An Introduction Thread?

[minousbijoux]

I've been thinking about this for a while and wonder if anyone would be interested. Recently, I've been speaking offline with a few newcomers, each of which says a variation on this: "I love the board, and I've been a lurker for a really long time, but I'm intimidated because everyone seems so knowledgeable [editor's note: boy, we've gotten them fooled! ] and I don't know how to start posting."

Well what do you think of a Welcome to CS - Introduce Yourself kind of thread? Most of us love helping people and its always startling to find so many who have lots of questions but don't know how to join in. Often we get folks who have very clear, often single minded purposes - they've inherited jewelry and want to know more, or they want to find a stone for a ring - but I wonder if some of the lurkers who don't have a pressing need would feel better if they had a place that invited them in and in which they could introduce themselves..

Opinions?

 

[chrono]

Minou,
I thought that is the purpose of Who's Who. Then again, perhaps not.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/forum/who-s-who/']https://www.pricescope.com/forum/who-s-who/[/URL]

 

[royalstarrynight]

I feel like one of those lurkers! Though my comments would probably be all "That's gorgeous/stunning/amazing" or some variation and probably useless to those posting, I love this forum and am thinking about dipping my toes into color stoned rings/jewelry! Taking the first dive is scary esp at the investment point. But all those pretty settings and gem cuttings are so a to the mazing!

 

[chrono]

Hi RSN,
With your first post, you are officially out of lurkdom.

 

[minousbijoux]

Chrono: you are absolutely right - there exists another thread for newcomers. But at the risk of saying the obvious, I wonder if the CS board doesn't warrant its own intro thread, since in some ways its a world unto itself. By way of example, I'll just say that I did not know there was a Who's Who thread, because I rarely venture away from CS . I also wonder how often do CS members check the thread for newcomers? Maybe I'm just being lazy and maybe its duplicative. I'd still be interested in other opinions.

As for you, Starry, welcome! Please "ooh and ahh" as much as you want. Ask questions. Get our opinions on how to spend your money We love that; its our favorite .

 

[royalstarrynight]

Hm...I guess what is a good and reasonable entry level price point to come in?

I was thinking $100-150 potentially as I am a new college grad but maybe that's why I'm not finding anything that's striking me as OMG LOVE IT!

I do prefer smaller stones though because my hands are sort of small and I don't want to hitting into something all the time.

 

[chrono]

Any level is fine. What we try to do is find the best stone possible that fits your budget.

 

[LD]

Speaking as somebody who only shares when she wants to and can be incredibly intensively private or stupidly open (depending on the day), I haven't contributed to the "who's who" thread (although I did find it one day when I ventured out of CS) and I'm not sure I would contribute to one on here. That sounds terrible doesn't it?

HOWEVER ........

Having said that I do hope that lurkers/newbies post and join in to talk about our shared passion. I would echo Chrono's words that any budget is a budget. A love of colour and nature's wonderful creations are the only pre-requisites for this forum! I'd love to see a few new posters and people sharing more photos.

We've all had start somewhere with our collections and like anything else, taste develops (and you get a lot poorer in the process)! As far as I'm concerned if a $50 stone gives you pleasure and makes you smile, it's a job well done!!!

 

[minousbijoux]

I was hoping to find a way to have the lurkers break through - to realize the more the merrier, we love to help (that's the royal we as some of us don't have much skill in the jewelry department ) and questions are (generally) a good thing. C'mon, lurkers, come out of the dark! Introduce yourself please (if you feel like it)!

 

[venus08]

Hi everyone,

I am probably one of those lurkers minousbijoux is talking about

Thank you for starting this thread, I appreciate this welcome.

I just bought my first coloured stones and feel like I am addicted - hehe. I hope there's a rehab forum for addicts on here too

Really wanted to just say hi and thank you all for sharing your wealth of knowledge on this board.

Glad to be a part of this community now.

Cheers

 

[chrono]

Wohoo! Two have come out. Welcome Gemina and please stay.

 

[venus08]

Thank you, now if someone can help me please. How do I add a photo to my profile? It is looking a little dull

 

[chrono]

Go to the very top right on the page and click on your login "Welcome, Gemina". It'll bring you to a page with a list of tabs beginning with "View" and so forth. Select "Edit" which is the second tab. Now, there is a list of tabs under the main dark blue tabs beginning with "Account Settings" and so forth. Click on "User Profile" which is the last tab. Around the middle of the page is a section titled "Profile Picture". This is where you set up your Avatar. It has to be fairly small and perfectly square or else your Avatar will look squashed or skewed.

