shape
carat
color
clarity

My modest gem corner

Avondale

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,051
My most recent purchase inspired me to make a separate thread. Or should I say, the tangible lack of reciprocity for my bursting enthusiasm for my new ring in the rest of the people in my social circle stimulated me to consider expressing said enthusiasm to a more partial audience. :mrgreen:

Without further ado, here's my newest sapphire ring. It is my first purchase since joining PS and comes from the PS family. The centre stone is 1.03ct, unheated, blue with a touch of violet. It came certified by AGTA and the ring setting is 14k engraved white gold from Stuller. I bought it from @ilovegemstones who I presume was willing to part with it only because she got an upgrade earlier this year. It really is a beautiful ring.

1666366040360.png

This is a very photogenic gem. Like, a very very very photogenic gem, to the point where I actually have to colour-correct the photos to make them look a bit more like what the stone is in real life. And even then, they still don't look quite right when looking at them on my computer screen.

In reality it is a very gentle blue with a touch of violet. It's not sapphire cornflower blue, but the actual flower cornflower blue (if that makes sense). In terms of saturation I would say it's somewhere in the middle and if the light is meh it can look just a tiny bit grayish. I find it to be very sparkly and even though there are some minor inclusions, they're very difficult, almost impossible to notice with the naked eye.

Typical for a sapphire, it has character. Indoor during the day it can look baby blue. In the sun it becomes vibrant and intense. And in late afternoon it started throwing pink-purplish flashes! (This photo is not colour-corrected. See what I mean about it being photogenic?)

0-02-05-b752352552f74a31e1eb4b56669bad52af88698c41f0678cc4c5fd5ed38b603e_b02a30ffc79960da.jpg

Curious thing is it fluoresces red under LW UV light. From what I read this is indicative of Sri Lanka origin, which (even though not mentioned on the certificate) is consistent with the description given by the original seller.

* * *

My second sapphire ring I got last summer, shortly before I joined PS. My husband tricked me into visiting the jewelry shop so I that I can see the stone. I fell for it instantly. It's like it crawled under my skin and grew roots in my brain, I was obsessed with it. So we bought it relying only on the honest word of the (admittedly very reputable) jeweler. Didn't know any better back then, but I did get it certified afterwards and everything checked out.

It's 2.11ct, heated and from Sri Lanka (the gemologist I spoke with was very certain of the origin, said there were some inclusions which were very indicative of that region). It's this rich, vivid, deep blue-blue that I can stare into for ages. The drawback is as soon as the light gets meh, it darkens quite a bit, but it doesn't bother me personally because even then it throws gorgeous blue flashes. Plus, the fact that it's not the ideal open colour that asks for the big $$$ meant we could get it without making too painful a dent in our budget.

Setting is 14k white gold and the jeweler helped me design it. It was meant as an everyday ring that I can wear with everything and in any setting. I have barely taken it off my finger for the past year.

0-02-05-4b6b44ca83f850b3cdc8bb7a85adf1eb72238f1250adebbbd975c929062bc521_f48a0212b85be06c.jpg


And finally, here are the two together. I believe I've said this before, I'm a sucker for blues.

0-02-05-e8a4dad45560d7a8a1125ac424af8a08fa30f0748381841756d8291e33819c1d_4bef7fefc20ca935.jpg
 

Mrsz1ppy

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Feb 23, 2012
Messages
1,298
I am a sucker for sapphire rings. Love yours! There are so many different shades of blue that I get lost in, it’s impossible to have just one! Look forward to seeing your collection grow. I think your taste is excellent.
 

elle_71125

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
6,202
Congrats on your first PS purchase! I love your gorgeous new sapphire. I think the color is perfect. :kiss2: I’m actually partial to the lighter blues because they don’t really get too dark in poor lighting, unlike their darker blue counterparts. The setting is gorgeous too. I love the engraving.

I think we can all relate to the outside world’s lackluster interest in our gem hobbies. Thank goodness for PS, where we can share to our hearts content in a like minded community. :mrgreen:
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
4,247
Both gorgeous, but I really love that first stone (and ring)!! How fun that this is your first purchase since joining PS, AND it was from a PSer. You made me laugh when you mentioned the lack of enthusiasm from friends and family. I could show mine JLo's ("old") pink diamond and they'd just shrug.
gaah.gif
Thank goodness we can properly drool over each other's pretties here. Enjoy!!
 

