What do you think about this steel blue Sapphire?

[clop]

Hiya!

What do you think about this Blue Songea Sapphire?

I''ve just purchased it, and am interested in your opinions. I was looking for a grey or blue grey stone, and this lovely sapphire popped up. The color (or lack of) is pleasing to me though I wouldn''t mind less blue/more grey

. I''m curious how to better evaluate gemstone pictures - how to determine saturation, tone etc. LTP''s Spinel thread was both informative and confusing, I wasn''t sure what to look for in the different pics posted.

Thanks so much!

 

[chrono]

Well, if it appeals to you, that’s all that matters, correct? You are looking for a less blue/more gray stone and I think you’ve found it. The tone is also somewhat darkish though so I don’t know if that’s what you are looking for. The sapphire looks to be well cut, therefore, I assume the extinct appearance of the stone is due to poor photography (head/camera shadowing). I am giving the benefit of the doubt to the cutter.

 

[clop]

Thanks Chrono! Yep, this stone appeals to me; I'm trying to learn how to better evaluate pics for any future purchases. I see a well cut stone, with a lack of blue (that's reflected in the price). What is an extinct appearance? Is a dark tone lack of brilliance, or a darker stone? Is it possible to have a darker colored stone with a bright tone? I read that spinels often photograph better than they are, do sapphires as well?

Attached is a picture of a Tourmaline that was posted a while ago. Another Spinel was recommended over it. Was it because of the peachy/brown modifier, or price? Are there any negatives to brown (or gray) secondary hues other than preference? In LTP's Red Spinel thread, there were stones posted that had acknowledged slight issues, but were recommended for the price. Are stones with secondary hues/tones acceptable as long as the purchaser likes them and they are priced accordingly?

Thanks again for your help.

eta: The stone in your avatar is stunning, I'm off to find it's thread.

 

[chrono]

Extinction is when the stone has large areas devoid of colour and is just blackish. It is separate from the issue of dark tone and lack of brilliance. Extinction is usually due to cutting and can happen even to stones with great saturation. When a person says it is a dark coloured stone, it usually refers to being dark toned. I’m not sure how much you’d like to find out about colour but this might be helpful. It explains the difference between tone, saturation and hue, which are all price setters in coloured gemstones. http://www.palagems.com/quality_4cs.htm

Without being able to recall that thread, I assume the spinel was recommended due to its toughness, higher RI and possible brownish modifier that I see at the edges. Pink tourmalines also have the tendency to turn brown or muddy under incandescent lighting with the exception of a very small number that hold their colour well under all lighting conditions. There are no negatives to brown and/or gray modifiers other than preference (and price). Collectors usually prefer highly saturated stones (no brown, gray or other modifiers which could be yellow, green, blue or whatever other colour depending on the type and colour of the gemstone). If the purchaser likes the modifiers, is aware of it and the stone is priced accordingly, there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting that stone.

 

[Edward Bristol]

It looks like those arctic blue Montana sapphires, which I personally like a lot, but are difficult to catch on photo.

This is a gem that is not bought for color but for cut and crystal.

 

[clop]

Crikeys! Thank yo SO much for that link Chrono!! (as well as your detailed explanations). lol Guess I''m in the minority where I happen to like anemic looking Sapphires

Grey is among my favorite colors. I LOVE Glitterata''s grey Spinel. I do fancy blue as well, so this is a perfect compromise of both colors.

My only concern (apart from Extinction which I now understand thanks! though hopefully isn''t an issue) is the darkish tone. Gene has been fantastic to work with, he was quite surprised when I inquired about grey stones lol. I love the cut, and can''t wait to see it in person.

Thank you for the info on Tourmalines. I like peachy/pink/oranges, I erroneously thought the brown brought out the orange in the pinks

. I''m hoping to acquire a Malaya Garnet sometime in the distant future. Thanks again Chrono, you''ve been so wonderfully helpful. I apologize if everything you''ve posted is already on these boards, apparently I''m a terrible searcher!

Thanks Edward for your input! I''m a total newb, your response means a lot.

 

[Michael_E]

I doubt that this stone has any extinction at all. I also doubt that it has any brown tones. I think that the brown comes from the room and background color and that what is being seen as extinction is just the reflection of the picture taker. If you do some modifications to this picture as far as brightness and contrast it gets a little easier to pick out those areas of interest. In this case the darkest zones are head reflections and not extinction, (I''ve never seen extinction in a lightly saturated stone...so I don''t believe that it can happen in them). Looking at the reflection of the stone you get a very clear view of the cross axis color which is a grayish green as well as a mixed color which is the blue of the body color mixed with that green cross axis color. I think that this stone will look less gray, and a lot more blue once you have it in hand. I''d ask the seller if they can provide more pictures in different environments if you want to avoid guessing about what a stone looks like from just one picture.

 

[clop]

Hi Micheal E, thanks for replying. Your further explanation of Extinction was really helpful. I totally don''t mind if the stone is more grey in person, I''d welcome it!

My only concern is brightness (not sure if that''s the right term). I can''t wait to see the stone in person. The brown was in reference to the Tourmaline that was posted.