Green Tourmaline E-Ring - Update

[Pokey]

Hi. I posted here a while back asking for advice on a green tourmaline e-ring and your comments were immensely helpful, so I thought I''d have another go. I''ve decided to go with a concave-faceted green/chrome tourmaline from Richard Homer. I like the spectral green of a chrome tourmaline, but I want it in a 3-3.5 carat size without giving up any brilliance or going darker. I realize I''m in a losing battle with geology, but I''m going to do my best. It seems from reading the forums here and talking to people that if you want to go that big, you end up with a deeper, darker color that does not get as brilliant, even with concave faceting. So I''m going to keep looking around and hoping Richard can find me something that retains that chrome green color but is a little bigger. Basically, I''m looking for this, only bigger:



Second, I''ve decided to steal velouriaL''s ring pretty much from whole cloth. I really like the idea that it still looks like an unusual e-ring, rather than a misplaced right-hand ring. I love the prong setting, although I wonder if it''s safe enough for the tourmaline. I think I''d want to get it made with a split shank and pave, so I don''t know if you can do split shank with a four-prong setting, I guess they''d have to split and then, hmmmm....ok so maybe that''s not possible. But the prongs really show off the stone.

VelouriaL, if you''re reading this, please email me at pokeydonut at gmail dot com. If I''m going to rip off your design, I want to get your input first. And if anyone has seen settings that they think would look good with a tourmaline, please post them.

 

[valeria101]

IMO, prongs are safe if lowand not suspending the stone in mid air, but ratrher eping the girdle close to the 'bezel underneath (where 'bezel' reffers to the ring of metal between the prongs on a basket setting).

Four prong works great with a split shank. In fact, I wonder how would anything else work out...


Here's one don by that recipe:

I liked the general profile (simple construction, prongs slightly arched up to catch the bezel, tiny prongs... not necesary the total pave coverage - not for a 24/7 ring anyway.

 

[valeria101]

From HERE

 

[valeria101]

And there are a couple from the Meno collection (at james Allen and others) - LINK

As long as the settings are low... I wouldn''t hesitate setting a tourmaline in.




A version of this that does not leave the girdle of the stone unprotected... would get every vote I can give. Love the ''omega'' shaped profile. Would make the bezel ring overlap the girlde ever so slightly (much like it is the case for the first ring posted). I haven''t found something exactly like it anywhere - but if you wanted, I can draw it for fun.

 

[Pokey]

I actually work three blocks away from Leon Mege, the guy who does those Art of Platinum designs, and I have an appointment with him next week. I love that ring you suggested by him and I also like this one. Thanks for the advice about keeping it safe, I think that''s going to be a major factor in design. I feel like with Richard and Leon in my corner, they ought to be able to save me from myself.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 3/12/2006 6:15:50 PM
Author: Pokey

I love that ring you suggested by him and I also like this one.

Oh yeah! I think I prefer your pic to mine...

You might want to ask this, but I believe that the head of this ring was styled to accommodate the very deep pavilion of the sapphire. And it would not look as nice - IMO - with a more ''normal'' depth (either flatter, or ''empty'' with the pavilion of the stone hanging unsightly between the prongs).

Tourmaline is slightly less brilliant than sapphire (lower RI), so I would think that it needs a deeper pavilion than most sapphires for the ideal angles. It sounds like there could be some perfect marriage between this ring design and a tourmaline

Fingers crossed ! This is bound to be stupendous given the premises - a gorgeous vivid green rock and the finest ring to hold it. Good for you

 

[valeria101]

Btw... Re. Tourmaline.

There is some new ''Paraiba''-like tourmaline floating around. Quite convincing, very beautiful and relatively decently priced - probably a bit more then fine chrome green, but nothing like the original Brazilian Paraiba. Have you ever given the turquoise color a thought?

I''m not selling any, don''t worry. Only happened to see some, and thought to share the enthusiasm. There were hardly a few bits coming off Pakistan a couple of years ago. This year it just turned up a little less scarce.