Emerald slices and Oriental Gemco

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:39:00 GMT

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.

Briolettes for January 2009 cover project

Naomi Fujimoto — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 18:15:00 GMT

A few readers have had problems finding briolettes for the January cover project. When the magazine went to production, I had confirmed that the briolettes were available from Oriental Gemco and Dakota Stones, but it's occasionally difficult for vendors to reorder unusual items.

At Oriental Gemco, I just found these smoky quartz and whiskey quartz briolettes. I know $348 is a lot for gemstones, but the cost comes from the faceting, as well as the material. While you can score good deals if you search long enough, I think you also get what you pay for. That said, holidays (and the generally glum economy) can make reasonably priced gemstones more appealing. For one example, the rose quartz briolettes from The Earth Bazaar are a cost-effective option. Their deals last for one week, though, so don't spend too much time deliberating....

Here are some alternative options:

The Earth Bazaar has some moss agate arrow beads (toward the bottom of the page). Also, Rings & Things has a nice selection of 20 mm fans (also limited stock). Briolettes may also be described as pear-, heart-, onion-, or fan-shaped beads. (I'd suggest forgoing the onion shapes; their roundness makes them a little bulky for this design.)

Try deep violet amethyst twists or citrine marquises (from Earth Bazaar).

House of Gems has smaller (6–14 mm) pear-shaped briolettes (I especially love the ametrine, ruby, and pink tourmaline). You can string this design with smaller briolettes; just use a finer chain — maybe a flattened cable, figaro, or box chain with a bit of sparkle?

I hope this helps. Readers and vendors, we welcome links for any other sources. Thanks!

BeadStyle : briolettes

Emerald slices and Oriental Gemco

Briolettes for January 2009 cover project