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Icy’s CS adventures

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
Moonstones from Sri Lanka
055778FC-C3A3-421B-88E6-8B435D062E57.jpeg

I think they look nice n clear with good blue sheen on the two bigger stones... is there anything I should be checking for? Certification is expensive so probably not worth it vs cost of stones?

Paging @Burmesedaze and any other experienced PS-ers for advice. TIA!
 

Burmesedaze

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
4,000
Should be inexpensive and easy to find.
 

Burmesedaze

Ideal_Rock
Trade
Joined
Oct 9, 2016
Messages
4,000
Commercial grade... Ok for play jewellery. But shouldn't overpay. Plenty here.
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
Ok time for a few updates...

First my lovely paraiba pendant:
6F442955-F819-42B4-8745-06E9F8A88D1A.jpeg

More details and pics here:
https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-paraiba-pendant.243456/

And then these:
7D679144-EA12-4B26-803C-E625070BE0BA.jpeg

The moonstone cabs are from Sri Lanka, the pear is 4.84 ct and vendor pic:
FCA58D43-ABAA-41E2-A951-20E277467302.jpeg
(The brown speck is dirt)

The oval is a recut from the original 5.55 ct cushion, down to 5.4ct
97345AA0-526E-44F7-A397-2F6697BE72DD.jpeg

And I also got two pairs of small cabs for earrings... 8mm rounds and 7x9mm ovals
485E3E49-1A46-4B29-97DF-65B0603CF028.jpeg

Cos of this but I may do something different
8258A670-E698-43DA-BA56-56A136C7B296.jpeg

Amethyst from the Gem Trader (TGT), 10.1x14.1mm
E149B156-B2A5-43E5-9360-B7747AF953E8.jpeg

Quartz also from TGT, 16.2x21mm
76C7AF80-6FB1-47AE-98A1-E361C9B9D829.jpeg

And lastly the oval 6ct sunstone iolite, 11.7x14.9mm
A9B90A60-AD74-4FA7-9F9B-B5ED9BFAA2CD.jpeg
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
C1C5D892-511E-42AD-97D4-7DF964F0423A.jpeg E78A1A23-911E-4930-8F08-77E5D68E4105.jpeg 5B0CC315-900F-45BF-99B0-5B9FA179061E.jpeg DE58D769-2B1F-413C-B099-B6492DB1CAB6.jpeg 921306A7-F8C1-4479-ABC4-CC631CB096C4.jpeg
C2F022F9-2BB1-47BB-A6CA-6F8013F6F1BA.jpeg 5B36AD87-4C3D-43E9-9AFA-0AE6B4D7616E.jpeg

Posting my topaz convertible pendant/ring and diamond pendant/brooch (yellow diamonds so kinda CS ya).

Sneaking in some group pics with other gems including my Paraiba that’s been keeping me happy...
2F762574-7217-4786-B4D9-2890B10CE9FD.jpeg

And my 4 yo son rushed to pass me his “treasure” to take photos as he felt I needed red since my “treasures are all blue and only a little bit of yellow and no red”. Such a cutie. Good eye for color too! Such an intense red.
DF5DF550-64BB-4A79-AE70-571F414AC61B.jpeg
 

voce

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 13, 2018
Messages
5,161
:love:
Such delicious eye candy, I'm definitely saving these to my inspirations folder! :kiss2: I love how it looks on you and enjoyed seeing the family shots of blues. Your 4yo sounds cute and I'm sure the cuteness will be multiplied if he plays with @mellowyellowgirl's kid.
 

Lovinggems

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
3,622
Wow love the convertible pendant/ring. How about a matching pair of earrings?
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
:love:
Such delicious eye candy, I'm definitely saving these to my inspirations folder! :kiss2: I love how it looks on you and enjoyed seeing the family shots of blues. Your 4yo sounds cute and I'm sure the cuteness will be multiplied if he plays with @mellowyellowgirl's kid.

Thank you! My 4 yo is a sweetheart. Very supportive of mama’s “treasures”.

Wow love the convertible pendant/ring. How about a matching pair of earrings?

I’m looking for some earrings indeed! Not much luck though. :lol:

Wasn’t happy with how the shank turned out so sent in the convertible for adjustments.
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
8595C0D8-C44E-4807-80ED-D429422DC883.jpeg E3E4F9D9-6F66-40DF-9A2F-8AC852F3C35A.jpeg
Bought the bubblegum pink tourmaline cabs for earring drops, a really clean 4 ct moonstone and a pair of zircons (8mm, but windowed) at the recent Singapore fair.

