Gorgeous Sunset in a Sunstone - Another Jerry Beauty!!!

[endless_summer]

What a fantastic surprise - FI just arrived to the surf beach & gave me this gorgeous sunstone at sunset last night!

And, that's exactly what it is - a sunset in a sunstone! Presenting another Jerry beauty, here are Jerry's pics of this 9.8 carat bi-color sunstone, facing up at 13.7mm x 10.9mm. With the way that Jerry cut it, it has an salmon-like core, with flashes of golden and green in the facets splaying out from the center. I've never seen moving colors in a stone before, but that is exactly what this stone does - the golden & sometimes green literally moves throughout the stone, similar to the way that facets turn on and off in other stones, except that this stone's facets never really turn "off" - rather their color shifts.

I had been eyeing the stone since November when I found Jerry to re-cut the yellow sapphire, and I showed the stone to FI, who has never reacted to a stone before, but the first thing out of his mouth was that it was his favorite of any stone I had ever shown him because the cut with the bi-colored facets was so unique (to both of us). I really adored it because it reminded me of beach sunsets, in particular one from FI & I's very first getaway together, and I was going to save up to buy it late January/early February, but...FI purchased it well before now as a birthday surprise

When I get home, I will certainly post pics of my own - but, have you guys ever seen anything like it? Thoughts on settings? I'm leaning towards setting it as a ring, so that I can enjoy playing with the color movement, knowing that it will have to be a ring worn with great care (especially with how high the stone would sit off on my fingers, just based on the stone's depth). I could set it as a pendant, but I do wear rings a great deal more. I'd especially love thoughts on the color metal to use - I know I'd like a platinum or white gold shank, but what do you guys think about doing the ring's crown and prongs in either rose or yellow gold to complement the stone's colors? Would you go sidestones to make the color pop more (the stone's too big for a halo)? Baguettes? Or, very simple solitaire?

Such fun decisions - I've never started absolutely from scratch with a stone before, so this one should be an adventure, and I can't wait to hear what you guys have to say!

 

[redwood66]

How pretty! Love the color and the size!

I would be afraid to wear it as a ring - but maybe as a pendant on a long (36" or more) high karat yellow gold fancy chain? That way you can pick it up and look at it.

 

[FrekeChild]

This is so cool! I wish you could post video....

 

[endless_summer]

How pretty! Love the color and the size!

I would be afraid to wear it as a ring - but maybe as a pendant on a long (36" or more) high karat yellow gold fancy chain? That way you can pick it up and look at it.

Thank you Redwood! So, I did put it up to my neck to picture what it would look like as a pendant, and while it's a great size, and it's the stone still prominently displays its bi-color nature, the stone's color shifting facets seem to come most alive when light is coming in through the table and the stone is moving, which I'm thinking will happen more often as a ring - that said, I'm in a very bare bones place with poor lighting, so I'll definitely re-think it when I get home because I like your idea, and I certainly don't want to harm the stone while enjoying it

 

[endless_summer]

This is so cool! I wish you could post video....

Thanks FrekeChild! If I could, I would - it would certainly be worth it! I will, however, do the very best I can with pics when I get home - I really can't wait to be able to really play with it in sunlight outside of its little box - seems like its gonna be quite the sparkler

 

[Starzin]

That's quite stunning! Great size too - I think it does deserve something special but as a ring would have to be special occasions only not everyday as you know

Can't wait to see your hand shots! Spectacular cut.

 

[endless_summer]

That's quite stunning! Great size too - I think it does deserve something special but as a ring would have to be special occasions only not everyday as you know

Can't wait to see your hand shots! Spectacular cut.

Starzin, I really appreciate the kind words! I love the cut too - Jerry really made the colors sing with it. Just based on the size alone (I've never worn a stone so large before and with such depth), it will be a special occasion, wear with extra care ring. Who knows, maybe I get home and figure out that I'll like it as a pendant that I can wear more often, but I think as a piece that gets to move in the light as a ring, it would be a fantastically fun piece .

Most definitely, on hand pics IRL when I get home, and I'm very excited to have it set!

