Voce's Gemstone Ramblings...

[voce]

After the garnet reveal yesterday, this is another garnet and the last one of my reveals for now. My one and only (for now) tsav.

 

[Rubybrick]

After the garnet reveal yesterday, this is another garnet and the last one of my reveals for now. My one and only (for now) tsav.

Wow this is my favorite, I have never been a huge fan of rose gold, but this is a perfect compliment to the gem. Looks beautiful on you too.

 

[voce]

Wow this is my favorite, I have never been a huge fan of rose gold, but this is a perfect compliment to the gem. Looks beautiful on you too.

Aw, thanks, Rubybrick. I was never a fan of rose gold until I saw how it complemented green and blue coloured gems. I still prefer white gold for classic cornflower and royal blue sapphire, but hayunes or teal blue gems, I'd definitely set in rose gold.

 

[Sungura]

Aw, thanks, Rubybrick. I was never a fan of rose gold until I saw how it complemented green and blue coloured gems. I still prefer white gold for classic cornflower and royal blue sapphire, but hayunes or teal blue gems, I'd definitely set in rose gold.

Tbh I didn’t notice the rose gold at first - I just saw the ring and thought its my favorite too. Beautiful tsav and great choice of metal. Love the green grass in the background.

 

[T L]

I love that minty color and the rose gold. Very lovely.

 

[leslie1956]

Beautiful tsav, voce! Totally agree that most blues and greens really pop when set in RG

 

[voce]

I went web-window shopping, and now I'm thinking of buying this spinel. What do you all think? I know it's included, but the vendor says the inclusions aren't visible from arm's length. Should I pull the trigger or wait to grab a better?



In pictures it appears to me saturated with a lovely subtle orange tint. To me, this is a lovely lovely lotus color. How does this compare to the top color in Mahenge spinels?

 

[ChaiK]

I went web-window shopping, and now I'm thinking of buying this spinel. What do you all think? I know it's included, but the vendor says the inclusions aren't visible from arm's length. Should I pull the trigger or wait to grab a better?



In pictures it appears to me saturated with a lovely subtle orange tint. To me, this is a lovely lovely lotus color. How does this compare to the top color in Mahenge spinels?

If it is the size you like and price is ok, why not?

I don't mind inclusions if they don't spoil the beauty of the stone.

I actually love inclusions sometimes.

 

[T L]

With some gems,especially spinels, I would ask for photos in sunlight vs. artificial light. That color spinel tends to go very brown in some lighting, which may put you off.

I wouldn’t classify it as a Mahenge spinel. It’s really not saturated enough and too orange, even though it may come from Mahenge. It should also fluor.

I’m not saying this vendor is doing so, but beware of vendors that charge $$$$$ simply because a stone comes from Mahenge. You should be paying for color, not just origin.

 

[voce]

I actually prefer this color to hot pink or bubblegum pink. The neon hot pink doesn't appeal to me, but my personal preference is hot red pink. Maybe I should skip on Mahenge spinels? The stuff I like is selling for $1500-$2000 per ct on Etsy, and I'm not OK paying so much for spinel.

 

[T L]

I actually prefer this color to hot pink or bubblegum pink. The neon hot pink doesn't appeal to me, but my personal preference is hot red pink. Maybe I should skip on Mahenge spinels? The stuff I like is selling for $1500-$2000 per ct on Etsy, and I'm not OK paying so much for spinel.

Absolutely, if you love that color, go for it (I would still ask for additional photos though), just don’t pay Mahenge prices for it.

If you love that color, also check out sunstone.

 

[voce]

But I'm still undecided. I returned a lavender spinel I pulled the trigger on, because it was too gray to my eyes and had a tilt window. Should I use the money to splurge on this, or use it to buy garnets, or save it for another lavender spinel? Just too many choices are available. Maybe I'll pass on it for now.

 

[T L]

But I'm still undecided. I returned a lavender spinel I pulled the trigger on, because it was too gray to my eyes and had a tilt window. Should I use the money to splurge on this, or use it to buy garnets, or save it for another lavender spinel? Just too many choices are available. Maybe I'll pass on it for now.

Was that the lavender spinel cushion I was going ga ha over in this or another thread? I forget. Was it not like the photo?

If you’re not ga ga over this orange stone I would pass.

 

[voce]

Absolutely, if you love that color, go for it (I would still ask for additional photos though), just don’t pay Mahenge prices for it.

If you love that color, also check out sunstone.

Meh, sunstone is pretty but too soft. I like durable stones more.

Was that the lavender spinel cushion I was going ga ha over in this or another thread? I forget. Was it not like the photo?

If you’re not ga ga over this orange stone I would pass.

Oh no, that one is still on its way to me. That's right. I already have 2 lavenders. Don't need any more. It was just tempting to collect a spinel of every origin. For example, I have Burmese Jedi spinel and Ceylon red spinel, so it's tempting me to get a red/pink spinel from Tanzania. And now that I returned the Luc Yen lavender spinel, I lack a Vietnamese spinel for lavender.

I should stop being silly. I don't even have every color of spinel. Why should I insist on having one from every origin in the colors I love? One day I will pass on my custodianship of my gems, and they'll get split up regardless, anyway.

 

[T L]

Meh, sunstone is pretty but too soft. I like durable stones more.


