The grass is always... A Green Stone Discussion Thread

[belle]

okay hest, i know this is more bling than you were wanting, but i think your dem would look awesome in something like this.......
(i''m just dreaming!!)

 

[Hest88]

Oh, Belle, that''s lovely. Too bad my fingers would have to be a lot wider to pull that off! Keep the ideas coming, though. Just because I say I want something really thin right now doesn''t mean that''s what I''ll end up with!

 

[Hest88]

Oh, what about this tsavorite? It''s 11.1 x 7.66 x 5.15 mm. That''ll make an impressive e-ring!

 

[Hest88]

Ha! I just had to post this peridot. Almost 50 carats, but I''ve never seen a cut like this.

 

[valeria101]

About the peridot cut: look up "millenium cut" or "lazer cut" - there's plenty of stuff cut that way (see this and Creativegem).

As for tourmaline over Thanksgiving... It's all in the presentation, Baby ! Just get what you want

As long as it is a hair larger than most diamonds around (probably darn easy) and resides in a smashing ring, I bet there's going to be allot more green around than your ring.

Do you think the looks of this ring would change allot with simple chemistry ? The yellow diamond sides make a killing, I think...

 

[belle]

Date: 3/7/2005 6:47

1 PM
Author: Hest88
Ha! I just had to post this peridot. Almost 50 carats, but I''ve never seen a cut like this.

holy cow!! what does one do with a 50 carat quilted peridot!?
that''s very interesting!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/7/2005 6:58:18 PM
Author: belle

what does one do with a 50 carat quilted peridot!?

That I can't really tell... but doesn't this one already looks like a Killer inch-long pendant ?

 

[belle]

That I can''t really tell... but doesn''t this one already looks like a Killer inch-long pendant ?

actually, it looks more like a strobe light...and if that were the case..well then....oh, never mind

 

[PhillipSchmidt]

Definately Val,

You guys have go me hooked

 

[Hest88]

style="WIDTH: 99%; HEIGHT: 47px">About the peridot cut: look up ''millenium cut'' or ''lazer cut'' - there''s plenty of stuff cut that way (see this and Creativegem).

Oh gosh, you''re right! But what do you *do* with a stone like that? I guess put it in some really wild necklace!

 

[velouriaL]

Thanks for all the encouragement! Unique? Yeah... I''ll say it''ll be unique. My boyfriend, believe it or not, is an artist who has done some jewelry making in the past. He''s a pretty good metalsmith and very meticulous. Sooo, with the help of his old jewelry professor, he''s going to at least try to make the ring himself! We''re definitely going to get it checked out by pros before I subject it to every day wear, and definitely have a backup plan, but I am excited, and I hope his design works out.

I am getting really excited about the tourmaline! I got some more info and pictures from the dealer. I''ll post it, if I can figure out how to do that!

Of course, this is what I REALLY want this week. In the 6 months since my boyfriend told me to start researching for what I might like, I''ve gone through (deep breath!) alexandrite, color-change sapphire, pink sapphires, padparadscha sapphires, blue sapphires, emerald, ruby, spinel, back to pad, back to blue sapphire, star sapphire, demantoid, back to emerald... and now... green tourmaline! Sigh... It''s enough to make ya'' want to get a diamond like all the other girls!

Most have been fleeting fascinations, but, in cases, I''ve had the very ring checked out and then decided not to go with it. I have to say, though, that I am really into that fancy cut tourmaline!

Hmm... Thanks for the headsup, Widget and Hest, about bezels. That would probably protect the stone a bit, anyway... Does anyone have any pictures of fancy cuts in bezel settings?

That''s a nice tsav, Hest. I never look on pala because I''m so impatient and need to know the prices of things IMMEDIATELY. Ha! I guess it might be to my benefit to take a look over there.

Those fancy cuts are crazy! I like ''em! That peridot is 26.3 x 18.1 x 12.2mm! Wooo...

 

[velouriaL]

HEST - While searching the forum for bezel ideas, I saw these, which made me think of you:

(except get right of the side stones and turn it e-w)

(like the marquises, but oval)

And this, which made me think of me!

I like the idea of turning the square, uhh..nxnw? That is, like a (baseball) diamond. Like this:

(that oval would look nice with yours, Hest). I like this under-carriage, or whatever you call it:

I also LOVE the Etienne Perret style. I wonder if my bf can make it... or, if not, if EP can custom do it...

 

[velouriaL]

I got some new pictures of the tourmaline I like! I also got that it''s 8.4mm, but 6.5mm deep and cut by Barry Bridgestock.

 

[Hest88]

Velouria, can you post it again? I can''t see the pict!

 

[velouriaL]

loupe - Thanks for the great post about emeralds! Very informative and interesting! It''s really sad, though, about the "green wars." I like to think, as a colored-gem lover, that I''m free from the whole "blood diamonds" thing, but really, many gems carry the baggage of the world''s conflicts. Sigh.

I don''t know how many times I have graded a Columbian stone in front of its 5 owners. I''ve never met a Zambian emerald with more than one owner

Not sure I follow what you mean by this.

 

[velouriaL]

Hest - NO! I can''t figure it out! And I''m usually so dang computer savy!

