Setting suggestions? Help please!

[katharath]

I've been on a spinel hunt for actual years now, I'm just obsessed with pink, red, and violet/lavender spinels (I know I'm not alone here!!)

I've been buying up smaller (well, small to tiny, really) Burmese pinkish reds lately, just sort of buying what caught my eye even though I have no idea what to do with them. All of them came from Yvonne Raley over the last 6 months or so. The emerald cut suite (see below) is my personal ideal for these gems, I think the color is absolutely gorgeous and glowy. I wish my pics were better, but they're all taken under glass so I just did the best I could.

I have:

One suite of 7 matched Burmese pinkish red emerald cuts, slightly graduated in size, ranging from about 2.5x2.5 to 3.5x2.5.

I also have a collection of various others (all Burmese):

One matched 4 mm very red pair

One matched 4 mm x 3 mm pinkish red (more pinkish) pair

Five 3.5 mm rounds, fairly closely matched pinkish reds (some more red though)

One matched pair of 3 mm pinkish rounds

Now the big question is...what should I do with these???

For the suite of 7, I'd really like to do a ring, I think. Probably some type of 1/2 to 3/4 eternity, I don't have enough to do a full and I need a larger size (about a 9). That's probably what I will do with these, but I would still like to hear any thoughts or ideas that boardies might have. As far as the rounds go, I'm wondering if I should try to come up with a custom setting? Maybe keep adding to the collection until I have more? Or maybe some type of earrings? No idea...

Any suggestions at all are VERY welcome. I am terrible when it comes to envisioning settings, so I thought I would post some pics and just see if anyone happened to be struck by inspiration . And I really mean ANY ideas - pendants, rings, earrings, bracelets, any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks for reading... Now I will add some pics...suite of 7 up first.

 

[katharath]

Rounds. (Pic two shows a 5 mm round that I've already sent off for setting).

Also including a pic of other tiny gems and melee that I have to be used for whatever pops up. One tiny (2.4 mm I think) cobalt blue spinels; one 3 mm pair hauynite, pair of 3 mm lavender spinels, and 1.8 mm mint garnet melee.

 

[katharath]

I'm waiting on setting for the previously mentioned 5 mm Burmese pink round; and also on a 6 mm, .98 ct lavender blue Luc yen spinel. I freaking loooooove the 6 mm Luc yen - been searching for one this cut and color for years. Got it at JCK this year and it's maybe my favorite gem right now. Wish it was way bigger, but it was so expensive I doubt I'll ever get a larger one even if I could find one!

It's on the left in first three pics; in the fourth it's on the right, the pink Burmese is in the middle, with a lavender sapphire on the left. Sorry so dark in that pic, it's in very dim lighting and one of my only pics of the pink and lavender together.

(Other gems shown are a pear Luc yen spinel from Brad, and a Tanzanian spinel from Peter Torraca. Setting suggestions welcome on these also!! I'm just throwing stuff out here, lol).

 

[katharath]

Just saw this pic in my FB feed from etsy jeweler Lilian Ginebra. Maybe something like this? Multiple stack rings using multiple small gems?

 

[Sungura]

So happy you started this thread Katharah. I have some of the same stones from Yvonne. ( Burmese rounds the emerald cuts). I haven't started thinking about what to do yet. So now I'm motivated

 

[InToTheMystic]

Just for something a bit different, I think you could do a stunning Diamonds By the Yard style necklace using the emerald cut spinels set in bezels lengthwise. It would be a delicious pop of colour, and very elegant at the same time.

 

[mochiko42]

Just for something a bit different, I think you could do a stunning Diamonds By the Yard style necklace using the emerald cut spinels set in bezels lengthwise. It would be a delicious pop of colour, and very elegant at the same time.

Another vote for a DBTY style necklace with the emerald-cut spinels. Plus, if you want to do a lariat-style necklace, you could use some of the rounds and ovals too.

 

[Lovinggems]

I love the emerald suite, a 3/4, 1/2 eternity, or a deco style ring will look good, the 7 stones side by side will pack a great punch of colour.

 

[chrono]

3 and 4 mm are in-between sizes which makes them a bit challenging to decide how to set them.
1. Multistone ring where you can appreciate them better but it'll make for a large cluster/cocktail ring
2. DBTY necklace but you cannot appreciate them often
3. DBTY bracelet
4. Earring drops or cluster

Can you make a mini-suite? A small multistone ring with matching small cluster earrings/pendant?

