Colored stone newbie questions

[lizzyann]

Hi there! I have been lurking in the CS forum for awhile after seeing Lauren the partier''s collection! I was looking at some LOGR settings and I like the idea of setting a CS into the round bezel legacy setting. As a gemstone newbie, what trustworthy online CS vendor would you recommend me to take a look at? Obviously, if I find something I will run it by you first!! The only CS I own is a beautiful garnet halo pendant but I don''t think that I want a garnet ring. I''m thinking a blue, green, or a pink stone! Something for a RHR! How expensive is about a 6-6.5mm round sapphire or pink tourmaline run? I think I saw someone post a pink tourm awhile back in a LOGR setting and it was beautiful. On a sidenote, I also like LTP''s peridot ring. Sorry, I''m all over the place, I''m a CS newbie!!!

 

[chrono]

The first thing to think about is your desire for a non-treated stone or is heat only acceptable? Sapphires are routinely heated and some pink tourmalines have been heated, then irradiated. Stones that are untreated are more expensive their their treated counterpart, all other stats being equal. For sapphires, there is also beryllium diffusion which gives a shocking vivid colour but because the treatment is invasive, its value is significantly less.

The next thing is budget. A sapphire will run you more moolah than a tourmaline. A peridot will be less than the previous two. However, in terms of durability, a sapphire is an everyday wear ring, while a tourmaline and peridot is more of an occasional wear stone. Pricing is dependent on several factors:
1. Which type of gemstone
2. Treatment of the gemstone
3. Colour (hue, saturation and tone - something more vivid will cost more than a pale stone)
3. Size and rarity
4. Clarity (eye clean is acceptable in the coloured stone world)

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 3/16/2010 4:53:10 PM
Author:lizzyann01
Hi there! I have been lurking in the CS forum for awhile after seeing Lauren the partier''s collection! I was looking at some LOGR settings and I like the idea of setting a CS into the round bezel legacy setting. As a gemstone newbie, what trustworthy online CS vendor would you recommend me to take a look at? Obviously, if I find something I will run it by you first!! The only CS I own is a beautiful garnet halo pendant but I don''t think that I want a garnet ring. I''m thinking a blue, green, or a pink stone! Something for a RHR! How expensive is about a 6-6.5mm round sapphire or pink tourmaline run? I think I saw someone post a pink tourm awhile back in a LOGR setting and it was beautiful. On a sidenote, I also like LTP''s peridot ring. Sorry, I''m all over the place, I''m a CS newbie!!!

Hi Lizzyann! Welcome to CS! This place can be very addicting, as you can tell from how much my collection has grown over the past 2 years.

As for vendors, there are loads of vendors that we all have worked with. Here is a listing of all of the vendors that we have worked with;
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/sites-selling-colored-gemstones-and-jewelry.94723/

The ones I tend to return to are:

www.acstones.com
www.ajsgems.com
http://www.artcutgems.com
http://www.cherrypicked.com/
http://www.customgemstones.com/
http://www.finewatergems.com/
http://www.precisiongem.com
http://www.simplysapphires.com/
http://torraca.net/gems/
http://www.whitesgems.com/
http://www.wildfishgems.com/

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Also, speaking of pink tourmaline, this one is on Barry''s site, and at about 6.2mm is under $100 - http://www.acstones.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=139&idproduct=3132

 

[lizzyann]

Thank you Lauren and Chrono for the info!! You guys are awesome!!! I am so excited to test the waters and get some colored stones of my own.

I just have a couple of questions for you...
1. Are treated stones considered "bad"? After looking on a couple of the sites, it appears that most affordable stones are heat treated. I am going to keep researching so I can study up!
2. I definitely will want to set my stone right away. Do you recommend buying the stone, then buying a setting separately, then have a local jeweler set it? Or do you also buy preset stones? Any other setting manufacturers other than LOGR that I should check out?
3. I also saw a blue zircon which was beautiful!
4. Any particular threads on PS that you could direct me to that you think I would learn from or see some different type stones?

Thanks again! I appreciate your time!!!!

 

[chrono]

The lesser the treatment, the better it is viewed by most people and the trade. For certain stones like sapphires, 95% have been treated so I wouldn't worry about it. Spinels never undergo treatment and most tourmalines are also untreated with the exception of a few varieties.

It is going to be a LOT easier to buy the stone first then the setting. It is difficult enough to find the right colour within budget without having to consider shape and dimensions that will fit into a particular setting. Yes, a local jeweller will set your stone in your LOGR. I do not like preset stones as most either do not look as good, there are less choices and/or tend to be a lot more expensive than what I can find on my own.

A caution with blue zircon is that it can be brittle and will show facet wear quite easily. They do come in amazing blue and turquoise blues though.