Show your Star sapphires and rubies

[Burmesedaze]

Lol Bluegemz, when I next go scuba diving, I will be thinking of your star sapphires and rubies!

 

[Bluegemz]

Iol!!! I know, now I will always have that association in my head! It was strong enough to completely change my design plan! When I next visit an aquarium, I will be thinking of these tiny stars!

 

[valeria101]

... the idea remains!

Off the cuff - pods are mothers of seeds.

 

[Bluegemz]

Off the cuff - pods are mothers of seeds.

Valeria, I've been thinking of what you mentioned all day and imagining all kinds of pods, pomegranates and other seed based designs. I imagined a kind of swivel top pod locket, with onebigger star on the lid, but then one can swing it over the bottom half to expose all of the 'seeds' or 'babies' inside. It could be worn then 2 ways...

 

[valeria101]

Valeria, I've been thinking of what you mentioned all day

I have a pods & seeds on my desk ...

What might your jeweler make of such proposals !

[Digressing: I am writing from Granada - the pomengranate is the heraldic symbol of the city & no intersting incarnation thereof is to be seen in jewelry. For a small city, there is too much history & surprisingly fine jewelers - who would not tackle, or take lightly - the pomengranate.]

 

[Bluegemz]

I have a pods & seeds on my desk ...

What might your jeweler make of such proposals !

[Digressing: I am writing from Granada - the pomengranate is the heraldic symbol of the city & no intersting incarnation thereof is to be seen in jewelry. For a small city, there is too much history & surprisingly fine jewelers - who would not tackle, or take lightly - the pomengranate.]

How fascinating and interesting! I have seen only a few pomegranate incarnations in jewelry. One as a pair of high karat gold, round pomegranates. The focus was on the round shape and the spiky stamen remains, but they did not incorporate the seeds. Another was a pendant in sterling with garnet cabochons as the seeds. The pomegranate was cut in half. Those were not as interesting because they tried to be too naturalistic, unsuccessfully so. The earrings were dramatic, in part because of the forms and by nature of the gorgeous gold. I imagine that making a great pomegranate jewelry piece is a serious challenge to execute in a cohesive, clear and visually beautiful way.
Whatever the final design is, I will definitely need to find the right goldsmith for this, but I think it might have to be the one with the laser welder. He's very skilled but also very expensive, unfortunately.

 

[valeria101]

I have seen only a few pomegranate incarnations in jewelry.

Just noticed two greats - a 'Project' by Hemmerle (below) & a bracelet of pommengranate sections by McTeigue & McLelland ... Not useful references !

[At Hemmerle - follow the 'Next Project' link at the bottom of this page:
http://hemmerle.com/projects/the-al-project/ ]

---

Further along 'off the cuff' - would you wear a pod bangle ?

 

[Bluegemz]

Just noticed two greats - a 'Project' by Hemmerle (below) & a bracelet of pommengranate sections by McTeigue & McLelland ... Not useful references !

[At Hemmerle - follow the 'Next Project' link at the bottom of this page:
http://hemmerle.com/projects/the-al-project/ ]

---

Further along 'off the cuff' - would you wear a pod bangle ?

I adore Hemmerle! Those natural pods at the op of the page are beautiful. And all of those designs are breath taking. I am very taken by the inspiration of nature in all of those pieces. Thank you for those links....They are SO inspiring! That bracelet is fabulously executed. It really works as a naturalistic representation with a strong, abstract basic composition underlying it. The feelings which this bracelet evokes are transcendent of just pomegranate. The very essence of the treasure and miracle of 'seeds' is captured and communicated, and experienced! Simply amazing. Yes, I definitely would wear a pod cuff. At one point, I had imagined the stars clasped by organically shaped gold, within the folds of the gold, somewhat like looking into petals or pod walls. The possibilities are truly exploding in my head. It will take some thought to find the most inspired one and to refine it!

 

[valeria101]

Yes, I definitely would wear a pod cuff.

I remember seeing something like this - done in silver with gold lining (bimetal); that is to say - there is a silversmith out there who can take such an order of long, twisted 'pods', bangles or otherwise ...

[cannot recall the name - will search]

 

[valeria101]

@Bluegemz

I cannot find the pod bangle anywhere ! I had them filed in my mind together with a bangle by Cynthia Eid - which does show up on her website, however, she does not seem to have ever made pods with gem seeds. What I have seen (either at RISD or elsewhere in Boston) must have been anticlastic work by someone else ...

The search might have turned up something useful:

These can get LONG - necklace-length ... I could imagine a longer tassel like this, holding star sapphires. Would rather leave the details to you & Jane Adam.

 

[Bluegemz]

@Bluegemz

I cannot find the pod bangle anywhere ! I had them filed in my mind together with a bangle by Cynthia Eid - which does show up on her website, however, she does not seem to have ever made pods with gem seeds. What I have seen (either at RISD or elsewhere in Boston) must have been anticlastic work by someone else ...

