tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post8927751930975222070..comments2024-03-28T03:40:29.423-04:00Comments on Passage des Perles: Jewellery Reno: Mum's emerald had a secretDuchessehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-88611623048231935942017-12-07T09:04:47.045-05:002017-12-07T09:04:47.045-05:00I am Miriam's youngest daughter and just saw h...I am Miriam's youngest daughter and just saw her ring for the first time in your blog, without knowing the back-story...wow what a turn of events discovering the doublet and having to re-think the design and central stone! It is bold and contemporary and will be cherished. It is reminiscent of my own wedding ring, designed by a jeweller in Wakefield, QC, which is a wide 6 mm concave gold band with a textured water-like pattern. A green solitary 3 mm diamond is inset into it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01134806322614281069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-18315123809639199522017-12-06T21:16:52.526-05:002017-12-06T21:16:52.526-05:00Thank you, Duchesse, that was fascinating. I like...Thank you, Duchesse, that was fascinating. I liked the old setting too. I have a 21st birthday diamond and emerald ring that was made from one of a pair of earrings paid to my great-great grandfather as a legal fee during the Civil War. Obviously it means a lot to me-- but when I had it appraised for insurance purposes the jeweler said it was so weakened by being worn as a ring for so many years (it was a 21st birthday gift to my mother too) that I shouldn't wear it any more. <br />Francie Newcombhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10892362779983187077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-58581090779303525692017-12-06T14:39:01.374-05:002017-12-06T14:39:01.374-05:00Jane: It just depends on the style a woman likes. ...Jane: It just depends on the style a woman likes. I have no concerns about restyling a vintage ring, with only one major caveat: if it is a signed piece by a renowned maker, I'd rather not see it done. Nethertheless some women, like my friend B., pull apart a gorgeous vintage Cartier sapphire ring and have something else made. If someone doesthat, I'd be sure the setting was left intact in case you'd want it put back one day. But for most pieces, the key criterion is "What will I wear every day with pleasure?" <br /><br />I have also seen some gawdawful restyling- naturally I don't post those.<br /><br />Jane, I trust you're having those prongs checked regularly to assure that your beautiful stones stay securely set.Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-7884977832008960932017-12-06T14:13:13.956-05:002017-12-06T14:13:13.956-05:00Oh dear, I'm afraid I love the original, vinta...Oh dear, I'm afraid I love the original, vintage ring. I'm looking at a ring on my hand right now of that vintage. It is all about the stones. The setting is very minimalist, thin band and prongs.Janehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03527017253893429085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-78723719971184615442017-12-06T08:27:20.039-05:002017-12-06T08:27:20.039-05:00Leslie and LauraH: Most chrome diopside is Siberia...Leslie and LauraH: Most chrome diopside is Siberian and the supply was very limited till about 20 years ago. Sizes larger than 1ct are rare, so chrome diopside is an excellent stone for pieces that do not require big stones. They glow, like emeralds. But (and there is always a trade-off in the coloured gem world) they are quite soft. Not as delicate as opal, but they do not take daily wear happily. OTOH they are not pricey so you could replace them. I had a pair of earrings set with them and wore them for over 20 years before giving to a friend.<br /><br />The only gem that takes daily wear in stride is diamond. Many buyers have been politicized away from diamonds, but there is an easy solution: buy Canadian. I am not promoting diamonds (which I love, in artful settings, not just a rock on a piece of pipe), but if you want a stone to take wear, that's the one. (The wearer can also damage a diamond- they are not impervious but pretty tough.)Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-40672687295233558212017-12-05T23:43:43.009-05:002017-12-05T23:43:43.009-05:00This is very educational and a reminder how gratif...This is very educational and a reminder how gratifying it can be to restyle a previous generation's jewels. The gems that are repurposed still carry sentimental value and memories, while new gems make it your own. I liked both waxes, but she chose the one that was right for her. And the beautiful chrome diopside stone, which I have never heard of, really shines. Beautiful!Leslie Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08372692743147163062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-62788482922189891182017-12-05T22:28:28.838-05:002017-12-05T22:28:28.838-05:00Loved this post! Fascinating to learn about doubl...Loved this post! Fascinating to learn about doublets and about the design / setting process. I didn't realize the setter was so key. And I enjoyed learning more about the various green stones available - never heard of chrome diopside before. And...the historical tiaras....what an amazing tidbit. Thanks to you, Miriam and Pam for sharing this story.LauraHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03402103522466794364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-24656302907258262782017-12-05T17:33:47.249-05:002017-12-05T17:33:47.249-05:00This was really interesting, thank you Duchesse!This was really interesting, thank you Duchesse!Patriciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05504513116873595049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-85937043155110501072017-12-05T11:47:33.125-05:002017-12-05T11:47:33.125-05:00lagatta: As I remarked to Miriam, perhaps this you...lagatta: As I remarked to Miriam, perhaps this young man wanted to propose with an emerald, and had a limited budget. If I had to guess, I would say that if he bought it locally, his jeweller would most likely have disclosed the doublet, because jewellers depend on long-term business and an ER is often the first piece of fine jewellery a client buys. Doublets are typically bezel or flush set to hide the "sandwich". Some of the important historical tiaras are stuffed with doublet stones, which was only discovered after technology allowed internal examination without dismantling these pieces.<br /><br /> Duchessehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09986153653120526776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2872918251244874644.post-25237867934982929372017-12-05T08:24:52.132-05:002017-12-05T08:24:52.132-05:00Fascinating! I had never heard of this practice - ...Fascinating! I had never heard of this practice - though of course had heard of swapping a cheaper stone or even "paste" for a more expensive one - or of that meaning of "doublet". That word took me back to men's fashion in the late Middle Ages and Renaissance: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/doublet <br /><br />Definition 2.3 comes closest to the gem-related one. <br /><br />I confess to a certain nostalgia for the wartime setting; the one my mother had in wartime Ottawa was more modest still, as they were working in the civil service (my dad had a medical exemption) but guess I watched X Company a bit too closely... Their pay was far from opulent.lagatta à montréalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02610410709900333230noreply@blogger.com