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Those tiny gold bars are adorable, and might be just the thing. I also had no idea there was gold clay that you could fire with a torch. I took a precious metal clay class back in like 2001 and it had to be fired in a kiln. Thanks guys!
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Jul 14, 2014 02:39
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Just as a warning - if you do anything with PMC, make sure you don't put it in a furnace where it might hit the sides. The metal fuses to the floor, and it's close to impossible to get out.
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Jul 14, 2014 03:23
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I've never had any sort of custom jewelry made and would like advice. If I already have the gemstone (a ~.8 carat malaya garnet, pear facet) about how much should I expect to pay to have a ring made, a fairly simple hammered rose or white gold bezel setting, similar to this: http://www.sundancecatalog.com/product/pink+tourmaline+ring.do?sortby=ourPicks&page=4 Do I just find a local jeweler that does handmade jewelry and show them that picture? Any online jewelers I should look into?
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Jul 17, 2014 01:52
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Coca Koala posted: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! An excellent idea! I'm glad she loves them so much, I had a great time making them. 
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Jul 17, 2014 03:22
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Claes Oldenburger posted:An excellent idea! I'm glad she loves them so much, I had a great time making them. That's gorgeous!
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Jul 17, 2014 03:33
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How did people get the engagement ring size? My girlfriend definitely wants a surprise so I'm kind of lost. She has said in the past that she is a 6. We went to a DeBeers mall store just for shits and giggles and the salesperson there said she was a 4.5 which is huge difference. Part of me thinks the salesperson at DeBeers was doing some kind of vanity sizing thing which is totally hosed up. I got a ring sizer and tried to size up her finger when she was sleeping and I got a 6. But the problem is that she clenches her hand when she sleeps so it was hard to even slip on anything. Given the huge difference should I just go for a 6 and size down if necessary? If I am unsure, I should also get a plan band/solitaire to make it easier to resize? I was thinking of some kind of split pave with some smaller stones. I'm getting the diamond and ring made by somebody I trust but he's in Northern California and I'm in Southern California. How receptive are jewelers for sizing engagement rings that were not purchased at their store? I've pretty much already talked with almost all the jewelers in my area that are highly reviewed online so they know me and I'm afraid they'll be hurt that I didn't do business with them.
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Jul 17, 2014 21:50
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Does she have any rings she wears that fit the intended finger? Grab one of those and print out a ring sizing sheet (the kind that are just circles to place a ring on). Alternatively, ask a trusted friend/relative of hers. If they don't know, they may be able to find out on the sly (if they have good acting skills). Resizing a ring after proposal is really common, though. I think about half the people I know did a post-proposal sizing.
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Jul 17, 2014 21:59
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Does she want the whole ring to be a surprise (which is pretty nuts since she'll be wearing it 24/7 forever) or does she just want the proposal to be a surprise? If it's the latter, you could do it with kneeling, a fancy box, the whole deal, but with a placeholder ring you guys could later trade in for something that fits her perfectly and suits her taste.
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Jul 17, 2014 22:27
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i like nice words
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As I understand it, the whole shebang. She says she trusts my taste. We have looked at rings together, so I do have an idea. As for the resizing thing? Has anybody had a ring bought from Blue Nile or James Allen and then gone to a local shop to resize?
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Jul 18, 2014 01:30
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Manwich posted:As I understand it, the whole shebang. She says she trusts my taste. We have looked at rings together, so I do have an idea. effika posted:Resizing a ring after proposal is really common, though. I think about half the people I know did a post-proposal sizing. Resizing is a pretty common repair anyways, people get bigger and smaller over time so most rings at some point or another get sized. The only rings that are impossible (or just really difficult) to size are ones with settings 100% of the way around the band, or with other features like enamel, or engraving all around the band. That's why most engagement rings with diamonds on the band only go half or 3/4 of the way around. No matter what you choose, sizing shouldn't be an issue  That being said a 6 down to a 4.5 is a decent difference, another goon did the same thing you did (size her finger while she was sleeping) and the ring was pretty close, so I would go with a 6!
