HIdeous learning gems - your eyes have been warned

[T L]

Since PS2.0 isn't up, and this won't stick around, I thought I'd share my hideously awful learning gems in ugly settings that I bought 15 to 20 years ago. They're awful beyond belief, and even the fish would be offended if I made them fish gravel. Well, just note that this is a learning thread so if you're gem shopping, these are stones you DON'T want to buy.

Insults and negative comments are welcome!!

Let's just say that I HOPE my eye has improved since then.

 

[T L]

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Love the early 90''s setting as well...

I am glad no one is rooting around the bottom of my gem box. Quite a few ooopsies there (ok, more than a few. Some are also too recent to mention).

 

[VapidLapid]

fascinating, and like a multi-car pileup on the highway I can''t help but stare. Fortunately you were able to find settings to match the stones so perfectly!
I myself have a named stone, The Opal of Shame; not a fire opal, more like fireproof!

 

[Liane]

You''re braver than I am. Most of my learning gems are from... uh... last year. I''m not ready to show those in public just yet (or, um, ever).

What does one do with learning gems once the lessons have been absorbed?

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Oh, TL! Thank you for sharing!

Date: 6/1/2010 5:02:24 PM
Author: Liane
You''re braver than I am. Most of my learning gems are from... uh... last year. I''m not ready to show those in public just yet (or, um, ever).

What does one do with learning gems once the lessons have been absorbed?

Liane - I''m with you. I even SET a few of my learning gems, and now I''m thinking I probably shouldn''t have posted those here. People were unbelievably kind (and still are) even though I have some total uggos in my collection.

 

[Liane]

Oh, I set a few of mine too (the ones that weren''t totally horrible, just... half horrible). Even gave a couple away. (I am a bad sister. A bad, bad sister.)

I figure, why not? Learning gems make for learning jewelry. And I like to start with an inexpensive piece whenever I''m trying out a new jeweler for custom work. Too much heartbreak when you want an expensive or sentimental piece done and oops!, turns out that jeweler didn''t have the skill for it.

...but I still have some dud stones that are too fugly for that, and no idea what to do with them.

 

[brandy_z28]

Thanks for sharing those with us TL! Strangely enough it makes me feel better.

I''m guilty of having a few pieces and stones that I now wonder what I saw, or didn''t see, in them when I bought them.

 

[lavatea]

Did you go through a period where you wore dark colors a lot?

Thanks for sharing. As a newbie, I''m glad to know that you colored stone collecting giants started at the bottom, too.

 

[StonieGrl]

LOL, excellent thread, TL!

These represent your gemstone goth period?

I have some recent boo-boos but I like to think they are boo-boos only because the pic did not represent the stone and I didn''t want the hassle of returning it, so I saved them for my dear husband, who is learning to set stones and make jewelry.

The problem that resulted from this is my husband now wants to set things like my 11-mm cushion spessie. NOT GONNA HAPPEN! Paying a jeweler to set it is cheaper than divorce if he damages a cherished stone!!!

 

[T L]

Ha ha ha, you guys are so funny. I think I chose such dark gems back then because I thought dark tone meant strong saturation of color. I didn''t know that those were two distinct entities back then. In any case, I prefer lighter tones these days in case many of you haven''t noticed. I actually like to see sparkle and color at the same time!! Isn''t that a revelation.

LOL!!

 

[cellentani]

I love this thread TL - what a riot! I think you should start a thread where we all post our uglies - I''ve got quite a few, myself!

 

[T L]

Date: 6/1/2010 6:40:55 PM
Author: cellentani
I love this thread TL - what a riot! I think you should start a thread where we all post our uglies - I''ve got quite a few, myself!

Go for it!! You can post them in this thread if you want. It''s not like you''re thread jacking away from some wonderful compliments.

LOL!!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Have you thought of removing the stones and selling the gold? There seems to be a lot of metal there. While you probably won''t get great rates, it still beats sitting around in your jewelry box.

 

[movie zombie]

your eye has definitely improved, TL!!!!!

mz

 

[T L]

Date: 6/1/2010 7:06:57 PM
Author: Lady_Disdain
Have you thought of removing the stones and selling the gold? There seems to be a lot of metal there. While you probably won't get great rates, it still beats sitting around in your jewelry box.

Definitely, I am probably going to do that. I think the one setting for the rubellite may fit a very nice pink tourmaline I have, but the rest of the settings are hideous, and I would like to sell them. As for the gems, I don't think any fish would want them.

I showed these to one of my gem collector friends, and she broke out laughing. I guess they're so bad, she didn't know whether to cry or laugh!!

 

[T L]

Date: 6/1/2010 7:07:36 PM
Author: movie zombie
your eye has definitely improved, TL!!!!!

mz

Thank you for noticing MZ.

