Spessartite from AC Stones

[Stone Hunter]

I''ve gotten my stone. Photographed it and gotten my fingerprints all over it.

I''m a little nervous about how fragile the stone is/might be. This is my first loose colored stone purchase and I''m afraid of hurting it. Any ideas on how it should be cleaned?

It is a Spessartite Garnet

2.03 ct Round Brilliant cut

In person it looks more orange and I really don''t see any red. As noted in my other thread there is no color zoning.

Hang on I''m having resizing difficulties...

 

[Stone Hunter]

For the photos I set the stone on Stampin'' Up! US WHITE cardstock. I was trying to minimize any background color.

There is alot of life to this stone.

 

[Stone Hunter]

This shows the pavillion of the stone and has some light going through the stone. The photo was taken in a room with standard overhead lighting and with daylight coming in a window about 4 feet away. I''m sure I blocked some of the daylight with my body.

This stone looks different in white Fluor lighting as opposed to daylight as opposed to standard overhead lighting.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I was trying to get a straight down shot of the pavillion. Kind of interesting. Of course it looks crisper in real life.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Here is a handshot to give you an idea of scale. This is my left hand but I will wear the stone on my right hand.

Yes forgot to say that I plan on setting it in a ring. Stuller''s choices are limited in the 7mm size but there are several I like.

With this color I plan on doing Yellow Gold. And I want something going on in the gallery of the ring and I want to let as much light into the pavillion as possible.

 

[Stone Hunter]

This gives you a better idea of the sparkle factor of the stone.

ETA: the background is my hand, finger side up.

 

[Stone Hunter]

This is more like the color that I see when I look at the stone. I guess it's possible that the camera flash brings out the red that my eyes never see in this stone. No I can't turn off the flash and still use auto focus -- at least I haven't figured out how to do that.

ETA: OK well when I resized the picture it made the stone look darker. But it really is orange. And in White Fluor it's almost a Clemson University Orange.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I got to hold and play with this setting today at the jeweler. It is very nice looking in YG and much more substantial than it looks in Stuller's pictures. I plan on going with this one. What do you all think? Remember it's my first time setting a colored stone. I thought about color, the gallery, and how substantial the setting should be. Any other thoughts?

 

[Stone Hunter]

Here is the top view. Like I said I''m going for YG and they had no photos of that online.

 

[Skippy123]

Wow, beautiful! I love the size too! Congrats on your beauty

 

[Kaleigh]

Beautiful spess and love the setting you chose. Can''t wait till it''s set. You did a great job!!!

 

[Stone Hunter]

THANKS Skippy and Kaleigh I''m a first timer and I appreciate hearing from you more experienced folks.

 

[chrono]

SH,
Nice looking stone (and great pictures): I wish I could see it in person. I can tell it is a very lively stone. The setting looks very interesting from the side view. Can''t wait to see it set.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 8/15/2007 7:57:52 AM
Author: Chrono
SH,
Nice looking stone (and great pictures): I wish I could see it in person. I can tell it is a very lively stone. The setting looks very interesting from the side view. Can''t wait to see it set.

Thanks! If there is anything I''ve overlooked please tell me. I''m totally new at this colored stone stuff.

Finding a setting was tough. Next time I may pick the stone size I want before I buy the stone, to allow more setting choices. Do you do that or do you just do custom?

 

[chrono]

I generally have a size in mind (not too large and not too small) plus I stay away from the fancier cuts (which WILL need custom settings).

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 8/15/2007 11:34:38 AM
Author: Chrono
I generally have a size in mind (not too large and not too small) plus I stay away from the fancier cuts (which WILL need custom settings).

Yes I did pass on a stone I liked because the shape seemed very problematic. I''m not sorry about it either.

My jeweler has a catalog that they can order gemstones out of, all calibrated. My guess is that the cuts aren''t as nice as what PSers find. Is that so? I was thinking about having them order some small RB Spess to make earrings.

 

[chrono]

Gemstones are all about colour but cutting does play a part in it, just less so than in diamonds. I''ve seen the catalog gemstones and while they are pretty, they just do not compare to the ones that Wink and ACS has. Gary Dutton''s stuff are really nice too but I still haven''t bought anything from him. Darn it! I may use them only for small side stones, not as the main "attraction".

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 8/15/2007 11:50:08 AM
Author: Chrono
Gemstones are all about colour but cutting does play a part in it, just less so than in diamonds. I''ve seen the catalog gemstones and while they are pretty, they just do not compare to the ones that Wink and ACS has. Gary Dutton''s stuff are really nice too but I still haven''t bought anything from him. Darn it! I may use them only for small side stones, not as the main ''attraction''.

