Sapphire and Spinel: two custom projects

[Inbloom]

Hi! Usually just a lurker but love seeing updates and beautiful jewelry people post. For the past few years I’ve really gotten into colored gemstones. I Just wanted to share two recent custom rings added to my collection.

One holding an Earth’s Treasury 2.11ct blue heated Montana Sapphire made and hand engraved by Karat Jewelry Group in IL.
One holding a .98ct opalescent spinel from Geologic Spectrum; setting made by Aaron of Color Alchemy Designs in NY.

In both cases I had the stones and a design in mind, and these incredible artists brought them to life. I highly recommend them both for quality and value. I think formatting is off so apologies if the post comes out wonky.
Sapphire 2.11ct,
.

 

[marymm]

Both of your rings are incredibly beautiful!

Although there are many many lovely rings here on PS, personally I have rarely seen custom settings that are so very complementary to the center stones -- the design elements of each of your settings perfectly highlight the color and shape of its center stone and serve to fuse each ring into timeless heirloom-quality masterpieces.

Thank you so much for sharing!

 

[T L]

Lovely stones and rings. Beautiful workmanship!

 

[Inbloom]

Both of your rings are incredibly beautiful!

Although there are many many lovely rings here on PS, personally I have rarely seen custom settings that are so very complementary to the center stones -- the design elements of each of your settings perfectly highlight the color and shape of its center stone and serve to fuse each ring into timeless heirloom-quality masterpieces.

Thank you so much for sharing!

What an amazing compliment! Thank you! It definitely took months to decide on the elements of the design I wanted for each ring. The spinel is an especially fun one because it combines my love of nature and fantasy together.

 

[Inbloom]

Lovely stones and rings. Beautiful workmanship!

Thank you! I wanted to give those two jewelers a try because of examples I saw of their work and very reasonable prices. They were both fantastic to work with.

 

[musicloveranthony]

These are absolutely splendid!!

 

[Eli22]

Wow both rings are lovely! The spinel in particular looks magical in that setting!

 

[sheplaysgeetar]

Hi! Usually just a lurker but love seeing updates and beautiful jewelry people post. For the past few years I’ve really gotten into colored gemstones. I Just wanted to share two recent custom rings added to my collection.

One holding an Earth’s Treasury 2.11ct blue heated Montana Sapphire made and hand engraved by Karat Jewelry Group in IL.
One holding a .98ct opalescent spinel from Geologic Spectrum; setting made by Aaron of Color Alchemy Designs in NY.

In both cases I had the stones and a design in mind, and these incredible artists brought them to life. I highly recommend them both for quality and value. I think formatting is off so apologies if the post comes out wonky.
Sapphire 2.11ct,
.

I am obsessed with the montana sapphire ring! It actually is pretty much exactly what I had in mind for the stone I will be getting from Earths treasury (same Helena cut too!) I've saved a similar setting I came across on Aneuva Jewelry's Instagram multiple times. I especially love the engraving detail on the sides of the ring. I'm still not sure what direction I'm gonna go in yet, as initially I wanted a simpler 3 or 5 stone layout, but the more I look at cvb's designs and those similar, the more I think I want to go with something that has more detail and has a vintage type vibe to it. I think a vintage type design really complements the Helena cuts from Earths Treasury. However, I'm also indecisive because I dont want my ring to be super high set if I go with a cathedral setting. Would you mind sharing what the stone looked like before it was set? And how high is yours set? I'm getting sent 2 stones from Earths treasury to choose between (should be here Tuesday ), I posted the videos Jeff sent on a thread I created the other day. The stones are 2.26 carats and 2.59 carats. I'll share the screenshots I took of the settings I saved that are very similar to yours.

 

[Inbloom]

Thanks, and I’m excited for your sapphire ring journey! This sapphire is set as close to the bottom of the band as possible. I don’t think you can get any lower than that! The jeweler even cut a small hole for the culet. So for whatever setting style you get, the lowest it can go is the lowest the culet can get if that makes sense.

