What are you wearing today?! Show me your CS!

[Bluegemz]

Ok, I've decided to keep the bangle! Thanks for your help, Bluegemz.

That's great news, Tourmaline!

 

[ilovegemstones]

Lol Valeria yes I have a lot of pets here including rescued parrots and dogs. My girls have two adorable rats, two axolotls and a hamster. I breed six species of dart frogs also. See the smiling tadpole on the orange frog's back? I hope it is ok to post the pics here. Gemstones take up the least amount of time amongst all my hobbies!

 

[Bluegemz]

Lol Valeria yes I have a lot of pets here including rescued parrots and dogs. My girls have two adorable rats, two axolotls and a hamster. I breed six species of dart frogs also. See the smiling tadpole on the orange frog's back? I hope it is ok to post the pics here. Gemstones take up the least amount of time amongst all my hobbies!

That is awesome, ilovegemstones! The frogs are gorgeous! My son had tree frogs, a snake, and I used to have a salt water aquarium. I learned that The fish and frogs require such a subtlety balanced environment to thrive. I have a lot of admiration for anyone that can successfully breed them due to how sensitive they are. (And especially with frog illnesses) I loved having those animals but have had to pair down due the the care requirements needed. We are thinking of getting a ferret, in addition to our dog and cat. I'm not sure though....they are supposedly mischievous, hiding treasured belongings. I'm imagining all kinds of both funny and tragic scenarios possible with such a pet lol! But the kids are insistent because they saw one that's adorable at the pet shop.

 

[ilovegemstones]

That sounds great Bluegemz! I have never owned a ferret but did have sugar gliders in the past. Ferrets would be like having a Niffler in the house! I used to have a rat that always took one of my tiny stone eggs and he would hide it in his stash of treasures under the bed.

 

[Bluegemz]

That sounds great Bluegemz! I have never owned a ferret but did have sugar gliders in the past. Ferrets would be like having a Niffler in the house! I used to have a rat that always took one of my tiny stone eggs and he would hide it in his stash of treasures under the bed.

Omg, that is SO CUTE that he would hide a stone egg with his treasures!!! Btw, those eggs are gorgeous! What a collection!

 

[Keeliamira]

I cannot tell sbout the carving, but I can tell you that it looks like untreated jadeite, especially in the first picture. The second makes me think it could be white nephrite jade too, but I think that it's much more likely that it's jadeite.
I hope someone here can give info about the carving! Good job finding a beautiful carved piece!

I sent the photos to my jeweller who replied "I think jadeite, old stock".
Very unusual carving. I've not seen that before

Thanks for your insights ladies! I love that PSers are such a knowledge bank! Whether it's nephrite or jadeite makes little difference to me because it calls to me either way. But knowing more is always fun. I confess, I've worn it three days it a row, lol. The end of my week has been really really stressful and feeling the cool lovely smooth jade and spinning the prayer wheels has been a calming distraction. I feel like I'm wearing the adult version of a fidget spinner.

 

[Bluegemz]

I got the new purple jadeite pendant with baguette diamonds today! It is truly the missing piece in my jade collection. Here it is with my other lavender bangles and other related rings and jades ( except for the blue bangles) in an image which shows how it goes with the color scheme of some of my other pieces, and how they fit together. I think it really goes well with the large star. Somehow, the 2 pieces have a similar spirit. This is what I find so interesting about collecting...each phase of life is captured in some way through the mood of the jewelry. Forgive the bad pictures...I tried to capture it hastily in a number of lights. The diamonds are very colorless but somehow don't seem that way in the pics. The pendant is very vibrant in sunlight, but I couldn't take pictures except in diffused light. My skills are not that great.

 

[Bluegemz]

Thanks for your insights ladies! I love that PSers are such a knowledge bank! Whether it's nephrite or jadeite makes little difference to me because it calls to me either way. But knowing more is always fun. I confess, I've worn it three days it a row, lol. The end of my week has been really really stressful and feeling the cool lovely smooth jade and spinning the prayer wheels has been a calming distraction. I feel like I'm wearing the adult version of a fidget spinner.

Lol, I totally understand Keeliamira! I find myself spinning whatever bangles I'm wearing when I'm stressed. It actually helps a lot! Jade is suppose to balance the body's energy and bring protection, which I always feel.

 

[Keeliamira]

Thorstedswife, your tourmaline ring is simply beautiful! I adore the elegance of the setting... Perfect.

Bluegemz, congrats on finding the chain you were looking for! I love doubling chains with my pendants... And the spes in your jade disc makes for such a spectacular combo

Ilovegemstones, I'm in loooooove with your froggies!! What an amazing hobby! I have a menagerie but no frogs. Our current zoo includes two rats, two gerbils, a parrot, two dogs, a bearded dragon, a Syrian hamster, and a Flemish Giant rabbit who runs around like a dog.

 

[Bluegemz]

Here it is on.....

