(Because of the schedule, it looks like I wrote “Next steps” 3 days ago, but it was a month or so ago, and now this “final” post fixes some of the next steps…and adds a bunch of story.)
After I had set the 5mm garnet, I had immediately set out to find a 5mm ruby so I could get the right gem in there! I looked at a lot of rubies and learned a lot about them…I learned also that they range in price from $3,000 to $200, and forgive me, but I bought the $200 kind.
The reasoning given to me was thus: I am not a gem appraiser, nor is anyone I know, nor is anyone involved in this process about to go and have the gem appraised, or try to sell this ring in 30 years. It has no fungible value, it has only emotional value (and it has a shit ton of that!). So spend the kind of money that makes you happy, and be happy with it.
The gem had an interesting life, which I won’t recount in full here. It spent 4 weeks on a boat, then a week getting here, and then 2 bloody weeks bouncing around Vancouver. I called Canada Post almost every day, trying to figure out who “Colin” was who had signed for my gem.
It finally arrived the day I spent working from home because I wasn’t feeling great. Because of a surprise cancellation the next day, I got together with Russ and finally set this gorgeous stone!
Russ, fixing the little divot at the top. Using a mini torch and silver solder to fill the hole. After this, I spent some time filing, then sandpapering, then polishing. I couldn’t quite get an angle out, so Russ helped out and I took a photo of him doing it.
His Foreman brand circular tool (“Dremel” to me…) with a polishing bit on the end and that damn jewelers rouge.
We fixed the divot, he set the stone and polished the hell out of the top of the setting so it was super nice and shiny.
I think that’s the end of my story for this project! This gem is a little deep so we might have to figure out how to smooth out the bottom. We’re busily planning the wedding, making Save the Date cards, guest lists, booking the venue and a caterer and all that jazz. It’s pretty fun stuff right now!
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