed. He said that it is a natural stone, but said that it is stabilized like most Torquoise. He said that if it was reconstituted/dyed, that the center would not be the same blue color as the outside of the stone, and he is right, the inside of the hole is the same color. Thats what I thought at first, and is what he said back to me. He seemed a little insulted, I felt kind of bad about asking, but I said to him in my email that I really wasn't planning on using the Torq, but that I was thinking of giving it to a friend, and I wanted to be up front and honest about what the stone is and what it is not. So yeah I do think its a real Torq, but it is like a green more so than the typical blue that I am used to seeing in jewelry. Im assuming there are different types of Torq. This piece he said was from North America but I didn't get anything more specific.

Id call the color bluish-green, like the same color as unheated Aquamarine.

Chrisa this is totally incorrect. It is fairly common practice that a dye is applied and then a stabiliser added to the stone to prevent the dye transferring to the wearer. So, the hole WOULD be the same colour!

Thank you for your kind offer of the Turqoise but whilst I appreciate it on others, I'm afraid I'm not a fan of it myself! Interestingly though, I've just made a Howlite necklace and love that! They are often confused but for some reason I like one and not the other!

 

[chrono]

Here are some links as to the treatment and when they are applied in the treatment process with regards to dyes (applied first), then the stabilizer. It also covers composite, doublet and imitation turquoise. It isn't what you think or what I think but what it really is. Always trust but verify.
http://www.turquoiseguide.com/articles/turquoise/turquoise-basics/treated-turquoise.htm

 

[ChrisA222]

Chrono, thanks for that website...that is all interesting stuff. It did say that Torq. may be stabilized, with or without also being dyed. This was viewed as OK in the trade...whereas the reconstituted stuff was called Torquoise Trash. lol. I am assuming this is not the trash, but I have no proof. I also don't particularly care since I am only interested in the Sunstone which is amazing, and the silver as I may re use it somehow. But this has been an interesting read. I have never been a fan of Torquise myself..and I love how LD put it, "I appreciate it on others".

 

[distracts]

Just about all turquoise on the market is stabilized - if you are going to be using it in jewelry, you wouldn't want it unstabilized. After contact with skin oils, unstabilized turquoise can turn this weird chalky green color. I have never encountered unstabilized turquoise for sale (outside of really antique jewelry). Ever. And I have been buying turquoise much longer than other gems - since I was a little kid.

The good prices on undyed turquoise that I have seen lately have all been $8-10 a carat for less than 10 carat pieces. And yours is definitely a lot bigger than that.

Soo... I mean if this guy literally just has tons of cool stuff in his garage or wherever and is selling it off at a loss to clear out space, it could be real. But if it's actually a business, I'd be very suspicious.

 

[ChrisA222]

Distracts, I guess I'm unsure about the Torqoise, but I have no intention of using it, so it doesn't matter to me. I know the Sunstone is a real Sunstone...you can't fake a Sunstone, schiller, etc. The other stone I bought from him is most definately a Fire Opal. Now...that being said...I have a thought that it may be an Oregon Fire Opal...those come big, and are way cheaper. So, perhaps that has happened in the case of the Fire Opal. The seller told me its Mexican, and from the 80s, and I'd love to believe him, but Oregon Fire Opal comes big and clean, in the same color as mine, and..it just so happens that he also sold me this Sunstone from Oregon. I dunno...so thats my only concern, really.

Now, that being said, would I be happy to find out the Fire Opal is from Oregon?? Nope! Would I be upset and want to return it? Nope. It is still huge, looks awesome, still a nice gem, with a great cut. Probably a "fair" price for it being an Oregon stone, esp. taking in consideration the cut. Now...do I bother sending the Opal to AGL to find out the origin? Do they even test for that? If so, is it worth the expense? I dont know. I guess if I were ever to want to sell the opal I'd see if their gembrief would cover that test..

If I ever get the stone removed from the Torquoise, I'd be happy to give it to whomever is interested in Torqouise for free. Its not doing me any good. I just need to find someone to do the stone removal and then create me a new piece. I love the style of the setting and the metal work..to me, the crude design is really nice. But the huge piece of Torquoise isnt my style at all. LOL