 

[minousbijoux]

Have no great ideas but just posting to say I love your colors.

 

[Acinom]

Set them in a Jewels by Grace bangle.

Beautiful stones!!

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Absolutely beautiful stones! Holy cow. Wow.

For some reason I'm seeing necklaces, so I'm going with it. I found these, and I think they'd make quite the statement. Obviously these aren't exact but more so inspiration. But I do have one necklace at home that I'll take a picture of tonight because it'd be perfect for your emerald cut suite. <making a note so I don't forget>

 

[katharath]

First off, big THANK YOU to everyone who has posted ideas, I truly appreciate it.


Acinom - a bangle is a great idea! How are you picturing it though? I've only seen the Grace bangles with gems bezeled on the ends, do you have a different style in mind? Pics please if you do

Minous - thank you for popping in, you know I always love to read your posts, I appreciate the kind words

Mochiko and intothemystic - I really appreciate your suggestions. In theory I think it's a great idea - I love the look, and it would be a good way to incorporate as many of the gems as I wanted. My only problem with it is that I am a larger person, and I'm afraid a dainty necklace like that would be "lost in the woods" so to speak - I just don't think the dainty size of a DBTY type necklace would be flattering on my figure/frame. I don't know, I'll have to think about it, bc theoretically it's probably the best idea for using ALL of the gems, which would be amazing...

Chrono - thank you for the suggestions!! I am going to consider all of them, lol. I could do a mini suite of multiple pieces as long as I don't do anything too "custom", if that makes sense - it would need to be relatively simple settings if I want to afford multiple pieces. But I do like the idea very much. Thank you for your post!

Lovinggems - this is still my favorite idea for the suite of 7. I just think they would be striking set altogether like that, gorgeous pop of color. I don't know how well the color comes across in the pics, but IMO they are just so damn pretty, lol!! I really love these gems, can you tell?

Sungura - how many did you get? Do you have any ideas at all for setting yours? I hope you can find some inspiration here too! And do you love yours as much as I love mine? I just know that I've bought a ton of spinels over the last two-three years and these are up there with the best Burmese that I've personally seen color-wise. I was at the JCK show when Yvonne bought them, she took me to the booth to see all of the Burmese spinels that the vendor had in his case - and these literally jumped out at me. I knew that I was going to have to have some of them...

 

[katharath]

Absolutely beautiful stones! Holy cow. Wow.

For some reason I'm seeing necklaces, so I'm going with it. I found these, and I think they'd make quite the statement. Obviously these aren't exact but more so inspiration. But I do have one necklace at home that I'll take a picture of tonight because it'd be perfect for your emerald cut suite. <making a note so I don't forget>

Oooh thank you for the pics!! The first one is not really to my taste but I like the second one a lot - I could see doing something like that. I have to admit though that a necklace is not my top priority mainly bc I recently had two pendants made. BUT it's not out of the question. I'd like to do a couple of projects with these stones, ideally. And it's also possible that I could get more if I needed to...

And please do post pics of the one you have at home. I would absolutely LOVE to see it! I am still leaning towards ring for those gems, but that might be just bc I haven't seen the right necklace style for them yet... If you forget to post pics I'll remind you, lol

Thank you so much for your suggestions!!

 

[Bex]

If it were me, I would set the emerald cut suite in a bangle. Bezeled, maybe E/W, and with art deco detailing. And I would wear it EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Edit: I'm imagining each stone in it's own milgrained bezel or a metal engraved halo that follows the octagon shape of the stone. The maybe a pair of the tiny rounds on the "shoulders"

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Sorry for the awful picture, but hopefully you get the idea. I'll keep an eye out for ring inspiration!

 

[Acinom]

This is what I was referring to. With the stones set EW.

 

[katharath]

This is what I was referring to. With the stones set EW.

OMG, I seriously love that. That is a TOP contender now. Thank you for that!! It's going to be tough deciding between that style and a ring though...

 

[katharath]

Sorry for the awful picture, but hopefully you get the idea. I'll keep an eye out for ring inspiration!

Beautiful necklace, thank you SparkliesLuver! I think my gems are probably too small to do something like that, but thank you so much for taking the time to show me. I still like the second necklace pic you posted a lot, I will try to play around with my rounds and ovals and arrange them to see if they could work in a style like that.

