Setting advice

[Pandora II]

I bought 3 sphene last week from Wink - no photos I''m afraid as they are in his safe and you can''t really take good pics over a video link.

There are two rounds - 2.03cts tw:
6.01 x 6.04 x 4.32
5.85 x 5.75 x 3.81

which I''m planning to set as earrings,

And a fat oval - 3.70cts (it was 4ct, but Richard recut it to improve the dispersion - it looked amazing on the video)

10.41 x 8.38 x 5.94

which I''m planning to set as a pendant.

The base colour of the stones is a honey brown colour, so I''m thinking of setting them in yellow gold to bring the honey colour out more than the brown.

I can''t decide whether to do the earrings as studs or whether to basket set them on hooks...

The pendant I''m undecided as to north/south or east/west.

I want both settings to be very simple prong settings so as not to take away from the stones. I''d like to wear the pendant on a gold chain, but as these will be my wedding present from FI, I''d like to wear it attached to my pearls for the day itself.

Problem is, I don''t want to put it on an extender as I will wear it far more as a normal pendant. I''m wondering if I could get my father (who''d doing a jewellery course at the moment) to get some gold wire and make something that I could attach it with on the day.

Being sphene they are only a 5 on the Mohs'', and they have rather good cleavage so it needs to be secure as dropping it by mistake could prove fatal!

So, I''m looking for advice on the direction question, the earrings, and any thoughts people have of a temporary (and preferably cheap!) method of securely attaching the pendant to my necklace - it will need to attach either side of the main pearl so it hangs straight.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Linda W]

I don''t have any advice, but just had to say I bet they will be beautiful!!!

Linda

 

[desertgem]

Hi Pandora II,

Sphene dominates any setting with its fire and luster. I would make stud earrings myself and maybe have Dad try a short piece of twisted gold wire to temporarily attach the larger one in a pendant setting to the pearls. I like "Sphene" rather than "Titanate" or Titanite as that name might cause people to think of Strontium Titanate which is a simulant I have the same problems when I show my Zircons ~~ they think of CZ. Hard sell

Sounds like nice stones!

Jim

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 3/6/2008 5:33:40 PM
Author: desertgem

Hi Pandora II,

Sphene dominates any setting with its fire and luster. I would make stud earrings myself and maybe have Dad try a short piece of twisted gold wire to temporarily attach the larger one in a pendant setting to the pearls. I like ''Sphene'' rather than ''Titanate'' or Titanite as that name might cause people to think of Strontium Titanate which is a simulant I have the same problems when I show my Zircons ~~ they think of CZ. Hard sell

Sounds like nice stones!

Jim

Thanks Jim, I think I''ll order him some wire from Cooksons...

The name is a hard one - I tend to use Titanite when I talk to people about them as they all pull faces when I talk about Sphene. Strontium Titanite isn''t a commonly known name amongst the general public (or in the UK it isn''t), so I''m okay on that one.

The Zircon one is a bugger. I''m somewhat partial to zircons and searching on ebay is a NIGHTMARE! I don''t tend to bother with jewellery shops who wouldn''t know what a zircon was, but people always think you are wearing a fake stone when you tell them what it is...

The stones are incredible. Richard said they had stunning dispersion and he was not wrong! Strangely, they are from Madagascar - I''d heard that most of the best stuff at the moment is Pakistani, and that was what Richard was thinking we would get.

I will post pics as soon as they are in my hot little hands!

So, everyone - pendant north/south or east/west????