Your Latest Jewelry Purchases/Things You're Considering....

[Dreamer_D]

What an enormous headache! I'm so sorry. Hopefully the strike is resolved sooner than later and you have the stone in hand before too long!!

Thank you for commiserating! The strike has been going 3 weeks so far. In the past the government has ended the strikes by ordering binding mediation. But so far it has not been threatening that and instead is pressuring the sides to make a deal. Anyway, the last major strike lasted one month and it could take much longer for them to clear the backlog of packages currently sitting unscanned in storage bins. My only concern is if there is no movement before the 30 day window for eBay buyer protections! I don’t want to use that policy but I also don’t want to be stuck if my package is lost. I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I suspect there are many eBay buyers in the same boat. The seller has been communicative and says they also have multiple buyers affected.

 

[Mreader]

Thank you for commiserating! The strike has been going 3 weeks so far. In the past the government has ended the strikes by ordering binding mediation. But so far it has not been threatening that and instead is pressuring the sides to make a deal. Anyway, the last major strike lasted one month and it could take much longer for them to clear the backlog of packages currently sitting unscanned in storage bins. My only concern is if there is no movement before the 30 day window for eBay buyer protections! I don’t want to use that policy but I also don’t want to be stuck if my package is lost. I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I suspect there are many eBay buyers in the same boat. The seller has been communicative and says they also have multiple buyers affected.

What a huge pain both for buyer and seller. I’m so sorry

 

[cloud_less]

Ok wow, you know when you’re on PS and you see something you’ve never seen before and now you need one? Fml, this is crazy cool, and now I need one. Looks amazing on you!

aww thank you!!!

 

[lulu_ma]

New to me Art Deco platinum band

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thank you for commiserating! The strike has been going 3 weeks so far. In the past the government has ended the strikes by ordering binding mediation. But so far it has not been threatening that and instead is pressuring the sides to make a deal. Anyway, the last major strike lasted one month and it could take much longer for them to clear the backlog of packages currently sitting unscanned in storage bins. My only concern is if there is no movement before the 30 day window for eBay buyer protections! I don’t want to use that policy but I also don’t want to be stuck if my package is lost. I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I suspect there are many eBay buyers in the same boat. The seller has been communicative and says they also have multiple buyers affected.

It really is disappointing! I am sure the striking workers see it differently though, and hope they can come to a resolution quickly. Hope you don’t have to lose the diamond!

 

[Dreamer_D]

It really is disappointing! I am sure the striking workers see it differently though, and hope they can come to a resolution quickly. Hope you don’t have to lose the diamond!

Yes I am supportive of the workers who absolutely deserve what they are striking for! It’s just bad timing. Serves me right for not keeping up with the news or I would have known a strike was looming and chosen a different shipping method!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Yes I am supportive of the workers who absolutely deserve what they are striking for! It’s just bad timing. Serves me right for not keeping up with the news or I would have known a strike was looming and chosen a different shipping method!

These things always hit at a bad time for someone. Just hoping it clears up in time for you to get that diamond! I always say if it's meant to be, it will be!

 

[Natylad]

 

[Crimson]

Wow I would have had a hard time not going home with both.

Haha, yes, I almost did but thank goodness the 3-store ring was too wide for my fingers

 

[higanbanya]

Been looking around for a minor oil Colombian emerald and came across this for 3.6k USD - seems like a pretty good deal, but just wanted to get some thoughts on it! Are there any red flags that I should be concerned about? Love the metallic-looking blue-green!

https://imgur.com/a/GxzHgAG

 

[LilAlex]

Are there any red flags that I should be concerned about?

Looks nice! Perhaps a little below ideal saturation but a pretty stone. Long-ish step cut and a little deep and a fairly simple facet pattern.

I like the F1.

I hope they shared the bottom half of the GIA report that has the actual photo (to help you confirm that the report goes with that gem).

Can ask on Colored Stones forum here.

 

[higanbanya]

Looks nice! Perhaps a little below ideal saturation but a pretty stone. Long-ish step cut and a little deep and a fairly simple facet pattern.

I like the F1.

I hope they shared the bottom half of the GIA report that has the actual photo (to help you confirm that the report goes with that gem).

Can ask on Colored Stones forum here.

Great point, will ask about the bottom part of the report! Thank you for chipping in!!

