What are you wearing today?! Show me your CS!

[Bluegemz]

Keelamira, that's a beautiful pendant! I love the rich blue of the sapphires and the curved shape of the heart design!

You're right, it's difficult to stop playing with this ring! Here are a couple photos from today where I caught the sun reflected in the moonstone. Sun and moon together, lol!

Mochito, I love these shots, especially the last one in which the stone is so clear, it's like a lense. It's really a gem of a moonstone, and the simple setting maintains the absolute purity of the stone.

 

[Keeliamira]

Keelamira, that's a beautiful pendant! I love the rich blue of the sapphires and the curved shape of the heart design!

You're right, it's difficult to stop playing with this ring! Here are a couple photos from today where I caught the sun reflected in the moonstone. Sun and moon together, lol!

Thanks Mochiko! What spectacular light play with your crystal ball! I love being able to see the city in it's reflection too!

And thanks Bluegemz I keep telling myself I'm on a buying ban because I'm working on a couple of settings right now, but it doesn't seem to work!

 

[chatoyancy]

Yes! Too funny you remembered my winking not-quite-a-star-sapphire
Your turquoise cuff is ah-mazing! And what a beautiful ceylon sapphire ring! You kill me with your blues!!!



Thanks hon! It's really fun to wear but it only fits me when I'm fat, lol. So it's both a joy to get to wear it and a challenge to get it to not fit anymore! It has scales engraved all the way around so I don't want to destroy the integrity of the original design by sizing it.

I wouldn't want it resized either. It does look fun to wear!

 

[chatoyancy]

Thank you! It's a medium toned, unheated Ceylon sapphire. Before receiving it, I had always wanted a sapphire in the mid tone color range. Basically, my first ering was a yellow diamond, but this was a fourth anniversary upgrade. it looks a bit lighter in the picture than it does in life for some reason. I get a lot of questions about wether it's a tanzanite because it's got a touch of violet in it.

I just love the color! It does somewhat resemble a tanzanite.

 

[Bluegemz]

I just love the color! It does somewhat resemble a tanzanite.

Thank you! Here is a more accurate picture of the tone of it. It ranges between this and more violet blue in certain lights...and just for fun, here is a beautiful aquamarine ring which I tried on yesterday. It was a good price too. Sigh...someday maybe..I thought it is so beautiful that it deserves to be shared. Saw this at a small jewelry store in Petaluma. Old stock aqua recut. This may explain the good price.

 

[pwsg07]

Valeria, thank you. I'm pleased that you think well of the color. It's always a hard choice with so many variations in blues and lavenders. The other one which was tempting for me was the really dark blue purple jade cabochon. But it would have been work to have it set...and by comparison, the other is so complete. This Dark one here...it may have been a challenge to make an elegant pendant out of the shape of it.


.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1592757450785007

this one is very similar colour.

 

[Bluegemz]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1592757450785007

this one is very similar colour.

Those are gorgeous! Do they state a price? Are they for sale? Just curious....

 

[pwsg07]

Those are gorgeous! Do they state a price? Are they for sale? Just curious....

They are for sale just go to the Facebook I have never bought from them and they are from China

 

[Bluegemz]

They are for sale just go to the Facebook I have never bought from them and they are from China

Thanks, I'll check it out for future ideas. The color is really lovely if they are Untreated.

 

[Arkteia]

Moonstone ring!

a beauty!

 

[chatoyancy]

Thank you! Here is a more accurate picture of the tone of it. It ranges between this and more violet blue in certain lights...and just for fun, here is a beautiful aquamarine ring which I tried on yesterday. It was a good price too. Sigh...someday maybe..I thought it is so beautiful that it deserves to be shared. Saw this at a small jewelry store in Petaluma. Old stock aqua recut. This may explain the good price.

The aqua is fabulous! It's so big. I cannot believe it's a recut!
I love your sapphire. It's such a lovely color!

 

[minousbijoux]

Moonstone ring!

Talk about a crystal ball! That has got to be the most beautiful, clearest, and bluest moonstone I've seen in a loooooong time! Beautiful.

 

[valeria101]

Such a beautiful moonstone, @mochiko42 - & a classical design - WWW !

 

[Burmesedaze]

Thank you! Here is a more accurate picture of the tone of it. It ranges between this and more violet blue in certain lights...and just for fun, here is a beautiful aquamarine ring which I tried on yesterday. It was a good price too. Sigh...someday maybe..I thought it is so beautiful that it deserves to be shared. Saw this at a small jewelry store in Petaluma. Old stock aqua recut. This may explain the good price.

