I bought my dream padparadscha

[idola]

Sooo it hasn't arrived yet or anything, but I'm just so excited that I thought I'd start posting about it now



video:

I've been looking for the perfect padparadscha for myself for FOREVER. And yes, before anyone says it, it does have to be a sapphire, regardless of price. Sapphires have sentimental value that garnets and spinels just don't have for me.

In any case, I have many pink sapphires that prooobably don't qualify as a result of my search lol. They always look so pretty on my monitor but then when I get them home, they're flat out pink! I think that this one will be different though.

It's a heated 0.83 ct padparadscha. Size is actually perfect for me - I want it set in a halo and have tiny fingers, so any bigger and it'd be scraping against my other fingers. I was originally unsure that heated would be okay for me, but after looking for the PERFECT one for so long and finding a load of poorly cut or not my favorite color ones, I realized that I didn't really care about heat anymore. Not after seeing this beauty and thinking about it nonstop for the past two weeks at least.

My only concern with it is the possible extinction that I'm seeing in the video? I think that the bowtie effect might be color zoning, which I'm cool with - I actually love color zoning, if I'm being honest - but seeing dark spots every day might start to bother me, you know?

Either way, if there's something that I end up not liking then I'll return it - for now, I'm mostly just super excited and wanted to share!!

 

[Rfisher]

Can’t wait to see this!
Hope you show many many pictures when you get it, and hope it ticks all the boxes for you!
I do see color concentration at the ends compared to the middle /bow tie
But I don’t see it as extinction nor color zoning. I no expert tho.
I like the effect
Someone else on PS has one like that - and i think it’s gorgeous

A halo sounds like a beautiful idea

 

[kenny]

It's beautiful!

I wonder whether the slightly stronger color at 3:00 and 9:00 is the the result of light rays traveling further than those at 12:00 and 6:00.

Because of the positions of the gem, light, and camera, the center has the most glare and surface reflections from the lights.

Move any 3 of those things and this photographic artifact will go away, and show the gem's actual saturation is more even.

Considering the pic is used to sell a gem, and even-color and less-zoning is considered better, if I took this pic I'd experiment further with the positioning of the lights.
It doesn't change the gem, but it changes how it is presented, IMO more fairly.

IOW it's not all the gem's fault that it color looks that uneven in the pic.
Of course a moving video is better, and in person viewing is best.
That said the color is fantastic and the minor evenness would not put me off.
I also give kudos to the photographer's work - very nice!

 

[idola]

Can’t wait to see this!
Hope you show many many pictures when you get it, and hope it ticks all the boxes for you!
I do see color concentration at the ends compared to the middle /bow tie
But I don’t see it as extinction nor color zoning. I no expert tho.
I like the effect
Someone else on PS has one like that - and i think it’s gorgeous

A halo sounds like a beautiful idea

Oh I will absolutely be spamming this thread with pictures when it comes!! Hopefully that'll be on Saturday, since I work Sun-Tue. If not, then I'll have to have it sent to a UPS holding location or something.

I can't decide the exact kind of halo I want yet, but it's DEFINITELY going to be something chunky! I just can't get over how much I love those, and also how I don't have any haha.

 

[idola]

It's beautiful!

I wonder whether the slightly stronger color at 3:00 and 9:00 is the the result of light rays traveling further than those at 12:00 and 6:00.

Because of the positions of the gem, light, and camera, the center has the most glare and surface reflections of the lights.

Move any 3 of those things and this photographic artifact will go away, and show the gem's actual saturation is more even.

Considering the pic is used to sell a gem, and even-color and less-zoning is considered better, if I took this pic I'd experiment further with the positioning of the lights.
It doesn't change the gem, but it changes how it is presented, IMO more fairly.

IOW it's not all the gem's fault that it color looks that uneven in the pic.
Of course a moving video is better, and in person viewing is best.
That said the color is fantastic and the minor evenness would not put me off.
I also give kudos to the photographer's work - very nice!

I never thought about the camera being part of why it looks this way. I guess we'll see once it arrives! Also, same on the color - it's my absolute favorite in a padparadscha. Probably why I was suddenly okay with heating, too.

 

[chrono]

Colour always concentrates more at the tips of anything elongated (long ovals, pear tips, marquise ends, etc) by nature of the light path.

 

[elle_71125]

What a gorgeous pad! If it looks anything like this in person, I have high hopes you'll be very happy. I can't wait to see all your pics of this beauty.