 

[ilovegemstones]

I like those pieces Bluegemz! They remind me of my eggs. I started collecting them when I was 12 on different trips. Keeliamira I use a lot of jewelry to help with fidgeting too. It is neat that your jade pendant has spinners in it!

 

[Bluegemz]

Thorstedswife, your tourmaline ring is simply beautiful! I adore the elegance of the setting... Perfect.

Bluegemz, congrats on finding the chain you were looking for! I love doubling chains with my pendants... And the spes in your jade disc makes for such a spectacular combo

Ilovegemstones, I'm in loooooove with your froggies!! What an amazing hobby! I have a menagerie but no frogs. Our current zoo includes two rats, two gerbils, a parrot, two dogs, a bearded dragon, a Syrian hamster, and a Flemish Giant rabbit who runs around like a dog.

Thank you, Keeliamira! That's exactly it, wanting to double up, and also wear pendants further down the body. It's such a nice look, especially in the Fall, with bulkier clothing. I had t get it because I knew I would have a hard time finding one like it.
You're animals sound adorable, and your bunny is fabulous!! I love bunnies. Your girl looks super happy too. I think it's great for kids to grow up with animals, and learning how to care for others and have empathy and respect for life.

 

[Bluegemz]

I like those pieces Bluegemz! They remind me of my eggs. I started collecting them when I was 12 on different trips. Keeliamira I use a lot of jewelry to help with fidgeting too. It is neat that your jade pendant has spinners in it!

Thank you! You are right, the jades that I own were collected over 5 years, with 3 years in which I lost all interest in any other kind of colored stone or jewelry. I was completely immersed. Now I'm back to having a more diverse interest again, but the love for jade will never be replaced.

 

[ilovegemstones]

K eeliamira what an adorable picture! That is so cool that your Flemish giamt rabbit runs around like a dog!
This is my funniest pet photo - Indigo loves beer, even the non-alcoholic stuff.

 

[Bluegemz]

Ok last few pics for now. I finally captured a better representation of the quality of jade in the pics. You can see that it has a much finer grain, has the look of more moisture within the stone, look, even texture and translucence compared with the earrings. Of course, the pigment is much stronger too. Usually the highest quality jadeite is used in cabochons . I adore the earrings, but it's interesting to study the differences between qualities in jadeite and how they affect the overall look.

About grade A, untreated lavender jadeite: it's colored by magnesium. All jadeite gets its colors from mineral impurities that become fused in the crystal lattice. These travel into the stones through cracks. Pure jadeite with no colorant is clear/white. I've noticed that it's hard to find vivid lavender which is also translucent. I suspect, ( a personal theory) that this is because the magnesium also clouds. It seems to me that it's easier to find translucent greens and icy jades with little pigment.
Even on my carved bangle with the dragon and Phoenix, the lavender half is considerably less translucent than the green side.

 

[Keeliamira]

Here it is on...

Ahhhhh... So super beautiful! Congrats! I am in love with your lavender and blue jade and star sapphire collection. I'm calling first in line if you ever decide to part with any of it!

 

[Bluegemz]

Ahhhhh... So super beautiful! Congrats! I am in love with your lavender and blue jade and star sapphire collection. I'm calling first in line if you ever decide to part with any of it!

Thank you! You've got it, if I decide to sell, you are first!

 

[Keeliamira]

K eeliamira what an adorable picture! That is so cool that your Flemish giamt rabbit runs around like a dog!
This is my funniest pet photo - Indigo loves beer, even the non-alcoholic stuff.

Awwww, Indigo is precious! My bird baby has a fondness for Coca-Cola and ice cream, lol. Our rabbits have always been house bunnies. Fun fact: rabbits will use a litter box like a cat and don't have to be trained to use one!

 

[valeria101]

I breed six species of dart frogs also. See the smiling tadpole on the orange frog's back

Those look like gems to me ...

Smiling like your tadpole ! ,-)

 

[valeria101]

I got the new purple jadeite pendant with baguette diamonds today! It is truly the missing piece in my jade collection. Here it is with my other lavender bangles and other related rings and jades ( except for the blue bangles)

Obviously a different beast than the earrings & bangles, but - they fit so well ! Incomparably more interesting than straight-up matching, astonishing as that exercise might be.

What other 'stone' ever allows this ... (then again - there is such a thing as a ruby bangle)

 

[Bluegemz]

Obviously a different beast than the earrings & bangles, but - they fit so well !

What other 'stone' ever allows this ... (then again - there is such a thing as a ruby bangle)

Thank you, Valeria! You are right, inspite of the differences, they still call out to each other and go nicely. I'm in agreement, an exact match would be too uninteresting, and too conservative looking for me. It is fascinating to play with stone relationships and color moods!

I know, a ruby bangle! It's amazing. Once, I saw a bangle carved out of one, huge garnet. I wish that I had bought it because it sold immediately. The crystal must have been enormous!