Avondale

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,051
What gorgeous photos of two beautiful rings! I am so glad it went to you and that you love it! The other one is such an amazing colour. Happy for you!!!!!

And I'm so glad you agreed to sell it to me! I don't understand how no one had managed to snatch it before me. Guess I'll just thank my luck, count my blessings and gloat just a bit that it is now mine, mine, mine. :twisted: And, you know, everyone seems love the engraving and that's entirely to your credit.

I am a sucker for sapphire rings. Love yours! There are so many different shades of blue that I get lost in, it’s impossible to have just one! Look forward to seeing your collection grow. I think your taste is excellent.

Coming from you that means a a lot because I always love the pieces and stones you choose to buy, you have an eye for the exquisite.
Sapphires are becoming more and more like a bottomless rabbit hole. They're mesmerizing. Each one feels like a someone rather than something in the sense that it takes time to get to know it. They can perform so differently depending on so many conditions and it's fascinating to observe.

Congrats on your first PS purchase! I love your gorgeous new sapphire. I think the color is perfect. :kiss2: I’m actually partial to the lighter blues because they don’t really get too dark in poor lighting, unlike their darker blue counterparts. The setting is gorgeous too. I love the engraving.
Both gorgeous, but I really love that first stone (and ring)!! How fun that this is your first purchase since joining PS, AND it was from a PSer.

It was only fitting after learning so much from PS to also buy from PS. :dance: If I was forced to choose between lighter and darker, I'd probably go with the latter, but thankfully no one is forcing me to make such a choice. As enchanting as darker blues are to me, there's something so calming and gentle about lighter shades and I'm happy I finally have one on my finger.

I think we can all relate to the outside world’s lackluster interest in our gem hobbies. Thank goodness for PS, where we can share to our hearts content in a like minded community. :mrgreen:
You made me laugh when you mentioned the lack of enthusiasm from friends and family. I could show mine JLo's ("old") pink diamond and they'd just shrug.
gaah.gif
Thank goodness we can properly drool over each other's pretties here.

Tell me about it! Admittedly, my husband is willing to listen to my gushing, but he does it just because we're married, he lacks the inner enthusiasm I need to see to feel satisfied. :bigsmile:

They are both so beautiful!!!

Thank you! ::)
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,856
Modest my ass, those are some really nice sapphires!:lol:
I love both of those blues. They are both beautifully saturated. They definitely hold their own:love:
 

88_star

Shiny_Rock
Trade
Joined
Mar 1, 2022
Messages
217
Team blue forever! Such gorgeous rings!
 

LightBright

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Mar 11, 2013
Messages
1,625
Wow, so gorgeous! I love the color, settings, cut. Thank you for sharing these beauties!
 

Gloria27

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
984
And I'm so glad you agreed to sell it to me! I don't understand how no one had managed to snatch it before me. Guess I'll just thank my luck, count my blessings and gloat just a bit that it is now mine, mine, mine. :twisted: And, you know, everyone seems love the engraving and that's entirely to your credit.



Coming from you that means a a lot because I always love the pieces and stones you choose to buy, you have an eye for the exquisite.
Sapphires are becoming more and more like a bottomless rabbit hole. They're mesmerizing. Each one feels like a someone rather than something in the sense that it takes time to get to know it. They can perform so differently depending on so many conditions and it's fascinating to observe.




It was only fitting after learning so much from PS to also buy from PS. :dance: If I was forced to choose between lighter and darker, I'd probably go with the latter, but thankfully no one is forcing me to make such a choice. As enchanting as darker blues are to me, there's something so calming and gentle about lighter shades and I'm happy I finally have one on my finger.




Tell me about it! Admittedly, my husband is willing to listen to my gushing, but he does it just because we're married, he lacks the inner enthusiasm I need to see to feel satisfied. :bigsmile:



Thank you! ::)
OMG I can relate! I sometimes catch my hubby spacing out when I start talking about stones :lol::lol::lol:

Btw, beautiful stones, both!
 

caf

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Nov 26, 2013
Messages
1,611
Lovely!
 

