I updated my post!

~ENTRIES THUS FAR POST 2~
"Gemstone" Mandatory Challenge
(A Dragon Creation)

Below you will find the designs thus far per represented player/member. If you don't see your design here, it may be in another "Entries Thus Far" post if there happen to be any others. If not, then check to make sure you have met all the requirements listed for the challenge. And then lastly contact me. You can contact me first if you are change, editing, and or adding new materials to your original post. Remember keep it to one post ladies and gents. If you need assistance, please let me know otherwise keep up the amazing work everyone!

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Oreo's Designs:

(Alexandrite)




(Moonstone)



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Dragon's Designs:

(Green Apatite)



(Rhodochrosite)



(Ametrine)



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DrMako's Designs:

(Alexandrite)



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Pickle's Designs:

(amber)



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Thunder's Designs:

(Pearl)



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Nyx's Designs:

(Jade)



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Akira's Design:

(snowflake obsidian)

Thank you one and all for participating thus far in this challenge. I see a lot of potential, as well as a lot of beautiful designs. I am slightly disappointed in those that decided to once again take the easy route instead of challenging yourself but you can't help those that do not wish to help themselves improve. Below you will find my comments, critiques, suggestions, and remarks on a more personal scale to you individual. Find your name....If you do not see your name, there is a reason. Either your design is not finished, or you haven't completed all the requirements for your design to be considered eligible. Please take the time to review your designs before you ask why, or let me know your designs are missing. I am will to help one and all where I can. The only other reason beyond those 2 mentioned for why your design is not present, is because you have yet to submit one for this mandatory challenge. Below you will also find a direct link to the 2 "Entries Thus Far" posts to check and see if yours are displayed. Remember to PING me if you submit a designs, and or change/edit your design post. Until then, keep doing you and shine bright like the designing star that you are!

(Also...I noticed 1 or more designs that I thought met all the requirements, actually did not. So they have been removed from the "Entries Thus Far" posts..Be sure to check to make sure yours was not removed!!!)

Post 1

Post 2

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@Bunny...Jade has a lot of beliefs centered historically, so it is nice to see a representation of it with in the challenge. Your design is a nice start, however I do have a couple of suggestions. My suggestion is that you find a way to swap out the orange and blacks colors for different shades of green. Whether it be deeper darker shades of green, and or lighter. The reason being, is that your image choice for the stone shows no representation of black and or orange...Only varying shades of green from light to slightly dark. And that is why I believe it would look better to swap them out. Other then that you have some nice flare with your design, and your description as well as your listed belief surrounding the stone is simple and straight to the point. Very nice. Keep up the good work!

@Trench...I believe you most defiantly have a strong design going on for the chosen gems that you have. The opal itself has so so so many possibilities there for you to choose from which in upon itself is amazing! The only suggestion, I have for this design in particular is to see if there is any way to incorporate more colors to take advantage of the variety of coloring as possible. Your description was also very very informative. Good work there. As for your second design, I like the hope stone "Heliodor". It is a pretty stone. My only critique here is, that your choice of using green does not suite nor go along with the gem stone choice. Don't get me wrong, I can see where you got the green from the shadowing...Maybe darken it a bit or swap the green out entirely for another shade of yellow/gold? Otherwise, very informative on the description. Keep up the great work!

@Limor....Each and everyone of your designs was well crafted and beautifully done. Very nice work there hon. Honestly, my only suggestion here would be to your "Labradorite" design. You hit all the marks on the crafting a design for the gemstone but one. I do see a very vibrant deep blue in there. If there is a way to incorpate that into the design, I think it would be spot on. Other than that, keep up the good job hon!

@Shimeree....This go around in challenges, I believe you did an amazing job not only on your designs, and gemstone choice, but your description and beliefs of the chosen gemstone as well. It has a lot of rich amber colors ranging from yellow to orange, and even deeper undertones too. Very well done, very well indeed!

@Sunny....First off, your designs are and were brilliantly made and well crafted. I honestly have nothing negative to say. I will tell you this though, your garnet description/belief paragraph did get a chuckle out of me. I can see how you had a bit of a hard time keeping them below a PG-13. Keep up the great work that you do hon!

