pink ering HELP

[misspinky]

Hi everyone!

This is my first post on PS but I''ve been scouring the forums for a week to educate myself. I''m looking for a pink gem for the center of my engagement ring. I tend to like the lighter shades of pink but I''m not necessarily opposed to a more vibrant shade as long as it doesn''t look red. I also gravitate toward the cushion or asscher cuts.

I would like to have something that is equivalent to a 2-3 carat diamond in size. I''m planning on having it set with a halo of tiny pave diamonds.

Soooo...any suggestions? Kind of gem? What millimeter sizing? Specific cutters--I''ve heard a lot about Jeff White and Richard Homer; opinions?

Thank you SO much!

 

[nclrgirl]

I am by no means an expert, but I''ve been told that it''s best to stick with either diamonds or sapphires for e-rings due to durability of the stone. There are some pretty pink sapphires out there. Hopefully someone with more knowledge than me can help you more. Good luck, and welcome!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Pink sapphire or spinel all the way! Jeff is great, he is very recommended.

 

[Pandora II]

I''d go for a pink sapphire for durability issues.

Check out Natural Sapphire Company to get some idea of the shade that you like. Then it will be easier to describe to a vendor what you are after.

Welcome to the coloured e-ring world

 

[misspinky]

Thank you so much for the input so far. I took a look at the Natural Sapphire Company and these were a few that I was drawn to:


http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Pink/Cushion/stoneid=P2017
-way too big but I love the color and cut

http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Pink/Round/stoneid=P2143
-I like the color of this one too but am not in love with the cut

http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Pink/Cushion/stoneid=P573
-Love the color of this one



Any thoughts?

 

[tradergirl]

This company is very reputable and has really nice sapphires. Here''s a liight pink one. You can also ask him to find one for you.

http://wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/6695

 

[neatfreak]

I would call NSC with your budget and ask them if they have stones they recommend. Jeff White is also amazing, I have a sapphire from him that is TDF. But you need to be willing to wait awhile if you want to work with him.

Personally, I wouldn't buy any of the stones you linked to for an ering (except maybe the first one if you liked the different color look). And the one Trader linked to isn't really nice either (sorry!), it has a huge bowtie/window in the middle that wouldn't be good and in the comments it says it's really white with a hint of pink...

We really need to know a budget before we can start helping more, pink sapphires in 2-3 carat range can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to many thousands!

Richard Homer is also great if you love his cuts. Wink Jones can help you get Richard's stones and he is also a great vendor in general for colored stones. I'd give him a call too.

 

[innerkitten]

A pink sapphire engagement ring would be lovely.

How about cherrypicked.com
http://www.cherrypicked.com/Gallery/GeneralSearch.aspx?

or Simplysapphires.com or even gemfix.com

 

[misspinky]

Date: 7/5/2008 2:26:39 PM
Author: neatfreak
I would call NSC with your budget and ask them if they have stones they recommend. Jeff White is also amazing, I have a sapphire from him that is TDF. But you need to be willing to wait awhile if you want to work with him.


Personally, I wouldn''t buy any of the stones you linked to for an ering (except maybe the first one if you liked the different color look). And the one Trader linked to isn''t really nice either (sorry!), it has a huge bowtie/window in the middle that wouldn''t be good and in the comments it says it''s really white with a hint of pink...


We really need to know a budget before we can start helping more, pink sapphires in 2-3 carat range can be anywhere from a few hundred dollars to many thousands!


Richard Homer is also great if you love his cuts. Wink Jones can help you get Richard''s stones and he is also a great vendor in general for colored stones. I''d give him a call too.

Thanks so much for your input. I contacted Richard Homer and he''s hunting for some prospects for me. In the meantime I went to his website to search the available inventory. Not a whole lot of pink sapphires, but some gorgeous pink tourmalines and spinels. I don''t know much about these stones...are they too soft to be used in an ering? What if I''m REALLY careful with it?

 

[misspinky]

Here''s one of the tourmalines that I loved the color of. Opinions?

 

[neatfreak]

Too soft for a daily wear ering IMO...

