Open gallery vs closed

[sonyachancs]

I'm really loving the look of an open gallery like here: http://products0.ritani.com/uploads/photo/image/63989/detail_primary_M1R1236C_JP_FRONTVIEW1.jpg

I know closed galleries are recommended for windowed gems, but what about open galleries? And what about the durability of this design? The fiancé thinks it makes the stone vulnerable - how true is this?

I think my stone isn't windowed.. So hopefully has the option of an open gallery?

 

[JewelFreak]

To see whether your stone is windowed, we'd need a photo looking straight down into the table. Can't tell from the one you posted, but if you can look from the top, straight through the table to the culet, & not see whatever is underneath the stone (your finger, a paper, etc.), then there's no window.

By "open gallery" I gather you mean one without metalwork beneath the culet, but there are an infinite number of open gallery styles. They allow more light into the stone, obviously, as opposed to, say, a bezeled setting, where the gallery often has few openings or none. If a stone is not windowed, it's personal choice, depending on what the wearer thinks makes the stone look its best.

You can still have an open gallery with a windowed gem, but where the culet sits on supporting metalwork & can make a window "disappear" (depending on its size, of course), by preventing light from "leaking" out through the culet (window).

My blue spinel has a teeny tiny window visible only with a loupe, but to make it "close" I wanted the culet seated on something, still allowing as much light as possible into the stone; this solved the problem. There's essentially no gallery:


You can see it sits directly on the gold, but....

...is still open to all possible light.


This JbEG setting is an open one, in that it isn't solid & provides plenty of light to the diamond, but again the culet sits on the metal:


If there isn't a window, of course, whatever you like will work fine.

--- Laurie

 

[Niel]

I had that setting your talking about. The halo and bezel keeps the stone very protected. I never thought the open bottom left the stone out in the open, myself.

 

[movie zombie]

my spess has a very open gallery and I never worry about it. i'd worry about chipping a facet or the girdle on pretty much any stone before i'd worry about the gallery.

 

[sonyachancs]

thank you all! now I am armed to convince (browbeat) the fiance into an open gallery

 

[chrono]

The picture of your stone is too small (far away) and tilted to tell if it is windowed. An open gallery lets in a lot of light which makes it easy to clean as well. As always, if well made, this design will hold up well and does not make the stone any more vulnerable than other designs so long as the stone isn't set overly high. I have a very similar setting and enjoy wearing it.

 

[sonyachancs]

@chrono, does this photo help more? it's the vendor's handshot! a bit dusty, but visible all the same!

 

[chrono]

The "problem" with the picture is that the stone is angled. You'd need a picture that is straight on; i.e. stone's table perpendicular to the camera, like below.

 

[T L]

Unless you're extremely hard on your jewelry, I wouldn't worry too much about an open gallery for a sapphire (highly durable). If you are very hard on your jewelry, whether it's an open or closed gallery, you may still damage the gem. I would recommend a closed gallery more for softer and/or more brittle gems.

 

[1001smiles]

Personally, I much prefer open galleries. I think they make the stone look brighter (and make the facets look more obvious on precision cut stones, if that makes sense) and they are easier to clean. With closed galleries, it's much harder to clean the bottom of the stone and dirt build-up makes the stone look dull. Just my two cents...