The search might have turned up something useful:

These can get LONG - necklace-length ... I could imagine a longer tassel like this, holding star sapphires. Would rather leave the details to you & Jane Adam.

Valeria, thank you for looking! I believe I have seen the work of Jane Adam, and the pod pendants and bracelets are fabulous. I'm mulling on many ideas, and as they all 'ferment', the soul of the piece is starting to emerge from the many thoughts about it. I'm grateful for the inspiration which you have added!! Much appreciated!

 

[Muhammad_Ali]

I Gave this to my daughter, but she doesn't like the random diamond placement

I have to say I agree...stunning sapphire, though! Are your sapphires unheated?

 

[Bluegemz]

I have to say I agree...stunning sapphire, though! Are your sapphires unheated?

Thank you! I don't know if the pink one is heated. I bought it at a gem shop which supplies local jewelers. (The inventory ranges from high end to hobbyist) The sapphire has a small, dark crystal inclusion at the bottom. After I purchased it, I looked at this through my own gem microscope for signs of heating. ( I have been studying and training myself to check for heating and treatments for some time now. My husband is a scientist and has great equipment) I didn't see any obvious signs such as melted other crystals, disk shaped expansion fractures, etc. that said, I would not be willing to guarantee that. Someday I'll send it for certification. Basically when I bought it, I was ready to accept it wether it had been heated or not because I negotiated a price that I was ok with.

 

[Muhammad_Ali]

Thank you! I don't know if the pink one is heated. I bought it at a gem shop which supplies local jewelers. (The inventory ranges from high end to hobbyist) The sapphire has a small, dark crystal inclusion at the bottom. After I purchased it, I looked at this through my own gem microscope for signs of heating. ( I have been studying and training myself to check for heating and treatments for some time now. My husband is a scientist and has great equipment) I didn't see any obvious signs such as melted other crystals, disk shaped expansion fractures, etc. that said, I would not be willing to guarantee that. Someday I'll send it for certification. Basically when I bought it, I was ready to accept it wether it had been heated or not because I negotiated a price that I was ok with.

Fair enough. There is nothing wrong with heated stones, but you want to avoid filled stones like the plague. Sounds like you know your stuff, though!

 

[Bluegemz]

Fair enough. There is nothing wrong with heated stones, but you want to avoid filled stones like the plague. Sounds like you know your stuff, though!

That's the truth. I know about filled corrundum, especially ruby, which is what lead me to start training myself. I've seen the market absolutely flooded with glass filled, cheap corrundum. I had a terrible day experience many, many years ago in Italy, when I lived there. Naively, I bought an expensive (for me) ruby ring, without checking. I noticed surface fissures and basically I discovered it was a lead glass filled one. I studies it for many hours under the microscope years later. Thankfully glass filled is pretty easy to detect under magnification once you know what to look for. I'm still angry about that experience, but live and learn.

 

[Muhammad_Ali]

That's the truth. I know about filled corrundum, especially ruby, which is what lead me to start training myself. I've seen the market absolutely flooded with glass filled, cheap corrundum. I had a terrible day experience many, many years ago in Italy, when I lived there. Naively, I bought an expensive (for me) ruby ring, without checking. I noticed surface fissures and basically I discovered it was a lead glass filled one. I studies it for many hours under the microscope years later. Thankfully glass filled is pretty easy to detect under magnification once you know what to look for. I'm still angry about that experience, but live and learn.

Well, it's great that you learned from this and won't fall for it again. Upwards of 25% of a filled ruby is glass. You're literally paying for the stuff miners throw away mixed with glass, might as well buy a synthetic.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with them as long as you're not paying more than $10/ct

 

[mochiko42]

Just noticed this post on Instagram. Look at that necklace!

 

[Bluegemz]

mochito, I love what Oscar Heyman is doing with stars! The wide bracelets, and yes, that necklace! I would LOVE to have that star ruby ringwith the yellow gems around it.

I saw something from the jewelry editor about how hard it is to find great star jewelry because the supplies really aren't consistent due to the rarity of them. Therefore, few designers have them. Oscar Heyman is one designer of 3 that she highlighted. Of ever 100 facetable sapphires mined, 3 star sapphires are found . Only one in 100 will have a good balance between transparency, just enough silk for a star, and attractive body color. Then, as size increases, they become exponentially more rare for these qualities.

 

[Bluegemz]

Also took screen shots of these star pieces, a ring by Heyman and a bracelet you Bulgari

 

[valeria101]

Another name WWW - just noticing their videos, after reading [for eons] & writing [past, hereby discalimed as due] to the good old newsletter ...

 

[Bluegemz]

Another name WWW - just noticing their videos, after reading [for eons] & writing [past, hereby discalimed as due] to the good old newsletter ...

That's a beauty! The color!

 

[Burmesedaze]

I was shown this 12ct start sapphire yesterday. Mogok, Myanmar. The asking price is US$2900. Is that too much? Seems steep to me but I wouldn't know as I hardly see them with some translucency and size here.