Here are the pics you requested, hope they help. Btw I couldn’t play the videos you uploaded. Perhaps you can just take video screenshots? Let me know if you have more questions!

 

[ShinyPink]

One holding an Earth’s Treasury 2.11ct blue heated Montana Sapphire made and hand engraved by Karat Jewelry Group in IL.

I've purchased settings from them and have been extremely happy! I'm glad you found custom designing with them was a good value and easy, as I've contemplated working with them on a custom piece.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I missed these the first time around but, well done! You have two really beautiful rings. Both are equally lovely and it's the best kind of problem to decide which one, or both, that I'd be wearing that day.

 

[luckygreen317]

Hi! Usually just a lurker but love seeing updates and beautiful jewelry people post. For the past few years I’ve really gotten into colored gemstones. I Just wanted to share two recent custom rings added to my collection.

One holding an Earth’s Treasury 2.11ct blue heated Montana Sapphire made and hand engraved by Karat Jewelry Group in IL.
One holding a .98ct opalescent spinel from Geologic Spectrum; setting made by Aaron of Color Alchemy Designs in NY.

In both cases I had the stones and a design in mind, and these incredible artists brought them to life. I highly recommend them both for quality and value. I think formatting is off so apologies if the post comes out wonky.
Sapphire 2.11ct,
.

Beautiful designs, stones and craftsmanship!

 

[Inbloom]

I've purchased settings from them and have been extremely happy! I'm glad you found custom designing with them was a good value and easy, as I've contemplated working with them on a custom piece.

They are great. Frankly I couldn’t believe how good the price was for my setting. And the turnaround time from receiving my stone to finished ring in my hand was 1.5 weeks.

 

[Inbloom]

Beautiful designs, stones and craftsmanship!

Thank you!

 

[Inbloom]

I missed these the first time around but, well done! You have two really beautiful rings. Both are equally lovely and it's the best kind of problem to decide which one, or both, that I'd be wearing that day.

Ah hah, you know it. I prepared for this dilemma by making one sized for my ring fingers and one for middle or index. The bigger problem is too many other rings that need wear time and not enough fingers! Thanks for the kind words.

 

[sheplaysgeetar]

Thanks, and I’m excited for your sapphire ring journey! This sapphire is set as close to the bottom of the band as possible. I don’t think you can get any lower than that! The jeweler even cut a small hole for the culet. So for whatever setting style you get, the lowest it can go is the lowest the culet can get if that makes sense.

Here are the pics you requested, hope they help. Btw I couldn’t play the videos you uploaded. Perhaps you can just take video screenshots? Let me know if you have more questions!

Thanks, and I’m excited for your sapphire ring journey! This sapphire is set as close to the bottom of the band as possible. I don’t think you can get any lower than that! The jeweler even cut a small hole for the culet. So for whatever setting style you get, the lowest it can go is the lowest the culet can get if that makes sense.

Here are the pics you requested, hope they help. Btw I couldn’t play the videos you uploaded. Perhaps you can just take video screenshots? Let me know if you have more questions!

Thanks for the reply! I'm gonna have to create another post or figure out how to update the thread I already made, but in the meantime I'd like to ask you something about the stone you chose. How do you feel about the darkness of the stone? Do you wish you would have gone any lighter? The stones I've recieved have been darker in the majority of lighting conditions that I anticipated, and I'm trying to decide if I should go lighter or accept that the stones only really shine when under a direct light source. I love the saturation of your stone and the stones I've ordered, and they look great when under direct light. The lighter stones I'm considering ordering don't have that beautiful saturation, but would in theory look good in the majority of lighting conditions. Here are some screenshots of the stones I ordered:


Screenshots from vendor videos. (Top stone is the unheated 2.26 carat, and the third one down is the 2.59 carat):


Pictures I've taken since receiving them (the majority of these pictures make the blue colors in the stones look more vivid/saturated than they are in real life):

 

[Inbloom]

