Her fire opal

[strmrdr]

This is the fire opal I bought for my wifey2b for her birthday.
It arrived to her place a few days early so I let her open it instead of torturing her :}

Special thanks to Gary AKA diamondexpert at www.diamondexpert.com more on that later.

Here is one of the pictures he had on his website:
Its 6.5mm is diameter.

 

[strmrdr]

second picture

 

[strmrdr]

In fairly low light it looks just like that but in bright light it looks like a orangish red fireball.

I didnt have much time and was using a borrowed camera Id never shot with before so these pictures arent that great:
The ligher orangish red in the picture is about the right shade atleast on my monitor but picture the whole thing lit up like that.

 

[strmrdr]

I had the pin put together by a local goldsmith who I lucked into finding that does a lot of custom work for a lot of the local jewelers.
He does everything from simple stuff like this to full blown platnum custom pieces.
The best part is that he just charges what he would normally get from the stores for the same setting/work so I got the setting and the mounting for about 1/2 the best price just on a similar pendant setting Iv found on the net.

Its a buttercup head soldered on a flat headed pin.
The workmanship is first rate the solder shows no holes and is well polished the prongs fit the stone like a glove and are well polished.
The opal is in perfect alignment with the setting.
Overall an A+ Job.

He seated the opal high like he would a faceted gemstone the setting acts like a reflector sending the light back up thru the stone giving it incredible fire.
Over all I couldn’t be happier with the service and the products from both the local guy and Gary.

 

[strmrdr]

this picture didnt turn out that well but I figured Id post it anyway.

 

[strmrdr]

In no way do these photos do the pin justice but its the best I could do on the short time table I had to deal with.

More about Gary,

I contacted him about the opal and he offered to send it to me to look at without recieving payment first.
I was like wow!
I offered to send the payment off so it crossed paths with the stone and he said no wait until you get it and send payment then or the stone back if you dont like it.

Well as You can see he got the money and not the stone back :}
I will be buying more stuff from him in the future :}

 

[researcher]

Very nice!

 

[glitterata]

Yummy stone--beautiful color.

 

[hoorray]

beautiful stone and color Storm! Nice and thoughtful gift.....

 

[MissAva]

Oh very nice! Does she wear it often?

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 11/8/2005 8:24:22 AM
Author: Matatora
Oh very nice! Does she wear it often?

yep she does.
She doesnt wear it every day because some of the cleaning products she uses would damage it but she wears it on special occasions.

 

[strmrdr]

:}

 

[strmrdr]

different lighting.

 

[strmrdr]

side

 

[strmrdr]

:}

 

[strmrdr]

:}

 

[strmrdr]

light reflecting up off the setting and back thru the opal.

 

[Kaleigh]

I love it Storm!!! Very nice fire opal!!! The color is just yummy!!!

 

[diamondsrock]

that''s cool, storm. I''ll bet it looks amazing in bright sunlight. I can imagine all the different color outfits it would look good with....

 

[mrssalvo]

Wow, I love it...the color of the opal is just stunning..

 

[movie zombie]

love it, storm! her own personal sun!

peace, movie zombie

 

[rubydick]

Strm,

Lovely, absolutely lovely. For many years I''ve wanted to head down south, down below the borderline to Mexico''s fire opal mines. Your pictures just gave me a great big push. Thanks!

 

[movie zombie]

and if you do go south of the border and return with some sunshine of your own, richard, please let me know!

peace, movie zombie

ps storm, you should know better than to flash orange in front of some of us!

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/4/2006 1:17:03 AM
Author: Richard Hughes
Strm,


Lovely, absolutely lovely. For many years I've wanted to head down south, down below the borderline to Mexico's fire opal mines. Your pictures just gave me a great big push. Thanks!

Way kewl I want pictures when you do!!

It is even better looking in person, the pictures cant capture how bright it looks.
The setting makes a huge difference in that area.

The reddish orange is my favorite color.

I want to find a harder faceted gemstone in this color

Any ideas?

Iv check out spess and sapphire both be treated and natural and while kewl neither had the right combo of orange and red.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 1/4/2006 8:56:50 AM
Author: strmrdr


The reddish orange is my favorite color.

I want to find a harder faceted gemstone in this color

Any ideas?

Iv check out spess and sapphire both be treated and natural and while kewl neither had the right combo of orange and red.

I would still think sapphire, garnet and sunstone... The first two come in so many shades, one is bound to be right.

With all the faults of sharing pictures rather than the real thing, I''d take some chances:

i] --->

 

[movie zombie]

welcome to the world of orange, storm! first it was Mine and myself, then deb.....now you! hard to resist the world of orange.

peace, movie zombie

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 1/4/2006 8:56:50 AM
Author: strmrdr

I want to find a harder faceted gemstone in this color
Any ideas?

Iv check out spess and sapphire both be treated and natural and while kewl neither had the right combo of orange and red.

Very pretty, strm!

Stones that occur in the same color range, apart from those already mentioned, would include fire spinel and a range of garnets and garnet mixtures like almandine or pyrope with spessartite and some grossulars. Also tourmaline, topaz and some types of citrine.

But none have the slight soft haziness that seems to be unique to opal. Crystalline materials have a ''harder'' appearance and more brilliance usually.

 

[strmrdr]

Date: 1/4/2006 2:14:13 PM
Author: Richard M.

Date: 1/4/2006 8:56:50 AM

But none have the slight soft haziness that seems to be unique to opal. Crystalline materials have a 'harder' appearance and more brilliance usually.

hmm that might be it.
Most of the orange garnets iv looked at if they had the right color didnt have the right tone.
What I like is light bright reddish orange.
I like the color of the 2 val posted but the tone is too dark on them.
They are more of a deep redish orange and a deep organgish red.

 

[DiamondExpert]

Wow, Ana!! That Malia and feldspar are quite spectacular!!...where DO you find all these pics?