 

[Crimson]

Been looking around for a minor oil Colombian emerald and came across this for 3.6k USD - seems like a pretty good deal, but just wanted to get some thoughts on it! Are there any red flags that I should be concerned about? Love the metallic-looking blue-green!

https://imgur.com/a/GxzHgAG

@higanbanya It is a pretty colour! I do like the Chivor blue-green. The lighter tone reminds me of Russian emeralds.
The date on the certificate is not clear. Sharing one of the best pieces of advice from a well-known Jeweller — get the emerald re-tested if the cert is not recent. Emeralds could be re oiled and re – filled after testing. Labs have taken note of the deceitful practice of removing or reducing the amount of oil and fillers in emeralds, getting the lab report and then re-filling the emerald. I’m not saying it happened here. But I think it’s good to be cautious, in general.

 

[higanbanya]

@higanbanya It is a pretty colour! I do like the Chivor blue-green. The lighter tone reminds me of Russian emeralds.
The date on the certificate is not clear. Sharing one of the best pieces of advice from a well-known Jeweller — get the emerald re-tested if the cert is not recent. Emeralds could be re oiled and re – filled after testing. Labs have taken note of the deceitful practice of removing or reducing the amount of oil and fillers in emeralds, getting the lab report and then re-filling the emerald. I’m not saying it happened here. But I think it’s good to be cautious, in general.

Wow that’s fantastic advice, didn’t realise this could happen too! Glad to have posted here to check, y’all are amazing!

 

[dk168]

I might be able to come out of Ban Island soon, and if that is the case, I shall set my round 7.57mm 2.53ct Tsavorite cut by Jeff White as a significant birthday present to myself.

This is my setting inspiration ring, and I shall add an air gap/line around the Tsavorite with a Rose Gold bezel to bring out the green, no millgrain and a wider plain shank.



Pics of the Tsavorite:




DK

 

[dk168]

One more present for myself for the very significant birthday next year, to set the big dropped shaped Tahitian pearl I bought from Sarah of Kojima Pearl Company fame when I was in LA for a pearl-related event in 2016.

No photo of the pearl itself as it is with the bench I use in London already.

Here is a pic of the inspiration design I have (not to scale):



And this is the bail design I have, using the 20 x 1.5mm paved diamond in the halo from the second setting of my 1.19ct EC diamond:



Back to Ban Island after that.

DK

 

[natasha-cupcake]

Been looking around for a minor oil Colombian emerald and came across this for 3.6k USD - seems like a pretty good deal, but just wanted to get some thoughts on it! Are there any red flags that I should be concerned about? Love the metallic-looking blue-green!

https://imgur.com/a/GxzHgAG

a

,
The color is pretty, and I like the elongated shape. The saturation is a teensy bit on the light side, but still rather decent. The only thing I find off-putting is the prominent window that goes down the length of the keel and then expands up into most of one end. It's leaving a large "martini glass" shaped window that knocks out the color in those areas. To be fair, some people don't mind windowed gems. For me, windows are a deal breaker. Seeing areas in a colored gem that have no color at all, really bothers me because the whole point of the gem is the color. I do think the price is fair, considering everything.

 

[higanbanya]

,
The color is pretty, and I like the elongated shape. The saturation is a teensy bit on the light side, but still rather decent. The only thing I find off-putting is the prominent window that goes down the length of the keel and then expands up into most of one end. It's leaving a large "martini glass" shaped window that knocks out the color in those areas. To be fair, some people don't mind windowed gems. For me, windows are a deal breaker. Seeing areas in a colored gem that have no color at all, really bothers me because the whole point of the gem is the color. I do think the price is fair, considering everything.

Thank you so much for the thoughtful response! Gotta admit, the window did worry me a little - haven’t had gems with a visible window before, so not quite sure how I’ll feel about it

Will get more videos from the vendor deciding, appreciate all these weigh-ins!!

 

[Crimson]

I might be able to come out of Ban Island soon, and if that is the case, I shall set my round 7.57mm 2.53ct Tsavorite cut by Jeff White as a significant birthday present to myself.

This is my setting inspiration ring, and I shall add an air gap/line around the Tsavorite with a Rose Gold bezel to bring out the green, no millgrain and a wider plain shank.

I like the idea! I feel excited already just hearing about it.

