|
IIRC tungsten carbide is brittle enough that you can shatter it with a pair of pliers if you need to remove it in a hurry, so it's a little safer than titanium in that respect. Don't wear it when working with machines obviously, but you shouldn't do that with any ring, no matter whether its rigid or made of a malleable metal that can get deformed.
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2015 21:40
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 17:11 |
|
|
The tungsten ring I have is on the cooler side, when seen right next to white gold or titanium. It's been mistaken for white gold on its own, though. Just an FYI. A friend's tungsten ring shattered when he whacked his hand into a cliff while rock climbing. He also broke a finger, so as long as you don't do that regularly you're probably fine. Tungsten is much cheaper, too, so even if you break it in an EXTREME adventure it won't break the bank.
|
|
#
?
Oct 9, 2015 22:19
|
|
|
Got a 4K video of my Amora Gem Ultra H&A (not Amora Moissanite) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z4JhCXQ-L8 Specs in video.
|
|
#
?
Oct 15, 2015 18:02
|
|
|
Tunicate posted:Don't wear it when working with machines obviously, but you shouldn't do that with any ring, no matter whether its rigid or made of a malleable metal that can get deformed. Ding ding ding, just re-made a two tone band for a dude who was climbing down a ladder and slipped. The ring got caught on the ladder and cut pretty severely into his finger and bent, which is lucky as far as those accidents go. Doctors had to cut it off! Also funny story, I recently made a wonderful diamond studded antique style ring that was a guess on her size. Turns out the ring was a quarter size too small but she loved it so much she jammed it on her finger and then went to the spa with her friend. Steam makes hands swell, ring cuts off circulation to finger, aaaand she had to get the doctors to cut and rip it apart to take it off. I don't think I will ever see anyone walk into the shop with such remorse on their face ever again.
|
|
#
?
Oct 19, 2015 06:20
|
|
|
Claes Oldenburger posted:Ding ding ding, just re-made a two tone band for a dude who was climbing down a ladder and slipped. The ring got caught on the ladder and cut pretty severely into his finger and bent, which is lucky as far as those accidents go. Doctors had to cut it off! Please tell you meant the ring. 
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2015 10:46
|
|
|
Rorac posted:Please tell you meant the ring. Hah sorry, yes I mean the ring. Thankfully nothing I have made yet has caused someone to lose a finger.
|
|
#
?
Nov 4, 2015 06:23
|
|
|
What should I be looking at paying for a simple women's 3mm 14k white gold band? Just a plain metal band. BTD prices me at $600 for one and I'm trying to figure out if that's a fair price or if I'd be better off looking elsewhere. The engagement ring is from them, so I don't know if there's benefit to keeping the same company making both. Reference: https://betterthandiamond.com/products/Tiffany-Cathedral-Wedding-Band.html e: I'm going to try the other thread, more active PRADA SLUT fucked around with this message at 04:11 on Dec 7, 2015 |
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2015 04:04
|
|
|
I make a lot of resin jewelry out of molds and stuff. I do a lot of crystals like in the picture but I am also starting to make molds out of animal skulls. Since I volunteer at a museum they let me make molds of skulls with no data before they throw them away. Once I get some plastic mold materials I can start doing stuff with the hawk skull mold I got... I have dabbled in trying to learn how to properly do soldering and stumbled upon electroplating. It seems a lot easier for me to learn to do since I have no access to a forge (I wanted to do lost-wax casting). Does anyone have any familiarity with electroplating?
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2015 05:09
|
|
|
PRADA SLUT posted:What should I be looking at paying for a simple women's 3mm 14k white gold band? Just a plain metal band. BTD prices me at $600 for one and I'm trying to figure out if that's a fair price or if I'd be better off looking elsewhere. The engagement ring is from them, so I don't know if there's benefit to keeping the same company making both. That's a fair price. The average plain gold wedding band comes in from $500-600.
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2015 06:40
|
|
|
There's another thread??
|
|
#
?
Dec 9, 2015 19:23
|
|
|
The other thread they went to is the wedding thread, which discusses all aspects of the marriage process (including the purchasing of wedding bands and engagement rings). There isn't a second jewellery thread, if that's what you were asking.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2015 06:58
|
|
|
xyloshan posted:I make a lot of resin jewelry out of molds and stuff. I do a lot of crystals like in the picture but I am also starting to make molds out of animal skulls. Since I volunteer at a museum they let me make molds of skulls with no data before they throw them away. Once I get some plastic mold materials I can start doing stuff with the hawk skull mold I got... I've done some electroforming, what do you want to know? In my experience soldering is easier to get into, a forge is not necessary for either soldering or casting. Casting can have some steep equipment costs depending on the metal you want to cast, but electroforming has a lot of issues for beginners as well.
|
|
#
?
