Aquamarine Poll

[aries2]

How many people like Bluish/Green Aquamarines rather than just Blue. My vote is for bluish/green like this one:

http://www.cherrypicked.com/Gallery/Score.aspx?ItemID=781

rather than blue with no green like this one:

http://www.cherrypicked.com/Gallery/Score.aspx?ItemID=1226

What do you think?

 

[eks6426]

I like the blue-green one better. But then again, I''m the one posting a thread about a stone the color of the caribbean. I like blue zircon better though. It has much more sparkle and life. You can find a blue-green zircon similar to the first link.

 

[MINE!!]

I like the second one better... I could find tourmaline in the first color methinks.. but it does not appeal to me.. I think the second is a lttle dark for me as well. Maybe a little lighter of the blue but not exactly light blue would be good. Personally, neither one appeals to me really.

 

[MINE!!]

This is my to my liking

 

[MINE!!]

I kinda like this color... but not crazy about the cut

 

[MINE!!]

Of Course, this one does seem to call my name

 

[MINE!!]

This one was called carribean blue... Color is not everything ... cut is very imprtant too..

 

[eks6426]

Mine--those concave cuts are just beautiful. What a great way to take a fairly common stone such as blue topaz and turn it into something stunning.

 

[movie zombie]

i like both aqua colors.......i could go either way as long as the cut, color, and ''water/crystal'' was good and grey overcast minimal or better yet nonexistant.

peace, movie zombie

 

[fountainfairfax]

I really do prefer the blueish-green aquas (and everything else blue-green) over the standard blue- I think the color on that first stone is so soothing and dreamy (ok, I''m a big dork)

 

[dimonbob]

I think Aquamarine should be a blue-green color. Not blue like Topaz. I once saw an aqua in the Smithsonian years ago. The gem has taken up residence in my head. It is almost the size of my fist, emerald cut and cut by Capt John Sinkankas and was a beautiful medium blue-green the likes of which I have not been able to find since. One can only hope.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 12/20/2005 10:58:09 PM
Author: dimonbob

[...] a beautiful medium blue-green the likes of which I have not been able to find since. One can only hope.

Could it be the heat to blame?


Aqua before and after heating - from Faceters

There may be some story about sources too (African being more blue and the most recent source of fine color) etc.

Just curious about the look.

 

[UCLABelle]

Aquamarine is so pretty, you really can''t go wrong...but I liked the 2nd one better....

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 12/20/2005 10:58:09 PM
Author: dimonbob
I once saw an aqua in the Smithsonian years ago. The gem has taken up residence in my head. It is almost the size of my fist, emerald cut and cut by Capt John Sinkankas and was a beautiful medium blue-green the likes of which I have not been able to find since.

I remember seeing that stone. I just located a picture of it (black & white unfortunately) in one of Sinkankas''s books. It describes the color as "yellowish-green," and gives the stone''s weight as 578 carats. It measures 2 3/8 inches long and 1 7/8 inches wide, a little smaller than the average fist but impressive. No numerical machine settings were used when cutting the stone: all facets were positioned entirely by eye.

Richard M.

 

[dimonbob]

I remember that stone as bluish green but if Sinkankas says it is Yellowish-green, that is ok with me. It is beautiful none the less.

Navy Captain John Sinkankas was stationed at the Pentagon when he cut that stone. He had a lapidary set up just inside his front door. He would come home during lunch and cut stones while his wife served him lunch. That man was driven by something that most people never know. When I was station at the Pentagon, also in the Navy but a Chief, I would study gemology from the GIA home study courses every evening.

 

[MJO]

Date: 12/20/2005 12:43:54 PM
Author: MINE!!
This is my to my liking

Hi Mine,

Who is this cut by? Terris Shank?

Regards,
Maurice

 

[rainbowtrout]

Date: 12/20/2005 12:43:54 PM
Author: MINE!!
This is my to my liking

Silly question, but is that real and where can I find it?

 

[MINE!!]

Date: 12/30/2005 11:36:12 PM
Author: rainbowtrout

Date: 12/20/2005 12:43:54 PM

Author: MINE!!

This is my to my liking

Silly question, but is that real and where can I find it?

Sorry guys Hate to bum everyone out, but I picked up on a gem info page that I frequent... hmmmm.... Let me see if I can find it. Ah yes... www.gemstone.org They have awesome info and some yummy yummy eyecandy.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 12/29/2005 11:26:21 AM
Author: MJO

Date: 12/20/2005 12:43:54 PM
Who is this cut by? Terris Shank?
Regards,
Maurice

I''d bet fifty bucks the stone was cut/carved by Bernd Munsteiner or someone who imitated his Fantasy Cut style. Cottier-Shanks'' style usually emphasizes curved and rounded surfaces contrasted with some elements of stright-line geometry.

