Finding the right green sapphire for engagement ring

[CaptainLeezee]

Hi all,

After I spent days learning as much as possible about diamonds, my girlfriend informed me that she doesn't really want a diamond, and now she has her heart set on a green sapphire. The ring that started it all is this one from Topazery: http://www.topazery.com/antique-jewelry-item-rg3121h.htm but the quality of the stone is unknown (it doesn't look particularly special) and it's a bit small for the price. I don't know if others have any suggestions about whether I should perhaps just buy this ring "off the shelf" but I have a feeling I can do better...

So I spent ages and ages searching and I haven't found a sapphire that stands out as being exactly what I need. I think I need a green (or teal is okay now too apparently) stone, with an excellent or precision round cut, 5.5-6.5mm. Since this is for the main stone in an engagement ring, the cut and clarity are very important.

One of the main things I am struggling with is trying to figure out which stones are cut well for my purposes - the price difference in stones can be huge and I'm not sure why exactly.

This is something like what it will be set in: http://www.brilliantearth.com/Antiq....)-White-Gold-BE5DAS2R30-38883/?did=&is_tab=1

Does anyone have any recommendations for suppliers that will be able to supply extremely well cut stones for my purposes in the right colour? I have been looking for ages so I will post some of the stones I have discovered, and any advice would be appreciated. I have read the FAQ's in this section and many other threads - I'm a bit jealous of the green sapphire purchased from MountainMomma in the other thread, it looks like just what I need!

Here are some I found:
http://www.gemfix.com/sapphire_montana.html There is a Portuguese cut one on here in the left row, looks about right, sold though. I have a feeling that the gems on here are good if I can convince her that a teal one or lighter green is okay?

http://blazengems.com/retail/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83_53_54&products_id=1085 This one looks okay but the photo is crappy and the cut looks a bit wonky. These seem good value. Are they too good value, ie are the cuts not so great?

http://blazengems.com/retail/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83_53_54&products_id=1290 Looks okay I guess, hard to tell. Teal.

http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=7919 Mint green so a bit lighter than she wanted, but seems to be a nice cut? I like this more each time I look at it.

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/215000284/blue-green-sapphire-75-mm-round-shape Bit big maybe, bit light coloured maybe, but this guy seems to have nice cuts?

http://www.sapphires-australia.com.au/Products/view-product-details.php?id=88 This is from Australia, and so am I... It could be amazing. It could be crap. Has anyone bought from here? This stone seems to tick the boxes but in the picture it's a greeny black lump...

http://www.whitesgems.com/corundumgallery.html Have sent an email, no response yet, obviously has amazingly cut gems. There is a green one on this page which looks perfect but sold already.

http://aussiesapphire.com.au/index....id=879&zenid=4e028cf1f88941bf0c6b349c941eb7af Perhaps of a bit low quality for my needs.

http://www.wildfishgems.com/green_sapphire_1_to_2_carat?b=1 None here suit me but perhaps I should come back later...

http://www.brilliantearth.com/5.5mm-Intense-Green-Round-Sapphire-SGSL5.5RD3_4/ Would be easy to get this stone (or another) and the ring from Brilliant Earth but what is so special about the stone that it's 1.8k for 0.81 carats?

http://www.amazon.com/Unheated-Prec...1_18?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1424764444&sr=1-18 From Wild Fish, doesn't look so great but it's got a pretty crappy photo, could be nice?

https://www.johndyergems.com/search...&shape=Round&stone_type=Ch&sc=0&Submit=Submit Nothing here but maybe I should come back, seem to be nice cuts

http://sedagems.com/product-category/sapphire/green-sapphire/?cnpf=1&cnep=0&attr_cut=90 Basically the right colour, does anyone have experience here? Is the cut okay? Nice price.



The last thing I need to think about is actually getting the gem to a jeweller who can set it for me. It seems like it is significantly cheaper to get the setting in the US than in Australia. Perhaps I can get the gem and setting sent here then just get a jeweller to set it? In this case do I need to find a "calibrated" stone?

What is strange is that the green colour she likes seems to be quite common in Australia yet I can't really find many places to buy them nicely cut. If anyone has any good contacts in Oz I would love to know.

Thank you in advance to anyone who might be able to help me, I actually feel a bit less lost now that I've sorted through my million open tabs on my browser!

 

[Siameseroo]

I will leave it to the experts to comment on your selection but as a fellow Aussie I thought I'd chime in re your other queries.

Allen Beasley is a lapidary based in Canberra - a fellow Aussie Pser has purchased from him before you can see her threads here [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/namibian-demantoid-what-to-do-with-it.206286/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/namibian-demantoid-what-to-do-with-it.206286/[/URL] and here [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/1-8ct-namibian-demantoid-garnet-halo-ring.209114/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/1-8ct-namibian-demantoid-garnet-halo-ring.209114/[/URL]

He can be reached via the Mineshaft jewellery store in Canberra. I've contacted the shop in the past and they've been really helpful with sending me photos of their inventory.

