Please help me create a stunning necklace! Blue with a halo!

[belle]

oh my

i love love love that steely grey blue...and the diamond halo compliments it perfectly. i can''t wait to see the finished design, it is going to be stunning.

 

[MissAva]

Little update, I got an email from GEMWOW saying the stone has been sent. Has anyone ever ordered from them before? Was it really three weeks after shipment when you received your package?

 

[jszweda]

Hi!

I have never heard of anyplace that takes that long to ship something, and I have a feeling they may say this for security reasons.

For instance, I have had stuff shipped this way from Chantiburi/Bangkok and have it get here within a week. That''s going with FedEx shipping, and having it being cleared through customs no less. I know for fact that GSN says allow up to 3 weeks or something like that, and it takes under a week. I have a feeling that they may be saying it takes that long when the truth is that it doesn''t. Sometimes places like to say things about shipping that aren''t true simply because of security measures. They like to throw people.

Though I have never ordered from them in specific, if they''re using a private carrier like FedEx, UPS, or DHL, it should be there within a week. Did you get a tracking number?

 

[jszweda]

If you want the look of really good diamonds but you don''t want to pay the price for good accent stones (as diamonds are just rediculous and have gone up drasticlly lately), I said this before and I will say it again. If you have some good clean white sapphires, you would swear they were diamonds. Once you set them, you would swear they were D-F diamonds.

I got the idea from somewhere else and I decided to go with that for something I want done.

The bottom line is that 5mm triliant, D-F/VS-VVS in a matched pair is just rediculous. So I found a deal through a local connection who gave me a rock bottom price on some IF white sapphires. When they''re set, they look just like diamonds.

I also saw a ring being sold on one of the shopping channels. It was a sapphire set in a princess Diana type setting. The guy said "Don''t those look like the best D-F diamonds you ever saw?" Then he said they weren''t, and unless he said something, you would have thought for sure they were diamonds.

It''s food for thought at least. However, keep in mind that small accent stones have gone through the roof lately. The person who got the pair of matched whites I have told me they are expected to increase in price (diamonds that is) through years end and not level off till January.

Whatever way you go, I am sure it will be the envy of many. It''s also nice to see someone do something nice with something you don''t see everyday and do it justice. Also keep in mind that on a retail level, spinel isn''t exactly cheap.

 

[MissAva]

Date: 11/1/2005 11:36:23 AM
Author: jszweda
Hi!

I have never heard of anyplace that takes that long to ship something, and I have a feeling they may say this for security reasons.

For instance, I have had stuff shipped this way from Chantiburi/Bangkok and have it get here within a week. That''s going with FedEx shipping, and having it being cleared through customs no less. I know for fact that GSN says allow up to 3 weeks or something like that, and it takes under a week. I have a feeling that they may be saying it takes that long when the truth is that it doesn''t. Sometimes places like to say things about shipping that aren''t true simply because of security measures. They like to throw people.

Though I have never ordered from them in specific, if they''re using a private carrier like FedEx, UPS, or DHL, it should be there within a week. Did you get a tracking number?

No the shipper said it would arrive to me via EW then USPS...no tracking number.

 

[jszweda]

If that is the case and it''s via air mail through some foreign post office, that''s why it takes so long.

 

[MissAva]

I figured as much...but 43.00 seems like alot for shipping to have to wait nearly a month.

 

[jszweda]

$43 for shipping? Is this thing 5000 carats or something? That is rediculous to ship that with insurance and all, and it takes that long. It would have been cheaper to send it FedEx international priority and it wouldn''t have taken nearly as long.

 

[MissAva]

I thought so too...but you only have a few options when you check out, and FedEx does not deliver to my building...I am worried about that with my package coming from WF. And not the stone is only a bit over 3 carats....believe me I have better things to spend that money on.

 

[MissAva]

This picture makes me drool...I love it! So pretty!

 

[MINE!!]

Very Beautiful!! Very Yummy!!

 

[jszweda]

Personally I say it looks better than the Hope diamond. I can say that truthfully since I''ve seen it up close and in person many years ago.

 

[jszweda]

That sucks that FedEx won''t deliver to your building. Even still, for whatever you paid for the rock (and 3 carats isn''t a bad size at all for that stone), you''re still making out. Go to a jewelry store that knows what natural blue spinel is, and ask them how much a 3 carat rock is. You''ll fall over-and that''s only for the first carat. LOL

 

[MJO]

Date: 10/30/2005 8:36:37 PM
Author: jszweda
That stone in that setting looks like a 60%-70% saturated cornflower blue sapphire.

It has a very elegant look to it. I was going to say if you don''t already have that stone and you''re still looking, if you could find a deal on a good clean cornflower...go for it. Otherwise, have you thought about a blue sphene in that color? It supposedly has a higher RI than a diamond, otherwise you also might like a good piece of kyanite. It''s an extremely soft stone, but it looks like a really awesome sapphire.

I do like the concept and as others have stated, it does have a very sheik, elegant designer look to it. If you go with diamonds for the halo, with that white gold, you might want to consider some H-I/SI1-VS1 diamonds. I think that would compliment everything so well like that. That''s just my opinion though.

Hi Joe,

I have never heard of much less seen Blue Sphene. Do you have any pictures? I have only seen green, gold, brown and flashes of red.