 

[partgypsy]

I love the many colors of green in gemstones (peridot, chysophase, jade) but I have a special place in my heart for emeralds. Green is my favorite color, and I get compliments whenever I wear green (having green eyes doesn''t hurt!). As far as what emerald''s special allure is, it is hard to explain. Maybe it''s just the intense color. Maybe it''s because they have more history attached to them than most green gems, or maybe it''s because their very existence is improbable (I can''t remember the exact explanation, but my geologist uncle once explained that chemicals which don''t normally come in contact with each other in the earth must meet in order to form an emerald).
I think I must have been lucky with my 2 purchases 7, 9 years ago; both emeralds were nice looking, relatively clear and about $300 for a 4x6 stone; looking today with that price range today don''t see much that appeals to me. However, haven''t looked at zambian emeralds much.

 

[partgypsy]

Oh yeah, and keep the pictures coming; those ring designs are lovely!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/8/2005 4:5:6 PM
Author: loupe

I don't know about you, but I would much rather have a gem with the color that Valeria posted (2 hands) than a chunk o' green with no life.

I think I need to apologize here... Perhaps most of the "regulars" know of my enthusiasm for Photoshop, but this is no excuse.

That ring picture is assembled and the green bit was never meant to represent an emerald.

Here's the legit source: African Tsavorite at Cherrypicked.com

 

[Richard M.]

If you can get past the unbecoming name, there''s another gem colored by chromium I find very appealing and economical, too: chrome diopside. It''s on the soft side but no more fragile than many cracky emeralds. It''s too bad the mineralogists named this gem and not people in the gem trade, but that''s how attractive gem minerals get unattractive names like clinohumite, jeremejevite and blue zoisite (a.k.a. tanzanite).

Richard M.

 

[velouriaL]

Richard- yeah, I have seen some chrome diopside and it is pretty! Not really great for rings, though, huh? It should get a rename! It''s been done before, right?

Speaking of soft, I was told recently that tourmalines and even tsavorites would be too soft for everyday (i.e., e-ring) wear. My source (a gemologist) said that only diamonds, sapphires, and crysoberyl were suitable for wearing every single day. I am, admit, probably a little hard on my jewlery, too... Then again, I have heard this argument again and again and I''m not sure how much to invest in it. Is it worth the risk?

 

[Hest88]

I''ve only seen chrome diopsides in pictures, but they really are gorgeous.

Speaking of soft, I was told recently that tourmalines and even tsavorites would be too soft for everyday (i.e., e-ring) wear.

I think it depends on how hard you really are. I mean, I''m pretty careful even with my wedding band and I take my e-ring off as soon as I get in the house and never wear it when I know I''m going to be working with my hands.

I was once friends with a gemologist who also worked as an jewelry appraiser for an insurance firm, and he always maintained that garnets and tourmalines are totally fine for normal everyday wear. He also thought ppl were too paranoid about emeralds as well, and that a relatively clean emerald was suitable for everyday wear as well.

 

[velouriaL]

Hest - What is your e-ring made out of?

My problem is that if I take off jewelry, I lose it. No way around it.

I think that the stone is probably fine... I usually get a right-hand-ring and then wear is everyday for months and months and months until I take it off... and then lose it. For this reason, I usually stick with less pricey stones. I have NEVER had a stone break, and I''ve worn plenty of garnets, peridots, topazes, etc. I did, actually, have a large piece of carved jade break on my finger, but I accidentally whacked it against something pretty hard, and it was a pretty thin piece. mad even weaker, I assume, with the carvings. Sigh... It was one of my favorites, too. Then again, I know I''d be HEARTBROKEN if anything happened to my e-ring, so maybe it''s better to play it safe than sorry!

 

[Hest88]

Vel, my e-ring is just white gold with an EC diamond. I just hate the thought of scratching it or bonking it or getting messy stuff under the prongs and stuck in the engraving. I would think that if you just take as much care with your tourmaline or tsav ring as you would with, say, a silk blouse, you''d be okay. Even more than okay, since it would probably take quite a sharp bonk to damage the ring. Plus, just have it set in a way that minimizes exposure of corners and other delicate areas.

 

[velouriaL]

I totally want to have my cake and eat it, too! I want a vibrant green stone that I can wear all the time and be all clumsy with! I haven''t even seen a green sapphire that I like!

 

[Hest88]

Well 1) there''s no such thing because we all know how easily diamonds gets damaged and 2) why can''t you? Get a vibrant green stone and put it in a low setting. Maybe bezel or half bezel!

 

[Sagebrush]

In defense of green tourmaline, this 7 carat oval has a primary green hue (90%) with perhaps a 10% blue secondary hue, 60% tone a total lack of gray mask gives the green an exceptional vividness. Note the stone is an oval, highly unusual for tourmaline, this variety is almost always cut square to prevent the overly dark C axis from darkening the face up color. Origin: Brazil.

Cheers.


P.S. The 18k setting was handfabricated in our workshop

 

[velouriaL]

Very nice, Richard!

BTW, I ran into a woman at the mall this weekend with an emerald e-ring. Her originally, a diamond, was stolen about 7 years ago, and she had it replaced with an emerald. The jeweler got a very deep one and set it very low in a prong setting. It''s being going strong for almost 7 years! Interesting... My BF made was making me laugh all weekend, saying things like, "50% of all emerald engagment rings end in pieces, but against the odds, I think we can make it..." I kinda'' like the idea that the gem that sits in the ring symbolizing your commitment is somewhat fragile... a nice reminder not to take things for granted...

 

[Hest88]

More eye candy. Regency era emerald ring:

From: http://www.bentley-skinner.co.uk

 

[belle]

yum......look at those perfectly matched green greens