How do you keep turning up such great finds, Bluegemz? The star sapphire rings and now this top colour aqua! If the price is right and the stone untreated, I'd get it.

 

[mochiko42]

Such a beautiful moonstone, @mochiko42 - & a classical design - WWW !

Thanks valeria! I like the ring in the link you posted, too!

My ring was made by Sally at Heart of Water in her classic lotus design but with 6 prongs. She's also making me another lotus ring for my 11mm aquaprase so I can complete my pastel color set. It will be a trilogy of pink (tourmaline), blue (aquaprase) and white (moonstone)!

 

[mochiko42]

Thanks Mochiko! What spectacular light play with your crystal ball! I love being able to see the city in it's reflection too!

And thanks Bluegemz I keep telling myself I'm on a buying ban because I'm working on a couple of settings right now, but it doesn't seem to work!

Keeliamira, I've technically been on a buying ban since the start of 2016!! I've finally figured out that moderation is the key. Going cold turkey doesn't work for me, lol..

 

[Bluegemz]

How do you keep turning up such great finds, Bluegemz? The star sapphire rings and now this top colour aqua! If the price is right and the stone untreated, I'd get it.

I wish I could purchase the aqua, but even at a good price, id have to save up for this piece. And, I've been buying at a faster rate than usual this past Summer. I need to slow down now. It's seems to always be the case that one always finds beautiful things when not really specifically looking for that piece. Maybe someday the right aqua ring will come at just the right time, or maybe next Summer, if it's still available and I've been modest in buying, it will be meant to be, jewelry karma!

 

[Bluegemz]

Keeliamira, I've technically been on a buying ban since the start of 2016!! I've finally figured out that moderation is the key. Going cold turkey doesn't work for me, lol..

Technically, I'm suppose to be on a ban now too, but it hasn't been easy to stick to. I think you are correct, moderation is the key.

 

[Burmesedaze]

I wish I could purchase the aqua, but even at a good price, id have to save up for this piece. And, I've been buying at a faster rate than usual this past Summer. I need to slow down now. It's seems to always be the case that one always finds beautiful things when not really specifically looking for that piece. Maybe someday the right aqua ring will come at just the right time, or maybe next Summer, if it's still available and I've been modest in buying, it will be meant to be, jewelry karma!

I think you are absolutely right about (A) jewellery karma and (B) not looking for something specifically.
I've been looking specifically for a nice pair of pink sapphires and 1 sizable one for a ring, untreated and a decent mid to rich pink. None have come my way since

 

[valeria101]

Maybe someday the right aqua ring ...

The setting seems much less interesting than your other pieces - certainly less interesting than the one of the larger star sapphire

(just a thought)

 

[littledebbie81]

Here is my lavender sapphire and paraiba tourmaline ring.

 

[Bluegemz]

The setting seems much less interesting than your other pieces - certainly less interesting than the one of the larger star sapphire

(just a thought)

Yes, I completely agree. Here is my honest critique of the setting of this ring;

The setting is not particularly inspired in my opinion. It's. A tad ordinary, with proportions that are not completely harmonious. It was a great comfort to wear on the finger though, and the stone is the great part. I didn't like the clunky sapphires on the sides, as they stick up too far, and look dark unless being viewed when the hand is tilted. The tiny diamonds around it seem a bit trite. They are filling in spaces rather than emphasizing the main lines of the composition, ( which in this case are rather blocky) . It is a setting which is confused, tries to have too much in one ring, and is full of unnecessary details (with the intent of making it look over decorated, with too many layers of decoration) rather than deciding on a few main essential elements of the design, and then refining down to them and trying to visually express those as clearly and as simply as possible.

If I were to buy this, the setting would have to be redone. The jeweler hand made the setting, which was skilled in craft, but not refined in an artistic language. Just goes to show that craftsmen are not automatically artists/designers too. There are many 'designers' who produce things, which imo are not inspired. Sometimes one finds a person who has the aesthetic training and refinement as well as the practiced skills of the craft, but this is not easy to do.

 

[elle_71125]

Here is my lavender sapphire and paraiba tourmaline ring.

This is so gorgeous! I want!!!

 

[Bluegemz]

Here is my lavender sapphire and paraiba tourmaline ring.

A flower of color relationships, and a Devine relationship too! Lovely!