 

[Sungura]

Katharath, I pulled out my stones and I agree they are very sma

Ll. they would not show up in a dbty style necklace or bracelet. If stacked or clustered they could work as a pendant. I only have three of the mini Emerald cuts. I have 10 of the round cuts. But I see the color with quite different for ye rounds and mixing rounds and emeralds in a band ring didn't look right to

I think I will do a half eternity with my 10 rounds For my Emerald cut minis (3) I'm thinking some Micro ring like a "v" shape lined up vertically. Or a stacking ring paired with my little merelani or luc yen spinels

Some layouts and inspiration shots are below

 

[Lovinggems]

I love Acinom's bangle idea, you have the pink rounds and emerald shape to choose from.
Here's a couple of ring photos.

 

[ilovegemstones]

I love all of those beautiful gems and the bangle idea! So excited to see what you end up doing!

 

[Acinom]

Suggestion for the matched round pair. A gorgeous Erika Winters ring and perhaps a matching pendant. Will look great with the bangle

 

[SparkliesLuver]

One more idea to toss out there...

 

[katharath]

Loving all of these suggestions...I'm going to have to let these ideas percolate for a bit.

Today Yvonne Raley posted a new pair of little Burmese pinkish reds and I ended up buying them too, lol...because they are pear shapes and I didn't have any pears yet! So of course I needed them . They are actually the biggest of my tiny Burmese gems, at @5x3 mm and tcw of @.50. The good news is that I know exactly what I want to do with them. I'll be setting them in dangly earrings. And that's nice because it kind of frees up my other burmese gems - I'd been trying to figure out how to get a ring, a bracelet, and earrings out of everything (necklace/pendant is my lowest priority, the more that I think about it), but didn't think I had enough to do all three. Now I'm sure I do.

I'm thinking I'll still most likely go with a ring for the 7 emerald suite, and then try to figure out a bangle or bracelet with the various rounds/ovals/etc. And I'll have earrings too...

Here are the little pears from today, plus a pic of the setting style I want to do. I asked Yvonne if she has any melee size Burmese pink reds for the flower settings on top, because I don't think I have anything small enough for those settings. I'm not sure, we'll see. If I can't find any reds for the flower, I'll use diamonds on the entire flower, then the pears in the petal style dangles. I am leaning towards 14k YG for the setting but would consider RG - any thoughts? Most of my jewelry is YG, so I'd like to go with what will match what I already wear, but will also look nice with the gems. I do love RG too though, I have several pieces set in RG. If anyone feels strongly one way or the other, let me know

I literally own zero dangly earrings, so I'm excited about this idea. For earrings I stick to studs for daily wear, or small gold hoops. It will be fun to have something a bit dressier.

 

[katharath]

Katharath, I pulled out my stones and I agree they are very sma

Ll. they would not show up in a dbty style necklace or bracelet. If stacked or clustered they could work as a pendant. I only have three of the mini Emerald cuts. I have 10 of the round cuts. But I see the color with quite different for ye rounds and mixing rounds and emeralds in a band ring didn't look right to

I think I will do a half eternity with my 10 rounds For my Emerald cut minis (3) I'm thinking some Micro ring like a "v" shape lined up vertically. Or a stacking ring paired with my little merelani or luc yen spinels

Some layouts and inspiration shots are below

The V shape is pretty cute! I haven't seen many rings like that. Love all of your inspiration pics. I commented on your new pear mint ring in the other thread, I don't know if you saw it or not (I've been posting a lot lately and haven't kept up with everything!) - but anyway, it's lovely!! I'm very partial to mints, and the setting is very pretty.

 

[katharath]

One more idea to toss out there...

I like this idea too, but maybe EW with alternating diamonds that way...definitely need to consider it. TY again!

 

[Sungura]

I generally agree with EW eternity but Then i found this ring. Could be done as half eternity

 

[minousbijoux]

So many great ideas. Honestly, you can't go wrong. Love the bangle idea, love the idea of the emerald cuts as a tapered ring if their sizes would accommodate that. I'm glad you are making a pair of dangly earrings, because everyone needs to have at least one pair and those pear-shaped spinels will shout "hello!" to everyone who walks by...

 

[Stone Hunter]

LOVE LOVE your stones.

I am terrible at picking settings but wish you much luck!

ETA: I do like the idea of stacking rings if you have the finger space for them. Sadly the lavender sapphire just won't work in any setting and you need to send it to me.