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Julian
08-05-2012, 08:29 PM
We had some fun guessing what variouse gems were, so continuing the fun;

What is your favorite, and why?

I find it hard to settle on one, I have a passion for spinels and tourmalines. Spinels are tricky because they are so easy to fake, and it takes an immersion microscope with polarised light to really test them.

I do love tourmalines, not really a single type but group like garnets. Hear are my latest two purchases
3584
3.1 cts 18 x 5 mm approx

3585
0.91 cts 5x5 mm approx

I have to admit I paid about 3 times my normal $/ct buying rate, but got a 40% discount on the asking price :) but then these are foy own collection

Julian

Dennis
08-05-2012, 10:10 PM
I have always liked watermelon slices too, but the one I made up years ago, began to dry out and look ropey in quite a short time. Here are my bi-colour tourmalines, which I showed earlier in the year. The temporary label was to differentiate them for setting as ear studs. Dennis.

Kwant
09-05-2012, 09:19 AM
There are so many to choose from, as I mentioned in another thread I am at present enamoured with Ethiopian type opals, but leaving those little beauties aside I also like many quartzes particularly those with inclusions such as lodolite, cacoxenite, rutile etc. Here is one I bought a while, which as you can see is a tad on the large side but my eyes were bigger than my belly as they say :0) It is quartz with iron oxide and pyrite inclusions.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7163586558_cf0b700625.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12340604@N02/7163586558/)
Quartz (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12340604@N02/7163586558/) by kwant (http://www.flickr.com/people/12340604@N02/), on Flickr

oh and as an aside to Dennis at the risk of teaching a patrician to abandon his granny, watermelon wrapped in cling film in the fridge will last a tad longer but is apt to go mouldy :0)

Dennis
09-05-2012, 09:47 AM
I've never bee able to persuade my customers to stay in the fridge Kwant, but I have to admit my granny would be a bit mouldy by now.

ps_bond
09-05-2012, 09:50 AM
Tourmalines, particularly bi-colours are a particular favourite - but I have to admit to being daft on opals.

Dennis
09-05-2012, 10:21 AM
Boulder opals are my favourite Peter, but they have recently decided to give the matrix a shiny finish, which destroys their earthy 'just mined' character.
Apropos the watermelon slice, I have just scanned in this image from my photo album. It is rather poor because in the nineties I was using the copier as a camera, but it gives a rough idea. Dennis.

mizgeorge
09-05-2012, 10:21 AM
I'm another big fan of tourmalines, and like Peter, especially bi or tri-colours.

My greatest weakness is probably for Aquamarines, particularly those with unusual colours or cuts, and I have a huge soft spot for cornflower blue sapphires.

That said, all my everyday stones are diamonds!

This may mean I have to go and stand in the naughty corner, but opals do absolutely nothing for me.

lilia
09-05-2012, 05:17 PM
Another bi colour tourmaline fan here :-). I also like pink sapphires, red rubies and aquamarines, specially greeny ones (technically called green beryl).

Wallace
09-05-2012, 05:55 PM
opals, sapphires and diamonds............ rough or polished. :o

Kwant
09-05-2012, 06:02 PM
Nice to know you are not fussy Wallace :0)

Wallace
09-05-2012, 06:41 PM
Nice to know you are not fussy Wallace :0)

:dance:Good job I wan't drinking my tea when I read that!


It's what's on the inside that counts! :X

Julian
09-05-2012, 07:06 PM
This may mean I have to go and stand in the naughty corner, but opals do absolutely nothing for me.

Personally, I have to say, that I can understand the apeal of opals, in fact they are one of my wife's favorites, but looking at a recent, non eBay! , auction I realized how out of my depth I was. What they valued, seemed nothing to me, I guess have a lot to learn.

So I am off to stand in the corner as well.

Julian

Tabby66
09-05-2012, 07:49 PM
Opal junkie here......, boulder opals, particularly love blue /green opals and ethiopian with real fire!! Also love bicolour tourmalines and I have the most gorgeous cornflower blue sapphire trillion just waiting for me.........

Julian
09-05-2012, 07:56 PM
Opal junkie here......, boulder opals, particularly love blue /green opals and ethiopian with real fire!! Also love bicolour tourmalines and I have the most gorgeous cornflower blue sapphire trillion just waiting for me.........

Asking a stupid question, to you, what defines a boulder opal?

"cornflower blue sapphire trillion".... The description, sounds delicious, woul love to see a photo.