Dec 11, 2015 21:37
|
|
|
Captain Redbeard posted:I've done some electroforming, what do you want to know? In my experience soldering is easier to get into, a forge is not necessary for either soldering or casting. Casting can have some steep equipment costs depending on the metal you want to cast, but electroforming has a lot of issues for beginners as well. How would you cast something in say copper without using a forge? I was looking into trying to cast skull molds with different metals but almost all of them required forges, especially if it was a more expensive metal.
|
|
#
?
Dec 19, 2015 23:21
|
|
|
xyloshan posted:How would you cast something in say copper without using a forge? I was looking into trying to cast skull molds with different metals but almost all of them required forges, especially if it was a more expensive metal. At the risk of repeating myself, you should look into using precious metal clay.
|
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2015 20:48
|
|
|
Tunicate posted:At the risk of repeating myself, you should look into using precious metal clay. at ~1700F for two hours it's not like you're baking it in your home oven so I'm really hazy on exactly what merits the 50x increase in cost of materials. Most clay kilns can handle a sustained 2000F so if you've already got the molds an a kiln that can actually fire PMC just... get some old power cord and a crucible and go to town. A Wizard of Goatse fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Dec 20, 2015 |
|
#
?
Dec 20, 2015 21:01
|
|
|
The newer formulas of pmc need a lot lower temperatures - there even are ones you can fire with a butane torch.
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2015 04:28
|
|
|
Could any of you guys tell me about this piece? I bought it for my fiancee for the holidays. The person I bought it from told me that the c-shaped clasp and the overly-long pin probably indicates that it's from around 1900, which the internet seems to confirm. The material looks to be agate with paint and some sort of lacquer over it. I've still never seen anything like it and it's really pretty. I'd like to find one for my mom, but I can't find a thing online. 
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2015 20:15
|
|
|
Looks like a dendritic agate doublet, here's a similar-ish brooch and a really funky one
|
|
#
?
Dec 22, 2015 20:57
|
|
|
Getting ready to buy an engagement ring, and we've both decided that moissanite seems like a good way to go (either 7.5mm or 8.0mm round). I can't find a lot of great info, so I figured I'd ask here: 1) I'm planning on using a local jeweler (or one of the one's suggested in this thread) for the ring itself. Should I have them source the gem or should I buy it offline and bring it to them? Or does it not matter? 2) There seem to be several different 'types' of moissanite. There's the Charles and Covland 'Forever One' and 'Forever Brilliant' lines, as well the amora line by 'better than diamond'. Are these actual differences or is it pure marketing? And if so, are there big differences between the three? I don't mind paying a few hundred extra for a better colored stone. 3) I found some Forever One stones for pretty cheap through this website: https://themoissanitestore.com/loos...06-12-00ct.html and the amora stones fairly cheap through here: http://www.moissaniteco.com/amora_loose_stones.html Are these legit sites? If so they are both right in my price range. If not what are the best place to source these things? Thanks!
|
|
#
?
Dec 28, 2015 20:04
|
|
|
e:wrong thread
|
|
#
?
Dec 29, 2015 10:58
|
|
|
Really it's up to whatever stone you like best. There are probably differences in chemical formula that have variations in color and sparkliness but it should all work out the same??
|
|
#
?
Jan 1, 2016 12:57
|
|
|
Neurostorm posted:Getting ready to buy an engagement ring, and we've both decided that moissanite seems like a good way to go (either 7.5mm or 8.0mm round). I can't find a lot of great info, so I figured I'd ask here: All of that material is pretty similar these days. There used to be large variations in producers, but not any longer. Synthetic materials are produced in a factory setting so quality won't vary much. My advice would be to buy from a jeweler you're comfortable with and let them handle the sourcing of the stones.
|
|
#
?
Jan 11, 2016 23:20
|
|
|
Neurostorm posted:the amora stones fairly cheap through here: http://www.moissaniteco.com/amora_loose_stones.html Are these legit sites? Can't speak to the rest of it but this is the site my wedding set is from, and we had quite a pleasant experience with them.
|
|
#
?
Jan 12, 2016 07:29
|
|
|
So today I found a ring I like. I totally neglected to take a picture (I could probably go back tomorrow and get one) and Google isn't finding anything similar enough. But I love it, and I think the intended recipient will, too. Mostly, I just want to make sure I'm not getting hosed on the price. It's a 14k yellow gold ring with an opal (not huge, I don't remember the measurement) in a bezel setting. I know opals+rings=not the best idea, but the stone looks pretty well protected by the setting, and my partner really likes opals. I doubt that's enough information. "Uh...it's a ring? It looks purdy." It's priced at $695. Fair, unfair? I see things I like online for less, but I really liked being able to see and feel the rings when making a selection (and also really liked the salesperson who worked with me).
