Post subject: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2016 9:32 am
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Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 4:08 am Posts: 188
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Im posting this piece because Im very satisfied of the final outcome of this configuration, hand built by John, with nice stones & great gold work. The ruby is a 3.02ct gem, a .51ct diamond & a 2.21ct. brazilian tourmaline. All stones well cut & do a nice showing-steve...
Im usually trying to add a little zest to my pendents, usually going for a unique jewelry, good or bad but fun to wear because of the rarity of the stones, this is the latest addition, 2.01cts. untreated ruby, all gold work 18kt, length @1.75" & in the light, 'pretty city'. The gold work is not bad or finished as commercial items but overall a nice item-steve...
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 11:00 am
Site Admin
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Steve, have you ever thought of taking a goldsmithing class? This would be a fairly easy piece to construct. The components are all available through Stuller in Louisiana: Individual heads for stones are order-able by stone size and shape:
Rabbit ear bale with bevel:
Or, simple bale:
Round wire:
I'm quite serious. I think you could make a pendant like this for your first project. See if you can find a class. You'd love it!
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 12:23 pm
Valued Contributor
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 4:08 am Posts: 188
Taking a class could be a good thing but at 70 yrs old trying to light the torch, Id probably start lighting my fingers instead of the torch & Im now having a little trouble going up the stairs even though there are none in the apt. John does enjoy the custom gold work & seeing some rare stones once in a while-thanku for the advice, always appreciated-steve...
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 1:46 pm
Site Admin
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
I've got quite a reputation for melting everything I torch, but I seriously believe if we were in a class, the teacher would come over and hover over our shoulder until it was soldered, not melted.
70 is not old! You don't use the torch while you're climbing stairs. And a jeweler's torch is not a blow torch. There are micro self-lighting torches available now for $30: https://www.amazon.com/ProTorch-Micro-B ... dwhywelove
Seriously...this could be YOU.... making these pendants yourself withing 6 weeks.
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2016 3:58 pm
Gemology Online Veteran
Joined: Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:55 am Posts: 543
O.K. Barbra, if you are giving up on nagging allow me to take over. Lambert do an ace spark welder, with a stereo microscope to allow precise positioning. Not cheap, but the results are very good indeed. It also has the advantage that it is very difficult to melt the work with it. And you are right, 70 is not old.
I like the nagging as I feel this is a positive input but the reality is this old dog can solder, what I dont have is the 25 years of goldsmithing under the belt, I can still do hi-teck fiber networks, do PC's & other hi-teck communications, but the gold work I leave to John, plus Im getting a hell of a deal from his shop, Im posting pics of some of Johns work which shows some serious detail work on every item he does. All the prongs that hold gems are notched which is usually done on his rings and finer items, he is doing this on the pieces he does for me. If the prongs are weak, he will resolder/cut the prong to original specks, this takes his time from the money pieces for the shop-no way I can copy what he does with my stuff. The pics show how the gold work is detailed on the prongs & frame of the pendents, when John set the fire opal, he said because of the softness of the material, he has the prongs lightly touching the stone, this takes about 15 minutes extra to get the pressure correct to his satisfaction, this is experience taking over-steve...
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2016 11:59 am
Site Admin
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Steve, those components are ALL available through Stuller. They are not hand made. They are simply ordered and delivered the next day. John is connecting them with lengths of wire and soldering a pre-made bale on top.
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Mon Sep 26, 2016 9:21 am
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Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 4:08 am Posts: 188
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This posting is just an update of the latest rendition of the pendent, the space between the lower stones was not used as expected so the pendent was 'finished' so to speak, the pics did come out pretty good in that the rubies are shown almost as clear as seen under a scope, light is reflected off the bottom of the gems, the tourmaline photoed pretty well this time & the diamond shows well too-always trying to improve the looks, no photo-shop-
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 10:39 pm
Site Admin
Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Crazy, but I'm starting to get comfortable with these pendants. I have so many gems I've collected over the years, I should start doing something like this.
Post subject: Re: Ruby, diamond & tourmaline pendent...
Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2016 12:40 pm
Valued Contributor
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2016 4:08 am Posts: 188
allen wrote:
Please don't. It should not cost that much more to put something together that showcases the stones with a bit more creativity.
I just had to add my spoon to the batter, there is sooooo much 'creativity' on the market now that even fine jewelry is mundane! The creative gravel I put in gold are not just ruby, tourmaline, or topaz & tourmaline or even emerald, these items were assembled with material, shapes & quality in assembly, by hand that just show the stones & these stones to 'die for' in most cases. The rubies are VS class, the paraiba tourmaline, Brazilian, is rated as VS, almost flawless with intense color, the pink topaz is usually viewed with the mouth hanging open with matching eyes-these stones are GIA certed, not the topaz, I get offers on these pieces almost every time they are worn. My jeweler worries now Im geaser material myself, Ill get mugged or someone will just grab & run. The gem shopping network is loaded with 'creative' jewelry that is being sold to the highest bidder, usually at a 60% drop in retail pricing, only a small portion of the really good stuff sells & even the operators on the show admit some of the sold items are not actually delivered, 2nd thoughts? If someone has gemstones & is proud of what they are & the value is a known item, make a simple design in metal, silver, gold, etc, & show people. If the stuff u r showing is that good, dont hide it in diamonds or something to 'showcase' the mains. Diamonds are sooo plentyful, like insects, always around, granted the really good ones are costly, but shop around-doing this with unheated ruby or Brazilian paraiba is much harder to do & almost no results favorable to the buyer! The jewelry industry today can produce ANY design one can conger up. The heart of the matter is the stones as the main player of the item, a joy to wear & show, especially if one is in the business & knows what is good or not. To display ur stones in a simple manner in the most basic setting is a compliment to the stone in question & a joy to the wearer-sorry for the rant, complex has its place but simplicity is still a good basic tool for jewelry-
I never questioned the quality of the stones. Simplicity does not equal mundane. By just using a few simple curves one could not only showcase the stone but have it be pleasing to the eye as well.
_________________ I just dreamed that I was a butterfly.
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