shape
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color
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looking for an olive green stone

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
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I think the tourmaline looks perfect for what you need, and Bob Kast's cutting is great. His prices are rock-bottom too. Other options would be peridot or green sapphire.
 

stargurl78

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Love the tourmaline! I think it would look great in a necklace like that.
 

colormyworld

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I'm looking for something that is olive green with brown tones/flashes to it- sort of hazel eye color


Andalusite while not a very common or well known gemstone would seem to be a perfect fit for what you are looking for. Here is a link to one. While the cutting is not good it will give an idea what to expect from this gem.

http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/andalusite/yad014bb/&1244716636
 

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
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Just had a thought...sphene might be a really cool choice too. It comes in various colors from green to yellow to brown and has amazing dispersion. I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to find a hazely-green sphene.

ETA: And sphene is perfect in a pendant because it's quite soft on the Mohs scale and not recommended for rings.
 

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
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Sphene, by the way, is notoriously difficult to photograph. It often ends up looking much less brilliant than it is in real life. The dispersive flashes it throws off are incredible. Look at the video for this one, for example (about halfway down the page). I know it's not the right color, but I'm just posting it as a good example of the sparkle:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-78ct-Extr...ultDomain_0&hash=item3a634bf70d#ht_1955wt_958

AJS Gems has a pretty good selection: http://www.ajsgem.com/sphene-gemstone-2046340459.html

This one looks somewhat included, but it might just be the photo. TGT is a great vendor that I've used before: http://thegemtrader.com/Jan 09 Sphene Page.htm

I don't know this vendor at all, but here's a round green one if you're looking for rounds: http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-55ct-Sphe...ltDomain_0&hash=item2c5bfc29d6#ht_1415wt_1270

My sphene was expertly cut by Roger Dery. His site (http://www.spectralgems.net) doesn't seem to have any green sphene, but you could contact him to see what he has in the rough. The sphene he has are at the bottom of this page: http://spectralgems.net/A-rare.html

So we have tourmaline, peridot, sapphire, andalusite, and sphene as possibilities so far. You have lots of choices!
 

chel180

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Thats a lot more options that I expected-thanks! I hadn't considered andalusite at all, although I'm a little concerned about it being softer as I am not very careful.

My personal preference is for a more rich/deep green color with the other colors (brown) being secondary. Some of the suggestion are tending too much towards the yellow/typical peridot green for me.
 

T L

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jstarfireb|1319994310|3050417 said:
I think the tourmaline looks perfect for what you need, and Bob Kast's cutting is great. His prices are rock-bottom too. Other options would be peridot or green sapphire.

Ditto! Get the tourmaline. It's precision cut, and very well priced for a precision cut stone. Since it will be in a pendant, a tourmaline should hold up well.
 

pwendyp

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hi chel :wavey:

You're in the UK yes? **please remember we do not allow sales or solicitations on PS. If you have something for sale, you are welcome to post it in the PreLoved forum ONLY**

regards

Wendy :))


eta also...I had a peek back at a couple of your previous posts (I hope you don't mind!) and you've posed a couple of questions that I might be able to help with. Clear diamond look-a-like stones...I have a couple of beautiful zircons...

I have also a mass of bookmarks, and have spoken with a few silversmiths that might be of interest to you...nice work and decent prices.

You also asked about melt and remake of your old gold...I may be able to point you to someone there also. I'm having some work done right now, that is a rather big project with platinum, but can just as easily be done with gold. **
 

jstarfireb

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chel180|1320051871|3050875 said:
Thats a lot more options that I expected-thanks! I hadn't considered andalusite at all, although I'm a little concerned about it being softer as I am not very careful.

My personal preference is for a more rich/deep green color with the other colors (brown) being secondary. Some of the suggestion are tending too much towards the yellow/typical peridot green for me.

Then the tourmaline looks just perfect for you! Can't wait to see pics of whatever you end up getting!
 

colormyworld

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chel180|1320051871|3050875 said:
Thats a lot more options that I expected-thanks! I hadn't considered andalusite at all, although I'm a little concerned about it being softer as I am not very careful.

My personal preference is for a more rich/deep green color with the other colors (brown) being secondary. Some of the suggestion are tending too much towards the yellow/typical peridot green for me.


Andalusite is the same hardness as tourmaline. 7 to 7 1/2
 

Pandora II

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I'm a huge fan of andalustite and think it is much underated. It always reminds me of autumn.