 

[Bluegemz]

I did see these wonderful lavenderjadeite earrings which I love because of the differences of color of each cabochon. I think the metal work could be much more flowing and artistic though. thats what I would do with them.

 

[valeria101]

Still love your disk studs ! Having different versions of purple jade in different pieces of a set fascinates me ...

It is fascinating to play with stone relationships and color moods!

Digressing,
this story of various breeds of jadeite reminds a memorable 'prank': a fine ruby set in a carved stone ring - of absolutely perfect synthetic ruby; absurdist humour intended, methinks. The jade pairing tells of the nature of the material, and that of taste - without the darkness ...

 

[Bluegemz]

Still love your disk studs ! Having different versions of purple jade in different pieces of a set fascinates me ...



Digressing,
this story of various breeds of jadeite reminds a memorable 'prank': a fine ruby set in a carved stone ring - of absolutely perfect synthetic ruby; absurdist humour intended, methinks. The jade pairing tells of the nature of the material, and that of taste - without the darkness ...

I agree completely. I still love the disks too. They are like work horse earrings, worn often. When worn with the pendant, they truly look like a set, a pairing. What is nice is that there is no competition between them, since they have different moods but share the same stone and color language. The pendant is a romantic and sentimental, classic sparkly center point, while visually, the earrings provide a solid, peaceful foundation. They sit on the ears in such a way that they are an echo of the lavender color, and solidly emphasize the jaw line, that meeting point between body and jewelry shapes and textures.

That ruby ring must have been very interesting. It brings into question, how we define what is valuable.

 

[Tourmaline]

What fun this thread has been today! I LOVE the animal pictures, and the eggs. Ilovegemstones, I want to come play at your house (assuming those frogs are behind glass)! I have a collection of crystal specimens, and I love them.

Today I took my kids to the county fair. A man in a booth selling jade, noticed my ruby bangle and his mouth dropped open. He said he had never seen anything like it, and I told him I hadn't, either. That was fun. He didn't seem impressed by my nephrite bangle on the other wrist. He likes jadeite much better.

 

[Keeliamira]

So today was no less dramatic than the rest of my week. We took the kids to the waterpark but some ridiculous adult assaulted two of my kids while they were going down a waterslide. Then my favorite (and pricey) sunglasses were stolen off my lounge while we were standing a few feet away talking to the police. Grrr...

Fortunately, this vintage opal ring was waiting for me when I got home. I definitely made a cruddy day a bit better And I haven't taken it off since. The main stone needs a serious repolish. The center opal is about 19mm x 15mm and it's set in 18k+ gold. It has bright chunky flashes of mostly red and yellow with a smattering of green, blue, and violet. The sun was very low when we got home so it was difficult to get decent photos. Here are just a couple...

 

[Bluegemz]

So today was no less dramatic than the rest of my week. We took the kids to the waterpark but some ridiculous adult assaulted two of my kids while they were going down a waterslide. Then my favorite (and pricey) sunglasses were stolen off my lounge while we were standing a few feet away talking to the police. Grrr...

Fortunately, this vintage opal ring was waiting for me when I got home. I definitely made a cruddy day a bit better And I haven't taken it off since. The main stone needs a serious repolish. The center opal is about 19mm x 15mm and it's set in 18k+ gold. It has bright chunky flashes of mostly red and yellow with a smattering of green, blue, and violet. The sun was very low when we got home so it was difficult to get decent photos. Here are just a couple...

First, what an awful experiece! I'd be fuming angry if some one assaulted my child, actually any child! Wow, and the sunglasses to top it off. I know how that goes. With 4 kids, it's easy to get distracted and this leaves the door open for thieves.
I'm glad you had a treat waiting for you at home. I LOVE your new ring! It's big and beautiful, with style and grandeur to spare. The profile is lovely! I think it's truly a find. A repolish should be simple enough, and will make it like new again. Congratulations, Keeliamira! It's wonderful!

 

[ilovegemstones]

Ooh Tourmaline I like the bangle story. Blugems I wish I could have seen the garnet one! Keeliamira I had a rabbit running free in the class I taught years ago before a parent complained about it Valeria you are right - the frogs are so gem like! Irridescent even!

I switched to a brass and citrine necklace and a watermelon tourmaline ring to go out - a rare occasion these days!
I have a weakness for puffy goldfish.
Sorry for your day Keelimara! glad that beauty was waiting for you!

 

[ilovegemstones]

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[Bluegemz]

pic

Oh, I LOVE your necklaces!! They look so bold and wild together. Actually, that look is totally hot! Love love love this raw, chunky, unedited natural look. It's very strong. And, who doesn't love watermelon tourmaline? Congratulations on getting a night out! I know just how hard it can be to get those lol. Hope you had a great time.

Now you've inspired me to pull out and wear a necklace from a jewelry designer friend of mine....