There are other reasons to think it''s a Munsteiner piece. The ICA News Bureau, the source of the image, is located in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, where Munsteiner is well known. He and son Tom, also a gem cutter, have an atelier in nearby Stipshausen. Munsteiner introduced the much-imitated Fantasy Cut in the early 1980s and it was the tipping point in a continuing revolution in gem carving/cutting.

 

[rainbowtrout]

Date: 12/31/2005 11:31:07 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 12/29/2005 11:26:21 AM

Author: MJO

Date: 12/20/2005 12:43:54 PM

Who is this cut by? Terris Shank?

Regards,

Maurice

I''d bet fifty bucks the stone was cut/carved by Bernd Munsteiner or someone who imitated his Fantasy Cut style. Cottier-Shanks'' style usually emphasizes curved and rounded surfaces contrasted with some elements of stright-line geometry.


There are other reasons to think it''s a Munsteiner piece. The ICA News Bureau, the source of the image, is located in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, where Munsteiner is well known. He and son Tom, also a gem cutter, have an atelier in nearby Stipshausen. Munsteiner introduced the much-imitated Fantasy Cut in the early 1980s and it was the tipping point in a continuing revolution in gem carving/cutting.

Richard,

The website the image came from notes that aquamarine is a favorite stone for designers, esp. in regards to carving. Why is this? Thanks!

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/1/2006 11:47:15 PM
Author: rainbowtrout

Date: 12/31/2005 11:31:07 AM
Author: Richard M.



Richard,

The website the image came from notes that aquamarine is a favorite stone for designers, esp. in regards to carving. Why is this? Thanks!

I am not Richard...

... but, as far as I know is this so because aquamarine is available in large, clean chunks and this can''t be said about most gemstones. Carvings are mostly done on larger stones - a couple of carats is unusually small and doesn''t show detail all that well. Other pastel beryls - morganite, heliodor, brownish and green beryl share this quality as great carving material. Aqua is the most common of these options.

Topaz and quartz are even more often used (for the same reason - availability). You may find gem carvings in any material, in theory - as long as large rough is found in appropriate quality, which may mean less than facetable due to color or inclusions or both. Tourmaline is relatively common too, then garnet... Translucent materials that might also be faceted end up in gem carvings - sunstone and opal are so striking! But not common.

Beats me why gem carvings are not exponentially more popular for jewelry then they are.

 

[rainbowtrout]

Date: 1/2/2006 12:43:00 AM
Author: valeria101

Date: 1/1/2006 11:47:15 PM

Author: rainbowtrout

Date: 12/31/2005 11:31:07 AM

Author: Richard M.




Richard,


The website the image came from notes that aquamarine is a favorite stone for designers, esp. in regards to carving. Why is this? Thanks!

I am not Richard...


... but, as far as I know is this so because aquamarine is available in large, clean chunks and this can''t be said about most gemstones. Carvings are mostly done on larger stones - a couple of carats is unusually small and doesn''t show detail all that well. Other pastel beryls - morganite, heliodor, brownish and green beryl share this quality as great carving material. Aqua is the most common of these options.


Topaz and quartz are even more often used (for the same reason - availability). You may find gem carvings in any material, in theory - as long as large rough is found in appropriate quality, which may mean less than facetable due to color or inclusions or both. Tourmaline is relatively common too, then garnet... Translucent materials that might also be faceted end up in gem carvings - sunstone and opal are so striking! But not common.


Beats me why gem carvings are not exponentially more popular for jewelry then they are.

Richard or no Richard, thanks for the info, you are always quite knowledgeble

 

[MJO]

Date: 12/31/2005 11:31:07 AM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 12/29/2005 11:26:21 AM
Author: MJO

Date: 12/20/2005 12:43:54 PM
Who is this cut by? Terris Shank?
Regards,
Maurice

I''d bet fifty bucks the stone was cut/carved by Bernd Munsteiner or someone who imitated his Fantasy Cut style. Cottier-Shanks'' style usually emphasizes curved and rounded surfaces contrasted with some elements of stright-line geometry.

There are other reasons to think it''s a Munsteiner piece. The ICA News Bureau, the source of the image, is located in Idar-Oberstein, Germany, where Munsteiner is well known. He and son Tom, also a gem cutter, have an atelier in nearby Stipshausen. Munsteiner introduced the much-imitated Fantasy Cut in the early 1980s and it was the tipping point in a continuing revolution in gem carving/cutting.

Richard,

Of course you are right!!! I remembered seeing it somewhere but couldn''t remember where.

Regards,
Maurice

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I like the color of the second one but the cut of the first one best.