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2016 04:31
|
|
|
RabbitMage posted:So today I found a ring I like. I totally neglected to take a picture (I could probably go back tomorrow and get one) and Google isn't finding anything similar enough. But I love it, and I think the intended recipient will, too. With the amount of information you gave, it's possible it's a good deal, but it's hard to judge without knowing more. Would have to see photos (and given that this is opal, maybe a video, depending on play of color) to really give a good estimate. What color is the opal? Any idea where it's from? Tunicate fucked around with this message at 08:40 on Jan 16, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2016 04:51
|
|
|
Starting the process of looking for engagement rings. I currently live in Dubai, a city with a million options for buying shiny things. I'm going to guess that going to the Gold Souk and shopping around would just cost me a lot of time, and without much of an idea on what kind of quality I'd be getting. The prices on pieces there change per day based on how much gold is by the gram on that given day. Or something like that. Fascinating place. On the other hand, the city also has built an industry on opulence and being flashy with wealth, so if I wanted to, I could find a jewler who would help me spend several years' salary in the blink of an eye. But the jewelry and gold market here is distinctly different from the US. I'm living here for several years. There's also the possiblity of getting an old stone and placing it in a new setting, which means I'd have to find a jeweler to work with here, and it appears as though there are a million in the city, so I wouldn't really know where to start. Do you have any info, thoughts, or experience on the way Dubai handles it's jewelry trade? I've been told by some that it's a great place to get stuff for less than you would pay elsewhere, but I'm also cautious of quality concerns.
|
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2016 07:50
|
|
|
Tunicate posted:With the amount of information you gave, it's possible it's a good deal, but it's hard to judge without knowing more. I wasn't able to get many really great pics with my phone. I asked about where the opal was from and she wasn't sure. They deal in new and estate jewelry, and this was a stone they took from an older piece and had reset in a new ring.   E: Upon further discussion with partner, this probably isn't the one. On a related note, who can tell me about pearls in rings? RabbitMage fucked around with this message at 23:18 on Jan 18, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 16, 2016 22:00
|
|
|
Hey so my girlfriend is the world traveler type, NGO worker, indonesia, Burma, all around bad rear end. She does not want a big ring, has said so on numerous occasions. No big gem. So I am not sure what to get her as an engagement ring. I think her friends and family will still judge anything I get her if it's obviously cheap, but I do think she deserves something pretty. My budget is, let's say 900$. Any more and she would think i wasted money. What do you guys think about a wedding band with inlaid diamonds as an engagement ring? Something like:  I don't know. I want it to be quality, but subtle, and something that will not get in her way. She places little value on money. I think it matters more that I get her something that shows I pay attention, though I do worry that her family or friends may wonder why she's already in a wedding band :P
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 05:25
|
|
|
Just get a half carat solitaire or something if you want a "normal" engagement ring.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 20:29
|
|
|
PRADA SLUT posted:Just get a half carat solitaire or something if you want a "normal" engagement ring. That's the thing, she doesn't want one, and definitely not one with a gem centerpiece. But I need to propose with something. I feel like my options are a simple band, or a simple band with a few small inlaid gems like I linked, but I am nervous about the choice. Because most rings without a big stone look like wedding bands, or have dolphins in the shape of a baby eating roses. I guess I am looking for assurances the the direction I am leaning in isn't idiotic. Umph fucked around with this message at 21:38 on Jan 22, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 21:34
|
|
|
Based on your description of her, do you think she'd prefer a non-diamond ring or a vintage ring? I don't know where the photo's from, but somewhere like Jared doesn't sound like a good place to shop for her.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 21:44
|
|
i like nice words
|
If she doesn't want a big stone, just get her a nice band. If you're worried that looks too much like a wedding band, don't get her a ring at all. It's about you two, who cares if her family think you're cheap, if she's the type of girl who doesn't want a ring she will shut that poo poo down.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 21:45
|
|
|
Anne Whateley posted:Based on your description of her, do you think she'd prefer a non-diamond ring or a vintage ring? I don't know where the photo's from, but somewhere like Jared doesn't sound like a good place to shop for her. That was just an example of something I was thinking about. A family friend has a jewelry shop and he has estate pieces that sort of look like that. I'll go look up heirloom jewelry now. Tyro posted:If she doesn't want a big stone, just get her a nice band. If you're worried that looks too much like a wedding band, don't get her a ring at all. It's about you two, who cares if her family think you're cheap, if she's the type of girl who doesn't want a ring she will shut that poo poo down. Ok, yeah you're right. Thanks man. Umph fucked around with this message at 21:57 on Jan 22, 2016 |
