[Jewelry making - Article 00603] - [Orchid] Gemstones for Antique Platinum Filigree ring

[Amy Tan]

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Everyone,

    I am hobby metalsmith which is how I came to discover Ganoksin. I
    really enjoy the interaction between the people in the trade and the
    wealth of knowledge exchanged. 

    I have a situation which I hope to get some good feedback on. I am
    recently engaged (yay!) and my fiance gave me a gorgeous antique
    hand-fabricated platinum filigree ring set with a 7mm x 5mm (1ct)
    oval peridot. 

    I love the ring and have been enchanted by the bottle green color of
    the peridot. Unfortunately the stone isn't in the best condition, it
    has been scratched and I was told it might not have been
    well-faceted in the first place, which is why it doesn't show off
    the crystal of the stone to its advantage-it appears somewhat dark
    against my finger. (I compared this with a similar but newly cut
    quality peridot, which appears very brilliant with wonderful color) 

    However I am more than happy with the ring and would have been
    satisfied with the notion we would one day replace the stone.The
    problem is I need to have the ring resized right now to fit me, and
    when I recently consulted a reputable local jeweler (I am in
    Atlanta, GA) I was told that since peridot is heat-sensitive, the
    stone would have to be unset to get my ring resized. This caused a
    domino effect-the prongs, due to the age of the ring have been
    slightly worn down and might not survive the resetting of the stone
    after resizing. Which means if I was going to resize the ring, I'd
    need to re-tip the prongs, which got me thinking if its best we
    invest in a new gemstone right now if we were going to do it all. It
    doesn't seem very wise for me to spend 200 dollars to resize and
    retip only to reset the scratched peridot. Or is it? 

    So my first dilemma has been that I haven't been able to talk or
    consult with anybody firsthand who cuts and sells gemstones who can
    give me a better idea of what my options are. Everything I have
    heard on gemstones so far has been secondhand (jewelers/antique
    dealers having their own gemstone dealers who I'll never meet) and
    being in the trade myself, I prefer to talk to the gemstone
    dealer/cutter themselves, and of course prices would be tighter. I
    am considering another peridot because I love the color but i
    understand it's a relatively soft stone for a ring, I've been
    reading up about Chrome tourmalines and tsavorite garnets and have
    come to prefer natural untreated vividly colored gemstones. And so
    on! 

    So the long and short of it, my question to everyone is: 

    1. Am I wise in investing in a gemstone now, and if I am, is anyone
    willing to give me an honest idea of the gemstones they have and
    what would suit me (I'm in Atlanta, Ga) 

    2. Should we just spend the money ($200) to resize and re-tip and
    reset the old stone and wait till we find something I like and spend
    more money resetting it then. Is there any other way around this
    that we haven't thought of that makes more sense? 

Thanks so much!
-AT
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