shape
carat
color
clarity

Please help me find a match

lwhite80

Rough_Rock
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
3
http://s1066.photobucket.com/albums/u417/lwhite80/

these are pictures of some 1920's once screwback earrings that were given to me by my love and would like to know what they truly are. I know it is hard to id them from photos but they are so unique that i thought i should post them. they are set in silver and the stome face is about the size of a dime. I would like to get a nice custom pendant made to match them but all of the jewlers in my city and surrounding area have told me that they are; auqamarine (nope), zucon (doubt it), topaz (nope), sapphire (LOL!) moonstone (wrong), opal (haha) and others which are not true. you will see in the pictures that the color shifts depending on the light and angle veiwed.Are the flourite? Has anyone seen anything like these? they are not glass nor synthetic. Please i have been looking for years and my wedding in 8months away and i'm empty handed. They are flawless, i forgot to remove my finger print and clean them before taking pictures. I truly hope there is some one who reads this that can help me. I love these so much, it is just frustrating that every place i go they guess wrong and then finally admit they don't know.

Thank you for your time.
L-White
 
Why are you sure they are not moonstones? Based on the period piece, size and slight haziness, it is likely to be moonstone. If not, then opal. (And yes, there are faceted moonstones and opals). Both moonstones and opals will colour shift based on the light and viewing angles. Fluorite is typically green, so even more unlikely.

faceted_moonstone.jpg

faceted_opal.jpg
 
I agree with Chrono, they look to be moonstone.
 
Yeah, it looks like moonstone to me.
 
Why did you decide the people who suggested opal or moonstone were wrong??

Why don't you send it off to get certified?
 
Well because my earrings are clear. I first thought they were moonstone, but have not been able to find any examples of a clear moonstone that was also clear(no color) in absence of direct or bright light. And for Opal, apparently is lack the normal "fire" for it is only blue. All the moonstones i see and fine are milkyish and opal have whay more colors shown. But if that is what you think it is, I'm happy.

My mother in law said that she had it certified by a gemologist after she got it and it said "cold stone" the paper was lost in a house fire 15yrs ago. Only one guy heard of it and said if they are I'm out of luck.

I have asked to get it certified, it $800 and they want me to mail them to some where else, its not done in-house. Mailing them off is frightening for me for I sent a wonderful dark reddish purple drop (size of 2 quarters) last time, and it never made it.

Thank you for your time.
-Lynn
 
lwhite80|1345222609|3253134 said:
Well because my earrings are clear. I first thought they were moonstone, but have not been able to find any examples of a clear moonstone that was also clear(no color) in absence of direct or bright light. And for Opal, apparently is lack the normal "fire" for it is only blue. My mother in law said that she had it certified by a gemologist after she got it and it said "cold stone" the paper was lost in a house fire 15yrs ago. All the moonstones i see and fine are milkyish and opal have whay more colors shown. But if that is what you think it is, I'm happy but please provide a picture.

Thank you for your time.
-Lynn

Well something isn't quite right there, a "cold stone" is not an official name of a mineral species so I don't know how it could be "certified" as such.

Why don't you send it to the Gemological Institute of America for a scientific analysis? Also, it's possible that your earrings and your ring are different stones.

Opals certainly do exist without a variety of colors and "fire":

http://www.controverscial.com/11JellyOpal.jpg

Often times you cannot identify a gemstone by visual appearance alone. Many gems come in a large variety of colors and appearances. The only way to be sure is to send it off to be certified by a reputable agency.
 
lwhite80|1345222609|3253134 said:
Well because my earrings are clear. I first thought they were moonstone, but have not been able to find any examples of a clear moonstone that was also clear(no color) in absence of direct or bright light. And for Opal, apparently is lack the normal "fire" for it is only blue. All the moonstones i see and fine are milkyish and opal have whay more colors shown. But if that is what you think it is, I'm happy.

My mother in law said that she had it certified by a gemologist after she got it and it said "cold stone" the paper was lost in a house fire 15yrs ago. Only one guy heard of it and said if they are I'm out of luck.

I have asked to get it certified, it $800 and they want me to mail them to some where else, its not done in-house. Mailing them off is frightening for me for I sent a wonderful dark reddish purple drop (size of 2 quarters) last time, and it never made it.

Thank you for your time.
-Lynn

You can safely mail things if you send them certified, request signature and have them insured. Also you can always use a local courier service that will hand deliver something.

Have you looked at pictures of chalcedony?
 
The only thing called "Coldstone" relating to gems that I could find is that there is a "Coldstone Quarry" that produces Fluorite.
 
White or clear moonstones are actually more common than moonstones with a blue sheen.
http://store.gemsevermore.com/faceted-moonstone.html

There are also totally white opals without colour play.

I found some information on cold stone, which you will not be happy to hear about:

1. Naturally white zircon is sometimes called "cold stone". When heated, it changes into a slightly bluish white colour. A poor quality white zircon will have a flat appearing body and look dull.

2. There is also a special type of man made "stone" by this same name of "cold stone". It is essentially boiled glass which is then faceted, usually with a backing adhered.

As mentioned above, the only way to get the stone checked out for sure is to have it sent to a GOOD gemmologist or to a lab like AGL which will verify your stone for around $55 (a bit more for a mounted stone). Shipping is the safest via USPS Registered mail which comes with tracking and insurance.
 
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