So that the experts can help you, what is your budget for the stone alone and for the ring? Do you have any preferences re treatment - is heat only okay? Etc

Also I' suggest confirming your girlfriends preferences on colour before you buy a stone. Does she want a pure green stone or is teal okay. Light, medium or dark tone. How much grey is okay?

Also, factor in the terrible exchange rate and GST payable on importing the stone (and ring) back to Aus if over 1k. Also, if you don't like the stone there will be a time and monetary cost involved in shipping it back. Can get costly if you have to return multiple stones.

In terms of the setting, you have a lot of options. You could buy a stock setting here or from overseas, you could have a custom setting made here or overseas (in this case stone doesn't need to be a calibrated size) and you could either ship the stone to the overseas jeweller for them to set or alternatively have the setting shipped here and a local jeweller could set the stone for you for a nominal fee.

In terms of pricing I suggest that you reach out to a mix of PS recommended vendors and also local jewellers for quotes once you've got your stone and have decided on the type of setting you want. My experience has been that US and Asian jewellers are typically cheaper than here however you have to weigh up the stress, shipping cost and time involved in shipping the stone/ring back and forth and also the benefit of being able to physically see your jeweller and the ring creation process unfold. I have an awesome jeweller based in Melbourne but no suggestions for the other states.

Please keep us posted!! Looking forward to seeing the end product!

 

[Siameseroo]

One more thread- this one is on a Allen Beasley spess - [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/that-was-unexpected.203671/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/that-was-unexpected.203671/[/URL]

 

[CaptainLeezee]

Hi Ricezo, lovely ring, I like the double prongs!

I might get in touch with that shop in Canberra and see what they can do, thanks.

Good questions...

My budget for the stone is about 2k which I figure should be more than enough to get what I want - it seems like I shouldn't really need to pay that much since she does not want a stone that is too large, however I am happy to pay for the right stone (still cheaper than a diamond!). I don't mind if the stone has been heat treated - I would prefer it actually if it improved the stone. Other treatments probably not.

My gf has been looking at all the stones with me so I have a fair idea what she likes - basically if they get too blue she doesn't like them, she doesn't seem to like colour change ones much, she doesn't like them if they get too yellow... She seems to like medium toned stones best, although she can handle the light mint ones when she sees them as long as they are cut nicely. I would say a forest green medium to light toned stone is the "ideal" however she seems pretty open to others if they look pretty i.e. if they are cut perfectly. She doesn't mind teal but would prefer green - she was looking at teal ones only because I was having trouble finding nice green ones. Too dark is no good. I'm not sure what you mean about how much grey is okay, I have seen another thread where one of the Montana sapphires was described as being grey in some light but I couldn't see what they were talking about.

I had a feeling I had a few options for the setting which you have now confirmed - I have a friend in the US at the moment so there is also an option of getting him to help me if I need. I could get the stone sent to him and have him provide me with video etc, then get it set, then get him to check it and send it over.

I think it might be best to try and find a calibrated stone if possible, just to keep my options open for settings. I have a few which I know she likes and I would be happy to buy off the shelf - could save me another layer of complexity! Having said that, I'll do what I need to do...

Thanks for your help, I hope I can end up with an amazing ring, this whole sapphire thing has turned out to be way more complicated than just getting a diamond! I have a feeling we may end up with a beautiful piece of jewellery though, they do look very pretty...

 

[Siameseroo]

Awesome so in summary, you are looking for a sapphire with the following attributes:

1. Size: 5-6.5mm preferably calibrated
2. Cut: round - preferably precision cut or an excellent native cut
3. Colour: green - preferably forest green medium to light toned. Second preference - teal.
4. Treatments: Heat okay, no other treatments
5. Budget 2k but room to go up for the right stone

i think you'll find a really nice stone for that budget, and I'm sure that by the time you wake up tomorrow morning a few of the regulars will have chimed in with suggestions.

Re the grey, sorry I should've explained a bit better. I was trying to work out your preference in regards to saturation. Saturation refers to how pure or intense a colour is. A gem that is free of grey or brown is considered to be strongly saturated and is generally more valuable than a stone with lower saturation. Some people dislike grey in their stones, some prefer it. I find these diagrams useful in demonstrating the concepts of hue, tone and saturation. As you can see in the diagrams, the stones on the lower end of the saturation spectrum appear to be greyer.

 

[chrono]

Coloured stone pricing is set very differently from diamonds; colour is what sets the price. The purer the green hue, the stronger the saturation (strength or pop of green colour) and the tone (not too light and not too dark) is the most expensive. Cut is actually way down the list in terms of pricing. The problem is that only emerald and tsavorite do greens well but they aren't hardy stones. Sapphire is hardly but does green very poorly. Oval is the most common shape so trying to stay with a round means a more challenging search.

