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Good alternatives for accent stones?

FallenRox

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What to do with the semi-mount that has diamond accents if you don't want to go with 60 small round diamonds?
I'd love a recommendation of something that sparkles like a diamond but has no color.

Also, should accent stones have a certain hardness level for an every day ring even if they're small?
(hope this is the right place for this question)

Thanks much!!
 

Pandora II

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Is there a reason you don't want diamonds? If it's ethical then you'll probably find that diamonds are now more ethical nowadays than most things due to the Kimberley Process.

The only thing that sparkles as much as diamond and is colourless is zircon but they can chip easily and I wouldn't want to think how they'd stand up to being set as pave. White sapphire melee will just look like you have very grubby diamonds as they just don't sparkle the same way.

I would opt for diamonds or go without accent stones at all.
 

FallenRox

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Pandora|1305150168|2919012 said:
Is there a reason you don't want diamonds? .

Yes, I have many settings with diamonds and honestly, I'm just bored with them. I'm enjoying learning about other gemstones and while it's easy to go with diamonds, I'm looking for something different. If there just isn't anything, I'd go with them as I have in the past but if there are other options, I'd like to consider those.

And thanks for your thoughts =)
 

innerkitten

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What color is your center stone? I saw a really beautiful antique ring once which I will never forget. It was an emerald cabochon surrounded by champagne colored diamonds in some sort of white metal.

How about white topaz? Or very pale sapphires with just a hint of color?
 

AGBF

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FallenRox|1305150680|2919024 said:
Yes, I have many settings with diamonds and honestly, I'm just bored with them.

Yes, but you want them for a fairly boring purpose, after all. Think of what you are looking for in a diamond replacement: another stone that, like a diamond, is without color, is shiny, and is hard. To me that is intensely boring!

Deb/AGBF
:read:

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
 

FallenRox

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innerkitten|1305153878|2919073 said:
What color is your center stone? I saw a really beautiful antique ring once which I will never forget. It was an emerald cabochon surrounded by champagne colored diamonds in some sort of white metal.

How about white topaz? Or very pale sapphires with just a hint of color?

You actually gave me a great idea with that post, albeit an extraneous thought from it...perhaps colorless isn't what I'm looking for after all. A very pale shade of the center stone sounds like it might be the perfect compliment and compromise. Thanks!
 

FallenRox

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AGBF|1305160095|2919156 said:
FallenRox|1305150680|2919024 said:
Yes, I have many settings with diamonds and honestly, I'm just bored with them.

Yes, but you want them for a fairly boring purpose, after all. Think of what you are looking for in a diamond replacement: another stone that, like a diamond, is without color, is shiny, and is hard. To me that is intensely boring!

Deb/AGBF
:read:

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

My apologies for boring and perhaps offending you.

I've solved my dilemma :)
 

innerkitten

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That could look really cool. What type of stone are you thinking of setting?
ETA: have you seen Laurie Sarah Designs on Etsy? I think she uses colored sapphires in some of her halo settings.
 

marcy

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Just a thought but what about light aquas as side stones? They would sparkle and would be fairly inexpensive. I know they are not as high on the hardness scale as sapphire or spinel but I always find the almost colorless aquas to be pretty stones.
 

T L

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I love well cut chrysoberyls as side stones. They sparkle a great deal, and when well saturated, they really look beautiful.
 

FallenRox

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innerkitten|1305166485|2919312 said:
That could look really cool. What type of stone are you thinking of setting?
ETA: have you seen Laurie Sarah Designs on Etsy? I think she uses colored sapphires in some of her halo settings.

Welll.............. I'm kind of going a little nuts after having come here and gathering links and wandering about the net looking at everything I can get my hands on. *blush* and I have many rings from my family that I never really paid attention to before until about oh, a week ago. I have my grandmother's amethyst that I never really looked at before because the setting was plain and the stone was a simple round and I've never loved amethyst - but with this new found interest I have going on here, my artsy mind is flying. And yep! been through all her etsy pages.

