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Help Finding Padparadscha (Or Spinel) for E-Ring

ejacobson

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I thought it would be cleaner to start a new thread asking for PSers' input regarding my search for a padparadscha sapphire (preferably) or a pad-colored spinel for an engagement ring.

I have a $3,000 budget (for stone and setting) and my ideal pad would be between 1.25-2.0 carats, and cushion cut. I am certainly open to other cuts, provided it is the right color. I like the pale pinky-peach pads, though my dream would be to find one the color of the pictures I have attached--the perfect sunset blend of pink/orange. However, I was under the impression that my budget would not allow for a sapphire with such high saturation. I am fine with heat treatment, but not beryllium/lattice diffusion.

I would like to hear people's thoughts on spinels for everyday rings--particularly those who wear one.

I have gone through every single vendor's website on the sticky list and have yet to find something that strikes my fancy in my budget. There is a small 1.1 pad sapphire on the Finewater Gems website right now, but I am not in love with the distinct color zoning.

**Edit: I cannot save the pics of the Pricescope pads I wanted to reference for color, but they are Saracen's and Tgal's beautiful, sunny pads.
 

Lisa Loves Shiny

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I adore spinels. With that said, spinels can be color shifters and lighter colored spinels may be afflicted with grey. Look for at the very least moderately saturated stones which should not show tones of grey. If I had to choose between a pad spinel or sapphire I would choose the sapphire. Good luck in your search.
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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About five years ago, I saw an abundance of orangy pink spinels. Today, not so much, and many are afflicted with too much grey or brown, as LisaRn mentioned. However, I think if your girlfriend isn't too hard on her jewelry, spinel is fine for an every day ring. I wear a spinel ring practically every day, and it's still in great shape (worn it over four years almost every day). However, I don't do housework, clean, cook, garden, etc. . . with it, and I'm always very cognizant of having it on, so I don't bang it into things, and I don't sleep or shower in it either.

Here's a nice example of a "padparadscha colored spinel." Though this stone is not precision cut, it looks similar to many pricey sapphires of the same color, and spinels are typically untreated. Therefore, some are very nice, and if you're trying to be budget conscious, you may find one to your liking. Be careful when viewing padparadschas or any light toned stone, against a dark grey background though, as it amps up saturation. Many vendors like using this method of photography to showcase their stones.

file.jpg
 

minousbijoux

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Good call on that one TL. OP: JuliaB often seems to have those softer pastel colored spinels (and maybe sapphires too, can't remember) so she is definitely worth looking at. It might be nice too, if you were to post an example or two of your optimal color. That helps too, as what I may think is a padparadscha might be very different than your definition.
 

minousbijoux

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Probably too brown? And perhaps a bit too saturated?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-64ct-Stunning-Oval-Cut-Natural-Peach-Spinel-/351296788391?pt=Loose_Gemstones_1&hash=item51caeb97a7

Here's another one that I'm adding just to get a sense of color from you. I do not know this seller but I appreciate their honesty in NOT calling this a pad as many other sellers might be inclined to do. Its chubby butt gives it its window - and I know you don't like those. :))
Is this remotely in the color family for you?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CERTIFIED-Brownish-PINK-ORANGE-1-39-cts-Unheated-Natural-CEYLON-Sapphire-/171658462736?pt=Loose_Gemstones_1&hash=item27f7a44610
 

T L

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minousbijoux|1422688896|3824856 said:
Good call on that one TL. OP: JuliaB often seems to have those softer pastel colored spinels (and maybe sapphires too, can't remember) so she is definitely worth looking at. It might be nice too, if you were to post an example or two of your optimal color. That helps too, as what I may think is a padparadscha might be very different than your definition.

I like that this stone is more pale, as I've been seeing an abundance of more brick red/orange spinels on the market lately. It seems really hard to find a more pale stone, and padparadschas are supposed to be light in tone per the laboratory standards.