Julian

Tabby66
09-05-2012, 08:12 PM
To me (and happy to be corrected!!) boulder opal is where the opal has formed in the veins and gaps within the host boulder, so when you purchase boulder opal you get varying amounts and patterns of opal/ matrix.....

I will try and get a photo of my sapphire.....not sure I'll do it justice but will try ;D

Julian
09-05-2012, 08:55 PM
To me (and happy to be corrected!!) boulder opal is where the opal has formed in the veins and gaps within the host boulder, so when you purchase boulder opal you get varying amounts and patterns of opal/ matrix.....

I will try and get a photo of my sapphire.....not sure I'll do it justice but will try ;D

As I said I know nothing about them, I was trying to understand he aesthetic qualities. I like the idea of including matrix. I happen to have had a ruby that showed a hexagonal figure in its visible inclusions. To me it was the purest ruby I ever had seen, in fact in now it's in a ring on the finger on the wife of a best friend ( looks better on her than me). It's fascinating to try and look through other people's eyes.

Julian

sonia
09-05-2012, 09:31 PM
Love sapphires and diamonds (yellow ones especially) and citrines. Think there's a pattern developing. I also love amethysts even though they're not yellow.......

Sonia
x

Dennis
09-05-2012, 09:41 PM
Here are some boulder opals: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Opalsfromaustralia. As I said above, they used to be sold rough so that the glittery bits peeked out of a matte matrix.
I don't think this finish improves them at all. Dennis.

Tabby66
11-05-2012, 09:04 PM
Here you go, examples of boulder opals.......

359635973598

and stacker rings I've made with two boulder opals..............did I say I love opals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

35993600

Tabby66
11-05-2012, 09:10 PM
and my gorgeous cornflower blue trillion sapphire......

36013602


yummy yummy.............just can't decide exactly what it needs yet :D

Kwant
12-05-2012, 08:31 AM
That is nice and I know exactly what it needs,

it needs the beautiful clear light of the north western coast of France to do it justice, I will send you my address. :0)

pearlescence
12-05-2012, 04:34 PM
Has to be pearls, and I am so lucky to turn passion into a thriving business too!

Melanie De Castro Pugh
12-05-2012, 05:12 PM
Opals, amethysts and labradorite. I just love the colours flashing through those, and the intense purpliness of a nice amethyst cab just sends me weak at the knees!


Melanie

http://www.spinysharklythings.com

Kwant
12-05-2012, 05:27 PM
Not opal, amethyst or labradorite but a fluorite I am expecting in the post and it was the "purpliness" which made me buy it, I love the dreamy edge of purple to pale green.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8165/7182926162_2ea5d252b1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12340604@N02/7182926162/)
fluorite (http://www.flickr.com/photos/12340604@N02/7182926162/) by kwant (http://www.flickr.com/people/12340604@N02/), on Flickr

Julian
12-05-2012, 06:20 PM
Here you go, examples of boulder opals.......

and stacker rings I've made with two boulder opals..............did I say I love opals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

35993600


I love the design of these, especially the diamond one.

Julian

Tabby66
12-05-2012, 07:04 PM
That is nice and I know exactly what it needs,

it needs the beautiful clear light of the north western coast of France to do it justice, I will send you my address. :0)

Only if I can come with it for a chill and use of your workshop ;-D

Tabby66
12-05-2012, 07:07 PM
I love the design of these, especially the diamond one.

Julian

Thanks Julian :D

Kwant
12-05-2012, 07:15 PM
Bien sur, nous avons l'espace pour un equipe de bijoutiers :0)

Julian
12-05-2012, 07:58 PM
Only if I can come with it for a chill and use of your workshop ;-D

Sounds like a forum field trip :Y:

sheepy
12-05-2012, 08:16 PM
Here you go, examples of boulder opals.......

359635973598

and stacker rings I've made with two boulder opals..............did I say I love opals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

35993600

These are so beautiful Tabby, the sinous diamonds contrasting between the two opals are gorgeous. Are they pave set?,thats the next setting I want to have a go at.

I'm yearning after uncut diamonds at the moment & I've a piece of uncut imperial topaz that is waiting to be worked with. Mostly I just like stones, big ones, little ones, translucent or opaque, cut & uncut, precious, semi-precious & the kind you find on the beach or in the mountains. Its like being a kid in the sweetshop when I look!

Sarah :dance:

Tabby66
12-05-2012, 08:38 PM
Obtenir les boissons refroidissement Kwant, groupe de bijoutiers décroissant :D

They are Sarah, thank you for your nice comments.