Cyan coloured stone?

[Leaf Girl]

Hi All

This is my first post here so I''m a little nervous.

I''m searching for a cyan coloured stone for my engagement ring, but I don''t really know where to start. Does anyone know what kind of stone comes in cyan/blue-green? I want a natural stone that has a vibrant colour. The stone also has to be relatively hard as I work with my hands I don''t want to be taking my ring on and off all the time. Topaz is not the right colour as it doesn''t have the green tinge to it, and aquamarine is generally too light in colour. I ''ve heard that sapphire comes in all colours of the rainbow, has anyone seen a sapphire in this colour?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Alison

 

[T L]

Date: 1/1/2009 9:48:14 PM
Author:Leaf Girl
Hi All

This is my first post here so I'm a little nervous.

I'm searching for a cyan coloured stone for my engagement ring, but I don't really know where to start. Does anyone know what kind of stone comes in cyan/blue-green? I want a natural stone that has a vibrant colour. The stone also has to be relatively hard as I work with my hands I don't want to be taking my ring on and off all the time. Topaz is not the right colour as it doesn't have the green tinge to it, and aquamarine is generally too light in colour. I 've heard that sapphire comes in all colours of the rainbow, has anyone seen a sapphire in this colour?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Alison

The color that comes closest to cyan in a gemstone of any durability is Paraiba tourmaline, or blue/green tourmaline. Check out paraibainternational.com for some of them. Unfortunately, they're very pricey stones in fine qualities, especially paraibas. Ajsgems.com has some nice blue/greens as well.

I must say that I really cannot recommend a tourmaline for an e-ring that you are going to be wearing all the time and if you are doing arduous things with your hands. If you're typing all day, that's one thing, but I wouldn't be playing softball with my ering on. I could only recommend a sapphire or diamond for everyday and tough durability.

I have never seen a cyan sapphire, but check out wildfishgems.com. They might have some teal Montana sapphires that you might favor.

 

[Pandora II]

I would think that sapphires do exist in the colour you want, but it could be a very long search to find the one.

Paraiba (or paraiba colour) tourmaline is another possibility - but be prepared for extreme sticker shock. These stones make diamonds look cheap!

TL's warnings on durability are spot on. My e-ring is a garnet and it spends more time in it's box than on my finger - I only wear it when I go out or if we have people round, and even then I take it off for cooking/washing up etc.

ETA: It's worth having a look at the Natural Sapphire Company and Palagems - they often have lots of pictures of sapphires so you should get a good choice of shades to look at.

Personally I would contact a couple of vendors and get them to have a look for you (especially with Tucson coming up).

GemeWizard has a freebie download that is great for describing an exact colour to someone and I find it quite useful.

 

[Fly Girl]

Hi Leaf Girl - I''ve seen some sapphires at gemhunters Link that are close to what you are looking for. This little teal sapphire is 0.86 ct, 5.1 mm, and costs $100 Australian. I''d e-mail them and see if they have others.

Go ahead and post any questions. We don''t bite.

 

[misspinky]

Also, check out this thread: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/john-dyer.103291/

There''s a picture of a "lagoon beryl" about half of the way down that is by John Dyer that might be close to the color you''re looking for. I''m not sure what the hardness is though...

 

[coatimundi_org]

I've been wanting someone to buy and recut this awesome chrysoberyl for the longest time. This is probably too green, but it's such a great, durable ring stone. (price is really high on this one)

http://www.multicolour.com/detail/index.html?-639968306

Good luck in your searches! If I come across any lighter blue-green sapphire --I'll let you know.

 

[coatimundi_org]

Date: 1/1/2009 10:54:44 PM
Author: Fly Girl
Hi Leaf Girl - I''ve seen some sapphires at gemhunters Link that are close to what you are looking for. This little teal sapphire is 0.86 ct, 5.1 mm, and costs $100 Australian. I''d e-mail them and see if they have others.


Go ahead and post any questions. We don''t bite.

good call on this sapphire!

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Date: 1/1/2009 9:48:14 PM
Author:Leaf Girl
Hi All

This is my first post here so I''m a little nervous.

I''m searching for a cyan coloured stone for my engagement ring, but I don''t really know where to start. Does anyone know what kind of stone comes in cyan/blue-green? I want a natural stone that has a vibrant colour. The stone also has to be relatively hard as I work with my hands I don''t want to be taking my ring on and off all the time. Topaz is not the right colour as it doesn''t have the green tinge to it, and aquamarine is generally too light in colour. I ''ve heard that sapphire comes in all colours of the rainbow, has anyone seen a sapphire in this colour?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Alison

Hi Leaf Girl,

Don''t be nervous.

You have time on your side...& Pricescope.

