Help! I like every type of stone I see....

[Stone Hunter]

I''m a newbie with colored stones. Been looking at some of the sites you suggested. I like them all Topaz, Tourmaline, Garnets etc. Oh and spinels, I''d like one in every color. LOL

Any advice for a beginner? What is step #1

 

[Kismet]

If I was smart I probably should have gone to one of the International Gem & Jewelry shows in my area, decided what I liked the look of and what I wanted to make, and then purchased a few matching and/or complementary stones. As it was, I just started buying stuff I liked the look of. Now have a variety of stones but nothing that really goes together.

 

[belle]

step #1 would be to decide what you want them for.
do you want to start collecting them or using them in jewelry?

 

[Cehrabehra]

Date: 2/9/2007 3:16:22 PM
Author:Stone Hunter
I''m a newbie with colored stones. Been looking at some of the sites you suggested. I like them all Topaz, Tourmaline, Garnets etc. Oh and spinels, I''d like one in every color. LOL

Any advice for a beginner? What is step #1

I''ve been feeling the same way - and yet I really am the type of person who just wears something and doesn''t change it out and I like it that way - simple. I''ve been thinking okay... once this left ring is done I wouldn''t mind doing a right ring... and I think I''ve narrowed it down... First off I''m with DS in that I like sapphires because they''re tough and I''m tough on them. I love love love the cherry color of kcour''s garnet but I don''t think a garnet is tough enough for me... and I love the really rich dark rubies but those are way expensive in the size I''d want... but I have narrowed it down to two: a warm stone and a cool stone. For cool I''m going to try to hit some medium colored slightly lavender maybe a little green or grey sort of color - not a traditional dark blue sapphire - not cornflower blue either... just some unique color in there somewhere that I can get for a good deal And then for cool some color that isn''t pink, isn''t orange, isn''t yellow, but is something in there... and I think I know what shape and how I''d want them both set... but we''ll see... without anything actually on the table I have the right to change my mind at whim

 

[Stone Hunter]

I don''t know what I want to do... If I just start collecting it will become overwhelming pretty quickly. How would I store them etc?

So I think I''m interested in stones that are more durable and can be set in jewelry. But Tourmaline and Spinel and Sapph. all look good and come in many colors. Oh and Zircon too.

Maybe I do need to go to a Gem Show just to look.

 

[Kismet]

Date: 2/9/2007 4:11:24 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
I don''t know what I want to do... If I just start collecting it will become overwhelming pretty quickly. How would I store them etc?

I (mostly) keep mine in my jewelry box in the containers in which they were shipped. Some I tote around with me in my purse so that I can look at them during the day or in case I get the urge to swing by a jeweler and say ''hey what can you do with this?'' I also haven''t purchased anything really pricey that should be kept in the safe deposit box or anything.

 

[Catmom]

Date: 2/9/2007 4:11:24 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
I don''t know what I want to do... If I just start collecting it will become overwhelming pretty quickly. How would I store them etc?

So I think I''m interested in stones that are more durable and can be set in jewelry. But Tourmaline and Spinel and Sapph. all look good and come in many colors. Oh and Zircon too.

Maybe I do need to go to a Gem Show just to look.

Well, you can always follow my philosophy..........................buy one of each and of course they must be set in jewelry, oh and if you have one piece of jewelry then you must have the whole set, i.e., earrings, necklace, ring, bracelet.............................

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Well, Cehra has correctly said that I like sapphires because they are most durable next to diamonds. They come in all shades of blue, lavendar/violet, pink, yellow, green, and other combinations. I can imagine that I may try to get one of each color! Like Cehra, I don''t necessarily favor the most expensive rich, deep blue. I love the medium blues and the lovely lavendar blues. Honestly, there are about 3 different colors of blue I''d like. And I do already have a 2.65 ct. oval sapphire with diamonds around it from years ago, but it is too dark and I never wear it. But I really love all the colors...they are beautiful! So for rings, I just don''t want the worry of scratching or chipping softer stones (my tanzanite has a tiny chip that I never noticed until I got a loupe!). I think you can put almost any stone in a pendant, but I''d probably use sapphires for everything in the event I wanted to create some matching pieces.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

Oh, and I forgot the advice part. I got a couple of books for Christmas from Amazon, not expensive. I really like "Gemstone Buying Guide" by Renee Newman. I am going to a gem show in march so I can get a good idea of sapphire sizes. But I''ll probably buy my stones from Natural Sapphire Company because I want untreated stones (which I guess is the colored stone equivalent of wanting H&A!). Or else I might have Wink look at Pala for me.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I like Catmom''s advice. One of every stone and of course make it a set of earrings, ring, necklace, etc.

