Any suggestions??? I’m looking for anything from stone suggestions
(I’m thinking london blue topaz or maybe star sapphire?), sources,
lapidarists… anything would be appreciated!
I recently received a commission request from a friend who wants
me to make her a large (OK, let’s be clear, enormous), pendant
featuring a royal blue trillion stone. She has in mind a pendant
I made for myself with a 360 carat faceted oval piece of topaz.
She has said that she’s open to cabochons or faceted, but that
the trillion shape is the most important, and secondly the blue.
She wants each side of the triangle to be between an inch and a
half and 2 inches. I’ve gone through most of my sources and am
kind of coming up empty. She’s looking to spend about 500-600 on
the stone. I found some rose quartz (wrong color) which was
beautiful and the right shape, but I think for that kind of door
knocker pendant, quartz is asking for a disaster. One “bang”
into the refrigerator handle and you’ve got a chip.
Thanks so much,
Hilary
www.hilarypark.com
has said that she's open to cabochons or faceted, but that the
trillion shape is the most important, and secondly the blue.
How about a nice piece of quality lapis lazuli. That would give a
lovely royal blue colour, but the hardness may be a problem. I can’t
imagine being able to get corundum in that sort of size, or else a
lab sapphire may have been a good option, cost wise. Or maybe some
blue opal or chrysocholla?
Helen
UK
I don’t know the name of the place, but there is a place in North or
south Carolina that sells buckets of gravel(about $20) for people to
’mine’. A number of years ago a lady came into my store with 2-3 dz
egg sized stones all cut from these buckets. Many of them were in the
200-500 carat size(estimated). At the time I didn’t have scales big
enough to weigh them. Blue topaz seem to be the main stone she had.
Some citrines too. The place that sold the rough buckets would also
cut them(at a charge) and also make mountings to fit. She wanted me
to help her sell them, but I couldn’t find buyers because they were
all so huge. Many were 2"x3" stuff, mostly ovals. That was around 20
yrs ago so I don’t remember her name, or the exact place, and she was
an older lady at the time so most likely she is gone now. Anyway,
search the Carolinas. Also, I have several pieces of bl topaz in the
range of 30-40 carats each, mostly rectangles, in addition to a 76
carat fat pear shape, and all are natural blues- not irradiated
blues, from Brazil, SA. I would sell some of the rectangles but not
the pear. Also several 20-40 carat brilliant deep purple amethysts
too. Very nice grade too.
Ed
For something that large, how about either Lapis or turquoise?
Jerry in Kodiak
How about a nice piece of quality lapis lazuli. [snip]. Or maybe
some blue opal or chrysocholla?
i think lapis is a great suggestion! thanks so much - i’m looking
into it. and thanks also for introducing me to a new stone - i’d
never heard of chrysocholla! probably too light blue for what my
friend wants, but I’m going to keep it in mind for the future!
Hi Ed - Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll look into that. And if I
fail to find the enormous stone I’m looking for, I might get back to
you on that topaz:) Thanks again!
thanks for the suggestion! yes, indeed i think lapis might work. she
wants royal blue more than turquoise, so that might be a great
solution.
Shae O’Neill
Being from Asheville N.C., I thought I might help narrow down the
Mine from Ed in today’s post. There are a large amount
of mines in Franklin and Cherokee North Carolina. Most are sapphire
and ruby mines or so they’re named, though you’ll find many
different precious & semi precious stones at each place. And, like
he said at some of them you can buy buckets of gravel, some give you
the 1st bucket free with admission. Some of them charge an admission
and it includes keeping only a certain percentage of what you mine.
They are all different. A lot of them have websites, and webstores.
If you google for gemstone mining in North Carolina, you’ll come up
with everything you need. Here’s a website that lists quite a few of
them…
http://www.franklin-chamber.com/visitorInformation/gemMining.asp
I hope this helps a little.
Shae
Hilary,
Be somewhat cautious with Chrysocolla. I can be very soft, (mohs of
2.5-3) unless it is “silica chrysocolla”, which as its name suggests
is dominantly silica and therefore approaches a mohs of 7. I can be
very beautiful, and dark blue, although not as dark as azurite.
Tom Parish
Designs by Suz
Be somewhat cautious with Chrysocolla. I can be very soft, (mohs
of 2.5-3) unless it is "silica chrysocolla", which as its name
suggests is dominantly silica and therefore approaches a mohs of 7.
I can be very beautiful, and dark blue, although not as dark as
azurite.
thank you! 2.5-3 definitely sounds scary as i practically chipped a
hemimorphite this morning and that’s at least a 4 BUT perhaps i’ll
seek out the silica variety.
thanks again, hilary
Hilary: If you can’t find the stone you need, we could get one cut
for you in Lapis Lazuli and will be happy quote you. Currently we
have 2 stones which might work if you need a stone immediately. If
interested, please contact me.
Sincerely,
Diane
Dikra Gem Inc
hi diane,
sorry it took me so long to get back to you! i am waiting to hear
back from my friend who is being slightly unresponsive, but i have a
feeling that lapis is going to be the right solution for her color,
size and price range desires. would you mind contacting me offline to
give me an idea of what you have? she has her heart set on a large
trillion cut, and i think that faceted would be preferable given the
look she’s going for. My email is hilarypark at verizon dot net.
Thanks so much for getting touch!
Best,
Hilary