Avondale

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,051
Modest my ass

Weeeell, they're technically neither big, very valuable, nor surrounded by a constellation of diamonds... 8)I'm at the point in my life where I'm just starting to get the budget and it's a beer budget still. :lol: Long way to go before we reach the champagne.

OMG I can relate! I sometimes catch my hubby spacing out when I start talking about stones :lol::lol::lol:

If anything, hubbies need a gold start for trying. Even though the results may vary, the effort is very much appreciated! :clap:

Gorgeous!!!!!
Team blue forever! Such gorgeous rings!
Wow, so gorgeous! I love the color, settings, cut. Thank you for sharing these beauties!
So beautiful! And I totally understand what you mean by other people’s lack of enthusiasm. I love being part of PriceScope where my passion for jewelry is shared.

Thank you! <3 It's so nice to be able to share with like-minded crowd.


Some more photos can't hurt, right? Here's a sunshine picture:

image1.jpeg

And here's another too-photogenic-not-quite-in-touch-with-reality picture:

image0.jpeg

(I remember reading it somewhere on PS a while ago, in an old thread, that fine gems photograph easily, without needing to find the angle or the light to make them look decent. However, this is ridiculous.)
 

Avondale

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,051
While the rest of you are probably stalking Black Friday deals on jewellery and gems, my humble self demolished her budged buying this baby:

134723AA-E156-4208-9C25-D4DE9AF0514B.jpeg

Baby... did I say baby? I'm sorry, I meant monstrosity. It weighs nearly a kilo. I don't know what I was thinking but I clearly wasn't in my right mind. :loopy:

Anyway, it arrived on Monday and I had to try it on something, so I'll just add some more pictures to this thread.

I attempted this thing where you plop treasure on plant life. Looked better when others were doing it.
DSC00040-001.JPG

DSC00095-001.JPG

I love the look of a picture with a shallow depth of field. My iphone can't do that!
DSC00100-001.JPG

DSC00093-002.jpg
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,856
So, what you're saying is, if I get a fancy mechanical eyeball tube and a camera my terrible pictures might not be blurry and off color? :lol: Pfft.
I think the pictures look great, and I hope you have a ton of fun using your camera. More pictures(that are not mine own terrible) are always welcome!
 
Joined
Jan 20, 2012
Messages
4,247
I attempted this thing where you plop treasure on plant life. Looked better when others were doing it.
DSC00040-001.JPG

This cracked me up!! You know who's great at that? @CBianco Anyway, I think investing in a good camera is an excellent expenditure. I wish I could stop buying gems long enough to properly shop one myself. Your photos look great, and your jewels look fantabulous!!
 

CBianco

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Nov 25, 2021
Messages
589
This cracked me up!! You know who's great at that? @CBianco Anyway, I think investing in a good camera is an excellent expenditure. I wish I could stop buying gems long enough to properly shop one myself. Your photos look great, and your jewels look fantabulous!!

Oh you shouldn't, I don't really know what I'm doing :lol: But I nominate @elle_71125 to be best at it;)2

Your pictures look great @Avondale! I'm sure you'll get the hang of it quickly!
 

Avondale

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,051
So, what you're saying is, if I get a fancy mechanical eyeball tube and a camera my terrible pictures might not be blurry and off color? :lol: Pfft.

I wish! Pictures look dramatically different across the different screens I have. There's no way to adequately gauge if the camera is correct or not. Since I want to get familiar with post-processing I did touch up the raw file of the last image to get a colour that seems accurate to my eye, not that it's doing much good when I open PS on my phone. :blackeye:

But I nominate @elle_71125 to be best at it;)2

You two can start a thread. Jewellery in nature. Or you could use "plop treasure on plant life" if you like it, I have no copyright claims to it. :lol: The thing is, it looks so good when you see good pictures of it, and then you try it, and it's... uuuh... :eh:

Anyway, I think investing in a good camera is an excellent expenditure.

Well, I sure hope so, otherwise I spent what could've been half my ruby budget on a paper weight. :D If I'm honest, a phone is so much more convenient for taking hand pictures. It's difficult to operate a heavy and bulky camera with one hand only, especially when manual focus turned out to be so critical.

