advise on cabs

[Arkteia]

Sorry I can not make pictures yet but let me explain the situation. I have a bracelet and a ring, made in the 70-es in antique filigree style. Blackened silver. The stones in them were bought as aventurines (little did my mother know that aventurines did not come in dark-blue!). In short, I''d like to replace them with cabochons. Amethysts would be very nice, or dark garnets. I just do not know who to contact for custom-made cabs. I e-mailed Dana but did not receive any email from him. Perhaps it got into spam. I also e-mailed Rio Grande but it was just today so it will probably take a couple of days to hear from them. I do not know if there any other source of custom-made cabbed material. It would be nice if I could mail them the ring and the bracelet so that they could take the cabs out and make identical copies and put them back and I would pay for jeweler''s job, but if not, I can ask a local jeweler here to take them out. Since I need two custom-made stones of identical material, I really do not know who else to contact. I do not need cheaper stones like malachites because I really like the set. It is something!

 

[Burberrygirl]

Maybe try Eric at Swala, vc10um had them cut a sugar loaf amethyst for her. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-sugarloaf-amethyst-has-been-cut.136236/
Barry cuts cabs, I just bought some from him. Rick has a ton of cabs too and he's really nice, you should contact him too. I can't really think of anyone else right now, I'm sure others will chime in with more recommendations.

 

[fierypyropixy]

You know, I had a similar experience with Dana. I''d approached him for a spess garnet upon the advice of some fellow PSers, he''d sent a few pics of some stones, and promised a whole bunch more . . . but then when that time came (like, after that weekend), nothing . . . and I emailed, and got no response. Emailed again, a few days later, no response. Made it pretty obvious that I was still really interested in seeing what else there was and a serious customer and all . . . and never got a single response.

Initially, I thought that somehow, even though we''d already had quite a bit of back and forth, my emails must have gotten into a spam folder. But then it seemed odd that if this was the case, he never came back with the bunches he''d promised. It was odd, and left me feeling rather awkward. And kept me from trying to buy anything from him since. Perhaps it really is some issue with his email though . . . try using another email provider maybe.

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 5/9/2010 4:24:10 PM
Author: Burberrygirl
Maybe try Eric at Swala, vc10um had them cut a sugar loaf amethyst for her. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-sugarloaf-amethyst-has-been-cut.136236/
Barry cuts cabs, I just bought some from him. Rick has a ton of cabs too and he''s really nice, you should contact him too. I can''t really think of anyone else right now, I''m sure others will chime in with more recommendations.

I feel sorry but I forgot who Rick is. Probably never ordered from him, that is why.

 

[Burberrygirl]

Date: 5/9/2010 6:19:39 PM
Author: crasru

Date: 5/9/2010 4:24:10 PM
Author: Burberrygirl
Maybe try Eric at Swala, vc10um had them cut a sugar loaf amethyst for her. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-sugarloaf-amethyst-has-been-cut.136236/
Barry cuts cabs, I just bought some from him. Rick has a ton of cabs too and he''s really nice, you should contact him too. I can''t really think of anyone else right now, I''m sure others will chime in with more recommendations.

I feel sorry but I forgot who Rick is. Probably never ordered from him, that is why.

Here you go:
http://www.artcutgems.com/

 

[Arkteia]

These are images of my bracelet and ring.
I have not done anything so far because I can not find a bench jeweler who would agree to take out a cab. for a small price - granted, the silver rim is very delicate, with overlapping leaflets, but I still do not want to invest a lot of money into this project.

 

[Arkteia]

Side view

 

[Arkteia]

and the bracelet
the hook in the bottom of the picture is merely a fastener which I could not fasten since I have gained much weight since the time this bracelet was commissioned

 

[Arkteia]

any ideas about a jeweler?
I am prepared to send it to an etsy silversmith, their rates may be cheaper than what people here have been quoting to me. 90 dollars per hour, minimum four hours of work just to take the stones out. I wanted to order the cabs and take stones to Russia but unfortunately, I need precise measurements.