Like Tourmaline Lover & others suggest...The first stone that comes to my mind is tourmaline because of the range of cyan/blue green combinations these stones from different locals posess. If durability is an issue working with your hands, you could "consider" a closed setting which would help protect the stone, better than a prong type setting. The trade off is prong Type settings show more of the stone while bezels offer better coverage for the girdle, but aren''t as popular.

Sapphire is harder than tourmaline and that cyan/blue green range of colors is evident in sapphires from australia, but a majority of them can be too dark or inky. If you get a smaller stone which is shallow and has good saturation i think this might suffice.
There are also attractive saaphires which posess this combination.

My first option would be tourmaline for you with a priority on a setting which might protect the stone more than prong-types.

I will keep my eye open for you...

 

[ma re]

Date: 1/1/2009 11:07:14 PM
Author: coatimundi
I''ve been wanting someone to buy and recut this awesome chrysoberyl for the longest time. This is probably too green, but it''s such a great, durable ring stone. (price is really high on this one)

http://www.multicolour.com/detail/index.html?-639968306

Good luck in your searches! If I come across any lighter blue-green sapphire --I''ll let you know.

Great minds think alike - browsing the thread I thought of the exact same stone!

It''s bluish green, very durable (just behind sapphire and way in front of tourmaline) and pretty. Of course, you don''t need 13 carats for an e-ring (or do you

) so the price wouldn''t be as high as for this one. But I''m really not sure if I''d recommend any other variety besides chrysoberyl or sapphire for an active lifestyle. Oh and, bear in mind that most chrysoberyls are actually yellowish green and one needs to look quite a bit to find one in this color, but they obvioulsy exist.

If this doesen''t do it for you, you can try indicolite tourmaline, green beryl, prasiolite, green zircon or mint garnet, but none of them would be a great idea for a lot of wear and not a lot of caution (unless you don''t mind replacing the stone once it wears away too much). Also none has a really vibrant color, but I''m not sure you''ll find that in whatever gems you browse, except paraiba of course.

And let''s not forget alexandrite, cause it may suit your color criteria and it certainly is durable (a type of chrysoberyl), but I''m not sure if you''d mind that it''s blue/green just have the time

 

[LD]

Coati - Multicolour will recut for you. I bought an 8.5ct heart cut Tanzanite but the culet was off centre and (to me) quite obvious in the pictures. They recut it and it went to just 8.1ct and it''s much more centered now. If I''d have lost another .5ct the stone would have improved more (wish I''d done that now) but decided against it at the time.

 

[T L]

Date: 1/1/2009 11:07:14 PM
Author: coatimundi
I've been wanting someone to buy and recut this awesome chrysoberyl for the longest time. This is probably too green, but it's such a great, durable ring stone. (price is really high on this one)

http://www.multicolour.com/detail/index.html?-639968306

Good luck in your searches! If I come across any lighter blue-green sapphire --I'll let you know.

Vanadium chrysoberyl.

 

[oldmancoyote]

Look at www.wildfishgems.com under violet/blue gems - there are several sapphires, tourmalines and a couple of afghani aquas that seem to fit the blue/green description.

 

[Leaf Girl]

Hi All!

Thanks for the many replies with useful information and hints.

I have heard of paraiba tourmalines, they come in stunning colours! I have also heard that they are not recommended for e-rings as they are not as hard as other stones, and are quite expensive.

I am an environmental scientist and my work consists of about 50% fieldwork including soil and groundwater sampling and flora surveys, and 50% office work. As I mentioned before I don''t really want to be taking my ring on and off at work for fear of losing it, so I would like a stone that is fairly durable. I''m planning on having it bezel or half bezel set to protect it. I also figure that since we will be putting in quite a bit of work to find the right stone and the right setting, I want to show it off as much as possible

The ''lagoon beryl'' that misspinky mentioned is a beautiful colour. I''m attracted to the blue-green colour because Daniel and I met through kite surfing and we both spend alot of time in and on the ocean, so I would like a lagoon or reef coloured stone in my e-ring.

I''ve seen some blue diamonds that are blue-green. I know that they are heat treated, so are not natural stones. Do you think I should be concerned with this when I''m looking for colour that is difficult to find in a hard stone?

 

[FrekeChild]

I know that you said no topaz because it doesn''t have enough green in it, but are you talking about sky blue, swiss blue, or London blue? To me, swiss and London both have hints of green in them. The reason they are that color in the first place is irradiation, and that is also how most of the very vibrant blue diamonds get their color. If you check out this link you can see some irradiated blue diamonds--which are very close to the same color as a swiss blue topaz. Topaz has the hardness of 8, but has perfect cleavage which means that if it''s hit at just the right angle, it could break. The thing about topaz is that it''s CHEAP. One of the cheapest stones out there. I considered it for my ering because of the color, but also because I work with my hands a lot, and if it was damaged somehow, I could replace it easily and cheaply.