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Jul 18, 2014 17:05
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Alright, goon friends, I've got something for you.    If you read the coin thread, you know about my Dad. He was wondering if this needed insuring and it's certainly out of my wheel house. Should I take this to my guy who does insurance appraisals at $85 a pop?
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Aug 5, 2014 05:56
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Yes, they're very nice.
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Aug 12, 2014 06:21
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This thread is huge and I don't know if any actual jewelers are still posting in it, but I have a question: How would I get started on the whole jeweling career track? I know around the beginning of the thread the OP mentioned he just kind of inherited it, but that's kind of impossible for me. I know the general idea is that a place might pick you up for an apprenticeship, which will probably consist of running gold bars around, but I don't even know the kinds of studios that would take on someone like that - most jewelry places seem to be resale/gold pawns rather than actual smiths, and generally the latter seem to be too established and high-end to take on someone who'll screw up the goods, and it just seems kind of overwhelming. Any advice?
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Aug 18, 2014 13:01
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There are jewellery schools you can go to. If you say what city you are in maybe someone can help you find one in your area, I mostly know about Montreal things. Edit: Which is this, in case you are interested http://www.ecoledejoaillerie.com/?lang=en
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Aug 18, 2014 13:56
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Zratha posted:There are jewellery schools you can go to. If you say what city you are in maybe someone can help you find one in your area, I mostly know about Montreal things. This is neat, and I didn't really think that this kind of stuff would have its own technical schooling, just figured it'd be wrapped up in art colleges. If it helps for anyone reading, I'm in Portland, OR right now. I don't think I'd be able to attend any school right away (just got an undergrad degree and need a bit more money to start on a full enrollment again), but maybe some classes would be in the picture.
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Aug 19, 2014 09:16
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I've got a diamond that I'd like to use in a piece of jewelry for sentimental reasons. The stone comes from my grandmother's engagement ring and will be used for the ring I want to give my girlfriend. The only problem is that this stone has a rather large inclusion right in the center/top of the stone (~1mm, easily visible with the naked eye). I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do but I was wondering about processes to remove the inclusion. What kind of process would I be looking at and what would the final result look like for an inclusion this large? Is this worth considering at all? If so, can you recommend a few services so I can start estimating the cost?
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Aug 19, 2014 20:29
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Heavy Lobster posted:How would I get started on the whole jeweling career track? There are many different avenues in the business. Do you want to make jewelry, or be a wholesaler, or run a retail store? Or some combination of all those? Technical schools like http://www.revereacademy.com/ are the way to go if you want to learn goldsmithing from a design and construction standpoint. The Art Institute of Chicago has a fantastic jewelry program if you want a more academic approach, and fitnyc.edu has a program more concentrated on the business of fashion side. But all these programs are what you make of them. I know graduates that run multinationals and graduates that work at Starbucks. If you wanted to learn goldsmithing (for production or repair purposes) I'd suggest http://www.newapproachschool.com/ - Their programs are tailored towards real world situations that you'll see in a store. Milton posted:What kind of process would I be looking at and what would the final result look like for an inclusion this large? Is this worth considering at all? If so, can you recommend a few services so I can start estimating the cost? You'll want to have the diamond laser drilled to the inclusion, boiled in acid (to bleach the inclusion), and then filled with lead crystal (fracture filling) to hide the cavity. Once done they look great and no one will be able to tell unless they're a jeweler. Any jeweler would be able to send it out to have the service done.