 

[chrono]

Gorgeous and the cutting makes it so glittery! Caution about sunstone as a ring stone in the link below:
http://www.gia.edu/sunstone-care-cleaning

Sunstone has two traits that affect their durability and make them vulnerable to damage. These are softness—at 6.5 to 7.2 on the Mohs scale—and cleavage in two directions, which gives sunstone a Poor toughness rating. When sunstone is mounted in a setting that protects it, however, it’s an excellent choice for jewelry. Protective settings include pendants, earrings, and pins rather than rings, which are more likely to receive knocks and bumps.

Exposure to heat is not recommended for sunstone, but its color is stable when exposed to light and won’t fade. Warm, soapy water is always a safe sunstone cleaning method. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners should be avoided. Feldspars are rapidly attacked by hydrochloric acid, so cleaning products containing bleach should also be avoided.

 

[endless_summer]

Chrono, I really appreciate your informative post. It is super sparkly and comes alive the minute light hits the table I will definitely check out the stone at home to see how it would look as a pendant in different lighting when I get home because I know that's the most practical way to set the stone, but... if it ends up being a ring, it will be for special occasions and worn only with very great care, and I will definitely remember about the cleaning and heat - very important to know, as I'm a bit of a nut about cleaning jewelry to keep it all as sparkly as it was when I first received it

Btw - what metal would you set it in, as a ring or as a pendant? Curious as to what you think would complement the stone's colors best

 

[Starzin]

You're welcome. Who knows - you may well come round to the safety and long term enjoyment of this lovely stone in a pendant above being able to see it all the time

I'm not Chrono but it would be yellow gold all the way for me.

Just in case you're collecting... this is apparently a Stuller semimount since that's how I saved it.

 

[endless_summer]

You're welcome. Who knows - you may well come round to the safety and long term enjoyment of this lovely stone in a pendant above being able to see it all the time

I'm not Chrono but it would be yellow gold all the way for me.

Just in case you're collecting... this is apparently a Stuller semimount since that's how I saved it.

I definitely didn't mean to address the question to only Chrono - I'm leaning yellow gold, given the warm tones in the stone's color, and you're right - pendant may be the way to go for two reasons - first, to make sure the stone stays in good shape for the long term, and second because I imagine having it set as a pendant would be substantially less expensive than as a ring and allow me to start wearing it much sooner than I would be able to saving up for a setting. If I find I don't wear it much as a necklace (I often don't wear them because I worry about pups jumping up and breaking the necklace chain when I'm playing with them), then I can have it re-set as a ring down the road after having saved more. Who knows, maybe I'll love it as a pendant and wear it to pieces - I'd keep it on a shorter chain, to not worry about pups, and so that it rests a couple inches just below my collar bone - it's certainly large enough to wear as a simple pendant with a lot of neck presence

 

[GregS]

Beautiful stone, I bet it's amazing when seen in person.

 

[chrono]

Have you placed the sunstone next to both yellow gold and rose gold to see which one looks best? I'm guessing one will play up the green whilst the other will play up the gold.

 

[SouthernSunset]

I keep coming back to look at these pictures! Its wonderful. I've been eyeing getting a sunstone too. So I will live vicariously through you. Can't wait to see how you set it.

 

[minousbijoux]

It truly is a gorgeous stone. Love the cutting. I can't tell what it is I love so much about his cutting - whether its the polish, the fine cutting, the combination - all I know is that I don't think I've seen one stone of his that I don't think is beautiful.

 

[endless_summer]

Beautiful stone, I bet it's amazing when seen in person.

Thank you, GregS! It is really something that pics just can't quite capture, but seeing the movement in person has me going back to the stone and playing with it all the time - I'll be really happy to be able to post my own pics when I get back home

 

[endless_summer]

Have you placed the sunstone next to both yellow gold and rose gold to see which one looks best? I'm guessing one will play up the green whilst the other will play up the gold.

That is one thing that I need to do - I don't own any rose gold, but I'm hoping that if I take it to my jeweler he might have something that I can look at it with in order to better pic. I'd want to play up the golden flashes and slight pink tone that comes through from the salmon core from time to time. Can any predict which metal color would do that? That said, I can't imagine that either would be detract from the stone, or at least, I hope not.

 

[endless_summer]

I keep coming back to look at these pictures! Its wonderful. I've been eyeing getting a sunstone too. So I will live vicariously through you. Can't wait to see how you set it.