But that may just give me alot of stuff. I''d like whatever I get to be nice. I want to like it a couple of years from now.

 

[Catmom]

Date: 2/9/2007 8:04:34 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
I like Catmom''s advice. One of every stone and of course make it a set of earrings, ring, necklace, etc.

But that may just give me alot of stuff. I''d like whatever I get to be nice. I want to like it a couple of years from now.

Oh I never said not to get nice stuff............

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 2/9/2007 9:10:33 PM
Author: Catmom

Date: 2/9/2007 8:04:34 PM
Author: Stone Hunter
I like Catmom''s advice. One of every stone and of course make it a set of earrings, ring, necklace, etc.

But that may just give me alot of stuff. I''d like whatever I get to be nice. I want to like it a couple of years from now.

Oh I never said not to get nice stuff............

Of course you didn''t. SORRY! But I have such a small budget right now I guess I feel constrained. And confused about where to start.

DS does have me thinking about the hardness thing and Sapphires come in so many lovely colors....

 

[diamondfan]

I would try to hone in on what colors I seem to wear most and decide what color of stone would look best with your overall wardrobe. To me, this works because I would assume you wear clothes in the colors you like...so you could start out with that, and then just add in things you see that you like!

 

[Catmom]

Date: 2/10/2007 11:28:54 AM
Author: diamondfan
I would try to hone in on what colors I seem to wear most and decide what color of stone would look best with your overall wardrobe. To me, this works because I would assume you wear clothes in the colors you like...so you could start out with that, and then just add in things you see that you like!

All joking aside, this is good advice! I started out long ago with all blue sapphires because that is the color I love the most. Unfortunately they are all very dark [pre-Pricescope days]. We are now in the process of replacing everything but I wore those sapphires for quite a while before venturing into other colors and stones.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 2/10/2007 11:28:54 AM
Author: diamondfan
I would try to hone in on what colors I seem to wear most and decide what color of stone would look best with your overall wardrobe. To me, this works because I would assume you wear clothes in the colors you like...so you could start out with that, and then just add in things you see that you like!

Great advice.

I wear a lot of black, gray and navy, cream and white... so in colored stones I love really brilliant colors.. deep bright peridots, rich dark garnets, and persian blue turquoise.

I always think the lighter gem stones are lovely... but can't see myself wearing any of them. Which rules out aquamarine, etc. Thought I think they are stunning.

And I never wear purple... so no purple.

And I'm not a pink person.

And my birthstone is blue.

I think of colored gemstones as an expression of the different facets of my personality.

I can't bring myslef to wear a bright turquoise top... but I have turqouise earings, a peandant, ring and bracelet that I wear almost all summer long with whites and all the navy, black and gray that I wear.

And I love garnets in winter.

And peridot in spring...

And I'm drying to get a Spess for fall.

That's how I pick them.

Oh... and blue tourmaline is a fav of mine too... because I love the dark to medium blues. Want a Michael E baron cut one of those. Mmm...

 

[flopkins]

I totally understand, I feel the same way!! I have kind of gone a roundabout way of it, I just purchased some loose stones I liked, and I just keep them in my drawer and take them out to admire them when I need a pick-me-up!!! hehe. I did get a small spinel I bought set as a pendant for a friend... but the other settings I want for my other stones are more expensive and I don't have the budget right now for it.
I haven't really been too scientific about it, just buying what I like by color and cut and price, not so much by the type of stone, as long as it's not too soft. TO me this is just a fun side thing, I don't have the money to buy 'investment' stones and while some stones are way more valuable, I am not so concerned about the value, just if I think it looks pretty... haha!
So far I have a small purple spinel, a small light blue spinel, and a pink tourmaline. spinels are pretty reasonably priced, IMO, unless you're looking for top notch red, and are OK hardness, I think. The pink tourmaline was a Xmas gift from my hubby (I had several stones sent on memo and hubby picked one of the four). Otherwise I don't have much of a budget for too many stones, but every once in a while I jsut get a bug and start searching some of the sites to see what they have and then I start itching to buy... oh it's terrible!!

and luckily they're small, so not hard to store, really, I just keep them in the small plastic boxes they come in.

