Did I just buy my stone? And how will he react?

[AustenNut]

Well, an update!

I was in a bit of a humphy mood when I went online to see if the package had been delivered yet and saw that they said it wasn''t able to be delivered because it still needed an indirect signature, despite the signed notice I left on the door. But the FedEx place wasn''t too far from where I work and so I decided to pick it up myself.

I''m very glad I did because in those last few minutes of daylight I was able to see a beautiful blue stone. Suffice it to say, plenty of squealing in the car. As I was driving home I kept looking at it, and as the sky got dark I could see more purple coming out. Well, over the course of my 15 minute drive home it went from last bit of daylight to pitch black. Now that I''m inside I see a purple (well, lavender) ring. It''s a color-changer (or color-shifter? I need to learn the difference). I''d say it''s sort of a lavender color, or a greyish purple. That may not sound very pretty, but it actually is. I''ve been wandering around the house trying to find some lighting where I can see the blue again, but I have a feeling I''ll have to wait until tomorrow.

I totally wasn''t expecting a color-changer, and I have to give it a little thought as to if that''s what I want my ring to be. I think the stone is beeeauuuutiful and I''m definitely keeping it. It''s also my favorite stone that I''ve seen so far out of all the ones that our jeweler has brought in. So right now seeing it in all of its lavender glory I''m not 100% sure if it''s the e-ring stone, but it''s definitely a contender. And perhaps tomorrow when I see it in daylight I''ll fall even more in love with it.

I''m also a bit curious to see some "very fine" sapphires that a jeweler is bringing in that are (ahem) about $3000/ct. If I can''t tell the difference between theirs and mine, or I prefer mine, that also leads me to think that mine will be a keeper.

Of course, I''ve been neglecting one big aspect of this thread. Well, as I was on my way to Fed Ex my boyfriend called to say that he was sick and heading straight home as he didn''t want to get me sick, despite my offer to nurse him back to health. (Which is sort of like us, as when we''re really sick we''re kind of loners.) So he hasn''t seen the stone yet, and I hadn''t seen it yet when I talked to him. I''ll probably talk to him in a little while to see how he''s doing and will mention getting this beautiful stone in. But I won''t mention the e-ring part, just show him how excited I am to have this GORGEOUS stone. Depending on how things go, I''ll then broach the e-ring subject.

 

[vc10um]

Date: 12/2/2009 7:04:54 PM
Author: AustenNut
Well, an update!

I''m very glad I did because in those last few minutes of daylight I was able to see a beautiful blue stone. Suffice it to say, plenty of squealing in the car. As I was driving home I kept looking at it, and as the sky got dark I could see more purple coming out. Well, over the course of my 15 minute drive home it went from last bit of daylight to pitch black. Now that I''m inside I see a purple (well, lavender) ring. It''s a color-changer (or color-shifter? I need to learn the difference). I''d say it''s sort of a lavender color, or a greyish purple. That may not sound very pretty, but it actually is. I''ve been wandering around the house trying to find some lighting where I can see the blue again, but I have a feeling I''ll have to wait until tomorrow.


Of course, I''ve been neglecting one big aspect of this thread. Well, as I was on my way to Fed Ex my boyfriend called to say that he was sick and heading straight home as he didn''t want to get me sick, despite my offer to nurse him back to health. (Which is sort of like us, as when we''re really sick we''re kind of loners.) So he hasn''t seen the stone yet, and I hadn''t seen it yet when I talked to him. I''ll probably talk to him in a little while to see how he''s doing and will mention getting this beautiful stone in. But I won''t mention the e-ring part, just show him how excited I am to have this GORGEOUS stone. Depending on how things go, I''ll then broach the e-ring subject.

Sounds like an excellent reaction!!! I can''t wait to see pictures of this stunner!!!

And best of luck with the FF if you do decide it''s *THE* stone!!!

 

[Callisto]

Ooo exciting. I want to see your pics too.

 

[MeowMeow]

AustenNut: Ooh sounds like a lovely stone! I want to see pictures too! Hope your boyfriend feels better and that everything goes well!

 

[AustenNut]

Today wasn''t as great for taking pictures as I would have liked. I didn''t get a single break at work today to take some pictures though I did bring my stone with me and looked at it few times. As soon as I got off of work I went to the sunniest part of the parking lot to snap a few photos as the sun was going down. So some of the purple started coming back, but it''s not overly evident in the photos. And whoever said that photographing sapphires was easy is wrong. These pictures don''t do the stone justice at all. But here''s what I''ve got so far!

 

[AustenNut]

Here''s a wee collage showing a bit more of the colors of this stone. It definitely has several personalities. There''s a pale blue, a greyish blue, a more medium blue, a lavender blue, a lavender... Definitely, multiple personality syndrome!