However, while it ticks the hazel box it isn't a bright green - more a strong olive/brownish green with big red flashes.

It's also an ideal jewellery stone - it's relatively hard and relatively tough.

Sphene is gorgeous, one of my favourite stones but I wouldn't bezel one in a million years - that setting and a sphene would make me feel slightly unwell during the setting process!

My main issue with tourmalines is that so many have a very grayish look to them - a problem you don't find with andalusite.
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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I have to say I prefer the above green tourmaline to any andalusite, but if you want a lot of brownish color in your stone, than andalusite is for you. I have a four carat andalusite that is supposed to be a fine example, but it's a bit too brown for me (I bought it a million years ago). My husband's eyes are like the color of andalusite, brown with a little green, so I should love it, right??! :???:

Also want to mention that some grossulars have a lot of brown in them, with some green and yellow, and MC.com might have some. They would probably sparkle more.

If you can afford it, then olive green diamonds are relatively affordable. They sell a lot of them on ebay, and I own one. They can have brown hues in them too.

file.png
 

colormyworld

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Please Tourmaline Lover share a picture of your andalusite with us.
 

Ella

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Please remember we do NOT allow sales or solicitation in other parts of the forum. Please take any discussions of buying or selling to the PreLoved forum only.
 

VapidLapid

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I am a big fan of andalusite too. When well cut and oriented it can be utterly spectacular. Gemfix usually has some nice offerings, gemtrader too.
The tilt window in the kast tourm looks as though it becomes large and apparent at only half a degree tilt, which would be too much for me.
 

T L

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Andalusite, from what I know, is like an olive green on one axis, and a brown on the other. Here's a couple of really bad photos of my step cut four carater. Those aren't inclusions, but dust on the stone.

TLandalusite.JPG

TLandalusite2.JPG
 

pwendyp

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Ella|1320107034|3051354 said:
Please remember we do NOT allow sales or solicitation in other parts of the forum. Please take any discussions of buying or selling to the PreLoved forum only.

My apologies Ella - I am sorry. I think I knew I should have worded it better, and carried it over/through to the correct forum...lesson learned.

:oops:
 

chel180

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Wow! options galore!

The main thing against the first BK tourmaline is its shape- I'd much prefer a cushion or square shape.

I've been looking at green diamonds and none that I've found have the dept of color that the other options do.

I do want a deep green color. I think deep colors looks better in the halo bezel settings like the one I've chosen.. A white halo would, in my opinion wash out a paler stone.
 

chel180

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Here are some mock ups with different types of stone in a white halo so I can see what I like best. No point having a beautiful stone if it doesn't go with my setting choice.

andralusite.JPG

ID olive tourmaline.jpg

NSC olive sapphire.jpeg

oilve BK mock up.jpg
 

chel180

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Ok so my favorite is still the BK tourmaline- if it looks irl like it does in the photos and I do know with colored stones thats a big IF. I've contacted BK to see if he has any more rough this color to make me a cushion but as yet no response.

Anyone seen any other squarish tourmalines that look like this with other vendors?

peridot.jpg
 

chel180

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last picture this is the BK tourmaline in my favorite setting.

pendant mock up.jpg
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Email Gene of precisiongem.com too. He often cuts cushions, and olive green tourmaline isn't difficult to obtain (I would think). Barry of acstones.com also cuts cushions, but they have more pointy corners, and I'm not so sure it would fit properly into such a setting. Also email Dan Stair of customegemstones.com.

I would not go to a more expensive lapidary because that color is rather inexpensive, and you should be able to get one for an affordable price.
 

VapidLapid

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Vesuvianite, aka idocrase is another good option. Both ajs and multicolor usually have them.

b_yido103ai.jpg
 

chel180

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Still not heard back from Bob Kast :???:
 

T L

Super_Ideal_Rock
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chel180|1320437028|3054098 said:
Still not heard back from Bob Kast :???:

Email him one more time. Maybe your email got eaten by cyberspace, or went to his spam.
 

jstarfireb

Ideal_Rock
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Bob is known to be pretty unreliable with communication. I'd keep trying.
 

ooo~Shiney!

Brilliant_Rock
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Don't email Bob, email his assistant Rebecca !!!
I think her email is on that site.
She usually responds quickly !
I really do like that Bob Kast stone, BTW ! :sun:
 
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