Dark blue sapphire

[MakingTheGrade]

I admit....I'm smitten. I know it's darker than ideal, but my sweet spot for color is maybe 10% oversaturate (like my tsavorite) Thoughts?


I asked for a photo on the back of the hand in daylight just because it's hard to tell with their photos sometimes.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

2.75 ct
8.7 x 7.6 x 5 mm deep
Unheated

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I think it would look good with a recut..

 

[MakingTheGrade]

..

 

[baby nurse]

I think it''s beautiful! I have a stone that color and it''s gorgeous.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

..

 

[chictomato]

I like the color! I thought that its looking good as it is, without a recut, well maybe a slight bow-tie but seems to be rather well-executed

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 4/26/2010 9:16:46 PM
Author: chictomato
I like the color! I thought that its looking good as it this, without a recut

It has a bow tie, which I think would bug me over time. But we''ll see. I have a feeling that it''ll end up too dark , even for me. But we''ll see. I''ve bought from them before and they are lovely to do business with.

 

[VapidLapid]

I would be smitten too!
A re-cut might be just the thing though. The short diameter looks like it might be deep because of the extinction there and the long diameter much less so that trimming off the long ends might leave a round with sufficient depth to make it ideal, without too much weight loss. The color and texture are great.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 4/26/2010 9:28:29 PM
Author: VapidLapid
I would be smitten too!

A re-cut might be just the thing though. The short diameter looks like it might be deep because of the extinction there and the long diameter much less so that trimming off the long ends might leave a round with sufficient depth to make it ideal, without too much weight loss. The color and texture are great.

I''d prefer to keep it an oval/roval I think. I''ve gotten a little bored with rounds as of late
I wouldn''t mind if I lost some mm off the stone, it''s a little big for me as it is. And it''s only about 330$/carat currently so recutting it might make it more expensive per carat but still reasonable I think.

 

[Indylady]

I think its gorgeous and would be awesome re-cut.

 

[Indylady]

ETA: I also love slightly darker gems. I really love your tsav!

 

[marcy]

Pretty color and I agree a recut would make it even better.

 

[Barrett]

such a stong and full color to that stone..very nice..I like it....it''s a bold blue!!

 

[Burberrygirl]

I really, really like the color. I agree with the others on the re-cut

 

[ma re]

With such a rich color, cut probably wouldn''t bother me personally that much, but if it''s not good enough for your taste, then do a recut. However, I''d feel terrible if too much (for one''s taste) color saturation would be lost in the process.

 

[oddoneout]

I think it''s really nice.

 

[chrono]

A very interesting stone; it has some cutting issues but there’s something about the pictures that bother me. In the first 2 pictures, the blue glows in spite of the darkish tone which is a good thing. In the next 2 pictures, it looks gray and dull, especially when looking at the body colour in the upside down picture. It looks especially dark in that last picture. With a good return policy, it doesn''t hurt to look at it in person.

 

[serenitydiamonds]

I love the saturation.

--Joshua

 

[Laila619]

Very nice deep blue color!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Hey chrono

I noticed that too so I asked for a few more photos to
day. THe return policy is great.

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 4/27/2010 8:10:07 AM
Author: Chrono
something about the pictures that bother me. In the first 2 pictures, the blue glows in spite of the darkish tone which is a good thing. In the next 2 pictures, it looks gray and dull, especially when looking at the body colour in the upside down picture. It looks especially dark in that last picture.

I think that this is because the images were taken in different kinds of lighting. I've cut a number of this sort of sapphire and they always seem to have a almost glowing blue appearance under fluorescent lighting. Take them outside or under incandescent lights and they take on a bit of a violet overtone and the glowing appearance drops off. I think that these kinds of stones are best worn and viewed under bright, diffuse fluorescent lighting such as in an office environment.