 

[Bluegemz]

Burmesedaze, to me, based on my experience in the market which I'm accustomed to, I think it sounds within a reasonable retail range. I've looked at a lot of estate Art Deco star rings ( because I love the style) and they usually range from 10 thousand to 50 thousand. The one darker blue star ring I found for 5500 was an incredibly great price, considering that I'd seen similar ones for 20k or more. I don't think I'll easily come by such a great price again. I recently read a star sapphire price guide. According to it, prices range from 100$ a carat to 3500 a carat. That one looks like maybe a 300-1000+$ a carat star based on the star, body color, amount of silk and amount of grey, evenness and inclusions, and the clarity of course. That is just my rough guess based on your pictures and I'm not an expert. Really, it's worth what someone is willing to pay, so if you're in love with it, maybe there is room for negotiation?
Seems that it's very lovely in that the qualities that stars have all register as rather good rather than fair to my eyes. My main advice would be wait if it doesn't absolutely thrill you when you look at it. It should really impress you everytime you lay eyes on it. When that happens, you will simply have to have it! That's the best way to tell if it's a good deal or the right one! I think It's a lot like jade in that many qualities Are coming together and when they come together in the rights ways for your personal taste, then they are other worldly.

 

[Bluegemz]

Another thought about the prices of stars. Like jade, each time a quality is good to great, the star is exponentially more rare than others. For example, having a strong star is not so rare for stars, but having a good star, but just enough silk for a star, that doesn't dull the color or create opacity, that is exponentially more rare. Then add a body color with little grey, then size, then even coloration with no obvious zoning, and finally minimal inclusions. Each time a quality is great, it becomes much more rare. Stars are much more rare than other sapphires as well, about 1 star to every 100 facetable sapphires. Only 1 in 100 stars will have a good balance of qualities.

So a star with good asterism, relatively good clarity, but a bad cut, or zoning, still can be considered somewhat rare because two of the qualities are good. The price is brought down by qualities that are not so good, i.e. Cut and zoning. I read that ideally in stars, one searches for a balance of asterism, color and clarity. Some say that color comes first, and I've seen some dark blue stars, with barely a star, selling for premium prices. To me, these do t represent a good balance because they are more like sapphires than stars.

It can be really challenging to value a star which has many good qualities, but still lacks a wow effect. Or one that has most qualities in the good but not great range. This was what I found when looking at stars all these years. Therefore, I think how it moves the viewer is the best determining force.

My story, when I bought the pink star and my blue star, though I had been looking for years, even decades, and had seen many stars which I liked, I knew within the first second that I saw them that I had to have them. These choices are very personal.

 

[Seaglow]

Transluscent stars 5 carat up are hard to find. Most stars are opaque.

 

[Burmesedaze]

Thanks, dear ladies, for all your inputs.
Truth be told, I still like my faceted sapphires. I don't think I will be seized by any cabochon. to be honest, it's more of a "I want to have one because it's what Mogok used to be famed for and getting harder to find". Like virtually every gemstone here, to say the least.

I also like translucent textures like in the jadeite I get. But I'm not too sure if this is considered good translucency or otherwise.

Will continue to sleep on it

 

[Burmesedaze]

Or perhaps the bottom left 9ct star sapphire instead for a more reasonable US$520

 

[Bluegemz]

Or perhaps the bottom left 9ct star sapphire instead for a more reasonable US$520

I think it's gorgeous. I love the translucence and the shape/cut is very nice. It's a substatial size and could be an easy ring stone or pendant. The color seems to be a gentle and lively blue. Also, the price seems very good.

I understand that you love your faceted sapphires, and that cabochons don't quite capture you in the same way, but a good star is much more intriguing than a cabochon sapphire in my opinion. My personal experience is that they add a lot of fun to a collection because they are always changing depending on the light. It's exciting!


I encourage you to keep up your search until you find one that you feel like wearing a lot. Those ones all look like good candidates. And, if they are scarce now, imagine how much more expensive they will be in the future!

So far, price aside, is there one which you are most drawn to?

 

[Bluegemz]

A few more star rings which I found interesting due to varying balances of color, clarity and asterism.

I was thinking that with stars it's about balance between these aspects. What does a good balance mean to you?

The large ring is over 100k! Strong star, size, rich color, but opaque and a tad fibrous looking in other pictures. Still beautiful though, and choices about beauty and balance are personal.

The other one is light and watery, and mild star. The whole look is soft, like a whisper, whereas the other is strong looking. Each star clearly has a different balance of these 3 factors., with such different moods!

 

[Burmesedaze]

I'm going to bring the 9 ct to compare side by side with the 12 ct, since the lighting at the 2 places are so different!

All things equal I don't really have a strong preference, though I gravitate towards rounds. But the round at this price and being 3 ct more doesn't have a very strong pull factor for me.

I may end up settling for the 9 ct as an interim piece till a better one with a decent price in a stronger colour and same defined star comes about.

Or it may never and at least I have1 piece to be happy with when I leave Yangon at the end of my stint here.