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Aquamarines!!!

Lislis89

Rough_Rock
Joined
Oct 6, 2010
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66
I was walking past an estate/pawn shop near my house and in the window there was this AMAZING emerald cut aquamarine ring about 2.5 carats with 3 small triangular shaped round diamonds set in 18 kt yellow gold!

I immediately fell in love! Even though I usually only where white gold this was stunning!

Would love to know anyone who has a love aquamarines? If they have used it as an engagement ring? or ofcourse any sneaky photos of their aquamarine beauties! :love:
 
Lislis89 said:
I was walking past an estate/pawn shop near my house and in the window there was this AMAZING emerald cut aquamarine ring about 2.5 carats with 3 small triangular shaped round diamonds set in 18 kt yellow gold!

I immediately fell in love! Even though I usually only where white gold this was stunning!

Would love to know anyone who has a love aquamarines? If they have used it as an engagement ring? or ofcourse any sneaky photos of their aquamarine beauties! :love:

Aqua is really too soft and not suitable for an e-ring. I don't like aquas anymore. It's my birthstone and I have many, but once I discovered cuprian tourmalines, I lost my love for them. There are many fans though. I find way too many aquas to have a strong grey cast.
 
I can see the appeal of aquamarines to those who like something a pastel blue but it is not among my favourites for several reasons:
1. Low refractive index so it isn’t terribly sparkly (compared to garnets and spinels)
2. Low refractive index so it shows window tilt easily unless faceted into a round brilliant
3. Very few have high saturation, so most end up almost colourless or with a strong gray cast
4. Not really a con, but it’s not something I’d wear everyday, 24/7 due to its MOH. It’s still good for an occasional wear ring.
 
lislis89, I like Aquamarines too!
I have a very glowy one that I haven't set yet, and I have a pretty one
that I have set with diamonds and I wear it a lot, though not every day!
I think Aquamarine is a pretty and relatively affordable stone ~ you can
find ones that don't have too much grey....
If it appeals to you, then ENJOY!!!!

Everyone loves different things!
That's one thing that's nice about this forum.
It's a great place for ppl to learn and share, gemstones are so interesting :))
 
I love aquas but it's true that it would be too soft for an engagement ring. You could always get a pastel blue green sapphire. They come in every color and it would be way more durable.
 
I have a few questions about rings. I hear from a few people here consistently that this or that stone is too soft for an everyday ring. Fist my personal observations, then the questions.

My wife wore a tourmaline ring every day for several years. I'd clean it and look at it under the microscope, and I never saw any scratches or chips. The gold was pretty marked up however. Her friends would when they stopped by want me to always have a look at their diamonds under the microscope and give my "expert" opinion on them. Of course I have no expert opinion on diamonds, but I'd have a look and pretend anyway. Often the diamonds had small chips, or rough places around the facet meets, and of course the gold work was pretty beat up looking.

Now my questions:

1. If you feel a ring is too soft for everyday wear, how do you decide what day to wear it on that it won't get scratched?

2. Doesn't your setting get all scratched up on any of your rings? Gold is much much much softer than practically and stone.

3. Haven't you ever damaged any of your diamonds or sapphire rings?

4. What the heck do you do to scratch up stones that hardness 7 and above in your normal day? There isn't much out there that is going to scratch a stone that hard. I've heard most stones get scratched by people tossing them in with a pile of other jewelry where on stone is scratching another.
 
Gene,
I only wear my rings to the office and back (never at home, gym or to the field) so you know that it’s an occasional wear and gently worn piece of jewellery. Despite this, my spessartite and spinel have both have signs of minor abrasions (garnet) and a tiny nick (spinel). Both stones have only been set a year or two ago. Fortunately, this is only seen when louped. I dread to think what I’ll do to something softer and if worn everyday.

1. Special occasions only or when in a clean office type environment.
2. No, they are in very good condition. I am used to wearing 24K gold so 14K is considered really tough to me. My platinum settings do not show the slightest hint of patina either; still very white, smooth and reflective.
3. Diamonds are in top notch condition, hence I am able to trade up my RHR every few years without any penalty for damage sustained.

My rings are stored individually, never lumped in together with other items.
 
Chrono said:
Gene,
I only wear my rings to the office and back (never at home, gym or to the field) so you know that it’s an occasional wear and gently worn piece of jewellery. Despite this, my spessartite and spinel have both have signs of minor abrasions (garnet) and a tiny nick (spinel). Both stones have only been set a year or two ago. Fortunately, this is only seen when louped. I dread to think what I’ll do to something softer and if worn everyday.

1. Special occasions only or when in a clean office type environment.
2. No, they are in very good condition. I am used to wearing 24K gold so 14K is considered really tough to me. My platinum settings do not show the slightest hint of patina either; still very white, smooth and reflective.
3. Diamonds are in top notch condition, hence I am able to trade up my RHR every few years without any penalty for damage sustained.