Oh no, that one is still on its way to me. That's right. I already have 2 lavenders. Don't need any more. It was just tempting to collect a spinel of every origin. For example, I have Burmese Jedi spinel and Ceylon red spinel, so it's tempting me to get a red/pink spinel from Tanzania. And now that I returned the Luc Yen lavender spinel, I lack a Vietnamese spinel for lavender.

I should stop being silly. I don't even have every color of spinel. Why should I insist on having one from every origin in the colors I love? One day I will pass on my custodianship of my gems, and they'll get split up regardless, anyway.

Yes, I would just buy based on color. I’m wearing my lavender spinel today that I adore. It looks like Luc Yen, but it’s Sri Lankan. I’m more into setting the gems I currently own these days because I’m not going to live forever. and I want to enjoy them as much as possible.

 

[voce]

If I can't make up my mind, I'll just use the money to set what I already have. Thinking about setting a blue unheated Burmese sapphire cushion and a pair of kite diamonds into a ring. The diamonds will be G/H SI, so what color gold should I go with? I don't think the jeweler I'm working with does 18k gold, so I'm going with 14k.

 

[T L]

If I can't make up my mind, I'll just use the money to set what I already have. Thinking about setting a blue unheated Burmese sapphire cushion and a pair of kite diamonds into a ring. The diamonds will be G/H SI, so what color gold should I go with? I don't think the jeweler I'm working with does 18k gold, so I'm going with 14k.

I personally think 18k white gold isn’t an economical choice. For around the same money, you could do platinum. White metal is always a classic look with sapphire.

 

[deorwine]

If I can't make up my mind, I'll just use the money to set what I already have. Thinking about setting a blue unheated Burmese sapphire cushion and a pair of kite diamonds into a ring. The diamonds will be G/H SI, so what color gold should I go with? I don't think the jeweler I'm working with does 18k gold, so I'm going with 14k.

All right, you realize we need pictures, right?

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

@voce you know how I feel about pad coloured spinels!

Those inclusions worry me a bit though. Can you get some pictures from about a foot away to see how visible they are?

I AM ALL about the grapefruity colours so I'm gooing to be biased! Especially if it's a good price!

 

[voce]

All right, you realize we need pictures, right?

@voce you know how I feel about pad coloured spinels!

Those inclusions worry me a bit though. Can you get some pictures from about a foot away to see how visible they are?

I AM ALL about the grapefruity colours so I'm gooing to be biased! Especially if it's a good price!

Now that I've taken pictures of the gem I already have and put in an offer for a smaller Mahenge spinel, the grapefruit spinel will have to wait. If it's destined to be mine, I'll still be able to purchase it in the future.

 

[T L]

Nice !!! I love the sapphire and those kites are fabulous. They need white metal.

 

[deorwine]

That is a fabulous sapphire and the diamonds look awesome too -- that looks like it will be a gorgeous ring. I personally rather like sapphires in YG a lot of the time because it amps up the blue, but your sapphire is so intense that it doesn't need amping up -- I'd go with white metal too.

You have a gorgeous collection!

 

[Rubybrick]

Now that I've taken pictures of the gem I already have and put in an offer for a smaller Mahenge spinel, the grapefruit spinel will have to wait. If it's destined to be mine, I'll still be able to purchase it in the future.

Looks amazing, I especially love the kites, on this picture they take on a lavender tint, maybe they are reflecting your gorgeous sapphire

 

[voce]

Thanks @T L @deorwine I've now decided to set these gems in 14k WG.

I'm going for 14k because now that I have a bunch of rings in 14k WG, I don't want a 10k WG ring scratching the 14k WG of my other rings.

I'm an opportunist, and most colored gems I go for are sort of in the small but mighty, or at least interesting enough to be worth risking the spend, camp. I don't have the capital to be splurging on large gems, and I try to be picky about the colors.

@Rubybrick guess who I got the kite diamonds from? Yvonne Raley during her Tucson sale. They're more likely to have ended up in earrings if anybody else had beat me to it.

Oh, btw I think maybe that's my camera picking up more violet than what the light sees. My lighting there was fluorescent kitchen lighting, but the diamonds normally look white.

I'm thinking about getting these small gems haloed sort of like @elle_71125's 3-stone paraiba ring, except not with paraiba stones, of course. Waiting on CADs right now.

 

[Curby311]

Now that I've taken pictures of the gem I already have and put in an offer for a smaller Mahenge spinel, the grapefruit spinel will have to wait. If it's destined to be mine, I'll still be able to purchase it in the future.

Those are so pretty together! I've never thought to put those colors together but they really do complement each other. Good choice!

 

[elle_71125]

I'm thinking about getting these small gems haloed sort of like @elle_71125's 3-stone paraiba ring, except not with paraiba stones, of course. Waiting on CADs right now.

I think that would look gorgeous!

 

[T L]

For what it’s worth, I wear silver, 10 K and 14 K and 18 K and platinum all on the same hand! I never really thought about scratches, and I think the metal get scratched anyways from every day use and wear.

 

[voce]

Thanks for your input, @Curby311 @elle_71125 @T L.

Despite how they look in that photo, it's actually just blue sapphire and white diamond, which has been done a million times before. For some reason I really love classic diamond around my finest blue sapphire and rubies--makes me feel more like I'm creating heirlooms that anyone else would want to wear.

 

[scouty]

I think that would look gorgeous!

+1 for this!!!!

 

[leslie1956]

That Burma sapphire is stunning, voce, it will look amazing with the kite diamonds Would you mind sharing the vendor for your sapphire? The color is perfect, not too dark or too light!