Help with small matched pair of stones for earrings

[elizat]

So, I am not normally a colored stone buyer, but I want to make a pair of earrings, I think. I am thinking drop earrings, with a colored gem, in some shade of blue, purple-blue. I was leaning towards sapphire, spinel or tanzanite. But, colored stones are not my comfort zone.

I have purchased two empress cut diamonds, that measure about 6.3/4ish x 4.2ish. I want those to be the bottom of the drop earring.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BxKZaDMB4ve/

I have looked around a little and kind of like these pairs, but I don't know if they are good selections, or if one is better than another. I don't want the top to be much bigger than 4.5 mm for scale.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/567314...e-blue-sapphire?ref=shop_home_active_29&pro=1

https://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-montana-12-105

I looked at Mastercut, Dan Stair, Finewater, Roger Dery, and Artistic Colored Stones. Smaller matched pairs don't seem to be a large stock item.

Where else can I look for a smaller sized matched pair that are nicely cut?

I am thinking of doing a drop earring with an engraved metal frame on both top and bottom- something like the earrings that CVB is doing with the Spring Gulch style, but a double drop not a hoop. Right now, I'm trying to collect the pieces to eventually do it. Thanks!

 

[Sungura]

Try Cecile Raley Designs. She is on our preferred vendor list and she has a section of her shop for loose gemstone pairs. If you don’t see what you like, she may be able to source them for you
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns

 

[Sungura]

Try Cecile Raley Designs. She is on our preferred vendor list and she has a section of her shop for loose gemstone pairs. If you don’t see what you like, she may be able to source them for you
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CecileRaleyDesigns

 

[elizat]

@Sungura thanks. I linked a pair from her. She has a pair of tanzanite studs about the right size, but they are mounted. I could ask about unmounting them or if she had something similar.

Not sure about whether to do tanzanite or sapphire. I was looking at Ceylon sapphire in her shop and they were between $400 and $450 for a small loose pair. The tanzanite is cheaper, but not sure what way to go. Sapphire is more classic, though.

These are the tanzanite studs:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/665308362/tanzanite-yellow-gold-studs-december

These are quite pretty to me, but any thoughts:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/682955415/unheated-ceylon-sapphire-blue-sapphire

 

[voce]

I'm sure she'll have something similar. Don't be discouraged if you enquire and don't hear back right away on a vision project. She's on a trip to Europe and will be back in a couple weeks.

 

[Sungura]

Not sure about whether to do tanzanite or sapphire. I was looking at Ceylon sapphire in her shop and they were between $400 and $450 for a small loose pair. The tanzanite is cheaper, but not sure what way to go. Sapphire is more classic, though.

Elizat -
Consider buying a pair of both tanzanite and sapphire and decide what you like. Of course check the return policy first!!! Yvonne (Cecile Raley Designs) has a two week return policy with no restocking fee. Other vendors have similar policies

Tanzanite is more dispersive than sapphire and the color will be lighter. But only you will know what you like.

 

[Rfisher]

Lovely project idea!
I can't see the 2 empress diamonds, can you attach a photo? Link is broken for me.

I hesitate to link these as a suggestion, but here goes!

https://www.gemrite.com/gems/209-blue-sapphires-79-tcw.html

 

[elizat]

@Rfisher

thanks for the link! Those are super pretty and really vibrant- what pretty stones!

Alex took the post down because I think all of them sold. He had 3 and I bought 2. I think he sometimes removes the posts if they have sold, because people comment and DM but they are gone.

Stones are ungraded, but Alex estimated an f/g and vs2.

This is the cut:



I think I liked these stones from Cecile Raley for sapphires best from what she had on offer, but they look violet blue to my eye. The ones you linked are super blue and really saturated! There is about a $200 price difference between the two. Wondering if I'd notice it in person enough.

 

[elizat]

Elizat -
Consider buying a pair of both tanzanite and sapphire and decide what you like. Of course check the return policy first!!! Yvonne (Cecile Raley Designs) has a two week return policy with no restocking fee. Other vendors have similar policies

Tanzanite is more dispersive than sapphire and the color will be lighter. But only you will know what you like.

Thanks- I may try that. I only have one tanzanite ring and it's a paler color. My mom bought it and she just thought it was pretty. I may get both and see what I like best. I know that the stone I have is not a good representation of what a nice one should look like, but it's a pretty ring all the same.

 

[Rfisher]

Oh pretty!

Get em both. I think both vendors have return policy?
I'm sure they both color change somewhat. Hard to tell if the gemrite ones go dark too easily tho?
I've been eyeballing them for awhile, but have no project for them, and not too much a fan of how his large sapphire fiasco went down on here a while back.
Reason I hesitated to link.

