I have a client who’s fallen in love with gaspetite and wants to use
it in her engagement ring which will also double as a wedding ring.
Thing is, gaspetite is only 4.5 on the mohs scale, as is variscite,
which I feel is a bit soft for something that is going to be worn all
day, every day, though I’m open to correction from those far more
knowledgeable than myself!
Here in the West of Australia we’ve got a huge range of stones,
including chrysoprase which is 6 -7 Mohs, which should be hard
enough.
Can any Orchid Lapidary people suggest any other alternative that’s
an equally gorgeous green?
I have a client who's fallen in love with gaspetite and wants to
use it in her engagement ring which will also double as a wedding
ring.
I tell people that engagement and wedding jewelry should last as long
or longer than the relationship. ONLY diamonds, sapphires, and ruby
will survive, and under some circumstances, they can be damaged, but
much more unlikely. If you make something out of gem materials other
than diamond, sapphire, or ruby, just say that you can do it as long
as they understand that it will have to be replaced when damaged.
Once upon a time…I did two wedding rings with the warning that
tourmaline and lapis would not last. Guess how long? How about two
weeks. Replaced the lapis with black jade. Never saw them again. Gee,
wonder why. I am sure they did not hold me responsible although I
warned them.
Richard Hart G.G.
Jewelers Gallery
Denver, Co. 80210
The most beautiful green stone (and I love most ALL green stones) is
top quality tsavorite garnet. Nothing like gaspeite, but if she wants
a green engagement/wedding ring, this is a tough and exquisite
gemstone, fine for everyday wear. Gaspeite is lovely, but not for a
ring.
Can any Orchid Lapidary people suggest any other alternative
that's an equally gorgeous green?
You might want to try Lemon Chrysoprase which is actually magnesite
and is from Australia. It is also recently marketed as Citron
Chrysoprase or Citron Magnesite
Jane-- If you customer would like a cabochon cut gem with interesting
green patterns, you might look for Maw-sit-sit, that is a mix of
feldspar and jadeite. It has a really nice bright chrome green,
usually presented in tones about like chrysoprase (not as
translucent) speckled with darker green patches and spots. Hardness
is about 6 - 6 1/2.
Your right- anything less than a 7 on the Mohs scale is not to
be worn on the hand. It will degrade to quickly.
Good colour Chrysoprase is always nice: I am on the lookout for
some _right now_- send word if you find something super?
There is also green Morrisonite (mohs 6.5-7) and green Willow Creek
(mohs 7), both lovely jaspers that have a green variety that is olive
to celery and usually w/ striations of green tones. Other colors can
be found in both jaspers, but yup, there is green. Not as bright
chartreuse as gaspeite.
You can find a lime green serpentine, but it’s a soft as gaspeite, I
believe. I agree, gaspeite would mean trouble in a ring, unless it
is TOTALLY protected w/ metal.
Good point, Richard! You drop a jasper ring on a stone or tile
floor, or cement…goodbye stone. It will most likely fracture &
eventually wiggle its way out of the setting, if not explode out of
it. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies. However, totally different look and
may not fit what’s in the mind’s eye of the customer at all.
Thanks to all who have responded! Richard, I agree that diamond,
sapphire and ruby last. but I did think that a durable 7-8Mohs
hardness stone might stand a good chance of lasting at least as long
as most modern marriages (oops, my cynicism is showing!) Jim, I’d
never heard of Maw-sit-sit, but at 6.5 it is going to be too soft for
a young lady who admits to being a bit rough, so Lee, although the
Peruvian serpentine sounds beautiful at only 3 - 4.5Mohs, it would be
wrecked in no time. I do have a local source for Tsavorite, and, of
course, all sorts of chrysoprase.
So to all of you once more, many thanks. I’ll let you know what the
final decision is.
but I did think that a durable 7-8Mohs hardness stone might stand a
good chance of lasting at least as long as most modern marriages
Interesting thought but prehnite used as a daily-wear ring stone
isn’t even close to being that durable. Its hardness is 6-6.5 Mohs.
It has uses in pendants, earrings and infrequently-worn rings (or
rings owned by super-careful anal-retentive people) but probably not
as an average engagement ring.
It’s just a bit harder than most turquoise (Mohs 5-6) and is only
slightly more durable in heavy wear. Of the alternatives suggested so
far I think citron chrysoprase might duplicate gaspeite’s color best
while offering slightly greater hardness (Mohs 6.5-7).
Maybe you could be creative in your selling approach and offer them
2-3 separate gaspeite cabs for the wedding that could be used as
“original replacements” for renewals of their vows down the road when
the first stone wears out. Well, it’s just one of my weird
outside-the-box thoughts…
drop a jasper ring on a stone or tile floor, or cement...goodbye
stone
Hardness isn’t the same as toughness. My coffee mug is hard, but my
leather belt is tough. The mug most likely won’t survive a drop on
the floor (the jar of strawberry jam I dropped removing it from the
fridge sure didn’t!), but I could drop my leather belt until the day
I die.
I would think that just about any stone is vulnerable to a drop on a
hard surface. Isn’t that one reason we have carpet beneath our
benches? Nephrite jade may be an exception. It’s tough enough to have
been used for cutting and chopping tools in some societies.