7B1BB64C-2403-4F92-9E73-6EF38228B33F.jpeg

And a pair of bracelets, earrings and another donut from Kathy Jade’s anniversary sale... ruyi pendant also from Kathy but an earlier buy.

Love the bracelets. The greens are the kind of green that costs a fortune in bigger sizes. Since I can’t afford those I can only get itty bitty ones to scratch the itch.
 

mellowyellowgirl

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
May 17, 2014
Messages
6,173
Omg just fabulous @icy_jade

Love love love all the jade and the tourmaline cabs.
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
Haven’t updated this for so long but @qubitasaurus said she enjoyed reading my adventures so ok wanted to update but the pics I took today turned out mostly crappy... plus I really can’t recall what I haven’t posted... here’s some of them... pics turned out darker than the stones looked...

Various jadeite, two paraiba, a huge rose zircon, rubies...
15ED6880-65BC-41B7-B93F-244DC049B070.jpeg

Also took these a little while back... family shot of most of my jadeite collection...
9469BDC4-E68B-4DB9-B272-0F8B4323CE8C.jpeg

Green jadeite...
D74E3DFE-A796-48E5-B3C9-161658ABA854.jpeg

Pendants without the new convertible paraiba and purple jadeite cab in first pic...
1C4BC589-0C7E-4611-BE16-6776A411EA1F.jpeg

Most of my icy/glassy jadeite collection - missing the long drop pendant (in first pic)...
7DB318D9-34C7-4C3E-A025-B8E9F426BA46.jpeg

Growing rings collection... ruby and diamonds on ring finger,
Moonstone, paraiba, star sapphire and topaz on middle
And pearls (old collection)
6479AFC0-0DF5-4E52-ACDB-1D30F1C91760.jpeg

Maybe I should post regularly so that I won’t keep buying. I actually feel a bit embarrassed about buying so many things... o_O
 

voce

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 13, 2018
Messages
5,161
I love your family photos! :kiss2:

CS is addictive. I'm also embarrassed by how much I bought. I added the numbers up, and it was twice what I had THOUGHT I spent...:oops2: at least I am aware of it now, though.
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
I love your family photos! :kiss2:

CS is addictive. I'm also embarrassed by how much I bought. I added the numbers up, and it was twice what I had THOUGHT I spent...:oops2: at least I am aware of it now, though.

Yeah... if it gets too much I’ll have to give myself a total ban... at least I still dare to do family shots for cs. For pearls I don’t even dare to... plus I’m not sure I have the space hahahah. Maybe need to use a king sized bed and a ladder.

Yes I totally love this thread, everything in it is gorgeous :dance:.

Thank you!

Gorgeous collection!!!!

What did you decide with the sapphire?

Still thinking... yeah great thinker I am. :lol:

===

Ok I have a long hair coloring session coming up so here’s a quick preview of what I did this morning. Not the best layout but was in a hurry before my (work) call started.

Most of my jadeite collection except the bangles.
189A9956-6DC8-4E1F-AE39-279FFBB77C2B.jpeg
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
25,156
Moonstones from Sri Lanka
055778FC-C3A3-421B-88E6-8B435D062E57.jpeg

I think they look nice n clear with good blue sheen on the two bigger stones... is there anything I should be checking for? Certification is expensive so probably not worth it vs cost of stones?

Paging @Burmesedaze and any other experienced PS-ers for advice. TIA!
The blue sheen should be floating atop the stone, like a ghost. Fake moonstone looks like opalescent glass, and doesn’t have this “blue sheen floating” characteristic of adularescence. Very nice clean moonstones! I also like to buy them loose as you did, because many are real but set with a closed blue backing. If you do buy a set moonstone, never buy one with a closed back.
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
The blue sheen should be floating atop the stone, like a ghost. Fake moonstone looks like opalescent glass, and doesn’t have this “blue sheen floating” characteristic of adularescence. Very nice clean moonstones! I also like to buy them loose as you did, because many are real but set with a closed blue backing. If you do buy a set moonstone, never buy one with a closed back.

How do you set them with a blue backing? My jeweller mentioned using black gold but in the end mine was set without any backing.

This is a cleaner (less milky) 4.06 ct moonstone but with less blue sheen.

C738C6E1-4479-473F-91D6-F52D92CE2FF1.jpeg 52186509-C85A-49C0-B20C-E1E84E9287F8.jpeg

I really should set my other moonstones ::)
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
I’ve also gotten a few jadeite pieces, most recently this purple cab set with seed pearls.

