Voce's Gemstone Ramblings...

[Sunshinelab]

I kind of liked the one at a time approach

Me three!

 

[CHRISTY-DANIELLE]

Your CRD post was like torture!! I wanted to see all the glitters!
But , it was also kind of fun to see each piece revealed one by one.

Um, can you start today?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I don't care how you post I'm just so relieved you got your parcel!!!!! I've been checking this thread hoping it would all turn out fine.

Excited to see the pretties!!!!!

 

[Sungura]

Ditto!

Ditto for me

 

[voce]

Um, can you start today?

Ok, you get your wish. But be forewarned, it's sunset lighting that I've taken the pictures in. My hand therefore looks very yellow and tan.

@leslie1956 still need to inspect further to give a full opinion on workmanship. They feel secure and comfortable but lighter than what I get from CRD. I want to check the stamps for the gold on the inside of the rings.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Beautiful red

 

[leslie1956]

Thanks for sharing your preliminary impressions, voce The lightweight part doesn't surprise me considering the pricing of the simpler settings. Your spinel is really pretty, the red is rich and vibrant!

 

[2Neesers]

It’s beautiful . I love the red color of the stone and it looks perfect in the setting!

 

[T L]

Your red spinel looks fabulous in that setting. It’s a gorgeous ring. I’m so looking forward to your reveals.

 

[voce]

Thanks everyone for the compliments. I'm afraid the pictures won't live up to the hype, because the next three reveals are solitaires. So let's see what you think of the next reveal tomorrow morning.

 

[YC]

So glad to hear that it worked out What a relief! And that is a very striking red spinel ring!!!
I am waiting eagerly to see your other rings.

 

[strawrose]

@voce so pretty! I’m glad it’s in your possession, now.

 

[CHRISTY-DANIELLE]

@voce It looks great! I had never noticed that I&R setting before . Just perfect for the red spinel!
I have a target ring I&R made for me. My first impression was that it felt kind of light, but I've worn the ring a lot, banged it a few times, fell asleep in it, etc, and so far it's held up well. Come to think of it, I actually have another I&R too, (2nd hand so no idea of age), it's also light, but has also held up really well. I think they are well made, despite the light feel.

I'm sooo glad your pkg wasn't lost!!

 

[minousbijoux]

It truly is lovely. That red is perfection.

 

[scouty]

Fabulous red and I really like how low profile the setting is!

 

[voce]

Ok, @leslie1956, my only complaint is that the 14k stamp is not legible on 2 of the 5 rings, the 2 with the thinner bands. One of the two is shown in the pictures below...


Silver spinel solitaire that I intend to wear it as a stacker; hence the thin band. Today I'm wearing it with my Edwardian ring from CRD with an aquamarine center.

 

[T L]

The silver spinel is lovely, and I love the basket and polish on the setting. The Edwardian ring is gorgeous!

 

[Rubybrick]

Beautiful rings! I love how simple and refined the solitaire is.

 

[leslie1956]

Ok, @leslie1956, my only complaint is that the 14k stamp is not legible on 2 of the 5 rings, the 2 with the thinner bands. One of the two is shown in the pictures below...


Silver spinel solitaire that I intend to wear it as a stacker; hence the thin band. Today I'm wearing it with my Edwardian ring from CRD with an aquamarine center.

Thanks for the report, voce, your input is very helpful

Your silver spinel is very pretty!

 

[voce]

Thanks @T L @Rubybrick @leslie1956 for the compliments. I bought this silver spinel from Yvonne Raley, but none of her premade settings seemed to fit how I wanted to set the spinel, so I'm going to go with this simple solitaire and have custom made chaser bands with red and purple gems to go around this solitaire, eventually.

Thanks for the report, voce, your input is very helpful

Your silver spinel is very pretty!

I&R apologized about the gold stamp that's not legible, and they offered to fix it if I send my rings in with my next order.

After I backed out the cost of the setting for the size given, for each of the 4 styles I selected for my 5 rings (red spinel and tsavorite are the same model), I&R charged between $129 to $134 to do the custom CAD to ensure a perfect fit for the stone and to set the stone. I think this is reasonable.

 

[lilmosun]

Both stones are beautiful and set perfectly to show them off.

 

[voce]

So, the last two reveals were the first spinels that I ever set. This one is the first zircon I've ever bought and the first one I've set. It's one of my favourites out of these five rings.

Guess which two rings I'm going to be wearing on July 4?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Beautiful! The setting is so elegant! May I ask how large the stone is in mm?

 

[scouty]

Such a beautiful color and the simple setting really showcases the stone. This really gives me confidence to set something as a solitaire!

 

[voce]

Beautiful! The setting is so elegant! May I ask how large the stone is in mm?

Thank you, mellowyellowgirl! It's 7mm calibrated, cut by Litnon. That's 2.02ct. It's a nice match for your 6.8mm diamond for toi et moi, but I think you're more itching to set your pad rather than buy a new stone just to have the same size for your diamond.

Such a beautiful color and the simple setting really showcases the stone. This really gives me confidence to set something as a solitaire!

Thanks scouty, my personal philosophy is that for a solitaire, the stone should be bright and well-cut, with the right choice of metal. Otherwise, you'll only notice flaws more.

 

[Sungura]

Tuned in for today’s reveal. That zircon solitaire did not disappoint. What a lovely gem with a beautiful high crown - so worthy of a solitaire setting.

Do you have a preference between your two new solitaire settings? I like them both

 

[voce]

Tuned in for today’s reveal. That zircon solitaire did not disappoint. What a lovely gem with a beautiful high crown - so worthy of a solitaire setting.

Do you have a preference between your two new solitaire settings? I like them both

I like both, but I like the blue move because it pops more against my skin tone.

Gratuitous picture because I was admiring my rings indoors as well.

 

[leslie1956]

Beautiful zircon, voce, it looks great stacked with your silver spinel!

 

[T L]

You probably know this, but be careful. Don’t let the stones touch. When I stack, I usually put some plain bands between them to ensure they don’t move as much. Very pretty though together.

 

[voce]

Ok, this is coming pretty late, but I forgot to bring my phone to work, and all my pictures were on the phone.

I like all the filigree details on the setting, and this was the best red garnet I could find. I'm just not in love with the stone. It's spectral fire if viewed at the correct angle, but there are a range of angles where it looks dark. And this was definitely not the only precision cut significant garnet I got to compare against this. I'm just not a fan of red garnets. Green garnets, DEFINITELY. Orange garnets in a citrus color, yes. Red, sadly, no, even though red is my favorite color .