Apologies for the awful nails and also my atrocious picture-taking. The stone really is a lot prettier than my photos indicate. I used to think I was a pretty decent photographer but gem photography is definitely not my forte.

 

[AustenNut]

And because I love to visualize what a stone looks like in real life, here''s the best shot I have that does that.

 

[AustenNut]

And for those who are curious, my boyfriend is doing a little bit better, but is still sick. We ended up going out to eat tonight but he never came in as he went straight home and to sleep afterwards. So he hasn''t seen the stone, and I don''t want to bring the stone up to him until he can actually see the stone. But he''s definitely seeing it tomorrow night!

 

[vc10um]

AN, it''s LOVELY!

Glad to hear the BF is feeling better...and some ~~~***~~~STONE DUST!!!~~~***~~~ for your conversation with him!!!

 

[lucyandroger]

Wow that stone is gorgeous!!! It''s gonna make one knockout ring!

I hope your BF loves it as much as you do!

 

[MeowMeow]

Beautiful stone! I think you did a great job picking it out! Hope your bf likes it as much as we do! I''m glad he''s a little bit better too =^^=

 

[AustenNut]

Well, we now have the answer to how he will react. Very well! I told him that I had bought something pretty and sparkly and ended up showing it to him. He asked if I was going to turn it into a pendant, and I said that I might, or I might turn it into something else. When prodded I asked him how he would feel if we used it for an e-ring stone. He said if it was what I wanted, then that''s what we''d do. He knows I''m about 95% sure that I want the stone, but that I''m not 100% sure yet. He also said that if we do end up using it as the e-ring stone that he wants to pay me back because he''s not letting me pay for my own stone. So, everything turned out great on this end!

I''m still getting used to the stone, and today will be my first day to sort of see it in daylight for an extended period of time. (Before it was just taking quick peeks at the ring during a lunch break or while driving to/from work.) Of course it''s overcase and freezing out, but it''s the best that I''ve had so far. The ring has a bit more purple than I thought it would, but it''s really growing on me. I''ll keep everyone updated!

 

[E B]

Oh, wow, Austen...it glows!

I think the fact that it has multiple personalities is a plus. Several different shades of blue/purple from one stone! I'd love one like yours.

 

[HopeDream]

Hi Austennut,

Lovely stone! It''s dynamic hue is almost magical. I bet you boyfriend will be proud to show that stone off on your finger.

More sunshine pics! (Can you get any fire shots?)

 

[MeowMeow]

Oh thats great! Glad he wasn''t upset!!

 

[IrisAccents]

I''m so glad he reacted well!

Have you thought about setting styles at all?

I can''t wait to see that beauty in a ring!

 

[jewelz617]

Can I just say too that stone looks really amazing next to your skin tone. It has a very ethereal glow to it.

 

[AustenNut]

Where are my manners? Here are my belated thanks, for dust and compliments! Thank you Vc10m, Lucyandroger, Meowmeow, Ebree, HopeDream, IrisAccents, and Jewelz617.

Our weather here has been really poopy, so it hasn''t been ideal for pictures. As far as styles go, I like the idea of a band of diamonds with the sapphire solitaire atop it. Something like this Gabriel & Co setting will probably be what I end up with.

 

[vc10um]

AN, that setting will be GORGEOUS for a sapphire!!! And I''m SO glad to hear that he reacted well when you said you think it might be e-ring material! I hope you get to experience it in tons of daylight soon and see how you really feel about it!!! Can''t wait to hear what you decide!

 

[Callisto]

Yummy pretty stone, I''m so glad he reacted to it well too!

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 12/5/2009 9:46:38 AM
Author: AustenNut
Well, we now have the answer to how he will react. Very well! I told him that I had bought something pretty and sparkly and ended up showing it to him. He asked if I was going to turn it into a pendant, and I said that I might, or I might turn it into something else. When prodded I asked him how he would feel if we used it for an e-ring stone. He said if it was what I wanted, then that''s what we''d do. He knows I''m about 95% sure that I want the stone, but that I''m not 100% sure yet. He also said that if we do end up using it as the e-ring stone that he wants to pay me back because he''s not letting me pay for my own stone. So, everything turned out great on this end!

I''m still getting used to the stone, and today will be my first day to sort of see it in daylight for an extended period of time. (Before it was just taking quick peeks at the ring during a lunch break or while driving to/from work.) Of course it''s overcase and freezing out, but it''s the best that I''ve had so far. The ring has a bit more purple than I thought it would, but it''s really growing on me. I''ll keep everyone updated!

Great news and sounds like you and your BF are truly on the same page! sounds like not much longer to wait...