Since you are in Australia, Gem Fix is automatically crossed out unless the sapphire is under $1K USD due to their store policies.

 

[chrono]

It is a little large but it is round and green.
http://www.spectralgems.net/sapphire/sapphiregreenrd1_65ct_7979/#main

 

[chrono]

Jaimeen could have this recut into a round but I don't think it is possible due to the location of the inclusions.
https://www.primagemsusa.com/content/sapphire-0

I generally do not recommend NSC but given your requirements of colour, shape and cut, perhaps you might consider this. Note that NSC runs sales from time to time and are open to offers.
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/p-54831-round-unique-sapphire-u5219/

 

[chrono]

If you don't mind blue green, MM has 2 within your specification of shape, size, cut and budget.
http://www.mineralminers.com/html/sgrgems.stm

 

[chrono]

Your selection:

http://blazengems.com/retail/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83_53_54&products_id=1085
Cut looks fine (the stone is tilted but my gut feel is that it's well cut). Colour is very dark, hence the lower price.

http://blazengems.com/retail/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83_53_54&products_id=1290
Medium tone but as you wrote, teal rather than green. A significant amount of gray but not unexpected in a montana sapphire.

http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=7919
Lighter blue green but I don't think it will be as light as seen in the photograph. Cut is impeccable but make sure the colour is exactly what she wants.

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/215000284/blue-green-sapphire-75-mm-round-shape
Also blue green. The saturation level is low, hence it looks "light" to you.

http://www.sapphires-australia.com.au/Products/view-product-details.php?id=88
Ask for a better picture.

http://www.whitesgems.com/corundumgallery.html
Great lapidary but expensive.

http://aussiesapphire.com.au/index....id=879&zenid=4e028cf1f88941bf0c6b349c941eb7af
Tone is overly dark.

http://www.brilliantearth.com/5.5mm-Intense-Green-Round-Sapphire-SGSL5.5RD3_4/
Their stones are generally very expensive for the quality. It is yellow green with a strong dose of gray.

http://www.amazon.com/Unheated-Prec...1_18?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1424764444&sr=1-18
I find that the photos tend to look better than the stone.

http://sedagems.com/product-category/sapphire/green-sapphire/?cnpf=1&cnep=0&attr_cut=90
I think Marlow has experience with this vendor?

http://sedagems.com/product/1-00-cts-beautiful-australian-sapphire/
This is the nicest one out of the group but there is a natural at the girdle. Perhaps it can be hidden by the prong/setting. The rest are too dark or too yellow.

 

[deskjockey]

If you're in Australia you could try contacting Doug at bespoke gems. I don't see anything available right now but would imagine he could help you out. Never bought anything there or anything but have emailed him about topaz and found him very helpful.

http://www.bespoke-gems.com/index.php

 

[Marlow]

It is a little large but it is round and green.
http://www.spectralgems.net/sapphire/sapphiregreenrd1_65ct_7979/#main

"Interesting color"

 

[chrono]

It is a little large but it is round and green.
http://www.spectralgems.net/sapphire/sapphiregreenrd1_65ct_7979/#main

"Interessting color"

Might not be our taste but I'm sure there's someone out there who will love it.

 

[LoversKites]

Green sapphires without a blue modifier seem to be either too dark or too yellowish, brownish or greyish.

http://sedagems.com/product/1-00-cts-beautiful-australian-sapphire/
This is the nicest one out of the group but there is a natural at the girdle. Perhaps it can be hidden by the prong/setting. The rest are too dark or too yellow.

http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=7919
Lighter blue green but I don't think it will be as light as seen in the photograph. Cut is impeccable but make sure the colour is exactly what she wants.

http://www.whitesgems.com/corundumgallery.html
Great lapidary but expensive.

These are my favourites, based on the photos. The mineral miners ones are quite nice. Its hard to find a decent green sapphire.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I'd also suggest contacting Blaze. He has stuff that's not on his website. That's how I came across a large green sapphire from him before (that I didn't end up buying).

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Found this, too. I'm sorry if you specified a cut - I probably missed it.

1.25 ct Montana sapphire
5.51 x 5.43 x 4.56mm
VVS1
No treatment
$1,562.50
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/p-54950-cushion-unique-sapphire-u5302/#AssetData5

 

[CaptainLeezee]

Thanks for the responses guys.

She doesn't like the colour of the spectralgems one either, but the two from mineralminers she doesn't mind.

So far she likes this one from Seda the best: http://sedagems.com/product/1-00-cts-beautiful-australian-sapphire/ I could potentially order this one and have a look at it, they allow returns and it's in Oz.

