Erin's post about her favorite emerald projects — as well as a recent spring cleaning here at the office — got me thinking about the May birthstone. Last year, I bought these 22–30 mm emerald slices at a Rings & Things cash-and-carry sale. I loved the rough cut of the minty green stones — very unlike the emeralds I've seen. So I figured they'd make a great birthstone project. One problem: My Rings & Things contact said that they wouldn't be able to get any more of these strands. I've noticed more slices and slabs this year, but I still haven't found those emeralds. If you find some, let me know. Then I can finally do a project with them!

On an unrelated note: Oriental Gemco has expanded their online catalog, but there are a couple of glitches. First, when you get to the "Confirm Order" screen, you can't select a payment type. But, if you accidentally click "Confirm Order" anyway, this message pops up: "Thank you for placing order. Your order has been accepted. You will get your product shortly." At this point, you'll receive a confirmation email from Admin. But here's the thing: Oriental Gemco hasn't actually received your order. You'll need to contact them to place your order and provide payment information. When I called them, they told me to use this email: faxog@yahoo.com.

I know this is a hassle. But I try to deal with the inconvenience and focus on the fact that they carry gorgeous gemstones (including the huge briolettes from the January cover project). I hope this helps.