 

[Arcadian]

I''ve never set the really ugly ones. well, i thought they were damn gorgeous at the time honestly.


lol check out that WINDoWWWW LOL


-A

 

[Arcadian]

want to see another? Ok! I think I had a thing for light blue stones you could yodel through for some reason...lol

-A

 

[Arcadian]

I''ve got more y''all...lol I just don''t know if I can find the pictures. I have one that is a yellow something or another, all you can see is a band of yellow and a big ol honking WINDOW in the middle.

I''ve done pretty good on color, though I still tend to have some funky tastes where thats concerned.

-A

 

[T L]

Ha ha Arcadian!

You can see through yours, all the way through, but you can''t see through most of mine at all!!

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Date: 6/1/2010 7:52:23 PM
Author: Arcadian
want to see another? Ok! I think I had a thing for light blue stones you could yodel through for some reason...lol

-A

At least the window is in a cool shape...

 

[MakingTheGrade]

The rubellite setting is puurty.

Yeah, I think I gave one of my learning stones to my little niece who''s starting a rock collection

 

[colorluvr]

Thanks for starting this thread - it''s always nice to you know I''m not the only one...

I have some of those WINDOOOOOOWED stones also, but I don''t think I have any pictures... at least none that I will admit to.....probably just as well. I also have a couple of dark ones that looked good in the sun, but then that was back when I lived somewhere that there was sun

I guess I could always sell them with the caveat that they need to be worn in a dance club with LOTS of bright lighting or on the equator.

I also gave some of mine to a young lady that likes "pretty stones"... when she''s old enough to know better, she probably won''t be quite as thrilled as she was at the time that I gave them to her.

 

[T L]

I remember the first loose gem I ever obtained (many many MANY years ago, before the wheel was invented), it was a very deep cut ugly brownish yellow citrine, and I thought it was marvelous. I even set it!! I then stopped liking it so much because it was so deep, and I thought it looked goofy, so I took it out and reused the setting for one of the above hideous gems, but I forget which one. In any case, that was too many years ago, but it's fun to think about how tastes have changed and not just with gems, but from everything to clothes, shoes, food, music, etc . . .

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 6/1/2010 7:52:23 PM
Author: Arcadian
want to see another? Ok! I think I had a thing for light blue stones you could yodel through for some reason...lol

-A

There is something in it, Arcadian. Can't say it is ugly. My learning stones were, mostly, fakes or doublets. I wanted to start "a museum of fakes" but opted to give them to kids who come to my office.

TL - can some of these stones be recut? I mean, they are not the most attractive ones but some of them have decent color and fine chrystal structure...I am at a different level, I know, but I do not think they are "hopeless". At least they are hu-uge!

 

[Arcadian]

Date: 6/1/2010 8:34:32 PM
Author: davi_el_mejor

Date: 6/1/2010 7:52:23 PM
Author: Arcadian
want to see another? Ok! I think I had a thing for light blue stones you could yodel through for some reason...lol

-A

At least the window is in a cool shape...

lol Yeah I know! I always did like the shape of the window at least.

crasru, I think that color wise, the stones are ok. They''re just well....some of the worst I own? Ok Nothing really takes the place of the ugly amethyst boulder I have LOL

I still have a soft spot for my learning stones (maybe its because sometimes I still can make a boo-boo??

)

-A

 

[Arcadian]

This is my pale pink sapphire. see a recurring theme??

-A

 

[Arcadian]

Ok one more and done. This one I actually REALLY like, however it wasn't ever set because its very dark red. Its a lovely red but well...you know..... I has no glow in low light, it has nothing really. So unless I carried a spotlight directly on it, 90% of the time it just dies.

but at least no window cut

And this was an oopsie in 2008 so fairly recent.

-A

 

[T L]

Date: 6/2/2010 9:16:32 PM
Author: crasru

Date: 6/1/2010 7:52:23 PM

Author: Arcadian

want to see another? Ok! I think I had a thing for light blue stones you could yodel through for some reason...lol


-A

There is something in it, Arcadian. Can''t say it is ugly. My learning stones were, mostly, fakes or doublets. I wanted to start ''a museum of fakes'' but opted to give them to kids who come to my office.


TL - can some of these stones be recut? I mean, they are not the most attractive ones but some of them have decent color and fine chrystal structure...I am at a different level, I know, but I do not think they are ''hopeless''. At least they are hu-uge!

Some are large, I''ll give them that, but THAT is all they have going for them.

Poor gems. If you shine a huge light on the iolite rectangle, it flashes blue at you, but since I can''t wear a giant LED light on my forehead at all times, it''s not worth it. The amethyst actually has red flashes, but it''s too dark in tone.