Debuting the "Silvery" Topaz

[FrekeChild]

I''ve had a few posts about my hunt for a silver/gray gemstone and I want to thank everyone who has responded, because you all have been fantastic!

I don''t have a macro setting-perhaps for my birthday I''ll convince someone to get me a new camera...Until then, I apologize for the icky photography.

So here is my little beauty:
It''s from Artistic Colored Stones, and Barbara is wonderful. I think I''ll have BF use her to source e-ring stones...

Stats:
"Silver" Topaz
7.41 ct.
10.2 x 12.2 mm
Supernova oval cut by Barry Bridgestock
Flawless at 10x with near colorless, very slightly bluish grey color that gives the piece a lovely silvery flash.

Apparently the Supernova cut is it help eliminate the bowtie. Let me tell you, it totally works.

Here it is sitting in it''s box...

 

[FrekeChild]

These are all under halogen lights in my kitchen. I''ll take some in other lighting after a while.

 

[FrekeChild]

It''s really hard to get a good pic between the icky camera and in general being an almost colorless stone. In real life it sparkles LIKE CRAZY. Whenever I set it in something, I''m going to get lots of "Is that a diamond?" and "Is that real?" from uneducated people.

 

[Linda W]

Really pretty stone. I never saw that color in a Topaz before.

Linda

 

[FrekeChild]

My favorite pic, with a tiny bit of blue fire. I''ve only taken about 6 pics so far and posted the best, but it is so much easier to take pics of than my tiny gemstone rings.

When I got it, I started jumping around and trying to show it to BF and he was trying on new pants that he just bought, and I''m literally jumping around our bedroom trying to get him to come look. He''s very well prepared for how I''ll react to an e-ring now. Heh heh heh.

 

[FrekeChild]

Thanks Linda W.! The pics really do it no justice at all. My camera is AWFUL. Horrendously bad. So I need to get on that and do something about it. It just sparkles like mad and I can''t seem to catch it.

But that doesn''t mean I''ll stop trying!

--going off to take pics in other lighting now...

 

[Selkie]

Date: 3/21/2008 7:19:07 PM
Author: FrekeChild
It''s really hard to get a good pic between the icky camera and in general being an almost colorless stone. In real life it sparkles LIKE CRAZY. Whenever I set it in something, I''m going to get lots of ''Is that a diamond?'' and ''Is that real?'' from uneducated people.

COOOOOL! That''s going to be fun to set and wear. And when people ask if it''s real, you''ll be able to say "Yes" of course!

 

[FrekeChild]

In the shadow...

 

[FrekeChild]

In the shadow of a tree with the setting sun behind it...GLOWING.

 

[FrekeChild]

Wowsers....I''m glad I got it before movie zombie did.

 

[FrekeChild]

He''s hanging out with my blue topaz and tanzanite rings. They are so jealous...

 

[FrekeChild]

Exhibiting some more fire...in the kitchen under halogens again.

ETA: my poor tanzanite looks awful here. She's very pretty in real life though!

 

[FrekeChild]

One of my favorites....and the last one...

 

[FrekeChild]

Just kidding! Ok this one is really the last one. And my favorite to date.

Can you guys tell I''m excited?

So any suggestions as to what to do with it? I was thinking pendant that hangs around my collarbone area, but after seeing it, I''m considering a ring, because I want to stare into that all day long...

 

[FrekeChild]

Thanks Selkie! I''m just afraid the person who asks if it''s real will be my mom and I''ll have to say no because if she knew I paid more than $20 for any piece of jewelry she''d kill me and stop paying my tuition. Ok, not really, but she''d be mad for a while. But you''d better believe that when everyone else asks if its real-the answer is going to be, "Oh this old thing? Yes, in fact, it is."

Because, of course, it is!

 

[movie zombie]

i''m so glad you got this stone and not the other one! i loved seeing all the pictures....but the last one certainly shows the blue better. congrats!

movie zombie

ps nothing to nudge another pricescoper off the fence than the thought another pricescoper might just buy the stone.....

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 3/21/2008 9:36:31 PM
Author: movie zombie
i''m so glad you got this stone and not the other one! i loved seeing all the pictures....but the last one certainly shows the blue better. congrats!

movie zombie

ps nothing to nudge another pricescoper off the fence than the thought another pricescoper might just buy the stone.....

You''re so right MZ! You got my booty off that fence in a hurry. I was off the fence and around the corner before I could think twice about it.

So, what would you do with it?

 

[Catmom]

It''s cool and oh so sparkly, FrekeChild! I''d set it in a ring so that you can play with it all day long. You won''t be able to see it in a pendant. It would make a gorgeous ring.

 

[movie zombie]

i love the size of it, too. ring but i''d crazy and i''d set it in as high a gold as i could afford.....22k or 18k. but it could be a lovely pendant..... please please please don''t put a halo on it! it doesn''t need it.

movie zombie

 

[Elmorton]

Oh Freke, it''s goooooorgeous! I can''t believe all the sparkle - it really does pack a punch!!

I know the temptation to have it as a ring...but I think your idea for a necklace that hits your collarbone would be so gorgeous. If it were mine, I''d set it E-W in a semi-bezel or a simple basket (similar to the WF four corners pendant?).

