Opal Loose

Where can I get opals set into jewelery near Staunton, Virginia?

I bought 7 loose opals today in Australia and I'm going to Virginia tomorrow. I'd like to get these opals set in jewelery for my mother, grandmother, and a friend. Can you tell me a good place to take them?

If you could drive up to the Washington, DC area, there would be a lot more choices. But if you really need to get the work done near Staunton, I think Marraccini Designs, in Charlottesville, VA (not far from Staunton) does nice custom jewelry.

Marraccini Designs
206 W Market St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Phone: 434-295-3609

http://www.marraccinidesigns.com/

How "Hot" Gemstone Jewelry Trends Are Created

Did you ever wonder how "hot" gemstone jewelry colors are determined for upcoming fashion seasons?  Coinciding with New York fashion week, Pantone Color Institute releases a highly anticipated seasonal color report.  This report is used by all types of designers – from fashion to home décor to graphics -  as a definitive guide for fashionable color selections.

Pantone's Fall/Winter 2010 Report lists 10 warm to cool shades (pictured left) as the design palette for Fall and Winter fashion apparel.  These trendy colors will be used in fashion accessories and ready-to-wear jewelry too.

For jewelry designers, the seasonal guide tells them what color and type of gemstones can best compliment fashion fabrics and textures. In ready-to-wear and production jewelry, classic best-selling designs are commonly updated to new color trends by simply changing out gemstones, based on color.

The forecasted Fall and Winter 2010 colors range from glowing fanta orange to elegant chocolate truffle.  This broad and colorfully bright palette offers many opportunities for lesser known, yet very affordable gems to take center stage at retail jewelry counters this year.

Color guidelines provide an easy reference list to identify color-matching and color-contrasting loose gemstones such as shown below for Pantone's Top 10 Fall/Winter colors.  Jewelry-grade gems are usually purchased at wholesale gem shows and from wholesale gemstone suppliers.

Color No 1 - Endive - is a bright yellow-green reminiscent of colors appearing in these stones:

• Aragonite
• Calcite
• Crazy Lace Agate
• Heliodore
• Tourmaline (Yellow)
• Turquoise (Yellow Green)
• Jade (Yellow)
• Lemon Chrysoprase

Color No  2 - Golden Glow – instantly brings to mind the sparkling fanta orange of Spessartite Garnet as well as these orange-colored gems:

• Flame Agate
• Carnelian
• Sunstone
• Amber
• Fire Opal
• Hessonite Garnet
• Montana Agate

Color No. 3 - Living Coral – is a very short list unless one uses recycled dyed coral or a color-matched synthetic.   Coral-tones appear naturally in the following:

• Coral
• Sardonyx
• Poppy Jasper

Color No 4 - Lipstick Red - looks a lot like the brownish-red that is common to Mookite.  Deepening reds can be found in these gemstones:

• Carnelian
• Garnet
• Mahogany Obsidian
• Red Jasper
• Red Tiger Eye
• Red Spinel

Color No 5  - Purple Orchid – expresses the fine richness of dark Amethyst.   Deep purples are also found in these stones:

• Charoite
• Fluorite
• Lepidolite
• Purple Aventurine
• Spinel
• Sugilite

Color No 6 - Chocolate Truffle – provides interesting color and texture choices in this selection of gemstones:

• Black Lip Oyster Shell
• Amphibolite
• Black Moonstone
• Black Obsidian
• Black Tourmaline
• Bulls Eye Agate
• Jet
• Lava
• Lodestone
• Onyx
• Snowflake Obsidian
• Tektite

Color No 7 -  Lagoon – is a continuation of the aquatic theme that made Turquoise a summer season favorite.  Fall and Winter teal colored gems include:

• Amazonite
• Apatite
• Chrysocolla
• Turquoise
• Chrysocolla

Color No 8 – Woodbine – is a deep forest green is a gentle reminder of the pure greens found in Moss Agate.  Woodland green colors can be found in these stones:

• African Jade
• Bloodstone
• Chrome Diopside
• Green Garnet
• Green Tourmaline
• Jade
• Malachite
• Nevada Lapis
• Prehnite
• Rhyolite (Rainforest Jasper)
• Ruby Zoisite
• Serpentine
• Tree Agate
• Vesuvianite

Color No 9 - Oyster Gray – is that lovely silver patina found in fine quality Chrysoberyl  Cats Eye.  Other gray-to-silver colored gems include:

• Banded Agate
• Hawks Eye
• Tourmilated Quartz
• Picasso Jasper
• Soapstone
• Silver Leaf Jasper
• Silver Moonstone
• Silver Topaz
• Turitella
• Zebra Jasper

Color No 10 - Rose Dust – is mindful of the opaque pink found in Rhodochrosite or the dull pink tone found in poor quality peach moonstone.   Pink colored gemstones for possible color matching include:

• Dolomite
• Mabe Pearl
• Spinel
• Rhodonite
• Kunzite

 

About the Author

Find more information about Colored and Loose Gemstones for Jewelry at Anil B. Dholakia, Inc. - gem merchants since 1950.

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