Oh, with regard to recutting, I think that a person needs to have a pretty good idea about what a recut can accomplish before they decide to do it. In this case a recut will not brighten the stone appreciably, unless the stone is cut smaller. Removing the bow-tie can be done, but I would suggest looking at the stone before deciding to do that, as that bow-tie may not be apparent IRL, (the photographer may have just been too close to the stone as the cause of that bow-tie...then again maybe not, you've just got to see it in hand to tell).

 

[T L]

Date: 4/27/2010 11:25:31 AM
Author: Michael_E

Date: 4/27/2010 8:10:07 AM
Author: Chrono
something about the pictures that bother me. In the first 2 pictures, the blue glows in spite of the darkish tone which is a good thing. In the next 2 pictures, it looks gray and dull, especially when looking at the body colour in the upside down picture. It looks especially dark in that last picture.

I think that this is because the images were taken in different kinds of lighting. I''ve cut a number of this sort of sapphire and they always seem to have a almost glowing blue appearance under fluorescent lighting. Take them outside or under incandescent lights and they take on a bit of a violet overtone and the glowing appearance drops off. I think that these kinds of stones are best worn and viewed under bright, diffuse fluorescent lighting such as in an office environment.

Oh, with regard to recutting, I think that a person needs to have a pretty good idea about what a recut can accomplish before they decide to do it. In this case a recut will not brighten the stone appreciably, unless the stone is cut smaller. Removing the bow-tie can be done, but I would suggest looking at the stone before deciding to do that, as that bow-tie may not be apparent IRL, (the photographer may have just been too close to the stone as the cause of that bow-tie...then again maybe not, you''ve just got to see it in hand to tell).

You just echoed my concern about this stone, except that I don''t think it''s so much violet that will overpower the stone, but less saturation in certain lighting.

 

[chrono]

Michael,
It’s not the lack of glow that bothers me in the other pictures but the distinct drop in saturation level.

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 4/27/2010 12:22:10 PM
Author: Chrono
Michael,

It''s not the lack of glow that bothers me in the other pictures but the distinct drop in saturation level.

I think that one of the biggest difficulties in a forum like this is to try to correlate price levels to quality levels. It seems as if many of the posters will put up pictures of very modestly priced stones and as the thread progresses, these stones, which are often very nice and quite acceptable when used under lighting conditions that accentuate their best features, get compared to very high end, almost museum quality stones. This happens with all manner of gems and by a wide range of the responders to these threads, (so I''m not picking on you or anyone else in particular, Chrono

). The problem with this lack of objective correlation between price and quality levels could easily lead many readers, to assume that if they look long and hard enough, that they can pick up the very best in any gem type for prices which are just not realistic.

The reality with the type of sapphire shown is that it is very saturated and dark toned. O.K., but how is the quality for it''s price level ? What is good about it and in what types of light should it be worn for maximum effect ? Is it worth the price ? If not, then where specifically can a buyer find something better ? If a responder makes a comment that implies that a stone is not all that great for the price AND then has some alternative source with something better for the price, then the value of their comments goes up dramatically IMO. Again, I''m not picking on anyone''s comments, but it would be nice to be directed to alternatives at similar price levels.

As for the stone pictured, well it''s an almost 3 carat unheated sapphire that isn''t black and may look very nice under certain lighting conditions. Is it worth it ? Can you find a better stone for those same lighting conditions at this price level ? Maybe. I think that this is one of those which really NEEDS to be seen in person to make that decision.

 

[T L]

Okay,
I'm not gonig to speak for Chrono, but I will speak for myself. If you're talking about me, I am certainly not comparing that to a fine Kashmir sapphire. My huge concern is that stones, when they are dark tones, have to be very saturated to look nice. As Richard Wise recently indicated, in sapphire, there is a fine line between being too dark and being nicely saturated. Often times, I do recommend lighter toned stones, and that is because there is a wider selection of fine colors at the modest price level for those tones. I recently purchased a pear sapphire that is medium light in tone. Would I compare it to a Kashmir sapphire, no way, but for the price I paid, I think it's a very pleasing color, and doesn't go black at all. You have to be really careful with dark toned stones because they can easily go too extinct and become very unattractive. A lighter tone, while the color may be a bit desaturated in certain lighting, can still sparkle and be pleasing to the eye. Desaturation combined with high levels of extinction, make for a very unattractive gem IMHO. That being said, if you do find a dark toned sapphire with high saturation that holds it's color, expect to pay a lot more than that, and also know it's very rare in nature.