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Aug 21, 2014 15:27
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Interesting thread, thanks to everyone who contributed. I read the first 20 pages and now I have a special snowflake problem to share. I received a ring with a brilliant from a friend as a collateral for a loan. It seems I'll have to sell it. The thing is, I live in a small European country where people neither have the money nor the tradition of buying expensive jewelry. No friends or acquaintances who'd be interested. No pawn shops. No Craigslist (there are local ad magazines but nobody buys this kind of stuff there). I can try eBay but I don't have an account so I'd go with 0 references.   The ring is currently with a jeweler who is unsuccessfully trying to sell it on commission. It's informally appraised at €8300. There are some notes on my receipt although I'm not sure what they mean: 144/5851, 1 BR 1.16, G/VS2 - VVS1 The jeweler is a gemologist and a court expert for jewelry and she can write a formal international appraisal with the four C's but that would cost me €240. Here are my questions: - I'll soon be travelling to Amsterdam. Should I try to sell it there? I heard Antwerp mentioned a couple of times and in theory I could get there too. The jeweler told me that it's not a good idea, that I should try selling where there are few diamonds, not where there are many. And also that they'll tell me that the design is not good (they say that regardless of design), they'll be interested only in the rock and they'll offer a very low price. - is it worth it to pay for appraisal? I guess another jeweler wouldn't care for it but an eBay customer might. - does it need cleaning? - help me make 
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Aug 30, 2014 01:34
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Any city will have several jewelers that buy diamonds secondhand. Take a train and spend a day shopping it around. Your jeweler's advice on "selling where there are few diamonds" is bad advice. And you'll have a much easier time selling the ring if it has been cleaned. Edit: No diamond expert would ever give a grade like "VS2 - VVS1." So the appraisal is guaranteed to be incorrect. Judging from the photo and making an educated guess I can say you will likely get $3-4k USD for the diamond when you sell it. JohnnyRnR fucked around with this message at 06:21 on Aug 30, 2014 |
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Aug 30, 2014 06:17
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JohnnyRnR posted:Any city will have several jewelers that buy diamonds secondhand. Take a train and spend a day shopping it around. Your jeweler's advice on "selling where there are few diamonds" is bad advice. Thanks. Apart from cleaning, is there anything I can say or do to increase my chances of getting a good price? Or will it be the same, regardless if I just drop it on the counter or I put it in a nice box and attempt to sell it? I don't know if that exonerates the jeweler, but the numbers I copied seem like pre-appraising notes to herself, not something meant for the owner/customer. VS2 - VVS1 is apparently Clarity, is 1.16 Carat? Any idea about 144/5851? Doctor Malaver fucked around with this message at 09:21 on Aug 30, 2014 |
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Aug 30, 2014 08:38
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I have a dumb question. I was given several large pieces that are supposed to be amethysts, but unlike others that I've seen, some of them look washed out and lilac-y under lights indoors, and then look a more normal mid purple tone in daylight. What are they, glass, some weird kind of cz/fakey things? They're lovely otherwise and set in 18k gold.
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Aug 31, 2014 11:13
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errol _flynn posted:I have a dumb question. I was given several large pieces that are supposed to be amethysts, but unlike others that I've seen, some of them look washed out and lilac-y under lights indoors, and then look a more normal mid purple tone in daylight. What are they, glass, some weird kind of cz/fakey things? They're lovely otherwise and set in 18k gold. It is really hard to answer without seeing them, It is entirely possible they are just not a great colour, but they could certainly also be fake. Press the stones against your lips or forehead after you haven't touched them in a while. Are they cool to the touch? If the answer is not so much, then it is probably glass. Are they completely clear, or do they have inclusions? What do the inclusions look like? Is there a lot of dispersion, or fire to the stone? If they are cz they will have that sparkle that is really hard to miss. The fact that they change colours could mean they are another stone too. Tanzanites or Iolites, for example. Amethyst is not a rare or expensive stone, so it would be odd for someone to use glass instead when the gold is 18k. Zratha fucked around with this message at 12:42 on Aug 31, 2014 |
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Aug 31, 2014 12:38
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To the jewelry goons with your own website, how much did it cost to set up?