Thanks for the reply! I'm gonna have to create another post or figure out how to update the thread I already made, but in the meantime I'd like to ask you something about the stone you chose. How do you feel about the darkness of the stone? Do you wish you would have gone any lighter? The stones I've recieved have been darker in the majority of lighting conditions that I anticipated, and I'm trying to decide if I should go lighter or accept that the stones only really shine when under a direct light source. I love the saturation of your stone and the stones I've ordered, and they look great when under direct light. The lighter stones I'm considering ordering don't have that beautiful saturation, but would in theory look good in the majority of lighting conditions. Here are some screenshots of the stones I ordered:


Screenshots from vendor videos. (Top stone is the unheated 2.26 carat, and the third one down is the 2.59 carat):


Pictures I've taken since receiving them (the majority of these pictures make the blue colors in the stones look more vivid/saturated than they are in real life):

Mmm. Having bought from ET many times, I knew the stone IRL would be darker than what their videos/picture showed, but I love bold and saturated over lighter/pastel. And the price was great. Maybe I could have gotten a less dark stone with better performance indoors but I’m pretty sure not at the same price point! Also, I look for stones with inclusions because that would bring the price down. I actually think my sapphire looks great in overcast weather in addition to when facing a direct light source. But pretty much all my teal/deep blue sapphires are dark indoors unless under a light source. Some are brighter than others though. My unheated light blue Montana sapphire does not darken out, but then I don’t enjoy the lighter color as much. I prefer saturated so to me that’s a trade off I accept. Darker indoors but rich ocean blue outdoors in natural light.

For the prices they’re asking for your two stones, I think you should be able to find something better if you’re ok with some inclusions that don’t affect the look of the stone too much. If you think that those two stones are too dark, perhaps ask Jeff if he can recommend some lighter ones at the same carat and price point, that looks just like the pictures. Don’t settle if you’re not satisfied. I’ll attach a pic of the light blue Montana pear that doesn’t darken out. And another heated one that is 1.18ct and looks fantastic in most lighting conditions. But it was the same $ as my 2.11 even with a large inclusion!

If I understand correctly, you would like more of a pastel type of blue?

 

[sheplaysgeetar]

Mmm. Having bought from ET many times, I knew the stone IRL would be darker than what their videos/picture showed, but I love bold and saturated over lighter/pastel. And the price was great. Maybe I could have gotten a less dark stone with better performance indoors but I’m pretty sure not at the same price point! Also, I look for stones with inclusions because that would bring the price down. I actually think my sapphire looks great in overcast weather in addition to when facing a direct light source. But pretty much all my teal/deep blue sapphires are dark indoors unless under a light source. Some are brighter than others though. My unheated light blue Montana sapphire does not darken out, but then I don’t enjoy the lighter color as much. I prefer saturated so to me that’s a trade off I accept. Darker indoors but rich ocean blue outdoors in natural light.

For the prices they’re asking for your two stones, I think you should be able to find something better if you’re ok with some inclusions that don’t affect the look of the stone too much. If you think that those two stones are too dark, perhaps ask Jeff if he can recommend some lighter ones at the same carat and price point, that looks just like the pictures. Don’t settle if you’re not satisfied. I’ll attach a pic of the light blue Montana pear that doesn’t darken out. And another heated one that is 1.18ct and looks fantastic in most lighting conditions. But it was the same $ as my 2.11 even with a large inclusion!

If I understand correctly, you would like more of a pastel type of blue?

I do like more pastel leaning blue than royal blue I would say, I think it just depends on the stone though. I'm noticing that some light pastel blue sapphires look a little flat indoors, in that case Id rather have my "ideal" teal in brighter lighting conditions and it be dark in some, as opposed to a lighter sapphire without the saturation I desire that also looks flat/lacking in lower lighting. For instance, two other stones Im considering are these 2:

Here are some screenshots of those stones from ETs videos. They are the 3rd and 4th down. The top 2 stones were the first two I ordered and they looked pretty darn good, still a little darker and less vivid than ETs videos, but I sent them back because I realized I wanted to go bigger :

Both the stones are beautiful. The bigger one is the teal color I had in mind, though Im wondering if it will be too big on my 5.5 ring finger. It also has some inclusions, though I don't mind for the size and price. The 2.23 has a color that is more royal blueish than I had in mind, but damn is it gorgeous (though now seeing how my pictures I took of the stones I recieved makes them appear more blue than in real life, I'm curious how blue it is in person). If I decide to accept the darkness of similarly saturated stones in lower lighting, those two stones are my main contenders.