 

[Bluegemz]

Yes, I completely agree. Here is my honest critique of the setting of this ring;

The setting is not particularly inspired in my opinion. It's. A tad ordinary, with proportions that are not completely harmonious. It was a great comfort to wear on the finger though, and the stone is the great part. I didn't like the clunky sapphires on the sides, as they stick up too far, and look dark unless being viewed when the hand is tilted. The tiny diamonds around it seem a bit trite. They are filling in spaces rather than emphasizing the main lines of the composition, ( which in this case are rather blocky) . It is a setting which is confused, tries to have too much in one ring, and is full of unnecessary details (with the intent of making it look over decorated, with too many layers of decoration) rather than deciding on a few main essential elements of the design, and then refining down to them and trying to visually express those as clearly and as simply as possible.

If I were to buy this, the setting would have to be redone. The jeweler hand made the setting, which was skilled in craft, but not refined in an artistic language. Just goes to show that craftsmen are not automatically artists/designers too. There are many 'designers' who produce things, which imo are not inspired. Sometimes one finds a person who has the aesthetic training and refinement as well as the practiced skills of the craft, but this is not easy to do.

I wish to add that I don't think that the setting is ugly in case it sounded that way), but I feel that it doesn't emphasize the majesty of the aqua as well as it could. It still looked beautiful on. I hate to feel that I'm putting things down, and that is not my intent. It's just a design critique. A few tweaks here and there could make it much more interesting and in my taste, beautiful. Also, when I metioned that it's not easy to find great craftsmen and designers in one, I meant finding as in stumbling across one by visiting jewelry stores, as was the case when I saw this ring. Just to clarify...

 

[Bluegemz]

A little story; yesterday we drove up from Napa to Mendocino, which is such a beautiful drive through amazingly dramatic and changing landscape. There were small towns, wineries, sequoia redwood forests, and finally, the elegantly mystical coast line where the hills meets ocean. Mendocino is located right on the coast. It's full of quaint bed and breakfasts, little galleries and jewelry stores, cafes and taverns. There was someone playing the guitar on the street, and the soft harmonies seemed to drift with the breeze, and mingled with the luscious plants, the cliffs, the mists.
Of course, I was delighted to look at the galleries and jewelry stores.
Some had lovely, unique and hand made things. I saw a gorgeous necklace made with large, smooth oval chunks of lavender chalcedony beads. It was so soft, bold and icy with the most Devine color.
In another gallery, there were new and estate pieces. Imagine my surprise and delight to find that they had a section of jadeite, mostly vintage!. My eyes glanced over some carved pieces with gold, a huge brooch, and other locely items. Then I saw a 'jade' bangle. Looking at it, I could see immediately that it was made of glass, with a 14k hinge. I asked the price, upon which the sales woman pulled out a binder. She told me that it is close to 2k. I saw next to the picture of it in the binder, others which had sold. I wondered if those were glass too.
Now, this pricing made me suspicious because if it had been natural jade, they would have charged at least 10k, because of the color and quality, so it made me worry that they possibly knew it was glass. I decided to point this out to the sales person, with a clear explanation about tell tale signs of glass. She was very defensive, but said that she would tell the owner when she returned. A few minutes later, the owner came back while we were browsing. The woman did not mention it. I felt the reaction would have been negative and decided just to leave the store. It was surprising to see this, even though I have been tricked before and I imagine that most jewelry collectors have also had a negative experience at some point.
This just points out how important it is to ask about certification, especially with regards to purchasing jadeite pieces, since there is so much trickery and since sellers rely on the fact that many don't know much about it, or haven't seen it enough to have a sense of it. By contrast, another seller offered that all estate jadeite is sent for certification.

 

[Sabrina31]

Well that sucks, sorry you had to see that first hand, but also glad you shared so i know to be extra cautious.

 

[valeria101]

decided just to leave the store

I would not have known to deal with this any better ... Chances are I would have asked to see the object and, cowardly, say nothing - unless I wanted a glass bangle that day & offering the unwanted piece of knowledge may have served to discuss the price (not that I do that all that much !).

___

Entirely agreeing about the aquamarine ring.

 

[Bluegemz]

Sabrina, its sad. Some poor person is probably going to buy the glass bangle and inevitably it will break and it will be heartbreaking for them. When it breaks, it will be obvious that it's glass. I told the sales woman that they should remove the bangle for liability reasons, like injuring someone or accusations of fraud. But I had the feeling they had no intention of removing it. I could be wrong though...

 

[Bluegemz]

I would not have known to deal with this any better ... Chances are I would have asked to see the object and, cowardly, say nothing - unless I wanted a glass bangle that day & offering the unwanted piece of knowledge may have served to discuss the price (not that I do that all that much !).

___

Entirely agreeing about the aquamarine ring.

They probably would have tried to argue that the gold hinge is worth at least a thousand lol. No thankyou!