 

[voce]

@elizat @Rfisher I second the opinion to get both and compare. I think the pair from Cecile Raley Designs is unheated, and the pair from Gemrite is heated. In my opinion, you will need some silk in the heated stones to prevent them from going dark. There's no harm in getting both to be sure which pair you prefer.

 

[alene]

Elizat, I had the Gemrite pair at some point and returned them, take a look here if you want to see more photos:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/choosing-between-two-little-pairs-of-sapphires.229388/

 

[elizat]

@alene thank you for linking that! I think they may be too dark when I look at the photos. I really appreciate the thread link.

I ordered the pair in the photo from Cecile Raley and will see what I think of those. If I don't like those, I may order the tanzanite earrings or return for another pair of stones. I just think that the sapphire is more classic than tanzanite, especially if I am going to spend money on a non-stock setting.

 

[elizat]

I received the sapphires from Yvonne. I will shoot a photo of them. But I am wondering if a double pear earring might be prettier than a round with a modified pear. I saw these parti sapphires and they are $360 shipped. Any thoughts on parti sapphires?

The Yvonne pair is unheated and no treatment. I know pictures are needed! Coming up in a minute.

 

[elizat]

Here are the sapphires I bought, with the diamonds. The sapphires are a pretty shade. Am I crazy for thinking maybe doing the Yvonne sapphire on top, the diamonds as a second dangle and a parti sapphire at the base? Kind of too much?

I tried to take a photo of the darkest they go as well.

These are smaller stones. The rounds are 4.3 mm and the diamonds are 6.4ish by 4.2/3. Thoughts?

 

[Rfisher]

Here are the sapphires I bought, with the diamonds. The sapphires are a pretty shade. Am I crazy for thinking maybe doing the Yvonne sapphire on top, the diamonds as a second dangle and a parti sapphire at the base? Kind of too much?

I tried to take a photo of the darkest they go as well.

These are smaller stones. The rounds are 4.3 mm and the diamonds are 6.4ish by 4.2/3. Thoughts?

Going off these pictures, I really really like these Yvonne sapphires with your diamonds!
If you want the partis, and added them to the strand, it makes me think of a casual/fun funky type earring.
Just the Yvonne and diamond duo, makes me think something dressier -
What type of design are you envisioning?

Edit- duh on me. Your design is in the first post. Oops.

 

[elizat]

@Rfisher thank you! I really like the Cassie design but worry the stones are too small for it. Maybe they should just be prong set? But I love the engraved bezel. It’s so pretty.

If the Diamonds are too small, I could do something else with them. I guess that’s my struggle too.

I thought about doing them so the sapphire and diamond dangle off a tiny hoop, but not sure. The Yvonne sapphires are lovely though.

I don’t wear too much funky stuff- more classic aka boring. I don’t think I can pull off anything else.

I know once they are set they will look larger.

 

[Rubybrick]

Beautiful blue sapphires. I would not get the extra pair, it muddies the look in a way. I also agree with your gut feeling that you need larger diamonds for the bottom drop.

@Rfisher thank you! I really like the Cassie design but worry the stones are too small for it. Maybe they should just be prong set? But I love the engraved bezel. It’s so pretty.

If the Diamonds are too small, I could do something else with them. I guess that’s my struggle too.

I thought about doing them so the sapphire and diamond dangle off a tiny hoop, but not sure. The Yvonne sapphires are lovely though.

I don’t wear too much funky stuff- more classic aka boring. I don’t think I can pull off anything else.

I know once they are set they will look larger.

 

[elizat]

Beautiful blue sapphires. I would not get the extra pair, it muddies the look in a way. I also agree with your gut feeling that you need larger diamonds for the bottom drop.

Thanks. If anything, I'd probably get larger sapphires. I'd put the diamond on the top then, the sapphire on the bottom.

The diamonds are a modified pear. They are a touch bigger than what a standard .50 pear would look like. I was hoping to not spend a fortune on stones. If I go up to a carat or so for each diamond, I defeat that.

It appears I can find a colored stone that is larger though for the bottom for less than I'd spend in a diamond.

I guess I just don't know if they stones together are too small? 4.3 on top and 6.3/4ish length on bottom.

 

[qubitasaurus]

I don't think so, you may be headed for something roughly this size

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmoKk0iAsOt/?hl=en

If you are set on the style of the danglely pears you attached to the top of this thread, then I feel this might be pretty optimal. As if you get too ambitious with accent stones then they are going to overwhelm your pears. The beauty in that setting is mainly in the simplicity. If you throw a bunch of smaller stones at it then you'll lose that simplicity. And it would be better starting from scratch with another design.

Also it would suck if your lovely pears get lost amoung a host of lower cost stones which you picked mainly because you wanted more ear coverage without a substantive increase in price. Augmenting the setting with more stones might sound appealing at the outset, but almost all of the lower cost ways we can suggest of doing it wont lead to a better end product.