Regards,
Maurice

 

[jszweda]

Maurice,

I don''t have any pictures and from what I understand, they are very rare. They exisit, but you don''t find them in blue. I saw one the other day on the tube and it looks like a not so saturated Ceylon cornflower sapphire. I wish I could find a pic, but when I searched for one, it turns up nothing.

 

[MissAva]

Date: 11/2/2005 5:37:18 PM
Author: jszweda
That sucks that FedEx won''t deliver to your building. Even still, for whatever you paid for the rock (and 3 carats isn''t a bad size at all for that stone), you''re still making out. Go to a jewelry store that knows what natural blue spinel is, and ask them how much a 3 carat rock is. You''ll fall over-and that''s only for the first carat. LOL

Actually the price I paid for that one was more then what my local jeweler quoted me, but his was more of a true blue and I really liked the tint of this one in the photos. I asked him to hold it for me and if this one does not look as good in person I will send it back and either use the oval or the cushion my jeweler found me. (115, if I recall correctly about 8.8something and 8.9 pretty close to the same size).

 

[jszweda]

$115 for an 8 or 9 carat blue spinel? Are you kidding me? Was this a synthetic or natural? For a clean natural blue spinel, $115 is rediculously cheap.

 

[MissAva]

Oh sorry those were the measurements not the weight.

 

[jszweda]

What was the carat weight on the one from your local jeweler?

 

[MissAva]

I dont remember...I will ask next time I pop in.
I still have not received either stone or any more news about them.

I want them!

 

[WinkHPD]

Date: 10/26/2005 6:31:41 PM
Author: valeria101


OMG....


Well, it's good enough that they let me volunteer on Pricescope.

Great company in every sense of the word if there ever was some.



[where's that blush icon!?]

It's better than a lot of people can do, and I guarantee you that if you took some of the pieces I have seen you "design" here and gave them to a competent bench that they could then convert those to cad cam and have waxes made or an even more gifted artisan could hand carve the wax or even hand make the items.

You are providing very valuable guides to the jeweler to see what you want and that is about nine tenths of the battle when doing custom work. With such complete guides as these there is no "I hope this is what she wanted" on the jeweler's part.

A lot of us jewelers would like to be able to do it so well!

Wink

 

[jszweda]

Wink,

To my knowledge, there are supposedly only 12 or 13 CAD/CAM manufacturers who can use that vs. the traditional wax model. There is one manufacturer jeweler here locally that is supposed to get one of those units in. Now, how accurate this information is, I have no idea.

I do know what you mean about a compotent bench which is problematic here. I have a design I want made when the time comes. One of the issues that I have ran into is everyone says its too complicated when the truth of the matter is it isn''t. I have some specific filagree engraving I want done which is what I think throws people. I had one jeweler tell me that the ring I want made it would have to be done in 5 pieces, but they are really large pieces. So he doesn''t see what the issue is at all.

The other issue I have is simple. I hate it when jewelers tell me what I don''t want. For example, I gave one a sketch. I told him I want the centerstone set with a N/S orientation. He shows me this band that has some of what I want or a concept at least, and he doesn''t understand a 10.2 x 8.2 stone isn''t going to work with a 10mm band by the time I put in a bezzel and the edge I want. Finally he gets it and then tells me I can''t do a N/S as it would be too large.

I had another one tell me I couldn''t have the engraving I wanted done on the profile as it wouldn''t match the pattern adjacent to the head.

This is because??? I know exactly what I want done, and the last time I checked there was no rule that said you had to orient a certain stone a certain way and there is no rule that says certain patterns have to match perfectly all the time.

Then when these people finally understand what it is I want, they quote me a rediculously high price.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 11/8/2005 12:43:30 PM
Author: jszweda

Then when these people finally understand what it is I want, they quote me a ridiculously high price.

Hm... if your design is not close to what the shop does often, than it would take some trial and error from their part. The answers you were given (''why not get what we already have'' and ''if you have ideas than pay for it!'') are trying to avoid this, I would think.

The experience is not at all foreign, unfortunately

 

[jszweda]

Ana,

This is true what you say. The problem is that what the shop has isn''t worth a damn to begin with typically. I have tried to look through catalogs of settings, and they don''t have anything. What they do have that might work has to be modified, and they refuse to do it.

The strange thing is that all the jewelers keep wanting to see this freaking ring of mine when and if I ever get it done.

 

[LadyluvsLuxury]

That necklace is just soooooo gorgeous! And the color of the stone is absolutely stunning!

 

[ello]

It''s stunning! I lOVE IT!!! The colour is mesmerizing and did I mention the word YUMMY!

 

[MissAva]

It is not real yet.

I am still waiting for the stones to arrive. When I do I will choose which one I like better and get qoutes for making a halo out of it. I am very excited!

 

[MissAva]

What do ya''ll think?

 

[MissAva]

Here is the same general idea with a halo...stolen from Miss Anas shot.

 

[Kaleigh]

I love them both but if a gun were put to my head I''d pick the second one. The first one is a little light for me although very pretty. I like the depth and saturation of the second stone. But again hard to tell from a computer monitor. Ana''s design is spot on. I wish she would go into business for herself. What talent she has.