She also loves this one from Master Cut however I didn't notice it is sold (or sold last night) so it's no good to me: http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=7919 Unfortunate because this is one I could really get in to...

Thanks for the info on Gem Fix, it seems like they have their ordering policy pretty locked down so I wouldn't bother trying to order anything over US1k off them even with my guy in the US.

LoversKites: I agree that green sapphires all seem to have these qualities to some extent - too dark especially for the proper green ones - so I am trying to keep an open mind about the teal and lighter leaf green ones. Whenever she sees the teal ones in a ring she likes them...

Sparklies: that one is a nice colour but the wrong shape unfortunately! I think something this colour would look great in the ring though.

I have dropped emails to Bespoke, Allen Beasley, and Blaze, Allen supposedly had lots of green ones.

Found this one on Ebay, it has a video and looks pretty: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/50-OFF-N...819?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27f9aa8643 Thoughts?


So right now: thinking about getting the Seda one in my hand, trying to get a better pic of this one http://www.sapphires-australia.com.au/Products/view-product-details.php?id=88, awaiting a few return emails, keeping an eye on mastercut, watching the Ebay one go round and round.

Thanks very much for the responses so far.

 

[GliderPoss]

Another great Aussie vendor is Coolomon Sapphires. Terrible website but just call or email John & Jenny as they are very helpful and I've seen LOTS of their inventory at a gemshow - plenty of beautiful green sapphires. Reasonable prices too.

 

[chrono]

The eBay green sapphire looks interesting. I don't know the vendor but since they are open to getting a lab report for it, there is a 30 day return policy and I think there's no restocking fee, it might be worth the risk to order it pending the result of the GIA or GRS lab report. Those labs are pricey though so I wonder if they are willing to send it to AGL instead. Have you checked their rating/feedback on Toolhaus?

 

[LoversKites]

The eBay green sapphire looks interesting. I don't know the vendor but since they are open to getting a lab report for it, there is a 30 day return policy and I think there's no restocking fee, it might be worth the risk to order it pending the result of the GIA or GRS lab report. Those labs are pricey though so I wonder if they are willing to send it to AGL instead. Have you checked their rating/feedback on Toolhaus?

They should, because the listing says 'You can request for a certification from ANY lab of your choice prior to shipping and we will be more than happy to get it done.'

In the video it looks like it has a lot of extinction but it could just be the camera's reflection.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

What about this 6mm round? No treatment. $345. I find it gorgeous!

I'll post the link if you like it, but not until then. Don't want any lurkers to get it.

 

[chrono]

That looks like a nice one!

 

[LoversKites]

Yup, I like it too.

 

[Bex]

That one is GORGEOUS. But I think it might be sold? It doesn't show up on any of his inventory pages, just in the direct link (I had it bookmarked but never pulled the trigger!) and his sold items will often still let you add them to the cart...

 

[SparkliesLuver]

That one is GORGEOUS. But I think it might be sold? It doesn't show up on any of his inventory pages, just in the direct link (I had it bookmarked but never pulled the trigger!) and his sold items will often still let you add them to the cart...

Oh. Well that'd be really disappointing, if so. ETA: I just emailed him, so we'll see.

 

[LoversKites]

That one is GORGEOUS. But I think it might be sold? It doesn't show up on any of his inventory pages, just in the direct link (I had it bookmarked but never pulled the trigger!) and his sold items will often still let you add them to the cart...

Oh. Well that'd be really disappointing, if so. ETA: I just emailed him, so we'll see.

I hope it's still available.

 

[GliderPoss]

Ooooooooooh SparkliestLuver is onto a winner! Let's hope it is still available...

 

[angaria]

On a very similar quest for a forest green/teal sapphire for an engagement ring. I was originally looking in the 10K range, but seems they don't actually run that high.

A lot of this thread has been on recommendations in Australia - any recommendations for dealers with broad green sapphire inventory in the US?

 

[CaptainLeezee]

That one is amazing SparkliesLuver, I have permission to pull the trigger on it if it's still available and hasn't been snapped up by someone else.

I have some emails coming through, attached are some images from bespoke, I think it's pretty nice. Price is high-ish but not too bad for a bit bigger stone. She likes this one but she worries it's a bit yellow, although the handshot is beautiful and looks spot on. I suspect it will not appear yellow once it's in the setting and on the hand?

The one from Sapphires Australia with the poor photo is "more of a lime green" apparently, like this: http://www.sapphires-australia.com.au/Products/view-product-details.php?id=292 but still I only have the previous photo to go on.

It won't hurt to ask about a lab report for the Ebay gem, it's only US$60 I think, not too bad. I agree LK that the video shows lots of extinction but hard to tell if it's just the light or 'real' extinction.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

It is! Please email Rick Martin to inquire. He's expecting to hear from you.

[email protected]