 

[Autumn in New England]

It is just STUNNING, @idola! Big congrats to you!! I love that you were too excited to wait to receive it before sharing. Andrew is a talented lapidary... I'm sure the gem will be well-cut. I feel like any lighter toned oval stone will have a teeny bit of bow tying through the middle. Nature of the beast! I honestly wouldn't have even noticed it if you didn't point it out. It's so minimal. I also don't see much in the way of color zoning, but a subtle effect is very much accepted and even sometimes desired in a pad. The gem is lovely... enjoy!!

 

[minousbijoux]

Amazing that certain color stones make me uncontrollably covetous - I just want to scream "Mine! I want!"

This is the perfect color padparadscha and my very favorite color. Looking forward to many more of your pics to feed my habit...

 

[chere]

it does have to be a sapphire, regardless of price

I wouldn't settle for less. I love pads. I can't wait to see how it turns out!

 

[lovedogs]

I think it looks absolutely lovely!

 

[athenaworth]

WOW! That's MY dream Pad too!! Congratulations!!!

 

[idola]

So I actually got it a couple days ago, but I didn't get back home from work until about 8 pm and by then all my good lighting was gone, so I gave up on updating the post until now. But it's here!!



I am having a VERY hard time photographing it, if I'm being completely honest. This and the first one are the closest I've gotten to what it looks like irl.


This is it with my other newest acquisition, a 0.70 ct OEC. I'm posting this not only to show it off (lol) but also as a size comparison - to be honest, at 0.83 cts, I thought that the padparadscha would be bigger! It's okay, though. I've already come to terms with it. Also, it's really not this saturated irl. For some reason that's just how it's been photographing.


With light coming in from the window.


Out in direct sunlight - again, not quite this vivid irl, but it IS more vivid outside than in, that's for sure.

 

[idola]

As for the setting, here's an inspiration of mine for the halo:


I wish I knew whose ring it was, but it was on pinterest, and you know how that can be. The goal is yellow gold prongs. I'm in my yellow gold era. As for the band, I really have no idea what I want. Maybe something engraved? Or would that be too much?

 

[Mreader]

So I actually got it a couple days ago, but I didn't get back home from work until about 8 pm and by then all my good lighting was gone, so I gave up on updating the post until now. But it's here!!



I am having a VERY hard time photographing it, if I'm being completely honest. This and the first one are the closest I've gotten to what it looks like irl.


This is it with my other newest acquisition, a 0.70 ct OEC. I'm posting this not only to show it off (lol) but also as a size comparison - to be honest, at 0.83 cts, I thought that the padparadscha would be bigger! It's okay, though. I've already come to terms with it. Also, it's really not this saturated irl. For some reason that's just how it's been photographing.


With light coming in from the window.


Out in direct sunlight - again, not quite this vivid irl, but it IS more vivid outside than in, that's for sure.

It looks beautiful! Are you going to keep it??

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

It's a beautiful delicate pad color, and beautiful! I think the size is decent and will be perfect for a chonked halo. I would definitely explore engraving options. DK and CVD, also Debebian's there are many who do really nice engraving/halos. I'll echo that any bowtie or color concentrating is totally normal and common. It's actually rare to not have at least some, especially in material that's rarer to come by. I think you did really well.
I'd love to see more pics.

 

[idola]

It looks beautiful! Are you going to keep it??

Yes I am! I'll be honest, at first I was underwhelmed, but I think that was due to it being so late and seeing it for the first time in the literal worst lighting in my house. The more I look at it, the more fond I become.

 

[idola]

It's a beautiful delicate pad color, and beautiful! I think the size is decent and will be perfect for a chonked halo. I would definitely explore engraving options. DK and CVD, also Debebian's there are many who do really nice engraving/halos. I'll echo that any bowtie or color concentrating is totally normal and common. It's actually rare to not have at least some, especially in material that's rarer to come by. I think you did really well.
I'd love to see more pics.

Thank you! I just had a look at those designers, and wow! I'd heard of CVB before, but this was my first time looking in detail, and I'm in awe of the engraving on some of those rings. I need to replenish my bling budget after buying the rock itself, but I'm impatient so I just sent an inquiry to if they're taking new orders right now anyway lol

 

[Autumn in New England]

It's gorgeous, @idola! The color is so pure and lively. Enjoy it!!

 

[idola]

So I had a chat with CvB and put some money down on it to lock into it. I'm going for a halo like the one I listed above with a 2 mm band like this. When I checked out bands at my local jeweler they said the smallest they could go was 3 mm so I'm very pleased that they can go smaller while still maintaining the engraving. I'm so excited! It'll be my first time mailing a rock out to a jeweler instead of using one in town, but here's to hoping that it'll be okay haha. I've only heard good things about CvB, after all.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

It is exciting! Keep us up to date on progress and of course, pictures when finished.

