I just had a white zircon (not cz) set and it "died".

[beaujolais]

I had bought a white zircon (real stones, not cz''s) as I''ve heard about their dispersion. Very nice in the box, from ACS (not a BB or BK but not native cut either), round, 2.2 cts. I don''t know what you''d call the cut (not Portugese, not h&a like, it just has one set of facets that radiate out from the center, like the concave cut does, so what would you call that?)

Anyway, I had it set into a thin bezel pendant and it went flat, meaning no brilliance and no fire.

Yes, I cleaned it and all. What is that ? ? ?

Sigh, a $200 project that would have looked better with a sim.

Your ideas?

Thanks.

 

[newsboysgrl777]

Personally, I don''t know ANYTHING about ANYTHING, but I''m wondering if maybe putting it in a bezel setting is making it lose light? Now, remember, I mentioned I don''t know anything, so I could be 100% wrong on this, but I was reading a post the other day about someone saying they wanted to prong set a stone they had and not bezel set and I THOUGHT it was due to light dispersion, etc?

Anyway, I''m so so sorry to hear about this (*hugs to you*) and I''d be eager to hear out what others think. Is the stone in your avatar the one you''re referring to? It is awfully lovely!!

Good luck!

Rachel

 

[ma re]

Date: 12/21/2008 2:56:47 AM
Author: newsboysgrl777
Personally, I don''t know ANYTHING about ANYTHING, but I''m wondering if maybe putting it in a bezel setting is making it lose light? Now, remember, I mentioned I don''t know anything, so I could be 100% wrong on this, but I was reading a post the other day about someone saying they wanted to prong set a stone they had and not bezel set and I THOUGHT it was due to light dispersion, etc?

Anyway, I''m so so sorry to hear about this (*hugs to you*) and I''d be eager to hear out what others think. Is the stone in your avatar the one you''re referring to? It is awfully lovely!!

Good luck!

Rachel

You could be, but you''re not. Bezel always darkens the stone, especially if sides also have no openings to allow some light in (not to mention if it also has a closed back). Resetting is just about the only sollution to bringing this stone back to life.

 

[T L]

SC,
So sorry to hear about that. Do you have pics?

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks all.

I love the bezel look but I guess bezels always compromise light then (?).

The bezel just goes straight back and does not close in the back at all. I''ll leave it as it wasn''t an expensive stone and it still looks pretty. I don''t have a camera that does macro but thanks for asking, TL. So much for the zircon, great dispersion project. Well, create and learn, I guess. Sigh . . .

 

[LGK]

I have a transitional cut antique bluegreen zircon that I had removed from a prong set pendant, and it was definitely a lot brighter/sparklier when removed from the setting... although it was prong set it had an enclosed back. I guess they aren''t like diamonds and they need some light from the sides or something- anyway, mine acted a lot like yours did so I suspect it''s the case. They do have some nice dispersion for a colored gem, huh? I would have kept it in the pendant but I hate blue on me!

 

[LD]

Awwww it''s horrible when a project doesn''t turn out the way you expect isn''t it? I''m pretty sure that the bezel is to blame (as others have already identified). Whilst I love the look, I think it takes a special stone to be able to carry off bezelling and still look blingalicious.

 

[ma re]

Date: 12/22/2008 5:41:14 AM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Awwww it''s horrible when a project doesn''t turn out the way you expect isn''t it? I''m pretty sure that the bezel is to blame (as others have already identified). Whilst I love the look, I think it takes a special stone to be able to carry off bezelling and still look blingalicious.

I agree - step cuts tend to look very good in bezels IMO. Bigger stones tend to have less problems with them also.

 

[T L]

Here's my project that was expensive and died on the left, and the new project with the same stone on the right.

On the left, this diamond has a very pink cast to it, but in a mount with a closed off pavillion and the wrong color gold for this diamond, and ugly prong work, with big diamonds around it competing for attention, it got lost and the color became drab. I reset it in pink gold with smaller diamonds, and now the diamond is the centerpiece. Regardless of whether this ring is attractive to you or not, the right (after) picture indicates how much difference a setting can make in regards to a stone. It also helps to have a good jeweler who knows how to set the stone properly. The jeweler on the left didn't do a good job, and I went back to my other jeweler, and they did the job correctly on the right. Notice the difference in prong size as well. The stone isn't being devoured anymore.

I definitely think some species of stones are meant for bezels, I've never seen an aqua look bad in a bezel for example, but it all depends.

 

[geckodani]

Aw.

Sorry sonoma.

 

[klewis]

This is an interesting topic. I was reading in Secrets of the Gem Trade on pge 25 about how (according to the author anyway) some jewelers suggest a high prong setting will improve a stones brilliance but that the light is not gathered from the back or sides of a properly cut gem but through the crown. Of course I''m simplifying and possibly misinterpreting what has been written and so I''m interested to know, does a bezel setting then partially cover the sides so that it inhibits the light and how, if at all, does this relate to the discussion here? Are there certain stones or cuts that do and don''t suit a bezel setting?

 

[beaujolais]

Thanks all again. Thanks Geko. Thanks TL. Absolutely on that one with your photos. Incredible what a difference that made. Thanks TLewis and a warm Holiday welcome to you.

Yes, KLewis, a bezel does cover the sides. Actually it goes straight back from the stone. I have one bezel pendant that is closed in fully, in the back as I wanted the stone to appear darker. That stone is a tsavorite garnet and it did, indeed, darken it's look. The stone also retained it's brilliance in full. So, yes, I think it is stone dependant. (Now I know these things

). The white zircon that died in the bezel only has a bezel that goes straight back for the legnth of the stone's depth and then is open in the back.

Oh well.

 

[ma re]

klewis - I certainly am not an expert, but I think it''s impossible to eliminate light entering from the sides or back, no matter how good the cut is. And if diamonds (which generally have a much better degree of cut than 90% of the stones) get darker in bezels, then I guess it''s pretty impossible to prevent that from happening with any other stone.

 

[LD]

Building on Ma re''s comments:

Certainly gemstones will benefit from a bezel setting i.e. one where you''d like the stone to appear slightly darker and if it''s well cut enough it will keep its sparkle BUT there are no guarantees. As Ma re said, even well cut gemstones can loose their sparkle with a bezel. Some diamonds in a white gold/platinum bezel just come alive, some don''t. There''s no magic formula as to what will/won''t work. It''s trial and error I''m afraid.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 12/21/2008 12:10:23 PM
Author: sonomacounty
Thanks all.


I love the bezel look but I guess bezels always compromise light then (?).

Depends on how the stone attracts and disperses light. I.e., with a well cut diamond it doesn''t, but IMO with most colored stones it does. Which is why the stones look darker in bezelled settings.

 

[klewis]

So there''s no way of telling until the deed is done? OOoo that''s scary. There''s so much to learn!