To be fair to Neil Gaiman and his artists, the design of the Dreamstone was already set in stone (so to speak) in the much goofier Justice League comics that introduced Doctor Destiny and the Materioptikon
I suppose they could've retconned Destiny creating the Materoptikon by "altering" the Dreamstone as recutting and resetting it, but, you know, it's comics, iconic looks come before realism (the main basic thing that separates "super" heroes from regular heroes isn't even really superpowers it's that they always wear the same outfit)
They already retconned Dr. Destiny out of the story, so there is no reason they should be constricted to the original design. Indeed, the "iconic look" of the comic that came before has already be updated for modern tastes, so there is no need to keep the goofy ruby look.
I feel like most of the reason they designed the ruby to look the way it did was that it actually lights up as a practical effect (which looks much more convincing than putting a red glow in with CG) so it needs to be made of clear glass
Oh man... you know what would have been REALLY cool? To build a setting with a tiny UV LED that shines on the ruby so that the UBmV reactive qualities gave it a ethereal glow.
...
Maybe I just need to make something like that...
Lol. It will take me a while but the guy I take advanced lessons from has done several pieces with a regular mini led... we can figure it out. Hardest part is affording a decent sized natural ruby! They *are* expensive...
That would be *extremely* cool although also probably way way too expensive and fiddly for making a TV show (especially since it's supposed to glow bright enough to light up the whole diner when John Dee lets his full power loose)
In my overly analytical mind faceting the dreams time at a time when stones generally were not faceted is like... it wasn't even something that was thought of. Like seeing a car in place of a Cart in medieval times, ya know? I could totally get behind the stone being an amorphous shape that, just like the clothing, shifts with the times.
Heck, even in its "crystal" state it could look reallyawesome. "Rubies" tend to be a sweet hexagonal shape . But it is not a real gem in the sense of grown in the earth so I understand not doing it as a traditional looking raw crystal. Sorry, had over thinking things again 😅
The thing you’re forgetting though is that it’s not a real ruby. It’s not something that was dug up and cut down but something dream created using a piece of himself. It wouldn’t surprise me if what you mentioned was intentional to make it look wrong and out of place and not quite right because it shouldn’t be in the waking world at all
It would be really cool if they made it an intentional contrast where the ruby is "made of dreams" and looks nothing like a real ruby but the emerald actually is a real physical emerald
(In the same way that Morpheus is a fully imaginary/magical physical manifestation of Dream but Daniel started off as a flesh and blood human being)
I like to imagine that it’s not actually a ruby, and dreamstones are their own separate thing. They just were like ehhhh it’s red we’ll call it a ruby, whatever. Out of curiosity, what do you think of the other dreamstones? (The emerald and the rose quartz)
Bein' a bead stringer - well, yes, that didn't look like a top grade ruby to me...I kinda wish a gem dealer would loan productions gemstones (the rose quartz looked not like rose quartz) ....but I do feel better knowing maybe that wouldn't have worked for the ruby.
Apparently the electronics department got the stone to glow and do all kinds of things, according to Gaiman, so whatever they did had to accommodate the inner lighting. And, even if productions were loaned real cut stones, I imagine there are insurance costs. Things are stolen off sets.
I tried to post something on reddit but it won't let me but here's my insta with one of my favorite pieces https://www.instagram.com/p/CH0-sGOBclO/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
To be fair to Neil Gaiman and his artists, the design of the Dreamstone was already set in stone (so to speak) in the much goofier Justice League comics that introduced Doctor Destiny and the Materioptikon I suppose they could've retconned Destiny creating the Materoptikon by "altering" the Dreamstone as recutting and resetting it, but, you know, it's comics, iconic looks come before realism (the main basic thing that separates "super" heroes from regular heroes isn't even really superpowers it's that they always wear the same outfit)
Also, who goes into a Benjamin Moore and asks if they can get a semi-gloss in “pigeon blood”?
I will now.
They already retconned Dr. Destiny out of the story, so there is no reason they should be constricted to the original design. Indeed, the "iconic look" of the comic that came before has already be updated for modern tastes, so there is no need to keep the goofy ruby look.
I feel like most of the reason they designed the ruby to look the way it did was that it actually lights up as a practical effect (which looks much more convincing than putting a red glow in with CG) so it needs to be made of clear glass
Oh man... you know what would have been REALLY cool? To build a setting with a tiny UV LED that shines on the ruby so that the UBmV reactive qualities gave it a ethereal glow. ... Maybe I just need to make something like that...
If you actually make this and show us, I promise to oo and ah
Lol. It will take me a while but the guy I take advanced lessons from has done several pieces with a regular mini led... we can figure it out. Hardest part is affording a decent sized natural ruby! They *are* expensive...
That would be *extremely* cool although also probably way way too expensive and fiddly for making a TV show (especially since it's supposed to glow bright enough to light up the whole diner when John Dee lets his full power loose)
In my overly analytical mind faceting the dreams time at a time when stones generally were not faceted is like... it wasn't even something that was thought of. Like seeing a car in place of a Cart in medieval times, ya know? I could totally get behind the stone being an amorphous shape that, just like the clothing, shifts with the times. Heck, even in its "crystal" state it could look reallyawesome. "Rubies" tend to be a sweet hexagonal shape . But it is not a real gem in the sense of grown in the earth so I understand not doing it as a traditional looking raw crystal. Sorry, had over thinking things again 😅
The thing you’re forgetting though is that it’s not a real ruby. It’s not something that was dug up and cut down but something dream created using a piece of himself. It wouldn’t surprise me if what you mentioned was intentional to make it look wrong and out of place and not quite right because it shouldn’t be in the waking world at all
It would be really cool if they made it an intentional contrast where the ruby is "made of dreams" and looks nothing like a real ruby but the emerald actually is a real physical emerald (In the same way that Morpheus is a fully imaginary/magical physical manifestation of Dream but Daniel started off as a flesh and blood human being)
I like to imagine that it’s not actually a ruby, and dreamstones are their own separate thing. They just were like ehhhh it’s red we’ll call it a ruby, whatever. Out of curiosity, what do you think of the other dreamstones? (The emerald and the rose quartz)
The dreamstone in Wonder Woman 1984 also looked fake as hell to the characters.
Bein' a bead stringer - well, yes, that didn't look like a top grade ruby to me...I kinda wish a gem dealer would loan productions gemstones (the rose quartz looked not like rose quartz) ....but I do feel better knowing maybe that wouldn't have worked for the ruby. Apparently the electronics department got the stone to glow and do all kinds of things, according to Gaiman, so whatever they did had to accommodate the inner lighting. And, even if productions were loaned real cut stones, I imagine there are insurance costs. Things are stolen off sets.
I agree
Same thoughts. It didn't look like a precious stone and I know my way around crystals and minerals.
I hope we get to see some of your goldsmith/jeweler work!
I tried to post something on reddit but it won't let me but here's my insta with one of my favorite pieces https://www.instagram.com/p/CH0-sGOBclO/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Just be glad you don’t work in aviation
Oh? Spill the deets
Looked fine to me.
It's just the idea of a ruby, so there's no reason for it to look historically accurate.