If interested in the Julia B stone, I would definitely ask her about it's color shift in artificial light (fluorescent and incandescent), as the video and pics were taken in sunlight.
 

ejacobson

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Sep 21, 2014
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TL, that stone is pretty, but it seems a little dark for what I'm looking for. It also doesn't have the pinky-orange blend (at least to my eyes). Also, I am a bit rough on my jewelry (I won't be wearing it to work, but I"m pretty active and athletic--rock climbing, weight lifting, etc.).

I finally figured out how to save the images from webpages instead of posting links (which expire).

il_196.jpg

535829b56352fc0a2bd8e3c34f27b552-1.jpg

01226dd2c2abae1470b05b32736363b0.jpg

f8b6f12b354213279796c5476e8e2680.jpg
 

ejacobson

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Here's the last one.

Per someone's suggestion (I can't recall the username), my boyfriend and I will be attending a gem show here in our area next weekend.

If anyone has recommendations for bricks-and-mortar stores in the San Francisco/Sacramento area, that would be appreciated as well, although I think I will be paying a premium for a stone purchased in store.

faf9b44c9c0fc0da63826252022e5868.jpg
 

ejacobson

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Sep 21, 2014
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Minou, the first one is too saturated, and the second one is a little too raspberry for me. ;-) I SO appreciate all of your input, though. I'm also leery of purchasing online now that it has cost me almost $50 for shipping the pad here to the US and back to the vendor in Canada. It's an expensive lesson.

I'm not sure if I'm being too picky color-wise with my budget.
 

ejacobson

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I decided to add one more. This is from GemRite and although the color doesn't match the others I've posted, it is TO DIE FOR--absolutely stunning.

If my BF had the money, I would ask for it in a heartbeat, but it is WAY out of our budget.

sapphire_pink_468.jpg
 

minousbijoux

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Hi again! I hate to say this, but I would not be wearing any ring when rock climbing. The odds are just too great that over time, a stone - even a sapphire - will be damaged. As an example, I was just taking clothes out of the washer and transferring them to the dryer when I wacked my blue sapphire ring on the dryer. This was once! Not everyday, just once and that was all it took for me to chip a small piece off one of the crown/table facets. :(sad

Thanks for the colors - it really looks like you really are looking for a pad. I was hoping that you wouldn't mind a bit of brown in your stone which would remove it from the pad classification and reduce the price considerably. But unfortunately no.

As to places to look in the Bay Area, Joe Escobar in Campbell (I think) has a ton of gemstones. The expert on the colored stones there is named Ryan and he is very nice. Some of their prices are high, some are not. They have found that doing internet business doesn't work super well for them as there is a high return rate (as you've discovered) so they definitely like buyers to come to their store.

Check out Intergem - is that the one you plan on attending?
 

T L

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minousbijoux|1422746058|3825204 said:
Hi again! I hate to say this, but I would not be wearing any ring when rock climbing.

:errrr: :errrr: :errrr:

I wouldn't wear that to take dishes out of the dishwasher, much less rock climbing.
 

Bex

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ACK!!!!! Never never never ever wear rings climbing!! Forget the damage to the ring, you can completely ruin your finger. If you aren't squeamish, google degloved fingers.

I always take my wedding ring off to climb. Some women I know wear it on a necklace, but I feel safer just leaving mine at home.
 

Bex

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Also, meant to add that I saw a lovely pad colored sapphire at Union Street Goldsmith in SF. It was over 2 cts and around $2500 I think... definitely under $3K. In a custom halo ring, it was going to be about $6K, which was too far outside my budget. This was about a year ago, so they probably don't have the same stone, but the woman I talked to said they had quite a few they could call in.
 

pregcurious

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ejacobson|1422741026|3825152 said:
Per someone's suggestion (I can't recall the username), my boyfriend and I will be attending a gem show here in our area next weekend.
That was me :). I'm going to Intergem in Feb also. Have a great time!
 

minousbijoux

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OP: can you tell us what show is coming up that you're planning on attending? From my experience - I live in the Bay Area too - the shows that focus on faceted stones and settings are some of the Intergem shows (not all of them, but most of them). The rest of the shows that I know of in the area focus on beads, or rough and mineral specimens, or finished goods. So I would double check if I were you.
 

minousbijoux

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Thanks. Yes, I've been to that one. Its smaller than Intergem but it does have a mix of things. Just keep in mind though, that the largest portion of stuff is beads and pearls. But its a good start. Intergem can be overwhelming because there are so many vendors. After you've been going for a bit, its not so daunting because you learn the layout and the locations of the dealers you like. Starting with a Gemfaire, because its smaller, is a good idea. Just don't be disappointed if you don't find anything.