But really, the main point was to have a decent camera to take pictures when traveling. and for that purpose I believe it will serve well. Phones nowadays can do much, but they can't do all.
 

elle_71125

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
6,202
I wish! Pictures look dramatically different across the different screens I have. There's no way to adequately gauge if the camera is correct or not. Since I want to get familiar with post-processing I did touch up the raw file of the last image to get a colour that seems accurate to my eye, not that it's doing much good when I open PS on my phone. :blackeye:



You two can start a thread. Jewellery in nature. Or you could use "plop treasure on plant life" if you like it, I have no copyright claims to it. :lol: The thing is, it looks so good when you see good pictures of it, and then you try it, and it's... uuuh... :eh:



Well, I sure hope so, otherwise I spent what could've been half my ruby budget on a paper weight. :D If I'm honest, a phone is so much more convenient for taking hand pictures. It's difficult to operate a heavy and bulky camera with one hand only, especially when manual focus turned out to be so critical.

But really, the main point was to have a decent camera to take pictures when traveling. and for that purpose I believe it will serve well. Phones nowadays can do much, but they can't do all.

I think your plop on plant life pics turned out pretty damn great! :mrgreen: And it's only just the beginning. You just bought that gorgeous looking camera after all. I bet it's going to come in real handy on your trip. And I, for one, really hope you come back and share some of those pics so we can live vicariously through you. :love:


Big thank you to @CBianco and @Autumn in New England for the kind words. It gives me all those warm and squishy feelings. :kiss2: Personally, I think @CBianco takes gorgeous bling pics (and what I would give for her long luscious locks).
 

rubyshoes

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Apr 12, 2011
Messages
714
My most recent purchase inspired me to make a separate thread. Or should I say, the tangible lack of reciprocity for my bursting enthusiasm for my new ring in the rest of the people in my social circle stimulated me to consider expressing said enthusiasm to a more partial audience. :mrgreen:

Without further ado, here's my newest sapphire ring. It is my first purchase since joining PS and comes from the PS family. The centre stone is 1.03ct, unheated, blue with a touch of violet. It came certified by AGTA and the ring setting is 14k engraved white gold from Stuller. I bought it from @ilovegemstones who I presume was willing to part with it only because she got an upgrade earlier this year. It really is a beautiful ring.

1666366040360.png

This is a very photogenic gem. Like, a very very very photogenic gem, to the point where I actually have to colour-correct the photos to make them look a bit more like what the stone is in real life. And even then, they still don't look quite right when looking at them on my computer screen.

In reality it is a very gentle blue with a touch of violet. It's not sapphire cornflower blue, but the actual flower cornflower blue (if that makes sense). In terms of saturation I would say it's somewhere in the middle and if the light is meh it can look just a tiny bit grayish. I find it to be very sparkly and even though there are some minor inclusions, they're very difficult, almost impossible to notice with the naked eye.

Typical for a sapphire, it has character. Indoor during the day it can look baby blue. In the sun it becomes vibrant and intense. And in late afternoon it started throwing pink-purplish flashes! (This photo is not colour-corrected. See what I mean about it being photogenic?)

0-02-05-b752352552f74a31e1eb4b56669bad52af88698c41f0678cc4c5fd5ed38b603e_b02a30ffc79960da.jpg

Curious thing is it fluoresces red under LW UV light. From what I read this is indicative of Sri Lanka origin, which (even though not mentioned on the certificate) is consistent with the description given by the original seller.

* * *

My second sapphire ring I got last summer, shortly before I joined PS. My husband tricked me into visiting the jewelry shop so I that I can see the stone. I fell for it instantly. It's like it crawled under my skin and grew roots in my brain, I was obsessed with it. So we bought it relying only on the honest word of the (admittedly very reputable) jeweler. Didn't know any better back then, but I did get it certified afterwards and everything checked out.

It's 2.11ct, heated and from Sri Lanka (the gemologist I spoke with was very certain of the origin, said there were some inclusions which were very indicative of that region). It's this rich, vivid, deep blue-blue that I can stare into for ages. The drawback is as soon as the light gets meh, it darkens quite a bit, but it doesn't bother me personally because even then it throws gorgeous blue flashes. Plus, the fact that it's not the ideal open colour that asks for the big $$$ meant we could get it without making too painful a dent in our budget.

