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New Stones for These Earrings -- Best Way?

JewelFreak

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
7,768
I've had these earrings for about 15 yrs but haven't worn them in around 10. Dork that I am, I steam cleaned them without checking on temp resistance & wrecked the chalcedony. My photo skills are dreadful so the pic isn't real sharp -- the settings are silver w/pave diamonds on the apple leaf & a rc diamond as the stem. They're about 9 mm x 8 mm. I like them; they weren't real expensive but I want to put new stones in them.

Maybe make them red apples, with red spinels or garnets; or green ones w/demantoids or peridots. Need cabs but they'd have to be custom cut.

I have never done this before -- would obviously have to send the mountings to whoever cuts the stones. Should it be somebody who can set them too? Makes the most sense? Any best recommendations? Thanks!

--- Laurie

earrings.jpg
 
So sorry to hear that the chalcedony is ruined! They look lovely and unique.

They look very nice, and it seems they are made for cabs. JMO. Recently I was debating whether to replace a malachite cabochon in my bezel ring, and Michael E explained how to do it. He said that if I had larger cabochon, it could be cut, sort of trimmed, to fit the bezel. Your earrings are not bezels, which makes it simpler. And they are smaller. (It seems to me that Michael E also sets stones, at least there were several posts made by PS-ers who had rings made by him).

Question is, how expensive the project may be. Also, is there anything not to restore the chalcedony, but to mitigate the damage? Some varnish? Oil or polymer?
 
Trying to restore them is an idea, Crasru. I could look up if there's any way to do it. Wouldn't want to spend tons on new stones but if it's not more than a couple hundred bucks it would be worth it to me. I have no idea how much that sort of thing would cost, actually.

--- Laurie
 
Hi Laurie:

Those are really beautiful, especially the chalcedony. What do they look like now, because if that's an "after" photo, they look gorgeous to me. So I would be asking myself why I don't wear them. I'd do it only If the reason you don't wear them is the color and that you'll wear them if they are red stones. For me, so much of wearing earrings is the way they close (I just can't stand posts. :o :wacko: ) and how they look/hang.

If you are going to have them replaced, you'll probably have to find a jeweler who will do it all, since they will have to have some latitude with the stones and making them work. But I thought you had a go to jeweler you trust?

Anyway, cool project, Good Luck! :wavey: :appl:

-Minou
 
Thanks, Minou. That IS the after pic, but it's not real defined. The chalcedony was lovely & translucent but heat made it unevenly opaque. It just isn't its pretty liquid smooth self anymore. I've worn them a few times without much joy.

Don't have a go-to jeweler here -- it's a small city without a heck of a lot of jeweler skill. Certainly nobody who could cut stones for me. If I can't renovate the chalcedony (and I kinda doubt it but could be wrong), I guess my next act should be sending photos to some stone cutters & asking if they can do replacements & how much. Sigh, my own darn fault in the first place.

--- laurie
 
Wow, if that is the after pic, they must have been unbelievably beautiful :love: before. From the photo, they still look pretty translucent, but I wouldn't want to wear them either if every time I put them on I was disappointed with them. :errrr:
 
Are they then "cracked" or simply now clouded? Im thinking that if the steaming only clouded them it could be just a surface thing that could be polished out. If you need to have new ones cut then I do think Michael E would be good to contact since he can both cut and set. Then also you could have him make another set(s) with pink chalcedony or carnelian with demantoids!
 
They're not cracked, just clouded. Great idea about the demantoids too! Don't think i want to pay for the pave & single tiny diamond to be replaced, though. They're ok, it's just the chalcedony. Usually it's a headache to get a GOOD pic of a stone -- in this case I didn't manage to show how annoying they are! They were really really pretty & the clouding is most evident on east & west edges of each earring.

Michael E is a great idea. I'll see what he says, thanks!

--- Laurie
 
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