Pendant setting advice for my aquamarine

[natsplat]

Hi, long time no post (been lurking and drooling a lot though...!)

I would love some advice about a pendant setting for my Gene aquamarine:





I am having our first baby in January, and would love to set this stone as a momento.

I know I want a pendant rather than a ring, and I thiiiink I am set on rose gold, but other than that I am absolutely open to suggestions. I hope you can help me!

Thanks for reading!

 

[GregS]

A three stone pendant, set vertically in descending order, all ovals, with your Aquamarine, a smaller yellow sapphire and an even smaller white diamond.

 

[Rosebloom]

A rose gold beveled bezel with a bead chain would be lovely. Bev K makes some very beautiful Art Deco inspired pendants and if you're interested in something more vintage-y. I'm pretty sure they produce their items in RG. Pearlman's has a great selection of Bev K and can order anything.

 

[JewelFreak]

Rose gold would look great with that.

What sort of style are you thinking of? Antique-ish, modern, ornate, simple?

How about having Sally at Heart of Water come up with something for you? She can design for you individually, or adapt one of her own for your stone -- here are a few:

You could add another stone for something like this...


..or go single stone -- I like the rope bezel a lot. Would be lovely in rg.


Or an adaptation of her HoW pendant.



Have you found any pics of styles that catch your eye?

--- Laurie

 

[natsplat]

Thanks everyone. This has kicked my brain into seriously thinking about how I want it to look.

Greg: I love your colour scheme! I am trying to avoid buying too many new stones if possible - budget but also coz I want the aqua to remain top dog. I do have a gorgeous helidor I haven't set yet though, and it does look good with the aqua, and the diamond could be a tiny accent...



Rosebloom: I have a weakness for bead chains and beading in settings, so that's a definite lead. I like Janish Jewel's double beading bezels but I think she doesn't take stoneson any more...? I will look at Beverly K

Jewel Freak: hey I think I would like it to stay relatively simple, but with a nice detail or two. I love Sally's work and have worked with her before. I do like those twisty candycane bezels too! Maybe the helidor round then the aqua as a drop below? Hmm.

I have always liked bean's DanielM pendant here: http://www.pricescope.com/forum/colored-stones/show-me-your-daniel-m-goodies-t156131-90.html, which is very plain with mixed metals.

Lots of food for thought! Thank you!

 

[JewelFreak]

Nat, your heliodor would look terrific with the aqua -- super combination, however you set them!

--- Laurie

 

[natsplat]

but I couldn't set in rose gold then... could I...?

 

[chrono]

Have you placed your heliodor next to rose gold or a copper penny to see how it looks yet?

 

[natsplat]

Hi Chrono yes, and it looks good, but I wonder if all three colours together aren't a little icecreamy/primary school? I will post pictures...

 

[natsplat]

Thought I would throw my tiny grey sapphire in too as ballast...

 

[chrono]

Do you have a small pinkish or purplish stone? I think that will tie in very well with rose gold and put the focus squarely on the aquamarine.

 

[natsplat]

The only other unset stones I have are a small spess and this relatively large Barry garnet:



Not really right for putting the focus on the aqua, although I do really like the Art Deco-ness of those two colours together.

Is it too drab just having the aqua with the steel grey sapphire in rose?:



Eta: interesting - putting the sapphire next to the aqua make the grey look very greeny...

 

[chrono]

The proportion of the dark garnet is too large relative to the aquamarine even though the colour combination is stunning! The grayish sapphire combo is "cooler" and more subtle but the proportions are perfect.

 

[natsplat]

Yes, absolutely! I am considering hunting for a teeny garnet to keep that brilliant colour combination. If only Bob Kast was still on the Bistro (I got my sapphire and spess from him and the cuts are fabulous). I am always attracted to those bold colours.

With quite a lot of the rose metal showing, the cool combo could look very stylish though. Hmm

 

[chrono]

If you like bold colour combos, go for it. It's always nice to have pendants that shout since they tend to hang by their lonely selves at the neck area.