9A4325B7-CB9D-492B-86A2-09BD1D98BFAB.jpeg
Really high dome, the cab measures 1.5x1.3x0.75cm. Color is more accurate in above pic. Hard to photograph as it tends to look really saturated in most lighting.
865C60D7-770E-4202-9F9D-BFFC3517A507.jpeg
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
A few rubies... unheated silky Mozambique 1.2ct in ring, heated Burmese studs and heated Mozambique dangles (previously studs but converted to dangles as it was a bit too big as studs).

I don’t think I’ve ever photographed them accurately... the colors are either always too saturated (making the stones look more opaque than they are, esp the silky Mozambique), or the pink modifiers come out too strong making the studs and ring look way pinker than they are in real life.

The ring was an unexpected buy since I had been looking for a bigger, more crystalline ruby... but hey when you fall in love what can you do? Then of course I needed earrings...

83FB92BE-5338-40B7-A297-DEB27FFA95EB.jpeg 25599C7B-1252-4254-ADD4-2D40FEB274D4.jpeg

Love it when the ruby glows... does that a lot due to the silk I think...
05085104-1E05-488E-A863-3748351A1F05.jpeg

And fun to play with UV light too
3C74496E-CF3D-4C0A-BE0F-E9F96F2242A2.jpeg

Yeah the Burmese one really fluorescences much more.

And yeah it always looks different vs irl.
104464D1-09FB-4E70-A367-18C0C002AFDC.jpeg
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
25,156
How do you set them with a blue backing? My jeweller mentioned using black gold but in the end mine was set without any backing.

This is a cleaner (less milky) 4.06 ct moonstone but with less blue sheen.

C738C6E1-4479-473F-91D6-F52D92CE2FF1.jpeg 52186509-C85A-49C0-B20C-E1E84E9287F8.jpeg

I really should set my other moonstones ::)
You have some really beautiful moonstones. The high cabochons are particularly a favorite of mine.

To answer your question, one can use blue foil or paper to put behind the gem . The backings sometimes craze due to trapped moisture or not being adequately secured, and you can see this.
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
Ok last one... and this is a funny stone cos it’s the only one where I’m always trying to make it look worse rather than better.

It’s a preloved convertible ring/pendant from Therealreal that was indicated as a tourmaline rather than a paraiba. 3.58 ct paraiba with 0.34 ct diamond in 18k WG setting

And the vendor pic is on the left. So I really had a surprise when I opened the package and saw what it really looked like. The pic on the right shows it as being much more glowy than it is irl.
435DED32-93DC-4531-BF7F-8222EEA88639.jpeg

Irl the color isn’t so intense nor is it so glowy. My other paraiba pendant is much more glowy irl (but not visible from photo) but in photos this one really pops.

Anyway thankfully it checked out as paraiba after being tested in my local lab cos it was a huge gamble...
F47C56ED-2D4C-42D6-A3BA-762794A8FAA6.jpeg C3F89057-D91E-4D82-B7D8-1A861A79B366.jpeg 9391D825-3FE3-4A4D-989F-6742C661E22B.jpeg

And this is me trying to make it look not so glowy. I have so many pics like this and most ‘fail’ cos too glowy. Like I said, funny stone. :lol-2:
3A4922C7-D605-44E8-BA36-9585759CDFE0.jpeg
 

lucida818

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Sep 5, 2015
Messages
646
Hello @icy_jade - The upcoming SIJE July 18-21
Any plan to invite fellow Singapore based PS-ers to visit together?
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
25,156
How do you set them with a blue backing? My jeweller mentioned using black gold but in the end mine was set without any backing.

This is a cleaner (less milky) 4.06 ct moonstone but with less blue sheen.

C738C6E1-4479-473F-91D6-F52D92CE2FF1.jpeg 52186509-C85A-49C0-B20C-E1E84E9287F8.jpeg

I really should set my other moonstones ::)
Sorry, didn’t see this question till now. Yes some unscrupulous vendors don’t disclose a blue backing which can be paper or foil. Moisture will affect the backing over time. A fine blue moonstone doesn’t need any backing. Your stone and ring are gorgeous, and I love the high cabochon and crystal clarity. Gorgeous!!
 

icy_jade

Ideal_Rock
Joined
May 1, 2009
Messages
6,131
Hello @icy_jade - The upcoming SIJE July 18-21
Any plan to invite fellow Singapore based PS-ers to visit together?

Hi Lucida, no plans - I may have a work trip at that time but if I do go then I’ll prob bump into a few friends there and just take my time to look at stuff and browse.
 
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