 

[AustenNut]

Thanks, ladies, for all of the compliments!

I also was wondering, has anyone seen a ring similar to the Gabriel & Co one that I posted up above, but with a bezel on it? Is it even possible to do a bezel for a large stone (like 7x9) on a thin band (like between 2-3mm)? I'd love the added protection of a bezel since this ring would get decades of wear, but I really like the style of band of the Gabriel ring. Any suggestions?

ETA: Right now I'm 99% sure I'm going to go with the stone I bought on ebay. Tomorrow I'm going to see the super-expensive sapphires, and see how I feel about those in comparison to the one I already have. I'll give everyone an update about the experience tomorrow.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 12/11/2009 9:45:35 PM
Author: AustenNut
Thanks, ladies, for all of the compliments!

I also was wondering, has anyone seen a ring similar to the Gabriel & Co one that I posted up above, but with a bezel on it? Is it even possible to do a bezel for a large stone (like 7x9) on a thin band (like between 2-3mm)? I''d love the added protection of a bezel since this ring would get decades of wear, but I really like the style of band of the Gabriel ring. Any suggestions?

ETA: Right now I''m 99% sure I''m going to go with the stone I bought on ebay. Tomorrow I''m going to see the super-expensive sapphires, and see how I feel about those in comparison to the one I already have. I''ll give everyone an update about the experience tomorrow.

Sure it''s possible to bezel a 7x9 stone on a 2-3mm shank.

I haven''t seen it, but I don''t know why it couldn''t be done. One thing you might want to consider is that a bezel does tend to look more modern and because of the milgrain on the band, it tends to have a more antique look to it, so the two styles may not mesh completely. Something to think about.

My thoughts:
-a bezel on a diamond shank MINUS the milgrain like blueroses'' emerald bezel
-instead of a bezel do some variation with multiple prongs 8, 10, 12 etc which tends to look more antique and are found on more antique styles and keep the milgrain, while still protecting the stone.

As for the color shifting (color changing is going from one color from one spectrum of color (ex: red) to a spectrum of an entirely different color (ex: green). Which are almost opposites on the color wheel. Color shifting is going from one color (ex: purple) to a color that is close to it on the color wheel (ex: pink)) my ering is a blue spinel that when under fluorescent lighting turns bright purple, and under natural light can be anywhere from periwinkle to cobalt. It is far more interesting to examine in different lights than any ol'' colorless diamond.

 

[AustenNut]

Thanks, Freke, for the ideas. The link to the 8-prong thread was quite interesting. Does this happen with any stones that aren''t round? Looks like I''ll be going with a cushion (or possibly an oval) and I''m not quite sure how this would look.

I''ve saved BlueRoses ring in my idea file as a larger bezeled stone, showing that it could at least be done, though I''d prefer a thinner bezel.

The PS ring that comes closest to what I''d like is Lupinbunny''s . I like the shank and the thin bezel.

I had a different thread about looking for a tough setting when I first came to PS, and through that the general message I got was that bezels and possibly channel set would work well for me. When I went to the jewelry stores though I found myself drawn toward the bead set rings, though the channel set (with thin channels) also worked for me. When I found this Gabriel & Co ring (beadset within a channel) I thought I hit the jackpot. (The bezels I tried on were fairly modern in style, and not my style.)

The only thing that gives me pause is that I have a sapphire ring that I wear daily and have had for 11 years (worn it 24/7 during that time). It''s in a 4-prong setting and I posted in this thread that it was still just fine, no damage. Well, I was looking at it a little closer a day or two ago and saw a little scratch/dent on the side, which kind of scared me. Which has me thinking that I need to protect my center stone more as I don''t intend to become a person who takes my rings off for most anything, and I''ll be wearing this ring for a lot more than 11 years.

So basically, I''d like something like Lupinbunny''s but with an elongated cushion. If the milgraining doesn''t look right, then I''ll just forego it, as it would be more important for me to have the bezel than the milgrain. But if anyone knows of milgrained rings with a bezel, I''d love to see pictures!

And as far as the color-shifting goes, I really do like the colors it shifts to. I just wish that it was bluer in the evenings while I''ve been staring at it, but if I do get it set then I''d be wearing it in the daytime and could see it''s pretty blues then. Which is all really cool. I''m definitely glad I''m getting a colored stone e-ring.

 

[FrekeChild]

For a cushion (I think the oval would be fine) I think that a prong on the four corners, and then a prong in between the 4 corners would work for a square cushion. For an elongated one, I''d make it 10 prongs, with a prong on each corner, a prong in the middle on the short sides and two prongs even spaced on the long sides. I think that could look really cool.

