re: should I set this or not?

[heliotrope]

Ok - I am going nuts trying to decide if I should set this tourmaline I bought a while back off Dan Stair...

it is 2.64ct stone and it kind of bugs me that I have not set it yet as I was sure I would set it straight away when I bought it

I love this colour as a rule but wonder if it is too flat in a gemstone? esp. a tourmaline?

here are my own pics taken indoors - with a flash - on top of my james meyer calender

 

[heliotrope]

ooops... posted the back view first!

 

[heliotrope]

here is my idea for a setting

(not sure if it is actually possible to make this or not!)

but I have been inspired by some of the recent rose gold settings I have seen around here and am leaning towards option A

what do you guys think - should I leave this one as a ''learner stone'' or go for it and have it set as a casual RHR...?

 

[T L]

I find the color to be too olive and too dark to be something I would personally would want to set. Sorry.

 

[heliotrope]

thanks for your honesty Tourmaline Lover - it is appreciated

I guess I am attracted to the colour of this stone as I like my greens to be dark and not too yellow in hue

but I worry this will look very one dimensional once set

perhaps I need to look at a parti sapphire or some other gemstone with a different personality in this hue?

 

[BWise]

I would agree with TL that this stone is too dark to be a ring, but that''s just my personal opinion. It should be about how you feel about it.

Here is a simple rule about setting stones (at least that''s my rule

): if you want to see a stone more often than the times you can get it out of box, set it. If you want to be able to see the stone all the time, set it as a ring. If you can stand seeing it only in the mirror, do a pendant.

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 4/4/2010 10:38:22 PM
Author:heliotrope
I love this colour...

I think there''s your answer. Set it if you love it! I like option A, especially seeing how well RG seems to complement green gemstones.

 

[DistinctionJewelry]

I can certainly see the beauty in the stone. It''s not one of those bright stones that jump off your finger, but simply as a stone I think it has character - and since you love the color, I think you should set it Personally I like your option C.

 

[Arcadian]

Its quite dark but if you love it, then wear it. I will say that you should think long and hard about putting it in a bezel. Its already quite dark, so it could very easily black out.


-A

 

[movie zombie]

your $ but i like the setting you''ve designed. i''m not into tourmalines but i can see this one set as you''ve designed. a unique piece. and i''m all about it being unique.

sorry i can''t be of more help.

mz

 

[LD]

I''m worried that by bezelling your stone it will look much much darker - maybe even black. Have you cupped it between your fingers to see what happens when the light is blocked to it?

If you really want it set then my favourite of your designs is A BUT BUT BUT you said you don''t like your greens to show any yellow. If you set this in yellow gold then I think that might happen. So, if that''s an issue design C would be the best.

 

[ma re]

If you like it, you should set it. But depending on how much you''d like to wear it should help you decide on how much to spend on this ring. I agree that it''s quite a dark stone, but just like you, I like greens that are rather dark. However I''m not crazy about rose gold (personal preference), but I love very dark colors set in rich yellow gold, maybe even high karat - cause the contrast can look beautiful. I''m also one of those people who think that just about any stone can look good if it''s set in the right setting. So I think this stone can look very nice once set, and there are tricks that can make it less "one-dimensional" visually, as I agree that''s one of the risks of these dark colors. One thing you can do is think about surface finishing and the other one is something you''ve already employed - multiple colors of metal. As I said, various surface finishes like combining satin and polished or sandblasted and matte can make the whole design seem less flat and more interesting. So it''s your call, but if not setting it would bug you forever, then you should definately set it.

 

[oddoneout]

I like it (even though it is pretty dark). I say set it so you could admire it on your hand. I like the settings you have posted as well.

 

[chrono]

I think it is a very darkish stone and while I love your design, I worry that it will only get darker and black out once bezeled.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Date: 4/5/2010 8:52:11 AM
Author: Chrono
I think it is a very darkish stone and while I love your design, I worry that it will only get darker and black out once bezeled.

Unlike most bezels designs, the sides here are very open, so I don''t think it would darken the stone more than a basket prong setting. I could be wrong, though.

Heliotrope - have you tried the "twisty tie" test for bezeling a stone? It is a very cientific test

to see if a stone will darken in a bezel. Get a silver twisty tie and wrap it around the girdle of a stone, where a bezel would go. How does it look?

I like the 3rd design a lot, if the stone will behave in a bezel.

 

[chrono]

Date: 4/5/2010 9:41:39 AM
Author: Lady_Disdain

Date: 4/5/2010 8:52:11 AM
Author: Chrono
I think it is a very darkish stone and while I love your design, I worry that it will only get darker and black out once bezeled.

Unlike most bezels designs, the sides here are very open, so I don''t think it would darken the stone more than a basket prong setting. I could be wrong, though.

Heliotrope - have you tried the ''twisty tie'' test for bezeling a stone? It is a very cientific test

to see if a stone will darken in a bezel. Get a silver twisty tie and wrap it around the girdle of a stone, where a bezel would go. How does it look?

I like the 3rd design a lot, if the stone will behave in a bezel.

Correct, I agree that I do not know for sure but the foil test should help make that determination better.

 

[jstarfireb]

What if you did a rose gold halo instead of a bezel and prong-set the stone just above the halo?

 

[movie zombie]

not bezeling the pavillion is going to let a lot of light into the stone. try the twisty-tie trick mentioned above.....

mz

 

[PumpkinPie]

I would also worry about it looking too dark or black when set - but if you love it, I would love to see it in rose gold!

 

[heliotrope]

thanks so much for all your comments everyone!!

I love it that so many of you are honest with your feedback and have passed on some great tips for re looking at the suitability of this stone

I want to stare at my rocks at all times easily - so if I set this one - it will need to be a ring so I can stare at it for hours

now I have been playing around with the tin foil, twist ties and pink pantone markers (to tint the foil rose gold) and I love these new tricks you have taught me

it does not seem to darken at all - so long as just the top half is covered - the centre of the stone clearly shows of the x mark in the centre

must go now and see what goes with the 7.97ct goshenite princess I also plan to platform bezel when it undergoes the foil twist tie test

you have all given me heaps to think about which is great - promise to get back to you with what I decide to do!!