FYI - the next Intergem is April 3-5. It is in San Mateo and there will be a good number of gemstone dealers there.
 

FrekeChild

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Bex|1422757215|3825287 said:
ACK!!!!! Never never never ever wear rings climbing!! Forget the damage to the ring, you can completely ruin your finger. If you aren't squeamish, google degloved fingers.

I always take my wedding ring off to climb. Some women I know wear it on a necklace, but I feel safer just leaving mine at home.
I'm not usually squeamish......but that was terrible.

DON'T WEAR RINGS ROCK CLIMBING ANYONE. EVER. UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. AT ALL. :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I CANNOT UNSEE THAT.
 

Marlow

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A 1,03 ct tanzanian spinel next to a mahenge spinel..

Color is a bit lighter in real life and imo a good alternative for a padparadscha like the one TL posted.
 

ejacobson

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I was FINALLY able to access this thread--for some reason I could log on to PriceScope, but the threads wouldn't load.

Minor, will you be attending the Gem Faire? I will plan to go and then go to San Mateo for Intergem in April.

It's hard for me to tell whether that last posted spinel fits the bill for me, color-wise. I think that attending these gemstone events will help me have a better understand of how different color stones react with light and how their photographs compare to the way they look in real life.

I am located in Sacramento. Does anyone know reputable sapphire dealers out here?

Thanks for the heads up about the risk of degloving. I don't usually wear rings when I'm actually climbing, but I wanted to give people an idea of the kinds of activities I participate in and how potentially rough I might be on an engagement ring. However, the message was loud and clear, and I will be sure to always remove my jewelry before climbing!

Also, how does spinel hold up with everyday wear?
 

T L

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ejacobson|1422997681|3826804 said:
Also, how does spinel hold up with everyday wear?

It holds up very well if you take it off when doing housework, chores, sleeping, showering. Any gem can get abraded or chipped though, even diamond. If you're looking for a very rare colored stone, extremely difficult to find, it will be a lot harder to replace if something happens to it, so keep that in mind. :)
 

digdeep

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Not sure this has been mentioned but another consideration at gem shows is the lighting will make polished fingernails look like jewels. So if you find a color you like......ask the vendor if you can go outside to see it in natural light? (The vendor may take it outside for you which is fine) The point is to see it in 'regular light'.....the difference can be dramatic........
 

pregcurious

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digdeep|1423005225|3826868 said:
Not sure this has been mentioned but another consideration at gem shows is the lighting will make polished fingernails look like jewels. So if you find a color you like......ask the vendor if you can go outside to see it in natural light? (The vendor may take it outside for you which is fine) The point is to see it in 'regular light'.....the difference can be dramatic........
Good advice. Also, watch for shift in color based on different lighting (UV, incandescent, fluorescent, LED, halogen...). I am not saying that a stone has to look perfect or good under all light conditions, but just be aware of how it looks in places where you spend time. I will only keep stones after I know that they look good outside, in the lighting in my house, and at my work. These are the places where I spent most of my time.
 

chrono

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To add to the other great advice gem show advice above, if you are looking for a non-diffused stone, make sure it comes with the appropriate lab paperwork. A diffused stone is often touted as "heat only" by unscrupulous vendors. I agree that the examples you posted as your inspiration sapphires fall squarely into the padparadscha range as well, which means finding something within your budget will be a challenge even if it is heat only.
 
S

SparkliesLuver

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It's almost to your desired size and definitely within budget. Might not hit what you're ideally looking for color-wise, but still thought I'd post it.

Luc Yen spinel
1.28 cts
6.4 x 6.2 x 4mm
Untreated
$695
http://www.gemfix.com/spinel.html
(first row, third column)

spinel_342_0.jpg
 
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