Anyway, if topaz might sound like an option (I''m just throwing it out there), you might see something you like with Barry Bridgestock. His blue topaz are a bit pricier than most, but stunning. Link

Really though, if I were you I''d look hard into irradiated blue diamonds. I don''t think I would want to even put a sapphire through the work it sounds like you do 50% of the time. I went with Spinel because I know that I''ll take my ring off and baby it when I''m cooking (my profession) and it''s got the hardness of 8 as well.

Good luck! And don''t hesitate to ask questions!

 

[ma re]

Date: 1/3/2009 1:51:28 AM
Author: FrekeChild
Really though, if I were you I''d look hard into irradiated blue diamonds. I don''t think I would want to even put a sapphire through the work it sounds like you do 50% of the time.

But let''s not forget other properties besides hardness, like toughness, cause for the same reason you mention I would not recommend diamonds (cause type of work done). They actually have a perfect basal cleavage (just like topaz), while sapphires do not have one (just like spinel).

I agree that getting something easily replacable might be a good idea.

 

[FrekeChild]

Too true ma re. That is why I ultimately ended up with a spinel.

 

[T L]

Date: 1/3/2009 1:17:30 AM
Author: Leaf Girl
Hi All!

Thanks for the many replies with useful information and hints.

I have heard of paraiba tourmalines, they come in stunning colours! I have also heard that they are not recommended for e-rings as they are not as hard as other stones, and are quite expensive.

I am an environmental scientist and my work consists of about 50% fieldwork including soil and groundwater sampling and flora surveys, and 50% office work. As I mentioned before I don't really want to be taking my ring on and off at work for fear of losing it, so I would like a stone that is fairly durable. I'm planning on having it bezel or half bezel set to protect it. I also figure that since we will be putting in quite a bit of work to find the right stone and the right setting, I want to show it off as much as possible

The 'lagoon beryl' that misspinky mentioned is a beautiful colour. I'm attracted to the blue-green colour because Daniel and I met through kite surfing and we both spend alot of time in and on the ocean, so I would like a lagoon or reef coloured stone in my e-ring.

I've seen some blue diamonds that are blue-green. I know that they are heat treated, so are not natural stones. Do you think I should be concerned with this when I'm looking for colour that is difficult to find in a hard stone?

Actually the blue-green diamonds you see are natural diamonds, but the color is not natural. Real natural colored blue/green diamonds do exist, but you could probably buy a house for what a half carat stone would cost. The blue/green color is also obtained by irradiating them. I have an irradiated blue diamond, and I also have several blue/green tourmalines. I find the tourmalines to be much more attractive in color, but it's up to you. I think a blue/green sapphire is probably your best bet because you can get one in natural color, and it's extremely durable. I've seen teal colored Montana sapphires and wildfishgems.com has some nice ones.

I have been oogling at this stone for a long time.

http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/10309

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 1/3/2009 1:17:30 AM
Author: Leaf Girl
Hi All!

Thanks for the many replies with useful information and hints.

I have heard of paraiba tourmalines, they come in stunning colours! I have also heard that they are not recommended for e-rings as they are not as hard as other stones, and are quite expensive.

I am an environmental scientist and my work consists of about 50% fieldwork including soil and groundwater sampling and flora surveys, and 50% office work. As I mentioned before I don't really want to be taking my ring on and off at work for fear of losing it, so I would like a stone that is fairly durable. I'm planning on having it bezel or half bezel set to protect it. I also figure that since we will be putting in quite a bit of work to find the right stone and the right setting, I want to show it off as much as possible

The 'lagoon beryl' that misspinky mentioned is a beautiful colour. I'm attracted to the blue-green colour because Daniel and I met through kite surfing and we both spend alot of time in and on the ocean, so I would like a lagoon or reef coloured stone in my e-ring.

I've seen some blue diamonds that are blue-green. I know that they are heat treated, so are not natural stones. Do you think I should be concerned with this when I'm looking for colour that is difficult to find in a hard stone?

To be brutally honest, unless you are happy to replace your stone every few years a coloured stone is not really suitable for you. Personally I wouldn't even wear a diamond to do anything dangerous with my hands (ie gardening, cleaning, cooking) one clonk in the right place and you've got two diamonds instead of one.

I saw what my sister did to her sapphire in two years and she doesn't work at all - 3 big chips and all the facets scratched to pieces. Her ring was bezelled as well.

Obviously it's your choice and if you are happy to replace the stone, or have a jeweller who will recut/repolish for you on a regular basis then go for it.

 

[oldmancoyote]

One more thought - a bezel setting is fine, but bear in mind that if you ever need to replace the stone the bezel will need to be cut and it may be difficult to rebuild.

 

[Leaf Girl]

Hi again!

