red spess set plus other accumulated pictures

[enbcfsobe]

so during my ps hiatus i accumulated some modest projects and stones and other miscellany that i thought i''d share.
someone asked recently about red garnets, so here are a pendant and ring with red spess rounds from dan stair with wg stuller settings...

first the pendant stone...

 

[enbcfsobe]

now the pendant in a scroll setting...

 

[enbcfsobe]

and from the side... these stones photograph awfully brown in incandescent light even though they look red IRL.

 

[enbcfsobe]

can''t seem to find pics of the ring stone loose but here''s the ring, also looking awfully brown under the indoor lighting. the color is just a smidge darker than the pendant stone IRL. i was afraid of chipping the thing so this has an excessive number of prongs...

 

[enbcfsobe]

...and from the side...

 

[enbcfsobe]

changing gears, a small montana sapphire from gene (cut similarly to the one MTG acquired recently). i had terrible trouble getting good pics of this one -- here it is with a small blue zircon that i picked up from goodwill.

 

[Maisie]

I love the pendant! It looks gorgeous on you!

 

[enbcfsobe]

here it is in a setting...it is a really small stone (a little over 4mm if i remember correctly) so i needed something to give it a backdrop. i found this setting for a round and the jeweler adapted it for this stone. not sure i''d go this direction again style-wise but its definitely unique. maybe the best part of these purchases was i got an adjustable wg chain (pictured w/ spess pendant). so useful!!

 

[enbcfsobe]

thanks maisie!! i was really happy with how that came out. it was only my second gemstone project (not counting my er). that is the best representation of the color.

here is a turqouise pendant i picked up from my favoite vintage/antique jewelry place. it is set in sterling so its hard to keep clean b/c of the pearls, but its very aquatic and i loved the color of the turquoise.

 

[enbcfsobe]

...and one more for tonight...a dainty star sapphire pendant in silver wirewrap from an etsy vendor. the wire was not as smooth as i''d hoped, but it is a really delicate little piece. it gets a nice star when horizontal -- less so when worn, but what can you do.

 

[enbcfsobe]

thanks for looking!! that's enough of my monologue for this evening...i'll post more later. i'll leave you with this pic i took at the smithsonian...

 

[T L]

Date: 2/2/2010 10:49:26 PM
Author: enbcfsobe
here it is in a setting...it is a really small stone (a little over 4mm if i remember correctly) so i needed something to give it a backdrop. i found this setting for a round and the jeweler adapted it for this stone. not sure i''d go this direction again style-wise but its definitely unique. maybe the best part of these purchases was i got an adjustable wg chain (pictured w/ spess pendant). so useful!!

Nice pieces, but I really love this pendant.

Wow, nice piece of fluorite. Are you going to share more Smithsonian pictures with us??

 

[Harriet]

Jaw dropping fluorite. Did you happen to take a picture of the facetted phosphophyllite as well?

 

[lavatea]

WOWZA! That stone from the Smithsonian...

And your projects aren''t bad, either.

 

[Arkteia]

Like all your projects, especially the garnets and the sapphire. Very elegant start!

 

[ma re]

Nice pieces, especially the light blues!

 

[enbcfsobe]

TL -- thanks! i''m really glad you like it -- i wasn''t sure what kind of reception it would get here since its such a tiny stone.

TL & Harriett -- Sorry, I didn''t get the phosphophyllite. I will try to post more museum pics in a separate thread. I took a ton of pics last time we were at the Smithsonian, but very few came out. The Flourite was by far the best picture. It is hard to photograph them through the glass, and it was so incredibly crowded in there! I have to travel to DC every so often for work so I''m sure I''ll be back and take more pictures. That collection certainly gives me something to aspire to (as do your own amazing collections!)

lavatea & crasru -- thanks for your kind words it''s just my first little steps on the road down total gemstone addiction...

ma re -- glad you liked the blues! i don''t know anything much about the zircon since it came from the thrift store (how they got a loose stone i''m not sure...). it is still not set -- i thought it might be nice in a thin band or in a jkt key pendant.

 

[rosetta]

i really like that zircon

 

[Stone Hunter]

GREAT projects. Of course I love the Spess Pendant! And I think the large setting with the small Sapphire works very well too! I was looking at a similar setting style for earring charms just last night. Very nice, TFS!!

 

[chrono]

I love how strong the star stands out so sharply in the pendant. As for the fluorite, now THAT’s a wow stone.

 

[enbcfsobe]

thanks, chrono! i do wish it was bolder when i''m actually wearing it but i guess its hard to get the right light at that angle. maybe someday i''ll reset it in a ring or bangle so i can look at it and enjoy the star while wearing it.

a few more items i accumulated...these vintage citrine earrings match the pendant i wore when i got married (link to old thread). i think they are rose cuts?

 

[enbcfsobe]

earring closeup...

 

[Kim Bruun]

I like the unusual turquoise pendant - but I am almost tempted to say that it reminds me of the skin of a toad! I can definitely imagine that it is hard to clean, and considering that both pearls and turquoise are porous and prone to absorbing liquids, you must be careful with what you use.