Thanks for the advice. I will pass on the earrings. They were just a thought, not a true desire anyway. I think I''d like another stone 1st. Maybe a Spinel or Sapph.

 

[movie zombie]

re cleaning: clean only with a soft bristle brush and soapy water or a liquid dish cleaner, dry and buff with a jewelers cloth or other soft lintless fabric

and when a jeweler asks if you''d like him/her to clean it for you, ask how: i was appalled a couple of weeks ago that a jeweler asked me if i wanted him to clean my spess [see avatar] and then told me he would put it in the machine! not all jewelers are created equal and some are so used to diamonds they forget that color gemstone care is different.

i wouldn''t put any color gem stone in any machine.

enjoy your new spess!

movie zombie

 

[simplysplendid]

Hi Stone Hunter, it''s a lively stone you''ve got there! I can''t really tell the colour from the screen though, I know spessartite garnets can be very hard to photograph and I love love spessartite garnets. I got a few off ebay and love them too and two of them are being set right now (by recycling old jewelry). Please share pics once you''ve got your new precious set.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Thanks

Movie Zombie -- Thanks for the cleaning info. I''ve got some skin oil and fingerprints on the stone but I didn''t want to hurt it by cleaning it.

Simply Splendid -- I took alot of photos since it''s the first loose stone I''ve ever gotten to play with. It photographs well but the color doesn''t. The color I see just isn''t what the camera sees. Maybe I''ll play with the lighting.

 

[Linda W]

Beautiful Stone, SH. I can''t wait to see the stone in the setting. Please post pictures when it is set. Your Spess is so sparkly!!!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 8/15/2007 1:06:02 PM
Author: movie zombie
re cleaning: clean only with a soft bristle brush and soapy water or a liquid dish cleaner, dry and buff with a jewelers cloth or other soft lintless fabric

and when a jeweler asks if you''d like him/her to clean it for you, ask how: i was appalled a couple of weeks ago that a jeweler asked me if i wanted him to clean my spess [see avatar] and then told me he would put it in the machine! not all jewelers are created equal and some are so used to diamonds they forget that color gemstone care is different.

i wouldn''t put any color gem stone in any machine.

enjoy your new spess!

movie zombie

Welcome back Movie Zombie!

I put my tsav in an ultrasonic - I was told it shouldn''t be a problem by an FGA friend of mine. Now I''m worried.

Nice spess by the way Stonehunter!

 

[movie zombie]

howdy, back to you all.

well, perhaps i''m more paranoid but ''shouldn''t'' be a problem and ''''isn''t'''' a problem are two different things in my book......

recommendation from the person i bought from and then the people that set my spess was to definitely not put it in a machine. also, reading about color gemstones has lead me to believe both groups are correct.

movie zombie

 

[lsyama]

I love that orangey color!
(I want one too!!!)

ps Thanks for posting so many photos!

 

[Catmom]

Oh My Goodness, Stone Hunter, I love your spess! The color is so gorgeous and it''s so sparkly. I really like the setting you chose and can''t wait to see the completed ring and those hand shots!

 

[Stone Hunter]

Thanks Linda, Pandora II, Isyama, and Catmom.

I appreciate all of the positive feedback since you guys know what you''re doing. It makes me feel good about my first colored stone.

Now I''m just worried about it making it through the setting process....worry wort I am.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 8/16/2007 11:48:10 AM
Author: movie zombie
howdy, back to you all.

well, perhaps i''m more paranoid but ''shouldn''t'' be a problem and ''isn''t'' a problem are two different things in my book......

recommendation from the person i bought from and then the people that set my spess was to definitely not put it in a machine. also, reading about color gemstones has lead me to believe both groups are correct.

movie zombie

I''m going to err on the side of caution. Thanks.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 8/16/2007 5:25:01 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
Thanks Linda, Pandora II, Isyama, and Catmom.

I appreciate all of the positive feedback since you guys know what you''re doing. It makes me feel good about my first colored stone.

Now I''m just worried about it making it through the setting process....worry wort I am.

Stone Hunter, i found picking the stone was the easiest part and labored for almost 8 months before i committed to a design; however, the birth of my ring was indeed joyous and i wouldn''t change a thing about it. try not to worry too much about it [wish i could have taken my own advice] and take your time.........enjoy playing with your spess! now that i''ve been through the process, it will be easier for the next stone....once bitten by the color stone bug, it is difficult to have only one.

movie zombie

 

[Catmom]

Date: 8/17/2007 12:57:11 AM
Author: movie zombie

.....once bitten by the color stone bug, it is difficult to have only one.

movie zombie

LOL, unfortunately no truer words have ever been spoken!