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Aug 31, 2014 13:29
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Yup, I can see some inclusions, I can put up a picturs in a bit ( I am being relatively sneaky at work right now, ought not to be on the webz).. I appreciate your speedy reply! Whatever they are, I do like them quite a bit.
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Aug 31, 2014 13:29
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I'd love to see pictures Errol! If the inclusions look like tiny brooms though, that means they are goethite, whihc are a diagnostic inclusion for amethysts, meaning they are absolutely amethysts. Like these: 
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Aug 31, 2014 16:50
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errol _flynn posted:Yup, I can see some inclusions, I can put up a picturs in a bit ( I am being relatively sneaky at work right now, ought not to be on the webz).. I appreciate your speedy reply! Whatever they are, I do like them quite a bit. Yes please post pictures!  Tunicate posted:To the jewelry goons with your own website, how much did it cost to set up? Like most other business related websites it all depends on skill level of web coding and what you're looking for. If it's just a portfolio site then it'll be pretty cheap (costs of server space and domain name + a wordpress template or something) but the more features you want, like a store front, jump the cost goes up significantly. My awful site now is only a couple bucks a month, but I'm currently building a new one and with a store set up like shopify that price jumps up to 30+ dollars a month depending on further features. I can also do a large chunk of the coding myself, so I have no idea how much it costs to hire a web designer, although I've heard they can be fairly expensive. Claes Oldenburger fucked around with this message at 19:59 on Aug 31, 2014 |
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Aug 31, 2014 19:42
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Hey, Claes, your wish is my shittily carried out command. Here's a terrible photo attached. This is it looking washed out and pale, like the same tone as COke bottle glass or something, only purple/lilac.
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Sep 1, 2014 00:46
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Aaaand another no doubt equally lovely photo, but *hopefully* the difference in color can be seen, in real life it's quite easy to see. the difference is pretty much the same in daylight conditions as in this photo, the other picture is the way it usually looks under electric light, sort of pale and bleagh. It does sparkle suspiciously a lot when in sunshine, and is a middle toned lilacy color. But like I said, you can see inclusions. I dunno what it is, but it's mine and in 18K. S'all right with me whatever it is. PS CHeck out how my beans are reaching for me from the salad bowl. GIVE ME MY probably not PRECIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! obviously I fucked it fucked around with this message at 00:55 on Sep 1, 2014 |
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Sep 1, 2014 00:49
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Zratha posted:I'd love to see pictures Errol! If the inclusions look like tiny brooms though, that means they are goethite, whihc are a diagnostic inclusion for amethysts, meaning they are absolutely amethysts. Wow, Zratha! Nope really small and specky, like teeny bits of bubbly dirt. WHat you got there is pretty cool looking.
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Sep 1, 2014 00:53
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errol _flynn posted:Aaaand another no doubt equally lovely photo, but *hopefully* the difference in color can be seen, in real life it's quite easy to see. the difference is pretty much the same in daylight conditions as in this photo, the other picture is the way it usually looks under electric light, sort of pale and bleagh. It does sparkle suspiciously a lot when in sunshine, and is a middle toned lilacy color. But like I said, you can see inclusions. I dunno what it is, but it's mine and in 18K. S'all right with me whatever it is. There's no way to really tell if this is an amethyst based on the picture. Amethyst ranges anywhere in colour from deep purple to just slightly tinted, close to white. The less purple, generally the less value. It's a very common stone and a pale one with inclusions would not be worth much of anything. It doesn't really matter much though, as long as you love it.
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Sep 1, 2014 04:30
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errol _flynn posted:S'all right with me whatever it is. That's a common amethyst color. They come in all shades from white to deep purple. And it's a beautiful ring. But really, it could be any number of things. The fact that it pops in sunlight makes me think it's something else. If you want to send it to me I can have my lab run a diagnostic. Tunicate posted:To the jewelry goons with your own website, how much did it cost to set up? To do something cheap you'll spend a thousand dollars in setup. To get fancy you'll start at $5k and can easily spend $100k if you're doing things custom. Getting a website is easy. Marketing a website is hugely expensive.
