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Evil Robot posted:You must be better at this than I am. Staring at this diamond in direct sunlight I was unable to see hints of color...
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May 7, 2014 01:06
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It's impossible to guess under those conditions. The lighting has to be something you're comfortable with to get a color grade spot-on. I can't color grade a diamond correctly unless I'm in my office. Then the lights and colors are a known entity. And even then I have to have my masters. I can get close with just the stone in a paper, but not close enough to safely write a big check. I've met experts that are perfect at it in every situation. But that's just not a gift I have.
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May 8, 2014 05:35
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Solumin posted:
I was looking for a similar ring and ended up contacting a engraver near me named Chris Malouf. He answered most of my questions from what I remember he said basically any material marketed as "scratch-resistant" were unacceptable but I know for sure he worked in gold, sterling silver, titanium and steel. http://www.cdmengraving.com/jewelry_gallery.htm I didn't end up ordering from him at the time but the little correspondence I had was nice. As to the name of the engraving I have heard it called English Scroll, Old Scroll, and Western Scroll. Now there may be difference there that I have not noticed that make those three unlike each other but if so I haven't noticed.
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May 8, 2014 18:33
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JohnnyRnR posted:It's impossible to guess under those conditions. The lighting has to be something you're comfortable with to get a color grade spot-on. That's actually pretty funny to me. The price between an F and an I stone is pretty drat big, and to have an expert say they couldn't tell the difference on the street makes me wonder why you would even bother spending the extra.
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May 15, 2014 04:18
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It is a big price difference because it is a big difference in the quality of the stone. Diamonds are very small and they reflect and refract light super well, so anything around them will influence how they appear to the human eye dramatically. This means you need to be up close, and in a neutral setting in order to give them a proper evaluation. I wouldn't even wear colourful clothes or nail polish when grading. It's the same way you wouldn't ask a wine expert to evaluate a wine with a mouth full of food, because it would dramatically affect the flavour. An I will have an overall yellower look than an F, even if someone can't precisely pinpoint what its colour grade is when they are on the street. Personally, I think it is worth sacrificing a bit of clarity if it means being able to improve colour (depending on the nature of the inclusion) but that is a matter of opinion.
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May 15, 2014 14:01
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Last year my grandmother died and I inherited a significant portion of her jewelry collection. I love it all (except the Christmas brooches), but all of the rings are too big. How much trouble would it be to have them re-sized? They range between 6-8 and I'm a 5.5 or 5.75, I can't remember exactly right now.
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May 30, 2014 23:47
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GabrielAisling posted:Last year my grandmother died and I inherited a significant portion of her jewelry collection. I love it all (except the Christmas brooches), but all of the rings are too big. How much trouble would it be to have them re-sized? They range between 6-8 and I'm a 5.5 or 5.75, I can't remember exactly right now. It will depend on the metals involved and the settings of the stones(if they have them). Do you have a jeweler in town who does metalwork?
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May 31, 2014 06:59
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Evil Robot posted:You must be better at this than I am. Staring at this diamond in direct sunlight I was unable to see hints of color... Well, what grade did it get? Suspense is killing me!
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Jun 1, 2014 23:05
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Hello thread! On a recent east coast trip I picked up a 1953 NYC subway token (like this: http://metrocard.levradin.com/subway-tokens/) that I'd like to turn into some kind of jewelry for my girlfriend. I'm thinking of something relatively low key rather than encrusting it with diamonds, but am willing to spend up to a few hundred bucks to get a nice metal and craftsmanship put into it. The obvious thing would be to turn it into some kind of pendant, the lazy thing would be to thread a chain through the cutout in the middle and call it a day. The token is about the size of a dime and my girlfriend is about 5'10 to give you some idea of proportion. There's a local jeweler where I live that I was planning on checking in with, but if there are any nifty ideas that might work with this I'd love to hear them.
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Jun 2, 2014 04:21
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If you look at Etsy there are several jewelers there that sell pieces with repurposed tokens. I'd browse that for some design ideas.