 

[natsplat]

Yes, it will need to have presence, in one way or another...

I am thinking E-W setting for the aqua, possibly a beaded/milgrained bezel
Then the smaller round below it, in a moving link, again bezelled (to get max rose color).

Sally or Daniel M? I think gold prices are spendy no matter where I go now...

 

[chrono]

I am too chicken to send my stones overseas so I'd go with Daniel M between your two choices.

 

[JewelFreak]

The aqua with a garnet looks terrific -- go for it! Where did Bob Kast go, anyway? Maybe Barry would have a nice smaller garnet, worth an inquiry -- I haven't looked at his site lately. Daniel M. would be my choice for setting it -- save the $$ of shipping to & from Sally. It's a bugger that gold prices are as much a consideration as stone cost, sigh, but true.

--- Laurie

 

[natsplat]

I am in the UK, so I have to suck it up no matter who I send it to

I have dealt with both before and they were ace. Sally was a tad more expensive, but I think Dan has gone up since then. I guess it comes down to style.

I just looked at Barry's garnets, and he has a matched pair like baby brothers of my big one for $120. Might still be a bit too big in proportion though.

 

[natsplat]

http://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/6mm-tanzanie-garnet-by-bb

This might work, but the grey sapphire is 5mm. Do you think the extra mm would over balance it?

 

[natsplat]

Am now considering making it a three stone pendant: E-W bezelled aqua, then fixed bezel grey sapphire (similar in feel to the Bean pendant I mentioned above), but then finally a tiny moving bezelled diamond. This one seems the right size:

http://diamondbistro.com/category/215/Loose-natural-Diamonds/listings/35237/370mm-M-VS2-018ct.html

nice low colour so as to chime in with the warmth of the piece, and a good price.

Any thoughts? If my description is confusing I could (badly) draw it out...

 

[natsplat]

Shamelessly bumping in case there are more votes for garnet vs grey sapphire-plus-diamond combo...

 

[natsplat]

Update: I have thought and thought about various options, and in the end I have decided the aqua will look its best simply set E-W in a rose gold ring, so I have shelved it for now. Thanks for bearing with my indecision!

 

[chrono]

I am sorry I did not see your call out for opinions on the DB stone earlier. I've been taking more breaks and longer breaks lately.

 

[natsplat]

Aw, there's no need! x I think I was trying to force a stone into a combo where I felt in my gut it didn't fit, which is why I was grasping around for ideas. I love my aqua a lot, and it will be set perfectly in time. I would rather wait and get it right. Thank you Chrono

I went for rather more prosaic diamond studs to mark the baby's arrival. Very low profile, everyday size, non-grabbable

 

[minousbijoux]

Aw, there's no need! x I think I was trying to force a stone into a combo where I felt in my gut it didn't fit, which is why I was grasping around for ideas. I love my aqua a lot, and it will be set perfectly in time. I would rather wait and get it right. Thank you Chrono

I went for rather more prosaic diamond studs to mark the baby's arrival. Very low profile, everyday size, non-grabbable

Sorry I'm just stopping in now, but I think you made the right choice. FWIW, my vote would've gone to the grey sapph and aqua, as it made the aqua look so bright and lively. But I'm really writing to say:

So happy you are back! We have missed you. And do you know how many rings have been made since yours that favors yours? Design elements of your ring have been flatteringly copied many times over since you made your er. And BABY TIME! Congratulations! That is so exciting! Really truly congratulations; babies are the stuff of dreams.

 

[natsplat]

Oh you are so lovely! I did notice quite a few rings I "recognised" going through the Daniel M bench I am completely flattered that people would even remember my ering designing journey, let alone be influenced by that design

I will be putting my thinking cap on about the perfect rose design for my aqua ring, but I am guessing I shall have my hands full for a while before I get round to it so I will have to live vicariously through other CS projects until then x