 

[VividRed]

I might be the only one here, but it does not look as good as the vendor pictures and to me that would not be acceptable. If you are happy with it, all fine, of course

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

I am so excited for you! A pad is on my wish list, but not yet. Eager so follow the setting journey. It’s a gorgeous stone.

I also expected carat sizes of colored stones to match what I was used to in diamonds. They don’t! Deeper cuts, different density…so I’ve learned to check the mm so I have a better idea of what I actually getting.

 

[idola]

I might be the only one here, but it does not look as good as the vendor pictures and to me that would not be acceptable. If you are happy with it, all fine, of course

I wish that I was better at posting videos here, because I can get a better video than I can picture of it.





I would say that these are the best pictures I can get of it right now with two different light sources. It does have a light half and a dark half in a lot of lights, but I don't know that that's especially out of the norm for an oval.

Basically I think what I'm trying to say is that in person it looks quite a bit like the video, so I'm satisfied. As for its glamour shot... well, I was definitely relying more on a video than the ultra zoomed shot anyway since my eyes aren't a microscope haha. Hopefully this makes sense to why it looks fine to me.

 

[VividRed]

I wish that I was better at posting videos here, because I can get a better video than I can picture of it.





I would say that these are the best pictures I can get of it right now with two different light sources. It does have a light half and a dark half in a lot of lights, but I don't know that that's especially out of the norm for an oval.

Basically I think what I'm trying to say is that in person it looks quite a bit like the video, so I'm satisfied. As for its glamour shot... well, I was definitely relying more on a video than the ultra zoomed shot anyway since my eyes aren't a microscope haha. Hopefully this makes sense to why it looks fine to me.

The last two pictures look a lot better than the first ones you posted nice stone!

What you see is half-half extinction, typical with ovals, especially elongated ones.

 

[Acinom]

What a gorgeous stone. Congrats!! It has that dreamy desirable pad colour. It will look stunning in a white halo like you have planned.
I cannot wait to see more pics of the stone and the finished ring.

 

[idola]

What a gorgeous stone. Congrats!! It has that dreamy desirable pad colour. It will look stunning in a white halo like you have planned.
I cannot wait to see more pics of the stone and the finished ring.

I'm actually thinking that I might want a yellow gold prongs/halo moment for it, tbh.



Some inspiration pics for the yellow against the pad. Thoughts?

 

[Rfisher]

I think pads vary so much between each other in color, that it’s hard to choose from the photos you provided.
And getting accurate representation in a photo vs what you see to your eye, stone in hand
And add in shift in different lighting…..

Opinions are great
I love to give them

Do you have the different color metals to lay next to/around your stone, in your hand to see it in various lighting?
Maybe ask setting vendor to buy grains of the different metal options with the agreement you can return those grains for refund
So you can see the exact alloy colors the vendor would use? Next to your stones beautiful and unique blend of colors, in all your different environmental lighting.

I'm actually thinking that I might want a yellow gold prongs/halo moment for it, tbh.



Some inspiration pics for the yellow against the pad. Thoughts?

 

[OneKuhlChic]

So I actually got it a couple days ago, but I didn't get back home from work until about 8 pm and by then all my good lighting was gone, so I gave up on updating the post until now. But it's here!!



I am having a VERY hard time photographing it, if I'm being completely honest. This and the first one are the closest I've gotten to what it looks like irl.


This is it with my other newest acquisition, a 0.70 ct OEC. I'm posting this not only to show it off (lol) but also as a size comparison - to be honest, at 0.83 cts, I thought that the padparadscha would be bigger! It's okay, though. I've already come to terms with it. Also, it's really not this saturated irl. For some reason that's just how it's been photographing.


With light coming in from the window.


Out in direct sunlight - again, not quite this vivid irl, but it IS more vivid outside than in, that's for sure.

Her color is truly lovely... She's gonna make one beautiful ring!! I can't wait to see her in all her glory!!

 

[idola]

I think pads vary so much between each other in color, that it’s hard to choose from the photos you provided.
And getting accurate representation in a photo vs what you see to your eye, stone in hand
And add in shift in different lighting…..

Opinions are great
I love to give them

Do you have the different color metals to lay next to/around your stone, in your hand to see it in various lighting?
Maybe ask setting vendor to buy grains of the different metal options with the agreement you can return those grains for refund
So you can see the exact alloy colors the vendor would use? Next to your stones beautiful and unique blend of colors, in all your different environmental lighting.

I tried so hard and failed so hard to get good pictures last night, lol.





Pictured is 10kt white gold and 14kt yellow gold. If you can believe it, I don't have a better white gold chain.

Personally, I couldn't get a feel for what I wanted even after taking pictures. Thoughts?