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Jun 3, 2014 15:50
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I am looking for a necklace for my wife. She has a nice diamond pendant but I have become interested in the "diamonds by the yard" style of white gold chain with frequently spaced diamonds. I went to two local jewelers and did not find this style and don't really have enough time to have it made (two weeks). Searching for this on google or ebay or amazon yields a ton of hits. They seem to come with different number of diamonds and different total carats. I've read the OP so I understand about the way to read about the diamonds. My question is whether or not it is a good idea (money-wise, getting ripped off-wise) to buy from a place like Amazon or whether I should be looking elsewhere for a better, more secure deal. The OP is pretty down on online buying but I was wondering if anything has changed in four years or so. Also, anything else I should think about before buying this kind of necklace? I figure I will spend >1K but less than 2K. Also, I know the OP hasn't posted in years but I would totally go to their store if I knew where it was in the Boston area for pay back for the wealth of information there.
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Jun 6, 2014 15:58
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Invicta{HOG}, M.D. posted:I am looking for a necklace for my wife. She has a nice diamond pendant but I have become interested in the "diamonds by the yard" style of white gold chain with frequently spaced diamonds. I went to two local jewelers and did not find this style and don't really have enough time to have it made (two weeks). Searching for this on google or ebay or amazon yields a ton of hits. They seem to come with different number of diamonds and different total carats. I've read the OP so I understand about the way to read about the diamonds. I definitely don't think Amazon, etc. are good places to look; you're taking a huge gamble on quality. I've had great experiences with earrings from Blue Nile and an engagement ring from Whiteflash, so I recommend both retailers. This seems like what you're looking for? http://www.whiteflash.com/diamond-pendants/whiteflash-by-the-yard-diamond-necklace-449.htm In Boston, there are a ton of jewelers all located on Washington St. at DTX (most in the exchange building) so you could plausibly check out a ton of places in one short trip.
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Jun 6, 2014 23:20
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The Amazon curated collection has been really solid both quality and value wise everytime I buy there.
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Jun 7, 2014 01:51
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Can anyone comment on the durability of palladium 500 vs 950 vs Platinum? We're looking to get wedding bands from Chris Ploof and it seems like the price differential between those metals is like $500...
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Jun 10, 2014 20:46
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edit: wrong thread
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Jun 10, 2014 21:46
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Rurutia posted:Can anyone comment on the durability of palladium 500 vs 950 vs Platinum? ... the price differential between those metals is like $500... Go with the platinum. It is worth the extra money. Platinum will keep its finish much longer than palladium, and wears over time into a nice dull grey. Palladium does not take much wear on its finish before it starts to look a bit dingy. I used to make a lot of jewelry in palladium and slowly moved away from it. And speaking of Chris, I just ran into him at a show. He just finished a batch of custom diamond loupes. I left it at the office so I can't check, but I think it's a Damascus made from meteorite. It's my new favorite. 
JohnnyRnR fucked around with this message at 05:15 on Jun 12, 2014 |
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Jun 12, 2014 05:06
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JohnnyRnR posted:Go with the platinum. It is worth the extra money. Platinum will keep its finish much longer than palladium, and wears over time into a nice dull grey. Palladium does not take much wear on its finish before it starts to look a bit dingy. That's a loving gorgeous loupe. There is a problem with the inner screw on mine and the glass keeps getting loose so I am in the market for a new one.
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Jun 12, 2014 13:12
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JohnnyRnR posted:Go with the platinum. It is worth the extra money. Platinum will keep its finish much longer than palladium, and wears over time into a nice dull grey. Palladium does not take much wear on its finish before it starts to look a bit dingy. CURSES! I saw these on his instagram and was immediately impressed. That's so cool you got one!
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Jun 12, 2014 15:13
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Soooo... where do we get our hands on loupes like that?