I''m so glad that I posted here because everyone has given me good advice and some things to think about. It never occured to me that my stone might get chipped or scratched and I''d have to replace it. I guess stones are not quite as durable as I first thought.

Ok, so no soil or groundwater sampling with my e-ring on (however, I plan on stopping this type of work anyway because ironically i don''t find rocks and soil very interesting!)

I think I''m down to sapphires and irradiated blue diamonds. I have checked out the montana sapphires and they are beautiful, I''ve also seen some african sapphires that I like. The blue diamonds are also pretty. To be honest I don''t really care what kind of stone it is, just as long as its tough and the right colour. I''ll have to relay all this info to Daniel so that when the time comes he knows what to look for because I''d really like the ring to be a surprise.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 1/4/2009 7:28:37 AM
Author: Leaf Girl
Hi again!

I'm so glad that I posted here because everyone has given me good advice and some things to think about. It never occured to me that my stone might get chipped or scratched and I'd have to replace it. I guess stones are not quite as durable as I first thought.

Ok, so no soil or groundwater sampling with my e-ring on (however, I plan on stopping this type of work anyway because ironically i don't find rocks and soil very interesting!)

I think I'm down to sapphires and irradiated blue diamonds. I have checked out the montana sapphires and they are beautiful, I've also seen some african sapphires that I like. The blue diamonds are also pretty. To be honest I don't really care what kind of stone it is, just as long as its tough and the right colour. I'll have to relay all this info to Daniel so that when the time comes he knows what to look for because I'd really like the ring to be a surprise.

Leaf Girl - It would be great if your guy can join Pricescope, because we would love to help work with him on your ring.

 

[RNgemlover]

Don''t forget about natural fancy diamonds! They come in a variety of colors, are extremely hard, and about as beautiful as anything! And, I agree with the sapphire suggestion.

 

[oldmancoyote]

Date: 1/4/2009 1:06:10 PM
Author: shaunrice
Don't forget about natural fancy diamonds! They come in a variety of colors, are extremely hard, and about as beautiful as anything! And, I agree with the sapphire suggestion.

And in natural blue/green tones about as expensive as anything...

 

[coatimundi_org]

Date: 1/4/2009 2:41:43 PM
Author: oldmancoyote

Date: 1/4/2009 1:06:10 PM

Author: shaunrice

Don't forget about natural fancy diamonds! They come in a variety of colors, are extremely hard, and about as beautiful as anything! And, I agree with the sapphire suggestion.

And in natural blue/green tones about as expensive as anything...

and Leaf girl, I'm happy to hear that you won't be wearing the e-ring during soil or groundwater sampling--pleaseth me very much.

 

[oldmancoyote]

Mind you, wearing the Dresden Green or the Hope with a ring may be inconvenient, so I would not blame Alison for wanting an engagement pendant instead.

 

[T L]

Date: 1/4/2009 2:41:43 PM
Author: oldmancoyote

Date: 1/4/2009 1:06:10 PM
Author: shaunrice
Don''t forget about natural fancy diamonds! They come in a variety of colors, are extremely hard, and about as beautiful as anything! And, I agree with the sapphire suggestion.

And in natural blue/green tones about as expensive as anything...

Well you can find natural color blue-green in more mortal prices if you don''t mind paying a few grand for something about one tenth a carat tops. You can do a very exclusive scatter band or set a few of them together. I guess I have a hard time parting with a few grand for a teeny tiny stone. Anything over a quarter carat in a fancy natural blue or green (GIA graded of course) will cost anywhere from tens of thousands to a nice size house price. If the color gets more toward the vivid range, well, then you might as well cut off your right arm for payment! I saw a 1.75 carat designer fancy light blue diamond from a big name 57th street jeweler. Now it was a very very light shade of blue, nothing to write home about, but the asking price was $750,000. Ouch!

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 1/4/2009 2:41:43 PM
Author: oldmancoyote

Date: 1/4/2009 1:06:10 PM
Author: shaunrice
Don''t forget about natural fancy diamonds! They come in a variety of colors, are extremely hard, and about as beautiful as anything! And, I agree with the sapphire suggestion.

And in natural blue/green tones about as expensive as anything...

Hahahaha!!!!Seriously! The prices of natural colored diamonds are ridiculously high. I was just admiring a 1/2 carat green shield...$36,000.

Oh well, at least that one had the price listed...

 

[coatimundi_org]

Date: 1/4/2009 2:52:12 PM
Author: oldmancoyote
Mind you, wearing the Dresden Green or the Hope with a ring may be inconvenient, so I would not blame Alison for wanting an engagement pendant instead.

or howz about a green engagement diamond in a secure case--let''s not forget that some emit radiation--but I think hazmat suits are tres chic.

I''m excited to see what you choose Alison!