Thoughts on this Sapphire

[DavidT]

Hi all - migrating over here from RockyTalky. Looking to replace the old stone in my wife''s ring with a sapphire. And I thought diamonds were complicated! Anyway, my jeweler brought two in for me to consider. Provided the image uploads, the stone on the right is a .85 ct treated oval ($1,800). The one on the left is a 1.7 ct untreated Sri Lankan ($3,100). This one has a GRS cert (certified royal blue) and is the one I am more interested in. Good choice for the price? Was looking for more of a kashmir blue originally.

Thanks for your input!

Dave

 

[DavidT]

Another view.

 

[oddoneout]

I''m no expert so I can''t give advice. I just want to say the colour of those stones is amazing.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I am loving the colour on both of those sapphires. Wow!

 

[Novel]

Fantastic color!

 

[T L]

Date: 3/1/2010 4:12:51 PM
Author:DavidT
Hi all - migrating over here from RockyTalky. Looking to replace the old stone in my wife's ring with a sapphire. And I thought diamonds were complicated! Anyway, my jeweler brought two in for me to consider. Provided the image uploads, the stone on the right is a .85 ct treated oval ($1,800). The one on the left is a 1.7 ct untreated Sri Lankan ($3,100). This one has a GRS cert (certified royal blue) and is the one I am more interested in. Good choice for the price? Was looking for more of a kashmir blue originally.

Thanks for your input!

Dave

I think the smaller one is overpriced for such a tiny heated stone. The other one seems like a better buy, but I would ask about color shifting in various lighting to grey and/or violet. The large one, while it looks nice in the first photo, leaves much to be desired in the second photo. Was that first photo photoshopped to enhance the color? The large one also looks to have a window which was touched up as to not be as prevelant in the photo, or it could be silk. It looks to be a very sizable window as well, but it's difficult to tell since the stone appears a bit sleepy. I personally think you can do better for the price. Is there also zoning in the sapphire? That also is important to know as many are prone to it. Zoning can leave uneven color and be distracting to the eye.

 

[DavidT]

Hi TL - Yes, the larger stone does have some grey tendencies at oblique angles along the edges. I doubt there was any photoshopping involved as the jeweler is top notch. Most diamond folks in RockyTalky have great respect for Brian Gavin, however he is a diamond guy, not a sapphire guy, so he brings these stones in from his source. What in the second photo looks odd? Darkening?

 

[RockHugger]

There seems to be some color zoning in the large one...top middle table area...

I agree I think you can find a better one for the price, but if you love it and think its 'the one' then by all means buy it!

Im not a fan of the 2nd one. Not because its not a beautiful stone, but I think its over priced.

 

[DavidT]

Yeah, RH. Been kind of wavering on it, but mainly because I''m not sure. If the consensus here was "go for it" based on the pics, I would. These pics just came in today after I looked at it in person. The stone does display some gray at angles, but not annoyingly so. If that''s normal I can live with it.

 

[T L]

I cannot emphasize enough that I would not spend thousands on a sapphire without knowing the color shift in various lighting. Many have an annoying tendency to go more grey in certain lighting. They can also go more violet, and if you want a pure blue sapphire, that may be undesirable as well.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Date: 3/1/2010 7:39:53 PM
Author: DavidT
Hi TL - Yes, the larger stone does have some grey tendencies at oblique angles along the edges. I doubt there was any photoshopping involved as the jeweler is top notch. Most diamond folks in RockyTalky have great respect for Brian Gavin, however he is a diamond guy, not a sapphire guy, so he brings these stones in from his source. What in the second photo looks odd? Darkening?

David:

(1) See if Brian will send the stone to you to take a look at.
Sounds weird, but I have had vendors do this depending on their business practices.

(2) Have them send it to a vendor or gemmologist to take a look at and evaluate the stones for you.
Yes, it is an extra expense, but many colored stones are priced at what the market will bare.
What is a little extra cash for an accurate evaluation and a gemmologist will give you his or her opinion whether the
stone is priced out compared to the market.

Photo''s are just that photos, I would not shell out that kind of cash unless you have either seen the stone or had
someone evaluate it for you who is reputable.

With that said Brian is in the trade and is reputable, but if your going to be paying in my opinion full mark ups on a stone I would
have to see it.

-My 2 Cents...