@Caw....I think you made a beautiful choice in choosing the black diamond. It may seem easy to do, but in fact it honestly is not. It is one of the more difficult choices, because there are actually so many different shades of black to choose from that are also featured in your gemstone reference picture. Your design is very well done as well, though there is more blue in it then I personally would have used but that is your choice. I believe the blue in the reference picture is more of a play of the light from where the light with in the picture was placed and not with in the gem itself, but that is my personal opinion. Outside of that, your reasoning seemed a bit repetitive. Like your first two sentences seem to be the same thing, just worded differently. Again it could be me, but it does seem to be so. For your beliefs description, that was defiantly an interesting spin on it. The "A" typical diamond is the one that is clear as glass, and shimmers with intensity in the light. But you are right bout it supposedly darkening and or dulling if found guilty of a crime. Not exactly a reliable source to condemn someone, but that was then. I would much prefer today's system of judgment then that. Over all, very well done!

@DrMako....I am personally blown away by how well your design truly matches the reference picture of your chosen gemstone. It was beautifully executed! Your description is well done, as is your reasoning. As for your question. You can create multiple designs for just 1 gemstone. The max you can have design wise is 3 over all. If you made 3 designs for 1 stone, and wanted to use another stone as well. You would have to delete one of your original 3 designs to give you the room for a new design for the new stone you wished to use. I hope that makes sense, if not please let me know and I will try better to assist you.

@Oreo...You created very nice designs for your chosen gem stone "Alexandrite". The coloring was very nice, but I think you played it a bit safe with your design in choosing the Ny'vene. You tend to favor that species a lot in your designs. Try to step away from that species in particular your next go around and try newer things. Experiment a little more. Otherwise, your moonstone design was very pretty. It is both soft and subtle which was executed beautifully. Very nice work here.

@Dragon...I love the fact that your reasoning and descriptions on why you chose the stones you did are so very informative. Very well done there. Your designs were pretty spot on. Though your last one...Your "Ametrine", reminds me of one of my favorite Achievement Hunter/Let's Play cast members Jeremy Dooley and his "Rimmy Tim" persona..lol. He loves purple and orange, and your reference picture has that. But I can also see the yellow in which you speak of as well. Normally you wouldn't think the two mesh well together, but they do. Very well done.

@Pickle....You openly stated that you chose amber because it was the easiest to do. I understand you love where amber comes from, as well as the rich colors...But hon you need to steer away from easy to do things. You want to improve, and you want to challenge yourself. I know you do from past conversations I have had with you. And this just makes you take a HUGE step back from moving past those limitations you place for yourself. Not only that, but it goes against the purpose of this group which is meant to help designers move past their limitations and improve by challenging themselves. By taking risks and seeing what new possibilities are out there. And you can't do that if you take the easy road. As for your design, it is a pretty design, but there is a lot of black in it. I am assuming that is to reflect the things found petrified with in amber, but that is a bit too much black. It over powers the amber coloring you do have present in your design. Maybe try toning down on it a little, might make your design pop a little better. I do like your Homer quote, that was a very nice touch! Other than that, nice job.


Poeticthoughts, Sakura, and Thunder...You all have very nice starts to your designs, however to be considered eligible, they need to meet all the requirements. Be sure they do, and let me know if you have any questions so I can help you.

What is the end date? I've been a bit busy, and it was all unplanned. I'm hoping to finish my entires and post them all tomorrow at once.

Just as it always has been hon. Sunday at 5pm CST.

I updated my post.

I tried to darken the green a bit on the neph, I have issues with those colors shades which is why I try to incorporate them into my designs more, but I had to get feedback from my SO on this :P :)
I made a couple changes to the morkko as well :)
https://www.sylestia.com/forums/?thread=76414&page=13#121

Met all requirements!

Opal Griffi





I chose opal mainly because I really like the colors. I think the fractured light in the opals makes for an interesting challenge to recreate, and the colors provide some variety instead of the single color in most gems.
Back in the olden days, people believed that wrapping an opal in a bay leaf would grant one the powers of invisibility. In Ancient Greece, opals were called Stones of Prophecy and were believed to grant the wearer wisdom and foresight. Opals were also thought to be tears of Zeus, which I tried to depict through the galactic dust.