Blueroses''s bezel was based off of LaurenThePartier''s asscher ering (I believe) and the big concept behind that bezel was to make the stone appear bigger, and to protect it which is why it has that double bezel look going on. I think it is somewhere around .75cts.

Lupinbunny''s ring is quite beautiful and I can see why you like it. Hers doesn''t appear to have any milgrain, which is my only problem with bezel + the bead set band for Gabriel & Co that you posted earlier.

I remember when you posted that original thread, although it looks as though I didn''t respond.

Here is a random suggestion: Since you''re going to have to go custom for an enlongated cushion bezel anyway, and you seem to prefer the more antique look (from all of the engraving talk in your first thread), what about getting a bezel head more like coatimundi''s bezeled James Meyer ring? (Link) So then it would have a milgrained bezel, and then you could have your milgrain on the edges of the shank, lending to a more antique feel.

I don''t see channel set being something you''re really happy with, because IMO, it''s a more modern look, and from what I can tell, you really are drawn to the more antique styles.

I''m glad you''re joining the colored stone ering club. We''re quite exclusive you know.

 

[AustenNut]

Well, it''s official. I bought my e-ring stone!!! Today when I was at the jewelry stores (I hit more than one

) and saw my stone in the jewelry light...wowza!!! It looked way better than anything I''ve seen from the jewelers. And the jewelers had nothing but compliments for my stone. YIPPEE!!! (I really need to get jewelry lighting in my house. The fire this stone was shooting off! Unfortunately, none of my lighting at home comes close yet.)

Anyway, as far as the setting goes, I''m still developing ideas. At the place with the expensive sapphires she pulled out a shared prong ring with some gorgeous diamonds on them. And it looked really good with the sapphire. Since they will replace any lost stones if you have them check the prongs every 6 months, that''s a possibility. Of course the SA wasn''t that enthusiastic about adding on a bezel, but...

I also went to a different jeweler, but one who carried the Gabriel & Co rings. They didn''t have it in (though I''d contacted them beforehand...the SA I''d been in contact with wasn''t that great but she improved in-person). Anyway, they were much more supportive and enthusiastic about doing a bezel, and they''re going to see if Gabriel & Co would be willing to do it as that would lower the cost rather than having them custom-make one, though they''re open to doing it as well.

By the way, I love the milgrained bezel look. I think that''s probably what I would go for with this ring. Of course I am going to leave it up to my bf. I''m just giving him a definite idea of what I want.

Any other ideas y''all want to share?

 

[vc10um]

Date: 12/12/2009 8:49:59 PM
Author: AustenNut
Well, it''s official. I bought my e-ring stone!!! Today when I was at the jewelry stores (I hit more than one

) and saw my stone in the jewelry light...wowza!!! It looked way better than anything I''ve seen from the jewelers. And the jewelers had nothing but compliments for my stone. YIPPEE!!! (I really need to get jewelry lighting in my house. The fire this stone was shooting off! Unfortunately, none of my lighting at home comes close yet.)


Anyway, as far as the setting goes, I''m still developing ideas. At the place with the expensive sapphires she pulled out a shared prong ring with some gorgeous diamonds on them. And it looked really good with the sapphire. Since they will replace any lost stones if you have them check the prongs every 6 months, that''s a possibility. Of course the SA wasn''t that enthusiastic about adding on a bezel, but...


I also went to a different jeweler, but one who carried the Gabriel & Co rings. They didn''t have it in (though I''d contacted them beforehand...the SA I''d been in contact with wasn''t that great but she improved in-person). Anyway, they were much more supportive and enthusiastic about doing a bezel, and they''re going to see if Gabriel & Co would be willing to do it as that would lower the cost rather than having them custom-make one, though they''re open to doing it as well.


By the way, I love the milgrained bezel look. I think that''s probably what I would go for with this ring. Of course I am going to leave it up to my bf. I''m just giving him a definite idea of what I want.

Any other ideas y''all want to share?

No suggestions...Freke probably has the floor on that one...or maybe the ladies over in colored stones...they turn out some pretty darn amazing projects...but

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am SO SO SO excited that this stone turned out to be "it" and such a great buy for you!!! And that all turned out well with the boyfriend. He''s such a sweetheart for understanding your tastes and that this baby was just too good to pass up!!! I can not wait to see the end product of this...on your finger...after you say yes!!!

 

[AustenNut]

Thanks, Vc10um! Though the proposal is probably a couple of months away still...probably February or March though I don''t think it will be any later than April. Just enough time for me to figure out what to do for the setting!

 

[MeowMeow]

AustenNut: Oh so cool!! I''m excited for you!

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Your stone is absolutely beautiful! I''m glad your BF is on board too, you obviously make a great team! Congrats on finding your e-ring stone.