Setting is 14k white gold and the jeweler helped me design it. It was meant as an everyday ring that I can wear with everything and in any setting. I have barely taken it off my finger for the past year.

0-02-05-4b6b44ca83f850b3cdc8bb7a85adf1eb72238f1250adebbbd975c929062bc521_f48a0212b85be06c.jpg


And finally, here are the two together. I believe I've said this before, I'm a sucker for blues.

0-02-05-e8a4dad45560d7a8a1125ac424af8a08fa30f0748381841756d8291e33819c1d_4bef7fefc20ca935.jpg

I love sapphires and blue is one of my favorite colors. Your rings are gorgeous.
 

Avondale

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,051
A couple of new things to add to this thread.

Number 1 is the ruby ring I collected yesterday. There's a thread on it in SMTB with more pictures, including WIP ones.

935394

Right now I'm in the honeymoon phase where I'm just staring at my hand non-stop and taking between 20 and 30 pictures per day. You know what I mean? Yeah...

Anyway while I was at the jeweller for the WIP visit a pair of carved coral rose earrings caught my eye. He just reached underneath the counter and pulled an entire package of roses of all different shapes and sizes. I selected this sweet pair:

0-02-05-abfd324d3b5d1a2f9d4049d95b54453348448cd6c9bc35f0ca61f2ed6770b235_69b4111e95414bcd.jpg

I asked him to set them aside for me while I muse what kind of earrings to make of them. Instead he just handed them to me to take home until I decide. I was torn between studs and leverbacks. On one hand studs are the most universal design for such pieces, but they're uncomfortable and prick my neck every time I talk on the phone. Leverbacks, on the other hand, have a very different look to them.

Andyway, I returned them yesterday when I went to pick up my ring and placed an order for the earrings. I decided to go with leverbacks for comfort, and a simple metal only design. They should be ready probably in a month, sometime in June.
 

elle_71125

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jan 29, 2012
Messages
6,202
A couple of new things to add to this thread.

Number 1 is the ruby ring I collected yesterday. There's a thread on it in SMTB with more pictures, including WIP ones.

IMG_1203.JPG

Right now I'm in the honeymoon phase where I'm just staring at my hand non-stop and taking between 20 and 30 pictures per day. You know what I mean? Yeah...

Anyway while I was at the jeweller for the WIP visit a pair of carved coral rose earrings caught my eye. He just reached underneath the counter and pulled an entire package of roses of all different shapes and sizes. I selected this sweet pair:

0-02-05-abfd324d3b5d1a2f9d4049d95b54453348448cd6c9bc35f0ca61f2ed6770b235_69b4111e95414bcd.jpg

I asked him to set them aside for me while I muse what kind of earrings to make of them. Instead he just handed them to me to take home until I decide. I was torn between studs and leverbacks. On one hand studs are the most universal design for such pieces, but they're uncomfortable and prick my neck every time I talk on the phone. Leverbacks, on the other hand, have a very different look to them.

Andyway, I returned them yesterday when I went to pick up my ring and placed an order for the earrings. I decided to go with leverbacks for comfort, and a simple metal only design. They should be ready probably in a month, sometime in June.

That ruby ring is swoon worthy! I’m off to go ogle all the pics in that thread now. :kiss2::kiss2:
 

Avondale

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Oct 31, 2021
Messages
1,051
They’re here! ::)

F5E13BA8-59F1-4E72-A4E7-3561EA641602.jpeg

They’re a gentle pink in real life, the camera always makes them look more orange. I love the way they turned out, and they’re so comfy! I can’t feel them at all. The lady who took my measurements did an excellent job.
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,856
They’re here! ::)

F5E13BA8-59F1-4E72-A4E7-3561EA641602.jpeg

They’re a gentle pink in real life, the camera always makes them look more orange. I love the way they turned out, and they’re so comfy! I can’t feel them at all. The lady who took my measurements did an excellent job.

Very pretty, and a great tone on you!
 

Catmom

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
12,494
Oh I love your two rings and the earrings! I, too, am a sucker for blue. Anything that's blue I want, lol. The earrings are so sweet and they look perfect on the leverbacks.
 
Be a part of the community Get 3 HCA Results
Top