SouthernSunset - that's so sweet of you to say! Mine is an interesting choice, but I also like the ones that have the shimmery-schiller (someone correct me if I used the wrong term there) look to them because I think they have a bit more of a peachy-pink tone that I really like as well. Do you have a sense of which type you're after?

 

[endless_summer]

It truly is a gorgeous stone. Love the cutting. I can't tell what it is I love so much about his cutting - whether its the polish, the fine cutting, the combination - all I know is that I don't think I've seen one stone of his that I don't think is beautiful.

Thank you, Minousbijoux - Jerry is quite the amazing cutter - I am highly impressed with his work (both with the yellow sapphire earlier and now this stone), and I totally agree with you on all of his stones - there is not one that I don't just absolutely adore the cut - just looking at his pics, every single one of his stones looks like it would sparkly from across the room.

 

[pregcurious]

Very neat!

 

[endless_summer]

Very neat!

Thanks Pregcurious! Hopefully, I get you guys some IRL pics in different lighting from me Monday-ish

 

[endless_summer]

FINALLY!!! I have pics to share! I can't believe how much the color of this beautiful baby changes in different lighting and even on different angles, so I tried as best I could to capture the reds, pinks, orange, golden and greens for you Gotta love Jerry & the great state of Oregon!

(PS - Total pic overload, but whoever didn't want more pics? )

First Up - Hand Shots...

 

[endless_summer]

An array of color in these shots from deep reds and pinks to the brightest gold

 

[endless_summer]

Last round - stand alone shots & the best of the box shots, with THE sunset shot as the finale!

 

[Starzin]

Totally, totally stunning in every way!!!

What a brilliant choice in every sense of the word, yours and Jerry's. Reminds me of what an ametrine can be when cut to blend rather than those dreadful half-n-half things - and he's got a few of those I see too

 

[endless_summer]

Totally, totally stunning in every way!!!

What a brilliant choice in every sense of the word, yours and Jerry's. Reminds me of what an ametrine can be when cut to blend rather than those dreadful half-n-half things - and he's got a few of those I see too

Starzin,

Thank you soooooooo very much! I really appreciate your kind words - I really adore the stone and have never seen anything like it (I also am not the biggest fan of bi-colored stones when they look like neopolitan ice cream ) And, I do plan on listening to you, Chrono, and others about setting it as a pendant - I'd like to be able to wear it more often & be able to enjoy it for years to come - leaning towards yellow gold. And, I can budget for a custom pendant far faster than a custom ring - Super Bonus!!!

 

[Starzin]

You're entirely welcome and I thought someone up-thread had suggested looking at stock settings (Stuller etc) via your jeweller, just to see what they had available - however I now can't find that comment so apologies to the poster or if it was another thread. I simply would not be able to wait to get that baby wearable!

I predict there's going to be a run on Jerry-cut sunstones (in the NICEST sense of the word) any minute now... just don't forget to show us

 

[endless_summer]

Starzin,

I have thought about stock settings, but the jeweler that I work with doesn't work with them, so for this stone which will require care in setting, custom it is If I get lucky, I'll get to bring the stone in today or sometime this week (post-setting pics will definitely be in order!) - as you said, I really can't wait to get that baby wearable! And, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a run on Jerry stones soon - all of them are absolutely stunning, and I love his cutting style - he pulled off a miracle re-cut for with my yellow pear-shaped sapphire not too long ago, and the sunstone is equally, and in some ways, even more gorgeous since he got to start from scratch with it. I actually saw the sunstone when I was checking out his work before contacting him about the sapphire and fell in love with it immediately, so I feel very fortunate that FI was equally as impressed and purchased it as a surprise for me well before Christmas, so that it wouldn't disappear! I had been in touch with Jerry about the stone, and he was a good sport to not spoil FI's surprise for me, though I have to say, I was on the edge of my seat hoping someone else wouldn't nab it, knowing that I couldn't purchase it myself for a little while after the yellow sapphire project. If there is a run on Jerry stones in the near future, then it will be well-deserved by him - I'll just have to be quick about checking out new inventory in future!

 

[chrono]

Looking forward to seeing this one set and worn with pride.

 

[endless_summer]

Looking forward to seeing this one set and worn with pride.

Absolutely!!! I am super excited - I'm thinking very simple, classic pendant setting to let the stone shine and wearing it with a shorter chain, so it sits just below my collar bone, above most any shirt/blouse/dress neck lines