 

[Michael_E]

Date: 4/27/2010 1:54:27 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I''m not gonig to speak for Chrono, but I will speak for myself. If you''re talking about me
.
.
. A lighter tone, while the color may be a bit desaturated in certain lighting, can still sparkle and be pleasing to the eye.

No, I was not talking about you or Chrono or anyone in particular TL, but more a concern with comments which can seem negative without any alternatives being presented in the color and price range being discussed. In this case the OP commented that they like darker stones and not lighter, so there''s little point in directing them to lighter colors. In sapphire the overall price range looks like a bell curve with the top prices being paid for those that are medium dark and very highly saturated. On either side of that are either darker or lighter stones. For those on the "dark side" and in this price range, what would you recommend ?
.
.
. On the lighter toned stones, I can only assume that you are referring to pale aquamarines ?

 

[LD]

Date: 4/27/2010 11:25:31 AM
Author: Michael_E

Date: 4/27/2010 8:10:07 AM
Author: Chrono
something about the pictures that bother me. In the first 2 pictures, the blue glows in spite of the darkish tone which is a good thing. In the next 2 pictures, it looks gray and dull, especially when looking at the body colour in the upside down picture. It looks especially dark in that last picture.

I think that this is because the images were taken in different kinds of lighting. I''ve cut a number of this sort of sapphire and they always seem to have a almost glowing blue appearance under fluorescent lighting. Take them outside or under incandescent lights and they take on a bit of a violet overtone and the glowing appearance drops off. I think that these kinds of stones are best worn and viewed under bright, diffuse fluorescent lighting such as in an office environment.

Oh, with regard to recutting, I think that a person needs to have a pretty good idea about what a recut can accomplish before they decide to do it. In this case a recut will not brighten the stone appreciably, unless the stone is cut smaller. Removing the bow-tie can be done, but I would suggest looking at the stone before deciding to do that, as that bow-tie may not be apparent IRL, (the photographer may have just been too close to the stone as the cause of that bow-tie...then again maybe not, you''ve just got to see it in hand to tell).

I''d just like to add that as you want to keep the stone as a roval eliminating the bow tie won''t be any easy job. It''s incredibly difficult to find an oval without even a minimal bowtie. Not impossible but difficult.

In the first two photos it looks like very bright lighting has been used - look at the glare from the tweezers in the second photo. However I think the colour you''re seeing with the stone on the hand is much more likely to be the colour you''ll see in real life.

 

[T L]

Date: 4/27/2010 2:07:53 PM
Author: Michael_E

Date: 4/27/2010 1:54:27 PM
Author: tourmaline_lover
I''m not gonig to speak for Chrono, but I will speak for myself. If you''re talking about me
.
.
. A lighter tone, while the color may be a bit desaturated in certain lighting, can still sparkle and be pleasing to the eye.

No, I was not talking about you or Chrono or anyone in particular TL, but more a concern with comments which can seem negative without any alternatives being presented in the color and price range being discussed. In this case the OP commented that they like darker stones and not lighter, so there''s little point in directing them to lighter colors. In sapphire the overall price range looks like a bell curve with the top prices being paid for those that are medium dark and very highly saturated. On either side of that are either darker or lighter stones. For those on the ''dark side'' and in this price range, what would you recommend ?
.
.
. On the lighter toned stones, I can only assume that you are referring to pale aquamarines ?

Unfortunately, not much. I hate to be blunt, but it''s very rare to find a three carat sapphire with high saturation in a dark tone for such a low price. Something seems suspect, but I could be wrong, and in this case, I hope I am.

As for lighter toned stones, NOOOOOOO, I don''t mean just aquas, although they are my all time favorite gems!!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I got some more photos, these in shade.