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Jun 12, 2014 17:47
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Goodpancakes posted:Soooo... where do we get our hands on loupes like that? 2$ for Chinese ones 15$ for "German" 30$ you get into folding ones that are nice. You only need like 3x and 10x. If you want fancy ones Nomos did some nice wood ones with optics from Jena
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Jun 13, 2014 03:15
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Alright, time for silly questions. I've got a small 4mm sapphire stud (square cut of some sort) in sterling silver that I wear every day as my earring. While I really like it, I kinda want some other options- but I'm a college student with a pathetic budget. I want something iridescent or with rainbow colors- something that will be easily noticeable as a rainbow up close, but not so flashy that it draws a lot of attention to me. For what it's worth, I've got pretty small ears so the 4mm (or a little bigger) is just about the perfect size. What sort of options are there (if any) under the $300 range? The only thing that comes to mind immediately is ammolite, but I hear that it's hard to take care of. Am I being naive and there won't be anything that cheap? It still hasn't really hit me yet that "jewelry is expensive".
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Jun 13, 2014 04:30
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Luneshot posted:Alright, time for silly questions. I've got a small 4mm sapphire stud (square cut of some sort) in sterling silver that I wear every day as my earring. While I really like it, I kinda want some other options- but I'm a college student with a pathetic budget. I'm going to take the opportunity to pimp the opal earrings in my shop. Coupon code "goons" for 15% off
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Jun 13, 2014 04:34
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I should have probably mentioned that I almost exclusively wear stud earrings- I'm not much for hoops or dangling earrings, I like it to be fairly low profile.  Some of those are really beautiful, but it's hard to get the iridescent/rainbow effect from something as small as the studs I usually wear. I see you have a set of opal studs there though- I'll keep those in the back of my mind. Thanks!
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Jun 13, 2014 06:32
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Fair enough. Just keep in mind that opals usually look better in person than they do in photos. Actually, does anyone here have tricks for photographing opals? Everyone I've talked to about it has basically said 'keep trying in different lightings'.
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Jun 13, 2014 06:53
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Tunicate posted:Fair enough. Just keep in mind that opals usually look better in person than they do in photos. Nail thread people often photograph tricky polishes (iridescence, color shifts, holographic glitter, multiple layers of varying opacities of such, etc) two main ways: 1. A blurry shot, since the sparkles get larger and easier to see 2. An underwater shot, since you'll get multiple angles of refraction on the subject without a crazy lighting/shooting situation Bonus: gifs of the above. I don't know if any of those will help opals, though. Your shop has some really pretty pieces. 
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Jun 13, 2014 13:01
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effika posted:Nail thread people often photograph tricky polishes (iridescence, color shifts, holographic glitter, multiple layers of varying opacities of such, etc) two main ways: I imagine underwater shots of iridescent jewelry would be as frustrating as nail polish in that it shows the product in a way it will never look in real life.
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Jun 13, 2014 19:16
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Unfortunately, Ethiopian opals don't react very well to water - they're reverse hydrophane, so the drier they get, the more spectacular the colors.
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Jun 13, 2014 20:42
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Luneshot posted:I want something iridescent or with rainbow colors- Go with mystic topaz. It's a white topaz (usually synthetic) that has a prismatic backing. They're available in many different types of colors. They look fun and they won't break the bank. Goodpancakes posted:Soooo... where do we get our hands on loupes like that? You'll have to get one from Chris... and he said they're a special perk for new accounts that buy rings for their stores. (Order a half dozen rings and ask him to throw one in  )
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Jun 14, 2014 05:01
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So I am going to propose. Do any of the cool jewelers here have any interesting or pretty engagement rings they're currently selling? My budget is 2 grand. Thanks!
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Jul 8, 2014 01:17
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Umph posted:So I am going to propose. Do any of the cool jewelers here have any interesting or pretty engagement rings they're currently selling? My budget is 2 grand. Thanks! I don't personally have any engagement rings, but my good friends at PAK Designs do wonderful work. You should send an email to Info@pakdesigns.com - say you got a referral from Angry Turtle.