However... enter Sennin Eskos beauty of a Montana Sapphire

I've looked at this sapphire (and his work in general) repeatedly. I am obsessed with his galaxy cuts. I'm very strongly considering ordering this one. It has some inclusions, but the concave cuts draw my attention so much I don't think they would bother me. It's more grayish than these pictures show according to his description and videos, but I still love it. My one hang up is that the facet the red arrow in the picture below is pointing to is longer than the other "corners". I'm a very detail oriented person and it caught my eye, though the stone is enlarged in the picture and it's probably not as apparent in person. I'm wondering if there is a prong layout that would not make this more apparent. What do you think?

 

[Inbloom]

I do like more pastel leaning blue than royal blue I would say, I think it just depends on the stone though. I'm noticing that some light pastel blue sapphires look a little flat indoors, in that case Id rather have my "ideal" teal in brighter lighting conditions and it be dark in some, as opposed to a lighter sapphire without the saturation I desire that also looks flat/lacking in lower lighting. For instance, two other stones Im considering are these 2:

Here are some screenshots of those stones from ETs videos. They are the 3rd and 4th down. The top 2 stones were the first two I ordered and they looked pretty darn good, still a little darker and less vivid than ETs videos, but I sent them back because I realized I wanted to go bigger :

Both the stones are beautiful. The bigger one is the teal color I had in mind, though Im wondering if it will be too big on my 5.5 ring finger. It also has some inclusions, though I don't mind for the size and price. The 2.23 has a color that is more royal blueish than I had in mind, but damn is it gorgeous (though now seeing how my pictures I took of the stones I recieved makes them appear more blue than in real life, I'm curious how blue it is in person). If I decide to accept the darkness of similarly saturated stones in lower lighting, those two stones are my main contenders.

However... enter Sennin Eskos beauty of a Montana Sapphire

I've looked at this sapphire (and his work in general) repeatedly. I am obsessed with his galaxy cuts. I'm very strongly considering ordering this one. It has some inclusions, but the concave cuts draw my attention so much I don't think they would bother me. It's more grayish than these pictures show according to his description and videos, but I still love it. My one hang up is that the facet the red arrow in the picture below is pointing to is longer than the other "corners". I'm a very detail oriented person and it caught my eye, though the stone is enlarged in the picture and it's probably not as apparent in person. I'm wondering if there is a prong layout that would not make this more apparent. What do you think?

The Sennin Esko one looks really nice! I too am a lurker of his stones but I’ve never purchased. The great thing about this one is that it’s unheated, but I myself would pass due to the gray and lighter color. I like deeper saturation. But since this is a color you like, I say it’s a great choice. Sorry I don’t know how to be able to “cover up” the longer corner edge :/.

The 3rd and 4th MS from ET look great to me, but since the glamour shots are already darker, you can expect them to be a shade or two darker IRL. That seems too dark for your liking based on what you’ve said. As for too big for your finger, I’d say don’t worry about it haha!

 

[sheplaysgeetar]

The Sennin Esko one looks really nice! I too am a lurker of his stones but I’ve never purchased. The great thing about this one is that it’s unheated, but I myself would pass due to the gray and lighter color. I like deeper saturation. But since this is a color you like, I say it’s a great choice. Sorry I don’t know how to be able to “cover up” the longer corner edge :/.

The 3rd and 4th MS from ET look great to me, but since the glamour shots are already darker, you can expect them to be a shade or two darker IRL. That seems too dark for your liking based on what you’ve said. As for too big for your finger, I’d say don’t worry about it haha!