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Sep 3, 2014 01:36
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errol _flynn posted:Hey, Claes, your wish is my shittily carried out command. It's a very nice ring
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Sep 3, 2014 02:32
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Thanks, Claes! It's bad rear end and chicks dig it, whatever it is. I get other women stopping me to ask what it is and stare at it quite often. *jewelry related bicep flex and girl boner* Also, I'm actually stopping by a local place (Day's, a local place up here in the wilds of Maine) and picking up another ring I am having appraised--I was going to ask them to have a look at it. Oo! Ooo! Ooo yeah, that reminds me, in a month or so I expect to have returned to me a massive green tourmaline I bought from JohnnyRnR a while ago when he had his goonsale. I had it set at a tourmaline shop a couple towns away from me, it should be back around the end of the month. I'll likely post equally lovely pictures of it when I get it back.
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Sep 3, 2014 23:22
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Does anyone know anything about TorkkeliJewellery on etsy? Thinking about getting this from them: https://www.etsy.com/listing/156124685/blue-diamond-ring-palladium-band-wedding?ref=shop_home_active_17 I've been looking for a palladium wedding ring like that for awhile now (was actually looking for sapphire/moissanite ones for money reasons), and it's surprisingly difficult to find ones of that style that aren't over $1500.
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Sep 25, 2014 15:08
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errol _flynn posted:Thanks, Claes! It's bad rear end and chicks dig it, whatever it is. I get other women stopping me to ask what it is and stare at it quite often. How did I miss this?! YEAH JEWELLERY FLEXIN'! Please post all of the pictures, the more the merrier! I have a low number of pictures right now because of all these web design shenanigans, but I have some projects for the shop coming up that hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures of! Rurutia posted:Does anyone know anything about TorkkeliJewellery on etsy? Thinking about getting this from them: https://www.etsy.com/listing/156124685/blue-diamond-ring-palladium-band-wedding?ref=shop_home_active_17 I do not personally know their store, but with my little bit of research that seems to be the average price with general jewellery store mark-ups. If you have something in mind (like the ring you posted), feel free to shoot me a PM and I can probably help you out with a goondeal!
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Sep 25, 2014 17:11
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I have been looking for some color change gems to purchase from online sellers and I was hoping I can get some advice on what to look for when I purchase one. I also have a color change gem that I am interested in purchasing and I wondering if any of the jewelry gurus here can comment on it. I'm a little worried that it might be a little dark. Is it okay to PM the link? I heard a lot of people avoid doing that so others won't buy the gem before the poster get a chance to. Also, I have an idea for a custom wedding band design that I was wondering if anyone here would be interested in working with me to create it.
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Sep 26, 2014 04:56
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Pigasus posted:I have been looking for some color change gems to purchase from online sellers and I was hoping I can get some advice on what to look for when I purchase one. You can PM me the link if you want, I'm not doing any gem buying currently so you don't have to worry about me poaching it! JohnnyRnR would give you the best idea of what it's like, though. I'm more of a gem enthusiast with a focus on the metalworking side. Speaking of which feel free to PM me about the custom wedding band design and I can see if I'm able to help you out.
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Sep 26, 2014 17:25
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Claes! Johnny! Got them both back today! The big green one is the green tourmaline from JohnnyRnR, I had a local place (Creaser's, over in South Paris) do both. We came up with a couple simple, thick banded bezel set designs that can take a beating; I'm hell on rings.I had small diamonds reset from another ring to go in the sides.
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Sep 26, 2014 23:26
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errol _flynn posted:Claes! Johnny! Those are RAAAAAD. Clean and simple to show off the gems, awesome!
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Sep 27, 2014 02:22
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*Squeee!*
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Sep 27, 2014 02:41
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