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Please help me find an emerald for my grandmother!

LadyMCh

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Hello!
I have just started looking for an emerald to make a ring for my grandmother who is not quite 80yo. I hope to give it to her by this Christmas, at the latest. It will be set into a YG setting I already have. I'm working on a small budget of $500 MAX for the stone as she WILL NOT wear anything that even looks expensive. (For reference, she just freaked out after I impulse bought her a Citizen Eco Drive for about $200 after hearing for 2+ years that that would be her dream watch because it didn't need a battery...)
I was going to have a pearl put in the setting for her, but she recently lamented that though emerald is her birthstone, she has never had an emerald. I want to try make that dream come true for her. It doesn't have to big, flashy, perfect, or new...just good quality for the price. I would prefer a color darker than mint, though. Any recommendations appreciated!
 

chrono

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You mentioned that it is for an existing setting; do you have the dimension of the setting? Length x Width x Depth in mm?
 

LadyMCh

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It's a 6-prong (Tiffany-style) setting stuck on top of a cigar band. A local (reputable) jeweler said they should be able to just take the current prongs off and put on a different prong setting for a new stone. It previously held a a very highly set 10.5mm stone. It's two-tone white and yellow gold with three tiny diamonds on each side of where a center stone would be set flush into the band. Personally, I don't think the setting is very attractive at all, but it is sentimental to my grandmother, and she would like to wear it with something small set into it. The 10.5mm stone was out of place atop it.
 

chrono

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In that case, what mm size are you looking to get?

Are you all right if the stone is heavily treated? I ask this because $500 will not get you much for an emerald unless you don't mind an opaque stone. The lighter greens are more affordable but you stated that you prefer a darker green.
 

LadyMCh

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I don't know a whole lot about emeralds, so I'm not sure what "heavily treated" means! Sorry! But I am open to all suggestions! I'm going through the approved gemstone vendor list now hunting around for anything that looks nice...
Any thoughts on this one? http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=9951
 

chrono

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Looks decent for the price and size. Moderately included means there will be eye visible inclusions but this is to be expected for the price. I usually advice against such an included stone for a ring, but it might not be as risky since the emerald isn't that huge. She's only going to wear it occasionally, right?
 

LadyMCh

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Yeah, it will probably be a "Sunday to church" ring. She usually only wears her cluster anniversary ring and chippy band with small costume jewelry hoops. She grew up very poor, so she doesn't spend any money on luxury items. I just want her to have a little something emerald so that, for once in her life, she has a piece of jewelry that's her birthstone and a natural gemstone.

Do you see anything on africagems.com that would be any better? I was looking there, too...
 

chrono

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Sounds like this will be the perfect coloured stone for her then. I'm sure she'll be over the moon with it.
 

Nsmike

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Here's the discounted emerald page http://www.africagems.com/discounted-emerald.html It's worth a look I actually like the less expensive square cut better. I'd contact them for better pictures the one you've found may be better but too me emeralds just seem right in a square or rectangular cut.
 

qubitasaurus

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I would probably spend some time looking through emerald embassy.

http://www.embassyemeralds.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2

For instance this one might be suitable

http://www.embassyemeralds.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=623

(would need to ask more questions though).

I have also always liked this one. It is a bit over budget but they are having a sale at the end of the week, so it might be worth flicking through their inventory at that time.

https://www.mastercutgems.com/Produ...an_Emerald_65_ct_OLD_STOCK-Gem.php?FromPage=2



.
 

LadyMCh

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Well, I was worried I wouldn't have any options, but it looks like I have a couple pretty good ones! I really appreciate all the help! I haven't seen emeraldembassy before, so I'm flipping through their stock right now!
 

lovedogs

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LadyMCh|1469759917|4060407 said:
Well, I was worried I wouldn't have any options, but it looks like I have a couple pretty good ones! I really appreciate all the help! I haven't seen emeraldembassy before, so I'm flipping through their stock right now!

I definitely think you have great options! I like both the Litnon and Mastercut options, especially since we know those vendors are very helpful and offer good return policies. I'm not familiar with Emerald Embassy, but those look nice as well. I really like this idea and am sure that you're grandmother will be absolutely thrilled :)
 

Nsmike

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One question that hasn't been asked is; how important is it to you that it be a natural emerald? Emeralds are one stone that I sometime wonder if, a lab created stone, might be a better option than a poor natural stone. The down side is that a lab created stone will always be only worth duplication cost but if a natural stone is low quality how much appreciation potential is there. Africa Gems has some good quality Chatham emeralds available.
 

LadyMCh

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I definitely prefer a natural stone, even if it is small. I'm talking with my jeweler tomorrow about setting possibilities before I make a purchase. I'm not worried about if it ever appreciates. It's just a *little something* for my MeMe. :)
 

qubitasaurus

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I think the important thing for me would be to make sure there was a good reliable returns policy. Just in case the jewler has concerns about setting the stone once you've purchased it.