 

[chrono]

The smaller oval seems to have better colour although rather expensive.
The larger cushion seems a better buy although it also appears to have its own issues with possibly zoning, windowing and some grayness.

It might be worth the extra cost to take a look at both stones in person just to get a feel of what a sapphire does under various lighting. If you are really iffy on it, perhaps it''s best to pass on them and to keep looking.

 

[T L]

Date: 3/1/2010 9:01:49 PM
Author: Colored Gemstone Nut

David:

(1) See if Brian will send the stone to you to take a look at.
Sounds weird, but I have had vendors do this depending on their business practices.

(2) Have them send it to a vendor or gemmologist to take a look at and evaluate the stones for you.
Yes, it is an extra expense, but many colored stones are priced at what the market will bare.
What is a little extra cash for an accurate evaluation and a gemmologist will give you his or her opinion whether the
stone is priced out compared to the market.

Photo's are just that photos, I would not shell out that kind of cash unless you have either seen the stone or had
someone evaluate it for you who is reputable.

With that said Brian is in the trade and is reputable, but if your going to be paying in my opinion full mark ups on a stone I would
have to see it.

-My 2 Cents...

It definitely seems to be a full marked up retail price. I agree. Some other online vendors may have better values.

Ditto on the viewing it in person first.

 

[DavidT]

Thanks all - sorry if I wasn''t clear. Saw them both at Brian''s shop (we both are in Houston) before he sent me the images. That''s how I could tell the grayish tendencies around the edges in flourescent light. Looks like the consensus is to keep looking.

By the way, anyone know if there is an online tutorial on what to look for when judging a sapphire in person?

 

[chrono]

Here is a very general tutorial but you are beyond that point:
http://www.palagems.com/sapphire_connoisseurship.htm

 

[Gailey]

Antoinette Matlins has written a very helpful paperback that you might find informative. It''s called The Coloured Gemstone Buying Guide.

 

[LD]

Date: 3/1/2010 4:12:51 PM
Author:DavidT
Hi all - migrating over here from RockyTalky. Looking to replace the old stone in my wife''s ring with a sapphire. And I thought diamonds were complicated! Anyway, my jeweler brought two in for me to consider. Provided the image uploads, the stone on the right is a .85 ct treated oval ($1,800). The one on the left is a 1.7 ct untreated Sri Lankan ($3,100). This one has a GRS cert (certified royal blue) and is the one I am more interested in. Good choice for the price? Was looking for more of a kashmir blue originally.

Thanks for your input!

Dave

Dave - I just want to check - by treated you do mean just heated don''t you? There isn''t any other treatment going on is there?

I would echo TL to get the cushion and evaluate it in different lights. In the second picture it looks very very very dark. Although sapphires do darken, this (allowing for the angle the stone is photographed at) is darker than you might expect.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Color looks nice, but it''s really important to view colored gems in person prior to making a decision. The price seems really high for a treated stone that small.

--Joshua

 

[DavidT]

Hi LD - just heat. I guess I want to stick with a non-heated stone. Am looking at that one for comparison purposes. Here are a few I have been mulling over too. They are more expensive, but I guess if I''m going to do this, I might as well do it right. What do you all think of the value proposition?

http://rwwise.com/products/id%7C1065 (actually less expensive than the 1.7 ct I posted)


http://rwwise.com/products/id%7C1647


http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/9761


and if I really want to go nuts:

http://www.kashmirblue.com/Sapphire/Certs/profileLG10354.htm


Hope these links worked.

 

[Fly Girl]

I''m a fan of the Wildfish EC. Love the color, and I''m a sucker for the shape.

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

Dave:

I like stone one even though it has a little extra weight below the girdle with a slight purple modifier which
your probably not going to notice. For the Money I think you should go for it, and it''s a natural too.

Stone 2 for 3 grand more has that awesome saturated pedigree color and nearly faces up as large as stone 1, but in my opinion save
the 3000 and use it for your setting.

I like Richard and he is a connoisseur when it comes to selecting gems. I have also purchased from him in the past and have been very happy.

Good luck and awesome selections....

 

[arjunajane]

May I suggest contacting Jeff White of White''s Gems David?

Brian has set a number of Jeff''s stones (including my cushion sapphire <---)and they have a good working relationship.

I have also found Jeff''s prices often more competitive than many other online sources.