And maybe I''m just toooo in love with all the rose gold that has been on these threads lately, but setting it in rose gold could be really different and pretty (esp if were a ring).

Congrats on the new stone! Can''t wait to see the finished project pics.

 

[FrekeChild]

Oh MZ I''d never halo it! I''m not a fan to be brutally honest. I''m one of those "less is more" minimalist people. Plus, it''s plenty big enough! No visual tricks needed here.

Plus BF is NOT A FAN OF PAVE or any "gaudy" jewelry. To him, something gaudy has more than a couple of side stones. He doesn''t even like metal carvings.

I''m seriously considering a ring, but the problem is that if I were to do a ring, I''d be terrified of chipping/breaking it because I originally wanted a blue topaz as an e-ring and everyone warned me against it.

Another problem (depending on how you look at it!) is that I think BF might get me the Elsa Peretti tsavorite stacking band from Tiffany as a birthday present. And I''ve been wanting THAT as a RHR.

So...I''m confused, lost and don''t know what to do.

If I made it into a pendant, I''d be sitting around all day using a compact to look at it.

I don''t think my professors would appreciate that at all.

Anyone have any ring settings or pendant settings that strike their fancy?

 

[FrekeChild]

Thanks Elmorton! What's really funny is that in the past few days I was looking at your new pendant and considering getting a blue topaz instead, but MZ started scaring me with her talk of wanting to buy the silver one

.

If I do a pendant it'll most likely be a 4 corners basket-I love the security of bezels but I already have a blue sapphire in one that BF gave me and I want something different to wear on the days that I'm not wearing the sapphire. Plus, I'm afraid of cutting any light off from it and taking away some sparkle. Can't have that.

I've noticed a huge increase in rose gold too-which is totally weird, but very cool. And you're right-that would look totally unusual and probably pretty awesome. Hmmm...something to think about.

What really caught my eye when I started thinking about pendants was a thread about Giada De Laurentiis's necklace: pic from one of her books and random pic that shows off her necklaces well. I was considering getting it set so it would hit about where her longest one does, and then later get something smaller or a Diamonds by the Yard type necklace that hits just above the collar bone because I'm digging her multiple necklace look. Which always brings me back to Angelina Jolie's Oscar diamond necklace which is gorgeous, but way out of my price range-forever. Does that make any sense at all?

 

[monarch64]

Love the new topaz, Freke! I vote for pendant...I know you want to look at it all the time, but hey, there are mirrors everywhere, you''d be surprised at how many angles you can crank your rearview into so you can get a good view of earrings or pendants, hee hee. I think it would make a great ring, but I would worry about damaging a topaz that large, imo.

 

[Deelight]

WOW that is beautiful

The life in it is just beautiful i love the idea of a RHR but I think as a pendant it would be TDF

I think I really want one now

 

[Ellen]

Love it!

 

[coatimundi_org]

It''s gorgeous Freke!
What a lively stone! Can''t wait to see how you set that beauty!

 

[sera]

That is REALLY pretty! I think it would make a great pendant

 

[simplysplendid]

This stone is gorgeous! The cut is beautiful and the shape is a perfect oval! I agree with Catmom, a ring will be fantastic, you can see it all day long!

 

[Elmorton]

Ohhh I loooove Giada''s layered necklaces (to be honest, I think I love everything about her, sigh). Okay, I''ve decided I want to reiterate my vote for necklace, haha! It is sooo true about how often you''ll be catching peeks of your stone in mirrors - my topaz (awww, thanks, btw!!) is the biggest stone I''ve ever worn (9mm) and there is something I just loooove about having that big, simple pendant - at your 12mm, you''ll get so many glimpses when you walk by mirrors and windows and I promise it will make your heart kinda leap You made an excellent decision by going with the silvery color - I love my blue, but I''m a little sick of opening my closet and trying to figure out what will look good with it. The silver is something you can really wear every day

 

[FrekeChild]

So BF doesn''t want me to make it into a ring because he says it''ll look like an engagement ring. And that it''s too big for a ring. But after playing with it more, I''m starting to think he might be right.

And you guys aren''t helping any! It seems as though everyone''s votes are split between ring and pendant.

Monarch- I worry about it being too big for a ring as well. If I chipped it or broke it, I''d be heartbroken. Another thing to consider is that it''s so sparkley that people will be staring at it all the time and I''ll think they''re staring at my ladies. Lol. THAT would be interesting.

Deelight- Its so lively in person, it sparkles like mad! I wasn''t expecting it to be so blingy-check out the sellers pic: link. I was pretty shocked when I pulled out this little ball of fire from the box!

Ellen-Thanks! I love the new avatar-poor peep bunny...

coatimundi-Thank you! I have no idea how to set it right now--too many ideas are floating through my head. Bezel, prongs, half bezel? Ring, pendant?

sera- Thanks! How would you set it as a pendant? I''ve been having issues finding inspiration pics...

Simplysplendid- I wish I could do better at capturing its cut for you ladies, it really is amazing to look at. It outshines all of my other gemstones. Now BF is going to have a lot to live up to with an e-ring stone.