I always think that on the one hand emeralds are easy to appreciate and buy, becuase they face up so large for their ct. size and they can really glow. But on the other hand, sellecting the right one can be tricky -- because you have to take into account a lot of different factors to do with treatments. I.e. what type of treatment: is it modern (some kind of excel filling) or is it oiled? What degree: minor or moderate? Is it stable? I.e. oil drys out over time, and may cause the appearence of the stone to change (you can not simply reapply yourself because the oil is applied under high presure). With a relatively inexpensive stone I feel like it is not worth getting overly stressed about these things. But I might consider making sure the return policy is reliable, and taking it to my jewler for an opinion before setting :).

Having finally acutally read the thread properly-- I also like the litnon stone too!
 

Nsmike

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qubitasaurus|1469765121|4060421 said:
I think the important thing for me would be to make sure there was a good reliable returns policy. Just in case the jewler has concerns about setting the stone once you've purchased it.

I always think that on the one hand emeralds are easy to appreciate and buy, becuase they face up so large for their ct. size and they can really glow. But on the other hand, sellecting the right one can be tricky -- because you have to take into account a lot of different factors to do with treatments. I.e. what type of treatment: is it modern (some kind of excel filling) or is it oiled? What degree: minor or moderate? Is it stable? I.e. oil drys out over time, and may cause the appearence of the stone to change (you can not simply reapply yourself because the oil is applied under high presure). With a relatively inexpensive stone I feel like it is not worth getting overly stressed about these things. But I might consider making sure the return policy is reliable, and taking it to my jewler for an opinion before setting :).

Having finally acutally read the thread properly-- I also like the litnon stone too!

quibitasaurus you summarized my reservations about inexpensive emeralds quite well. I'm not an advocate of lab stones, but except in the case of birthstones, I'd choose another gemstone variety. In this case it being a birthstone is the main consideration.
 

chroman

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Ooh! The mastercut link I posted earlier just got cheaper - Dana is running a sale this week. Its now within budget ($330)!
 

partgypsy

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I haven't seen the setting, but if she always wanted an emerald, get a nicer smaller emerald that screams "emerald", than a larger not so nice (ie more included, less bright) emerald. She also said she doesn't like things that are flashy, so a smaller stone might be nicer? Kind of like a birth stone than a cocktail ring. If you go that route Embassy Emeralds I really like these selections

this is above budget but at .73 carats
http://www.embassyemeralds.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=613
.57 round muzo
http://www.embassyemeralds.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=599
.53 muzo
http://www.embassyemeralds.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=600
another lovely .53 round
http://www.embassyemeralds.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=596
 

LadyMCh

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Found a stone and had it set!
Ended up with a .80 oval; about 7x5
It's Colombian with visible inclusions (as expected), but I think it looks pretty good!

As mentioned previously, I do not like this setting (it's definitely not what I would pick), but it is sentimental to my grandmother. I hope she likes the end result!

_1316.png

_5133.jpeg

_5134.jpeg
 

lovedogs

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What a great result--I'm sure she will be thrilled! Where did you end up purchasing from? The stone looks great! :appl:
 

qubitasaurus

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Congratulations, the stone really suits the ring -- I hope she will get many happy years of wear out of it :).
 

lilmosun

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Love the combination and thought put into the ring!
 

minousbijoux

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It looks magnificent. I'm sure your Grandma will be blown away, by its appearance as well as the thought.
 

LadyMCh

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lovesdogs- Long story short...I blew my budget a little.
I had a stone picked out from Embassy Emeralds and tried to make the purchase, but apparently they don't accept AmEx. The website didn't say that. It just said it couldn't process the sale. I found out a few days later by email.
In the meantime, I went into a local jeweler to ask about getting it set. This particular jeweler does a lot of custom design and production and has an in-house bench. He happened to have cases and cases of gemstones. So, I took a peek. I didn't see anything I liked, but he said he would get some more in for me to look at. When I came back, the one I picked was in the lot he had brought in. It was over budget, but I liked the size when compared to the setting, and it was one of the darker emeralds. Basically, I made a pouty-face to my husband and he was like "okayyyyyyy". :angel:
I rationalized that someday, hopefully like 30 years from now after my grandmother has lived well past a century, it will come back to me and I'll have it set into a nice pendant...
I'm not hip to emerald/gemstone lingo, but, if you look at it up close, you can see the "jardin" and some color zoning. I think it was good for the low-budget price, though. With my 20/15 vision, I can only make the white line looking inclusion at arm's length. But hey, what better way to know an emerald is real, right?!
 

deco1

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The stone you chose looks perfect in the setting. Well done!
 
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