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Jul 8, 2014 07:24
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Umph posted:So I am going to propose. Do any of the cool jewelers here have any interesting or pretty engagement rings they're currently selling? My budget is 2 grand. Thanks! I'm currently taking orders over the summer for custom work if you're interested! I was planning on making another SA-Mart thread but got side tracked with a ton of design work. I'm starting up another thread finally in the fall with the launch of my new website too. Here's my current (and bad) website https://www.viponddesigns.com Some of my engagement work was for goons already Feel free to PM me or shoot me an email at trevor AT viponddesigns.com if you're interested or have any questions!
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Jul 8, 2014 16:36
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I recently went "gem mining" in the mountains of NC. I got a lot of rocks and was told some of them were Rubies, Garnets, Emeralds, and maybe some other stuff. How do I find out what it really is and if anything is worth cutting? Of the other "rocks" how do I figure out what they are and if any could be tumbled?
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Jul 10, 2014 15:38
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I would suggest looking around for either a gemmology school or a gem and mineral club. They would have the tools and the people who could identify your stones and would very likely do it for free or no charge. Any upcoming rock/gem/mineral/fossil shows will also have people onsite offering identification services. Edit: Post pictures though! Zratha fucked around with this message at 17:03 on Jul 10, 2014 |
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Jul 10, 2014 16:59
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Yes definitely post pictures! 
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Jul 10, 2014 22:31
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Pictures as requested: Emeralds?  Amethyst?  Ruby/Garnet?  The new center piece of my coffee table stuff from the Gem Mine, a Himalayan salt rock candle, and stuff I've picked up over the years. I've always liked rocks and this has spurred me to find out more about them. 
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Jul 11, 2014 15:01
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Nice collection! Without being in person with tools I can't say 100%, but everything he told you looks to be correct. The top one certainly looks like emerald or green beryl, the second picture is 100% amethyst, I can even make out the goethite brooms in the picture, which are a diagnostic inclusion. The next picture also looks how garnet and ruby do in the rough, looks like you have some rubies in fuschite there in the middle of that pic. None of it is what you would really cut for jewellery, I would just enjoy it in its natural state. If you really want to wear a piece, find someone who can do something with it rough. I have a rough tanzanite necklace that I love because it looks so totally different from the tanzanite you generally see on the market.
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Jul 11, 2014 15:24
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Claes Oldenburger posted:I'm currently taking orders over the summer for custom work if you're interested! I was planning on making another SA-Mart thread but got side tracked with a ton of design work. I'm starting up another thread finally in the fall with the launch of my new website too. Here's my current (and bad) website https://www.viponddesigns.com Some of my engagement work was for goons already By the way, if you have any photos of the wedding band you made to go with the engagement ring you made for me, you should absolutely feel free to post them! My wife has been wearing them together for almost two months now and loves them!
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Jul 12, 2014 01:52
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The is not strictly jewelry, but where could I buy actual gold? My husband is slowly building a miniature hoard of gems and he really wants some teeny tiny gold coins or bars. I have a gold ring that I could melt down and a local jeweler that I have a good relationship with--would that be my best bet?
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Jul 13, 2014 18:44
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HelloIAmYourHeart posted:The is not strictly jewelry, but where could I buy actual gold? My husband is slowly building a miniature hoard of gems and he really wants some teeny tiny gold coins or bars. I have a gold ring that I could melt down and a local jeweler that I have a good relationship with--would that be my best bet? No, the labor charges to melt & cast a couple small bars would be prohibitive. You can buy small gold bars at very reasonable prices. Something in the .5g to 1g size might fit the bill. http://www.apmex.com/category/9/gold-bars-gold-rounds-1-gram-400-oz
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Jul 13, 2014 23:41
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If you wanted to do something custom, maybe some precious metal clay would work too.
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Jul 14, 2014 00:23
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