help me choose a setting for this alex

[liao]

Hey guys, I just picked this baby up from gubelin this morning (okay... technically it was yesterday morning ). Can you help me find a nice men ring design for this alex. guess what, I just captured a better image than the one I posted before

fluorescent color (the color is bluish-green), but I sucks at photographing:


incandescent color:


the incandescent color should be more toward pink. Honestly, I am tempted to sell this stone as I have already got a nice offer, but I am not certain to let this one go

 

[LoversKites]

I have no suggestions but others will ask you to provide measurements.

 

[Coralfish]

This is quite nice, imagine the alex where the chryso is.



This is a tension-set design by Bruce Boone, very popular with gents in the diamond forum.

 

[LoversKites]

I've read that only diamond and sapphire should be set in tension settings because of their hardness. Chrysoberyl is 8 on moh's scale which I've read is too soft for those (even difference of 1 is a big difference). I have no experiences though.

 

[Marlow]

Chrysoberyl is 8,5 on Mohs scale - hardness - Chrysoberyl scratches Topaz or Spinel, Corundum scratches Chrysoberyl

You mean tenacity.

 

[LoversKites]

Chrysoberyl is 8,5 on Mohs scale - hardness - Chrysoberyl scratches Topaz or Spinel, Corundum scratches Chrysoberyl

You mean tenacity.

oopsies... 8.5....

No, I'm talking about hardness. I know that hardness, toughness and tenacity are separate/different things but I've read that only sapphire and diamond should be tension set, because of their hardness, on PS and a few other places online. I'm am unsure however and may be wrong. Unfortunately I have little real life experience.

If it is indeed too soft for a true tension setting and he wants the tension set look, a faux tension setting might work.

 

[Coralfish]

Oh yes, I altogether forgot alex was also chrysoberyl. I meant, to put the alex where the cat's eye chrysoberyl was, in the first picture.

Thanks for pointing that out about the tension settings, I didn't know.

Edited to say - yes I believe they can put a small metal bridge under the stone to enable the appearance of a tension setting.

 

[Marlow]

If you mean the wikipedia article "tension ring" this is completely wrong!

Again they don' understand hardness and tenacity.

You could easily set a nephrite cabochon or an "iron ball" - much softer than "hardness 9" - for example...

 

[LoversKites]

No, I didn't read it on wiki, but I don't remember where. There was a tradesperson on PS who said he would only set diamond and sapphire in those settings.

It does make sense that tenacity would be a more important factor than hardness...

Someone else will have to chime in.

 

[liao]

I am not sure guys... the tension setting is way too plain for my taste. I was thinking on this:
http://thumbs2.ebaystatic.com/d/l225/m/mpJLbXDpVAFJ4bRf0b4r7CA.jpg

however, I think 6 'leg' (I am not sure what do you called it in english. it's the one that grip the stone) is too much for my stone. The dimension is 7.90x6.89x4.40 mm.

The small window of the stone also bugging me. I hope it will close.

Hey Marlow, do you think it is vivid enough for alex? this is my description of vivid only for alex

 

[InToTheMystic]

How about a nice chunky semi-bezel? It looks sufficiently masculine without blocking all the light in to the stone.

 

[minousbijoux]

Your stone appears extremely dark so I would make sure to have an open setting to let in as much light as possible.

 

[pregcurious]

I think it's very difficult to photograph alexandrite. How dark is the stone in person? It look like it has good color change?

 

[minousbijoux]

I think it's very difficult to photograph alexandrite. How dark is the stone in person? It look like it has good color change?

Yes it is, but its doable. I'm no great photographer, but managed to get both colorways of mine (with the help of Marlow). At the very least, he should be able to easily get the daylight colorway without it appearing overly dark. The fact that he can't capture a strong daylight color makes me think its overly dark.

 

[Marlow]

This is the "alexandrite" from the "TheGemtrader december drop"!!!

Per (faked imo) GRS certificate "vivid bluish green" as you can see in the first pic - I think it is a CCG - the incandescent light color is typical to many CCG I owe - the daylight too. If you zoom the first pic you see a dark dirty grey violet color - typical for a special group of CCGs with a higher Almandine content - they change from a funny mix of greenishbluish violett to a strong pinkish violett. I got such a stone from Uli - this one looks like mine.

No good lab will describe the color of an alexandrite VIVID in daylight and incandescent light.

I will copy the other topic and send it to GRS - I think they use the same figure size in their reports and will not use "alexandrites"

http://www.gemresearch.ch/report.htm

Please look at the other examples too - always the same figure size.

I hope that they answer my question - they should have an interest that nobody fakes their reports.

 

[LD]

This is the "alexandrite" from the "TheGemtrader december drop"!!!

Per (faked imo) GRS certificate "vivid bluish green" as you can see in the first pic - I think it is a CCG - the incandescent light color is typical to many CCG I owe - the daylight too. If you zoom the first pic you see a dark dirty grey violet color - typical for a special group of CCGs with a higher Almandine content - they change from a funny mix of greenishbluish violett to a strong pinkish violett. I got such a stone from Uli - this one looks like mine.

No good lab will describe the color of an alexandrite VIVID in daylight and incandescent light.

I will copy the other topic and send it to GRS - I think they use the same figure size in their reports and will not use "alexandrites"

http://www.gemresearch.ch/report.htm

Please look at the other examples too - always the same figure size.

I hope that they answer my question - they should have an interest that nobody fakes their reports.

100% agree. This is not an Alex. I would think it's either a synthetic/simulant or, at best, colour change garnet.