One more present for myself for the very significant birthday next year, to set the big dropped shaped Tahitian pearl I bought from Sarah of Kojima Pearl Company fame when I was in LA for a pearl-related event in 2016.

No photo of the pearl itself as it is with the bench I use in London already.

Here is a pic of the inspiration design I have (not to scale):



And this is the bail design I have, using the 20 x 1.5mm paved diamond in the halo from the second setting of my 1.19ct EC diamond:



Back to Ban Island after that.

DK

You have immense patience, keeping that pearl since 2016. The bail looks gorgeous!

 

[Crimson]

Getting ready for Christmas? Two weeks ago.I bought this “Splat” necklace because I liked how playful it looked. It could be an ice cream “Splat” or a snowball “splat”. My friends also told me it looked like a snowflake. Just diamonds and white gold. I like that it came with a diamonds on the chain, too.

 

[Dreamer_D]

Tracking has not been updated since Nov 21 (it was processed though their international sorting facility in NY and then nothing) and today USPS announced they were suspending all mail service to Canada due to the strike. USPS website says they will return to sender any packages currently en route to Canada. I don’t know if that applies to my package or not. I don’t know if it’s still in USPS possession or if it’s in Canada Post’s possession and just in limbo. Maybe it will become clear this week.

EBay buyer protections require me to formally report that the item has not arrived within 30 days of the expected delivery date, which is Dec 3. I then have 21 days in which to open a claim with eBay buyer protection if the situation isn’t resolved. I have let the seller know about the strike and they are apologetic about the situation, which obviously isn’t their fault . Today I asked them to follow up with usps about the location of my package and find out if it’s being returned to sender. While I want to wait it out bc I want this diamond, I can’t afford to let the buyer protections lapse. So if I don’t have any firm updates and resumption of tracking by about Dec 28 I will formally make the report on eBay.

EBay posted a notice saying they are extending buyer protections for people affected by the strike. If the package doesn’t arrive “within a reasonable time after service resumes” then I can reach out to eBay for help. Anyway, that’s good news and now I just have to keep patient and hope my diamond isn’t lost in the shuffle. Still no end in sight for the strike 4 weeks in.

 

[lala646]

EBay posted a notice saying they are extending buyer protections for people affected by the strike. If the package doesn’t arrive “within a reasonable time after service resumes” then I can reach out to eBay for help. Anyway, that’s good news and now I just have to keep patient and hope my diamond isn’t lost in the shuffle. Still no end in sight for the strike 4 weeks in.

We're collectively keeping our fingers crossed for you, Dreamer!!

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

Getting ready for Christmas? Two weeks ago.I bought this “Splat” necklace because I liked how playful it looked. It could be an ice cream “Splat” or a snowball “splat”. My friends also told me it looked like a snowflake. Just diamonds and white gold. I like that it came with a diamonds on the chain, too.

Love the whimsy in this design!

 

[MMtwo]

This looks much like Ritani’s Ayla. Really pretty design! @dk168

 

[MMtwo]

One more present for myself for the very significant birthday next year, to set the big dropped shaped Tahitian pearl I bought from Sarah of Kojima Pearl Company fame when I was in LA for a pearl-related event in 2016.

No photo of the pearl itself as it is with the bench I use in London already.

Here is a pic of the inspiration design I have (not to scale):



And this is the bail design I have, using the 20 x 1.5mm paved diamond in the halo from the second setting of my 1.19ct EC diamond:



Back to Ban Island after that.

DK

So worth it! See ya there!

 

[MMtwo]

I bought new huggies from Ritani. .65 natural double row hoops. On sale of course!

Also, living in the new jade necklaces.

 

[dk168]

This looks much like Ritani’s Ayla. Really pretty design! @dk168

Mine was from the previous company that became Brilliantly Engaged at a later date, a variation of an Art Deco design I believe.

DK

 

[MMtwo]

I like the design @dk168, going to be beautiful!

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

I love how the 5 stone came out. The stones look uniform and it looks so wearable

And I still love the FC, love it so much I borrowed the design

The carre cut band enchants me, OMG, what a ring. Where did it come from?

 

[dk168]

I like the design @dk168, going to be beautiful!

Thank you!

There are other designs that I am considering, again, no millgrain, added air gap/line, and Rose Gold bezel:








DK