 

[VapidLapid]

Is there a chance the back is open providing some leverage to push the stone out? If so then the stone , since you aren''t trying to save it, could be made to function as a tool opening all of the leaflets only just enough and at the same time which might reduce the risk of damage to the setting and overworking of the metal that might occur if one were to pry each leaf up. but until you have a stone or at least a source for it I would leave it alone. I dont know what the stone that''s in there is, but I think it looks nice.

 

[Arkteia]

The back is covered with the filigree. I am unsure about the stone but it looks fake. I have never seen anything like it. It is semi-transparent, feels like plastic and has confetti-like inclusions inside. Vendor claimed it was aventurine. Bought in Laos.

I do not know how to measure it without taking it out. I wonder if using a geometric precise circular compass (you remember, the ones that measure the distance between two points, etc) could work. The depth, however, can not be measured precisely unless the stone is taken out.

 

[lelser]

The cabs are easy enough to cut and shouldn''t be too expensive depending on the material you choose, but that kind of bezel rim is pretty much single use. It may be cheaper to have a silversmith sacrifice the existing bezel, and solder on a new one when you have the new cabs.

 

[Michael_E]

Years ago "aventurine" was a name used for a type of glass that had thin flakes of foils of different materials in it. This is not the mineral, but a glass and so very easy to heat with a torch and quench. This will cause it to break into little pieces and fall out. Once you have a clear opening the bezel can be rubbed back out with a burnisher and a new stone popped into it. If they''re calibrated sizes, then a new cab of that size can be had from several sources at very moderate cost, set in place and the bezel rim pressed back into place. $90 an hour and four hours ? Hmmmm, sounds a bit on the high side to me.

 

[DistinctionJewelry]

That material is now marketed as "blue goldstone" and is a glass.

 

[Arkteia]

Date: 5/23/2010 3:25:23 PM
Author: Michael_E
Years ago 'aventurine' was a name used for a type of glass that had thin flakes of foils of different materials in it. This is not the mineral, but a glass and so very easy to heat with a torch and quench. This will cause it to break into little pieces and fall out. Once you have a clear opening the bezel can be rubbed back out with a burnisher and a new stone popped into it. If they're calibrated sizes, then a new cab of that size can be had from several sources at very moderate cost, set in place and the bezel rim pressed back into place. $90 an hour and four hours ? Hmmmm, sounds a bit on the high side to me.

Great idea, Michael! Thank you very much. I think I should follow your advice - I understand that the bracelet and the ring may not be the super-popular these days, and the ring actually doesn't fit anymore but as everything that comes from my mom, it has a huge sentimental value. Also, filigree may become fashionable sooner or later.

Funny about aventurine, I always thought it was a real stone. At Seattle Gem and Jewelry show, there were tons of cheap beads sold at the entrance to the pavilion. They included what I thought were aventurines. When I asked the vendor, he said he could not guarantee the authenticity of any product. At least he was honest.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 5/23/2010 9:38:20 PM
Author: crasru

Funny about aventurine, I always thought it was a real stone. At Seattle Gem and Jewelry show, there were tons of cheap beads sold at the entrance to the pavilion. They included what I thought were aventurines. When I asked the vendor, he said he could not guarantee the authenticity of any product. At least he was honest.

Aventurine is a natural green quartz, usually from India but found elsewhere. It has spangles of included fuchsite (mica) that give it a glittery look. It also exists in other natural body colors, including blue.

The term "aventurescence" is used to describe the sparkle of any stone, natural or man-made, that reflects light from bright uniformly-deposited inclusions. Certain natural sunstones display aventurescence. Lepidolite can also display the effect along with a rare form of iolite called "bloodshot iolite." There are also glass simulants called "goldstone." A blue glass version is also made and judging from your image I think that''s what your stone probably is.