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 21:54
|
|
|
Umph posted:That's the thing, she doesn't want one, and definitely not one with a gem centerpiece. But I need to propose with something. I feel like my options are a simple band, or a simple band with a few small inlaid gems like I linked, but I am nervous about the choice. Because most rings without a big stone look like wedding bands, or have dolphins in the shape of a baby eating roses. I guess I am looking for assurances the the direction I am leaning in isn't idiotic. My only issue with that ring is that it's in a style conventionally used for eternity rings. There is no necessity to bow to convention, though. This is the website of a British goldsmith who sadly doesn't make rings any more, because some violent scrotes beat him up to rob him – twice. He was a better goldsmith than web designer: http://www.amulet.co.uk/amuletop.htm But in his time, he did almost every style of wedding and engagment bands, the two sections probably most relevant to you are 'gipsy set bands' (this technique gives the true 'inlaid' look) and 'engagement rings'. Many of them won't be suitable/to your fiancee's taste, but it gives some idea of what's possible. The multi-stone scattered gipsy setting is trendy at present; some love it, some hate it:  If she might accept a modest solitaire, but really dislikes stones protruding from the setting, either horizontally or vertically (this is a common objection), you might consider, in addition to the gipsy setting, a baguette-cut stone no wider than the ring itself:   The second one is a gent's ring, and would look less chunky in the ladies' version.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 23:07
|
|
|
She doesn't want a gem centerpiece, though.Umph posted:That was just an example of something I was thinking about. A family friend has a jewelry shop and he has estate pieces that sort of look like that. I'll go look up heirloom jewelry now. You can also look on etsy, where people are making all kinds of nontraditional rings. I don't know what her NGO focus is or what her interests are, but you can find pretty subtle rings shaped like twigs, leaves, waves, basically anything you can think of (other than the dolphin/baby/roses motif hopefully). It doesn't need to have a gem at all if she doesn't care for one. Also, this is probably obvious, but you can search for and buy any ring. It doesn't have to say "engagement ring" on the page; in fact, for what you want, it probably shouldn't.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 23:37
|
|
|
Thanks a bunch for the info guys. I appreciate it.
|
|
#
?
Jan 22, 2016 23:47
|
|
|
Going to be buying an engagement ring. The setting is $900 with a verbal price of $750 and is a rose gold solitaire. The setting is 3 weeks out. Diamonds looking at are fancy-intense yellow diamonds around $4300. The diamond prices seem comparable to blue nile and the jeweler has 4 available to view today. Do I haggle on price at all or just pay the price proposed? SO's dad told me there is a lot of "wiggle" room (40%) with jewelry and to always haggle. Also, if don't get a good deal, I'll probably look like a chump. At the same time I understand these brick and mortar stores need to maintain margin to pay rent and employees. The place looks to have lower overhead: only 2 employees, not located in a mall or in the city (large suburb). So, likely less margin than the large jeweler (30+ employees) in the middle of rich town where the SO's dad shops.
|
|
#
?
Jan 23, 2016 19:08
|
|
|
Umph posted:Thanks a bunch for the info guys. I appreciate it. You could look at rings with some cool looking filigree on it rather than a solitaire.
|
|
#
?
Jan 24, 2016 17:09
|
|
|
Gstu posted:Do you have any info, thoughts, or experience on the way Dubai handles it's jewelry trade? I've been told by some that it's a great place to get stuff for less than you would pay elsewhere, but I'm also cautious of quality concerns. You're right to be concerned. As a resident alien you will have ZERO options for recourse if you're cheated. You would be much better served contacting a jeweler in your home country and working closely with them. Diamonds & gold are an international marketplace, and FedEx goes everywhere. Prices are pretty much the same everywhere. The only real price difference between locations are luxury, sales, & import taxes.
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2016 07:14
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 22, 2024 17:11 |
|
|
nollij posted:Diamonds looking at are fancy-intense yellow diamonds around $4300. The diamond prices seem comparable to blue nile and the jeweler has 4 available to view today. Do I haggle on price at all or just pay the price proposed? Without seeing the stone or at the very least a grading report it's tough to tell you if this is a fair price. It sounds like it, but you'll want to make sure the color origin of the fancy intense yellow is natural. I'm happy to give you feedback if you can get some more information. And it never hurts to ask if they "can do a little better" on the price. 
|
|
#
?
Jan 25, 2016 07:19
|
|