ETA: I pick colors by what I like. my fav colors are blue and pink. but I have been lusting after a tsavorite after seeing some gorgeous ones here on PS, and I think emeralds are too soft. so my next one might be either a darker blue/purple (tanzanite-ish color) which I've been wanting, or a green tsavorite... dunnos!! hehe!

 

[Stone Hunter]

I like DF and Gypsy''s advice and I must thank flopkins for sharing. I could use a "pick me up" sometimes too. I''m not into it for an investment. Just thinking about what jewelry item would really make me happy.

BUT I could see picking a stone and searching for it in every color. Spinel Sapph? What else has alot of color and hardness?
Does Tourmaline? I''m off to think.

 

[diamondfan]

I go by my favorite colors overall and what I tend to wear (mostly black so most things look good!)...but I also love certain colors just viscerally, so I would love to collect a few stones in those colors, even though I might not wear them tons.

Favorites: peridot, tourmalines (all pinks and greens and golden tones), blues (light and medium, not super dark), garnets, reds, green amethyst, deep greens, rhodolite garnets, smoky browns...

I do not care for (on me or in clothing) orange, purple, or yellow. I did get a tanzanite, and find it too purple sometimes, but I love it. Just do not tend to wear it much.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 2/12/2007 11:44:02 PM
Author: diamondfan
I go by my favorite colors overall and what I tend to wear (mostly black so most things look good!)...but I also love certain colors just viscerally, so I would love to collect a few stones in those colors, even though I might not wear them tons.

Favorites: peridot, tourmalines (all pinks and greens and golden tones), blues (light and medium, not super dark), garnets, reds, green amethyst, deep greens, rhodolite garnets, smoky browns...

I do not care for (on me or in clothing) orange, purple, or yellow. I did get a tanzanite, and find it too purple sometimes, but I love it. Just do not tend to wear it much.

Well the colors I wear in clothing have been changing over the last few years. I used to wear alot of blue. Now I really really like bright almost neon green. And I wear browns and olive green. Sounds like I''m all over the map. Maybe I need a fashion intervention. I guess I better go stand in my closet while I think this out. LOL I would love a really really well cut roung peridot but I sure haven''t seen any. Then again I''d consider a BLUE sapphire, but it can''t be that dark maul sapphire color.

OK maybe I''m moving along.

 

[Catmom]

How about a nice green tourmaline instead of a peridot? This one is from AJS and is 2.67 carats, unheated. This would go great with the browns, too I think.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Date: 2/13/2007 1:41:24 PM
Author: Catmom
How about a nice green tourmaline instead of a peridot? This one is from AJS and is 2.67 carats, unheated. This would go great with the browns, too I think.

Oh that gets my attention. What a pretty stone. I''m so easily swayed!

What makes Tourmaline a better choice than Peridot? Is there a subtle color difference? Hardness? Or is it just that a nice stone is available?

 

[Stone Hunter]

Love all the colored stone info on their site. I see that Tourmaline is harder than Peridot.

I really like the color of the one you posted but I want a round, seems like alot of my colored rings are ovals. So inexpensive too!

 

[Stone Hunter]

ETA: This post is in response to a post about a lovely Chrome Tourmaline that post has been removed!


If I understand it an uncalibrated stone is a nonstandard size and requires a custom setting. How do I get that information from these websites? Cause I'd like to buy it and set it and wear it quickly and not have to wait and save up the money for custom. Also an inexpensive gem needing a custom setting just seems a little silly to me. LOL

 

[Catmom]

Well, I don''t know if you have to go totally custom. When I switched setting on my ER, I had my old cathedral solitaire setting [for a princess stone] left. I bought a round aquamarine that I brought to my jeweler to be set into my old setting. All he did was switch out the head to fit the new stone. I bet you could find a stock setting that would just need to have the head switched out.

 

[Stone Hunter]

THANKS I responded days ago but my post must have gotten eaten.

I don''t want to have to go custom for an inexpensive stone. Now I''m leaning toward Spinel cause they are very hard, almost as hard as Sapphires, I read in another PS post. And several PSers have gotten FAB FAB spinels lately.