Post subject: Neat Ring, Large Green Stone, Prasiolite?
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 6:17 pm
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type
Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2021 4:24 pm Posts: 2
I do not know much at all about jewelry or gemstones.
I thought this ring very interesting. There is a large, 15 mm across top, light green stone. I tried to look up possible gemstones, best I could come up with is Prasiolite, completely based on the color.
Metal is non-magnetic, there is no maker or metal indication. The metal form itself is very unique. My husband says it looks like the stone is the face, with a crown on top, with head resting on arms.
No, the color is wrong for prasiolite. We can't really identify a stone from a phito but yours is likely vaseline glass, which has a tiny bit of uranium mixed in to give it strong green fluorescence. That gives it a weird distinctive look.
Post subject: Re: Neat Ring, Large Green Stone, Prasiolite?
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 12:24 am
Gold Member
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 pm Posts: 1424 Location: San Marcos, CA
I agree the color looks a little off to be Prasiolite. Kind of looks a bit like maybe Fluorite. Who knows, but fluorite is very poor choice for a ring.
Post subject: Re: Neat Ring, Large Green Stone, Prasiolite?
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2021 4:49 pm
Gold Member
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 7:58 pm Posts: 1424 Location: San Marcos, CA
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I'm throwing this in not to prove anyone wrong, and myself somehow right. Just for reference nothing more. I will state that I believe Barbra's choice seems more logical and Stephen's is more logical based on the appearance and the transparency equation is translucency, as well agree with David color tells a lot of nothing. Don't beat me up to bad here, please. I am nobody, but a somebody that is just offering some reference to the thread. Yes my wife and I have tested these and believe them to be as stated, but if anyone needs to state something they may know relevant please do so.
Contextually I think it would be odd to find fluorite in any ring, particularly in what looks like a cheap setting. That doesn't mean it couldn't or hasn't happened though. Photo ID is just an idle passtime, none of us can be very sure of our guesses but they're fun. Vaseline glass has both fluorescence and body color. Body color scales with size but fluorescence intensity not as much, so a smaller stone is going to be less yellow and more green, but it's an instinctual rather than purely scientific call. I'd put five whole bucks on it though Quick easy home tests: hit it with a blacklight and see what it does. Touch the stone to your lip and see if it feels cold or just cool (glass conducts heat poorly relative to a crystalline stone so it feels warmer). Have a reference piece of glass and a reference known stone to compare. Please try these, Rosieposie, and report back.
Post subject: Re: Neat Ring, Large Green Stone, Prasiolite?
Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:54 pm
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Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2020 10:16 am Posts: 23
I thought I'd add a perspective from the vintage jewellery side. It looks like tarnished silver or a brass alloy mount, the way the stone is set in the close up doesn't look like the way gold would form while worked. The flamboyant style with a hint of lingering Deco would pull me to a 1950's/60's date. From this period you do find vaseline glass set rings, and they are nearly always in silver or base metal settings. It would be uncommon to find a gemstone of that size set in silver or base metal from this period.
So I would lean towards vaseline glass just from the visual evidence of the setting, I'm no expert at gems at all though!
As others have mentioned if you have access to a UV light, even a cheap led one would work fine, you can test it. Shine it on the gem in the dark, and if it glows really bright green/yellow it is most likely vaseline glass. You could also test it will a gieger counter in the unlikely event you have one (or know someone who does), most vaseline glass is mildly radioactive (not harmful).
Post subject: Re: Neat Ring, Large Green Stone, Prasiolite?
Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2021 8:30 pm
Site Admin
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Spinel will glow too with UV...quite dramatically. A lot of this pale green synthetic spinel was used in the 40's. A birthstone substitute for peridot (I kid you not) set in typical retro designs.
It was often sold as Vaseline green spinel.
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