I went ahead and shipped off the stones back to Earths Treasury. I emailed them to ask if they had any suggestions, but this was their reply. I'll be ordering the stone from sennin esko and hopefully that works out because I kinda got the feeling that Jeff was not happy I sent back the stones I feel bad, but at the same time like you said, for that price point especially I shouldn't settle.

 

[Avondale]

I went ahead and shipped off the stones back to Earths Treasury. I emailed them to ask if they had any suggestions, but this was their reply. I'll be ordering the stone from sennin esko and hopefully that works out because I kinda got the feeling that Jeff was not happy I sent back the stones I feel bad, but at the same time like you said, for that price point especially I shouldn't settle.

Not sure how accurately Jeff's reply addresses your particular concerns about sapphire performance, but, for what it's worth, what he wrote is all true. Whatever sapphire you choose in the end, its colour will look different depending on the light. The trick isn't finding a sapphire that looks the same across all lighting conditions, the trick is finding one which you love in all lighting conditions (or at the very least, in most).

Take a look at this: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-sapphire-under-2k.263770/page-2#post-4908370
I believe the photos will be helpful to you.

 

[gingercurls]

What Jeff said is accurate. However, he left out the part about how the best stones look nice and pleasing across different lighting conditions and don’t change super dramatically. I think he was absolutely rude with you.

 

[gingercurls]

Also, I wanted to add that Montana sapphires are notorious for shifting, going gray, and dark in less than perfect lighting conditions. They tend to hold their color far less than sapphires from other locations.

 

[sheplaysgeetar]

Not sure how accurately Jeff's reply addresses your particular concerns about sapphire performance, but, for what it's worth, what he wrote is all true. Whatever sapphire you choose in the end, its colour will look different depending on the light. The trick isn't finding a sapphire that looks the same across all lighting conditions, the trick is finding one which you love in all lighting conditions (or at the very least, in most).

Take a look at this: https://www.pricescope.com/communit...-sapphire-under-2k.263770/page-2#post-4908370
I believe the photos will be helpful to you.

I just wanted him to tell me some suggestions of sapphires that look pleasing in most lighting conditions. I feel like the sapphires that were sent were not only pretty dark unless under direct light, but the $5600 unheated sapphire that was "eye clean" had a a very big flash. I don't mind some silk, and silk is to be expected in an unheated sapphire, but I didn't anticipate such a big distracting flash on a $5600 eye clean sapphire. However, I will say that I voiced I was between that one and the other one before ordering and when I ordered the cheaper one, he very graciously sent the other one at no extra charge thinking I would love it. I really did want to love it, especially because I found that gesture to be very kind, but I feel he is a little salty that I don't love it. Both sapphires, while light in their listings, are pretty dark as soon as they aren't under a direct light source or tilted away from a light source ever so slightly. Their also less blue/saturated than the pictures and videos make them seem. They are much more violet/greyish. I am okay with a shifter, I just want something that doesn't look "flat" as soon as you move it away from a direct light source.

 

[sheplaysgeetar]

What Jeff said is accurate. However, he left out the part about how the best stones look nice and pleasing across different lighting conditions and don’t change super dramatically. I think he was absolutely rude with you.

All I wanted was for him to give me some suggestions of some stones that are pleasing in most (not all) lighting conditions. As I've discussed with InBloom, if I'm gonna have a sapphire that's not the color I was going for initially that's flat in lower lighting conditions, I'd rather have one that looks awesome in brighter lighting situations and is the color I like and be dark in doors. I felt like the 2 sapphires I recieved were kind of lacking (at least to me) in most lighting situations. The pictures I provided up above were for the most part showing them at their best (except for the pictures showing the flash and inclusions). The pictures were difficult to take in the sense that if the stone wasnt oriented at the light source juuuust right, theyd lose a lot of the life. And for $5600, I feel like there is better out there. Who knows though, maybe it's a pipe dream. I do feel kind of shut down by Jeff though, and I get the vibe he is a little salty I didn't like the $5600 sapphire. I get it, but I didn't even request a refund yet. I asked him to give me suggestions for other sapphires I might like and he didn't even attempt, just told me it's impossible and I'd be getting a refund.