My rings are stored individually, never lumped in together with other items.

Do you mean the new red spinel you just got from Swala?

I wear all my rings pretty much whenever except when doing house work, washing my hands and sleeping. The only ring that shows wear at this point in time is my hessonite ring. Hessonite is one of the softer garnets I believe. Amazingly none of my turquoise rings show wear ,but they are cabochons. I wear things like pearls only on my neck or ears.

ETA I had an amethyst cabochon ring that I wore ALL the time years ago and the stone developed a frosted look.
 
My daughter has worn an aqua that I cut for her as an engagement ring over the last 12 years or so and has no problems so far. It even saved her finger from some serious damage once by getting it slammed in a car door. The ring needed straightening, but the stone was fine. Aqua is a pretty tough material and is well suited for an engagement ring is given moderate consideration, (no rock climbing or working in a welding shop while wearing it). I don't have pictures of hers, but here's a different engagement ring that was done last year for a client. If the price is right and you love that ring I'd get it.

DS2.jpg
 
Michael, I love the inside of that ring.
 
I love them, I have MANY as it's my daughters birthstone. I have two that were cut into Asscher cuts for me one is in the ring in my avatar.
 
Do you have a larger picture of the ring and stone in your avatar Autumngems? Very nice looking and I'd like to see the details a bit better.
 
Gene - Some people are naturally more heavily handed than others and will bang, chip and knock their jewellery just in the normal case of every day activities. For me however, it's not about what I do with my hands, it's the unexpected that I worry about. For example, I'm very very very light on my hands and hardly even get the gold scratched up BUT there have been occasions where I've worn a ring and banged my hand against something. It's easily done and thankfully I've never broken a gemstone when wearing it BUT if I'm wearing my Emerald for example, I'm even more super careful than normal!

I'm a full believer that if you love a gemstone then it should be worn as much or as little as you want. However, if you choose an Aqua or an Emerald or another "less durable" gemstone as an every day ring then knowledge is the key to keeping it fighting fit and free from harm! My Mum wore an Emerald engagement ring every day of her married life and it's almost perfect (one tiny chip on the culet) so it most definitely can be done.

LisLis89 - buy what you love and wear it in good health. Just understand why some people prefer a gemstone that is naturally a bit more resistant to scratching. A lovely blue Aqua with no grey is incredibly difficult to find but they are out there and soooooo pretty. I bought one a little while ago from Tan on Ebay and it's very lovely indeed - it might be worth having a look at his various Ebay stores.
 
For me, aqua chips, and I'm reasonably careful with my gems. Oh well.
 
I wear my emerald & diamond half-eternity only when we go to parties, out to dinner, stuff like that. Saves heartbreak. I also have a tanzanite bezel-set that I chipped when I whacked my hand against something, nearly cried. But I'm always clumsy so I guard against myself. If you love the aqua ring, for heaven's sake buy it & be happy! Any time you wear it, often or seldom, it will lift your heart -- that's what gems are all about!

--- Laurie
 
Michael,
I am gentle on my rings but klutzy. With my luck, if I’d been wearing an aqua ring and had a car door slam into my hand, the ring and stone would have been a total loss.

IN,
Yes, it is the Mahenge from Swala. Fortunately, the nick is incredibly tiny and can barely be felt by the nail. I have to go searching for it deliberately and even then, sometimes cannot feel it.
 
What puzzles me Chrono, is that you chip and scratch the stones, but not the gold?

Around the office, there isn't anything I can think of that could scratch a spinel or most other stones. As far as banging a stone and cracking or chipping it, this really isn't a function of hardness. Diamonds chip and crack too.
 
Yes, Gene, it embarrasses me to admit that I am a klutz. I think it might be me accidentally banging my hand against things unconsciously which might explain why the gold is fine but not the stone. And no, it's just a single teeny tiny chip on the spinel, not a whole bunch here and there, thankfully. :o
 
Chrono said:
Yes, Gene, it embarrasses me to admit that I am a klutz. I think it might be me accidentally banging my hand against things unconsciously which might explain why the gold is fine but not the stone. And no, it's just a single teeny tiny chip on the spinel, not a whole bunch here and there, thankfully. :o

Just admit it chips because you wear it next to your 30 carat pink diamond ring. LOL!
 
Thanks so much everyone! I dont think I would seriously consider it as an engagement ring anymore not only because it may not stand up to a but of rough and tumble (thankyou for the input), moreso that I am a romantic and would love a diamond even though I try to convince myself otherwise! Blue is my favourite colour and as far as it goes to me they are stunning because they (even with a little grey) are exactly my favourite colour!

But this doesnt mean by any stretch of the imagnination that I wont be getting another aquamarine as a dress ring etc. It will probably just be a little bit more guarded!

Thanks again so much! :appl:
 
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