 

[movie zombie]

Speaking as somebody who only shares when she wants to and can be incredibly intensively private or stupidly open (depending on the day), I haven't contributed to the "who's who" thread (although I did find it one day when I ventured out of CS) and I'm not sure I would contribute to one on here. That sounds terrible doesn't it?HOWEVER ........

Having said that I do hope that lurkers/newbies post and join in to talk about our shared passion. I would echo Chrono's words that any budget is a budget. A love of colour and nature's wonderful creations are the only pre-requisites for this forum! I'd love to see a few new posters and people sharing more photos.

We've all had start somewhere with our collections and like anything else, taste develops (and you get a lot poorer in the process)! As far as I'm concerned if a $50 stone gives you pleasure and makes you smile, it's a job well done!!!

sounds like me.....

lurkers come out come out wherever you are! LD said it all....come out and play with us!

 

[chrono]

MZ,
You sound like Lord Voldemort. Don't scare the poor little Potters away.

 

[JaneSmith]

I am a noob with little knowledge and occasionally chime in with an 'ooh, that's pretty'. I find gemstones, diamonds, and pearls completely infatuating and am grateful to the members of this forum who provide real time answers to jewel questions.
I had no idea there was a 'who's who' thread. I just jumped right into Rockytalky a few months ago and haven't looked back. I help where I can, which isn't often, but I love to be able to give back.
I am a bit hesitant/embarrassed to post my pre-PS pieces. I shouldn't be, because I love them and I know that if I don't ask for critique everyone will be (not falsely) polite and complimentary. But that is just me.

Maybe an open letter from the big guns saying welcome, we don't bite, we are here to help you and fawn over your goodies? Make it a sticky?

ETA: my first PS coloured stones!
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thank-you-upgradable-coloured-stone-earrings.181656/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/thank-you-upgradable-coloured-stone-earrings.181656/[/URL]

 

[distracts]

I feel like one of those lurkers! Though my comments would probably be all "That's gorgeous/stunning/amazing" or some variation and probably useless to those posting, I love this forum and am thinking about dipping my toes into color stoned rings/jewelry! Taking the first dive is scary esp at the investment point. But all those pretty settings and gem cuttings are so a to the mazing!

Uh, those are the best kind of comments, duh! Who doesn't love compliments on their stuff???? (And my first colored stone ring after I joined this forum was made with two chrysoberyls and a sapphire in an argentium silver setting for under $700, which was spread out over like eight months, so the money part doesn't have to be scary. You can put together beautiful stuff at reasonable prices.)

 

[minousbijoux]

Hi Gemina, welcome!

I'm glad you asked here how to add a profile photo - I don't know how I did it way back when, but I've been stumped the few times I've tried to change it since! Ah well, once you've figured it out, you can explain it to me

 

[chrono]

Minou and Gemina,
In case you missed it earlier, here's how you change your avatar.

1. Go to the very top right on the page and click on your login "Welcome, XXX".
2. It'll bring you to a page with a list of tabs beginning with "View" and so forth. Select "Edit" which is the second tab.
3. Now, there is a list of tabs under the main dark blue tabs beginning with "Account Settings" and so forth. Click on "User Profile" which is the last tab.
4. Around the middle of the page is a section titled "Profile Picture". This is where you set up your Avatar. It has to be fairly small and perfectly square or else your Avatar will look squashed or skewed.

 

[pinkjewel]

If you go to shrinkpictures.com you can resize any of your pics to avatar size very easily (for free). Just click on the "shrink to avatar size" and it will shrink for you- easy as pie.

Sometimes if you send an odd size pic to be resized it will come back with 3 options for cropping.

 

[venus08]

Thanks for the photo loading instructions and tips. As you can see it worked

 

[minousbijoux]

Hey Gemina! You see? you're firmly out of lurkdom and a seasoned poster now! How easy was that?

 

[chrono]

Jane,
Congrats on being the new owner of Uppy's 3 stone drop earrings. It would be great to see your pictures of those.

Gemina,
Awesome avatar. Can you tell us more about it?

 

[venus08]

Hi Chrono,

My avatar is of one of my dream stones. It is a 5.06ct blue/violet Color Shift Sapphire. This and a few other photos really triggered my interest in coloured gemstones. I will never be able to afford ithis stone though. So, I am happy to keep dreaming

I just noticed my name has changed from Gemina to Venus08, I forgot the PS team was going to change that for me a few days ago. I hope it is not too confusing for everyone now.

Apologies for any confusion, but just to clarify Gemina is now Venus 08.

Cheerios

 

[minousbijoux]

Venus - it has a certain ring to it!