It depends on whether you are sentimental. If you are ok replacing the stone down the line AND are really careful with it, it will last a number of years. If this is a ring you want to have until you die AND it won''t be a special occasion ring, I would stay away from something so soft.

Spinel is a middle ground...but again, sapphire is harder and an overall better choice.

 

[misspinky]

Here''s a Jeff White spinel that I loved

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/5/2008 2:50:48 PM
Author: misspinky
Here''s a Jeff White spinel that I loved

We all love that...a PSer owns it! I have the blue/purplish sapphire asscher from him. LOVE it!

 

[misspinky]

Date: 7/5/2008 2:52:43 PM
Author: neatfreak

Date: 7/5/2008 2:50:48 PM

Author: misspinky

Here''s a Jeff White spinel that I loved

We all love that...a PSer owns it! I have the blue/purplish sapphire asscher from him. LOVE it!

I figured that a PSer would own it--what with the impeccable taste I''ve seen in the forums. Maybe I''ll give him a call and see if I could get a similar one...

 

[misspinky]

here''s another Jeff White spinel that I like

 

[misspinky]

opinions on this one:

3.240 Carat
Lavender Pink
Light Medium 40
Lightly Included
Details:
GRADING REPORT CSPIP8
Identification: Pink Spinel
Carat: 3.240
Shape: Oval
Measures: 9.49x8.71x5.20
Color Grade: Very Good
Tone: Light Medium 40
Color Zoning: None
Clarity: Lightly Included
Cutting Grade: Good (flaw in back - invisible from the front)
Brilliancy: 75%
Depth: 60%
Origin: Adam''s Peak, Sri Lanka
Treatment: None



Overall Grade: Good



Comment: Bright colored spinel with good luster and tints of stronger red. Lucid crystal and lively luster. Elegant color combination in good size. Moderately priced due to a tiny flaw in the back of the stone (not visible from the front).

 

[innerkitten]

While the color is very pretty I''m not loving it 100%. Maybe it''s the slight window. Could also just be the photo. Plus it seems to be more of a peach than a pink.

 

[misspinky]

Date: 7/5/2008 7:04:32 PM
Author: innerkitten
While the color is very pretty I''m not loving it 100%. Maybe it''s the slight window. Could also just be the photo. Plus it seems to be more of a peach than a pink.

I agree with you about the window--there weren''t any other pictures available. I LOVED the color and the price was pretty good (because of the flaw on the back) so I thought it was worth looking in to.

 

[LD]

Have you thought about Morganite? It''s durable and very pretty, ranging from a peachy pink to a very strong rose pink. There''s also Kunzite but it can fade in sunlight so really not suitable for an e-ring.

 

[E B]

Depending on your budget, I''d hold out for a Jeff White pink asscher sapphire.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 7/5/2008 8:15:45 PM
Author: LovingDiamonds
Have you thought about Morganite? It''s durable and very pretty, ranging from a peachy pink to a very strong rose pink. There''s also Kunzite but it can fade in sunlight so really not suitable for an e-ring.

Morganite is a beryl, and thus is pretty soft actually. Not suitable for a daily wear ering really...it will get worn down or chipped very easily.

Something to remember is that the Moh''s scale is NOT linear. So a 7.5 is really quite a distance away from a 9 or 10 even though it seems close in numbers...does that make sense?

I personally would stay away from such a soft stone for a daily wear ring.

 

[stacy]

I wear a purple spinel as my engagement ring and haven''t had any problems. I have an 8.1 mm round set in a 6-prong Stuller Solstice setting. I wear the ring every day, but I don''t sleep in it or do hard physical labor with it on. So far, my experience has been great!

 

[valleygirl]

I would most definately go with padparadscha sapphire. It comes in a range of pink with hints of orange. Personally I like the softer color that is mostly pink with some peach. I find it very feminine and romantic. Just the name is romantic to me, padparadscha means lotus flower. Good luck with your search, you''ve definately contacted some great people who know what they''re doing. I''m working on a blue sapphire e-ring with Richard Homer and Wink Jones. They are just fantastic. Good luck and congrats!