I have folders of bookmarked inspiration and thought I might clean her stone up and see how it would look in one of the mountings I've found and it has accent stones in it- hence the OP <--- original post- I'm learning! (and easily amused... hee hee). But I must must must get my Ering situated first. eep!

Now TL has me drooling over lemony chrysoberyls which could mean an entirely different project. This place is dangerous! <3 *grin
 

FallenRox

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marcy|1305170008|2919368 said:
Just a thought but what about light aquas as side stones? They would sparkle and would be fairly inexpensive. I know they are not as high on the hardness scale as sapphire or spinel but I always find the almost colorless aquas to be pretty stones.

I will definitely check those out too. It seems I'm going to have a few projects ahead of me. =)

Thanks!
 

TonyMontana

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Why not Demantoid as accent stones? They will sparkle even more than a diamond and in small sizes the color is a subtle light green.
 

AGBF

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FallenRox|1305162279|2919205 said:
AGBF|1305160095|2919156 said:
FallenRox|1305150680|2919024 said:
Yes, I have many settings with diamonds and honestly, I'm just bored with them.

Yes, but you want them for a fairly boring purpose, after all. Think of what you are looking for in a diamond replacement: another stone that, like a diamond, is without color, is shiny, and is hard. To me that is intensely boring!


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

My apologies for boring and perhaps offending you.

I've solved my dilemma :)

FallenRox-I apologize for my rudeness. There's no excuse for that, but I want to add that I also didn't understand that you were willing to entertain suggestions about stones with some color in them.

Deb/AGBF
:read:
 

Pandora II

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TonyMontana|1305184366|2919480 said:
Why not Demantoid as accent stones? They will sparkle even more than a diamond and in small sizes the color is a subtle light green.

Again the problem with melee in softer stones is the risk of them breaking during setting. I'd be worried enough about setting a demantoid as a centre stone let alone as melee - plus they are expensive especially in good colours.

If you are wanting to do side-stones then that is a different matter - I am presuming by accent stones that the OP intends melee.
 

chrono

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Glad to read that you aren't going the colourless route as diamonds do that best and if you don't like them anymore, might as well add some colour next. The problem with going for melees is not only durability but trying to find a parcel of matched stones. For something like that, it's better to have the jeweller source these than trying to find them yourself. However, if you are considering a matched pair, then it is advised that you find your own, if you have the inclination. It is generally good to start with something with a hint of colour, then move on to stronger coloured sidestones as you become more daring. Again, the same consideration of durability (hardness, cleavage, brittleness and etc) applies.
 

TonyMontana

Rough_Rock
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Pandora|1305198703|2919518 said:
TonyMontana|1305184366|2919480 said:
Why not Demantoid as accent stones? They will sparkle even more than a diamond and in small sizes the color is a subtle light green.

Again the problem with melee in softer stones is the risk of them breaking during setting. I'd be worried enough about setting a demantoid as a centre stone let alone as melee - plus they are expensive especially in good colours.

If you are wanting to do side-stones then that is a different matter - I am presuming by accent stones that the OP intends melee.

I don't see this as a big problem. Breakage can occure with every stone during setting. A diamond can break or chip as it isn't much tougher than a Demantoid and toughness is what matters in this case. I have seen many rings with emerald accents and an emerald is much more briddle than a demantoid (and also more expensive) As long as the setter knows what he is doing it should be fine.
Furthermore as color is not so much the issue here oposed to sparkle/fire. I think a demantoids are for sure a valid alternative to diamonds. They have a great luster and are highly despersive. Besides they might not be cheap, they are more affordable than diamonds.
 

FallenRox

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Chrono|1305202356|2919540 said:
Glad to read that you aren't going the colourless route as diamonds do that best and if you don't like them anymore, might as well add some colour next. The problem with going for melees is not only durability but trying to find a parcel of matched stones. For something like that, it's better to have the jeweller source these than trying to find them yourself. However, if you are considering a matched pair, then it is advised that you find your own, if you have the inclination. It is generally good to start with something with a hint of colour, then move on to stronger coloured sidestones as you become more daring. Again, the same consideration of durability (hardness, cleavage, brittleness and etc) applies.

Thanks for that =)
I usually jump in a pool then look for water, but I think with this, I might do just that with the subtle color first.

I'm so ticked off, I just missed the gem show in my area by 3 or 4 days.
Didn't even think to look until today. Ugh. There are more though, just would have been nice to drive down the street!

/rant lol
 
T

talamasca

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Is there a general rule of thumb with regard to size of accent stones in relation to central stone or is it just down to personal taste?
 

T L

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talamasca|1305288862|2920562 said:
Is there a general rule of thumb with regard to size of accent stones in relation to central stone or is it just down to personal taste?

I think it depends on personal taste. For some people there is a rule, but if you ever saw my multi-stone rings, the proportions would look odd to some people. I don't mind them though.
 

Sparkly_Not_Gaudy

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I saw one recently with Iolite instead of diamonds and it was very pretty. Not my style, I love diamonds for accents, but it was pretty!
 

T L

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It also depends on the center stone color. For example, I keep having daydreams about a mint green prehnite surrounded by tiny mandarin garnets. :love:
 

FallenRox

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TL|1305305287|2920826 said:
It also depends on the center stone color. For example, I keep having daydreams about a mint green prehnite surrounded by tiny mandarin garnets. :love:

TL, when you talk about stones, you make me hungry!! :lickout:

Here's a related question as well- Is it true that channel set, princess cut rubies cannot be set in 18K white gold because the metal is too soft? Does it have to be platinum?

For that matter what if they were diamonds or spinel instead of rubies? does that matter?
 

FallenRox

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talamasca|1305288862|2920562 said:
Is there a general rule of thumb with regard to size of accent stones in relation to central stone or is it just down to personal taste?

I'm an artist and I follow no rules, however, I get scolded for that as well. So.... :)
 

brandy_z28

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Get crazy with the color, it's fun! 8-) I love my demantoid melee, they put diamonds to shame, IMO. :naughty: I'd advise having them bezeled or recessed in the setting and have someone with a lot of experience and skill with softer stones set them.
 

AGBF

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FallenRox|1305313083|2920965 said:
Here's a related question as well- Is it true that channel set, princess cut rubies cannot be set in 18K white gold because the metal is too soft? Does it have to be platinum?

For that matter what if they were diamonds or spinel instead of rubies? does that matter?

Any stones can be set in 18K white gold. Some stones will be more fragile than others. The gold will hold any stones. As you know, it will be softer than 14K white gold or platinum; that does not mean it cannot hold gemstones! It means if you bang it, it may dent more easily.

Deb/AGBF
:read:
 

T L

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FallenRox|1305313083|2920965 said:
TL|1305305287|2920826 said:
It also depends on the center stone color. For example, I keep having daydreams about a mint green prehnite surrounded by tiny mandarin garnets. :love:

TL, when you talk about stones, you make me hungry!! :lickout:

Here's a related question as well- Is it true that channel set, princess cut rubies cannot be set in 18K white gold because the metal is too soft? Does it have to be platinum?

For that matter what if they were diamonds or spinel instead of rubies? does that matter?

I don't think that's true otherwise Cartier, and this VC&A piece wouldn't be able to use 18K with their invisible set rubles.

http://elogedelart.canalblog.com/archives/2010/12/27/19976988.html
 

FallenRox

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TL|1305316926|2921030 said:
FallenRox|1305313083|2920965 said:
TL|1305305287|2920826 said:
It also depends on the center stone color. For example, I keep having daydreams about a mint green prehnite surrounded by tiny mandarin garnets. :love:

TL, when you talk about stones, you make me hungry!! :lickout:

Here's a related question as well- Is it true that channel set, princess cut rubies cannot be set in 18K white gold because the metal is too soft? Does it have to be platinum?

For that matter what if they were diamonds or spinel instead of rubies? does that matter?

I don't think that's true otherwise Cartier, and this VC&A piece wouldn't be able to use 18K with their invisible set rubles.

http://elogedelart.canalblog.com/archives/2010/12/27/19976988.html

WOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that is insane looking!

and I think this jeweler is not one I would ever trust after what he's told me.
Too bad he's the ONLY one with the ring I want.
 
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