ever chip a sapphire????

[jmg124]

i am waiting for my ering to be finished and it is a 6mm princess cut white sapphire. i am getting nervous that i''m going to be totally neurotic about when i can wear it for fear that it might get chipped. soooo, i was hoping you all could share stories of how you have ever chipped a sapphire. i.e. what does it take to break one of those babies?

any stories are greatly appreciated - either to quell my fears of validate my neurosis.

 

[neatfreak]

It just takes the right hit at the right angle unfortunately. There are people who have chipped their diamonds on shopping carts around here.

Just be as careful as you can and if it is worth some significant $, insure it!!!

 

[Harriet]

I didn''t chip a sapphire, but I chipped a spinel (8.5 vs. 9 on the Moh''s scale). I think I did it be squezing it into a temporary diamond holder. Grr.

 

[chrono]

The first precaution is to use the v-prongs or chevron prongs for the pointy corners - they are more protective than regular prongs.

 

[Linda W]

YES, I have a chip on my Padparadscha saphhire pendant

It was my fault. I was putting it on, leaning over the sink, looking in the mirror and it fell off my neck. AAAAAAAAAAAAK!! I''ll never do that again

Was I ever stupid!!

Linda

 

[Miscka]

this thread makes me sad

These things don''t sound that rough, seems like it is easier than I thought...

 

[jmg124]

yikes!!!

i agree with Miscka - it''s DEFINITELY easier than i was thinking. this makes me realize that i should probably get a substitute fakey that i can wear when i''m doing things like camping and be SUPER careful when i''m not. wow. i really am going to be neurotic about it, haha.

thanks so much to everyone for sharing stories!! more are always welcome

 

[Pandora II]

You need to be very careful with ANY e-ring, but sapphires and other stones will need extra care.

I don't wear my e-ring except at work, if I'm going out (to do non-dangerous things) or if we have people over. Otherwise it lives in it's box.

My grandmother, mother and sister have sapphire e-rings and all have chips.

My grandmother's has no facets left at, but then she is the person who told me at xmas that I was neurotic for not wearing my ring 24/7 and that she did the gardening in hers!

So I showed her what her stone looked like through my loupe. There was blissful silence for at least 10 minutes!

 

[Linda W]

My original e-ring is a diamond. Only on special occasions, do I wear my Padparadscha ring. I guard it with my life. I don''t wear it, if I am going to be really active. If we are going camping, etc. it stays home.

Linda

 

[Miscka]

Wow...I had just seen all these comments on here before that Sapphires are fine for everyday wear at a 9 on the MOH. Maybe I define everyday wear differently.

If someone wants an ering that they can wear a lot of the time, is diamond really the only option? Lets define "a lot of the time" as not while gardening, doing dishes or heavy cleaning, or rock climbing, etc. But wearing it all other times.

Also, how hard it is to get a chip polished out? What would that entail? Sorry JMG for the threadjack...

 

[Catmom]

Date: 4/25/2008 9:41:18 AM
Author: Miscka
Wow...I had just seen all these comments on here before that Sapphires are fine for everyday wear at a 9 on the MOH. Maybe I define everyday wear differently.

If someone wants an ering that they can wear a lot of the time, is diamond really the only option? Lets define ''a lot of the time'' as not while gardening, doing dishes or heavy cleaning, or rock climbing, etc. But wearing it all other times.

Also, how hard it is to get a chip polished out? What would that entail? Sorry JMG for the threadjack...

Miscka, I know that DJ had a chip in her oval sapphire and she had it polished out. I don''t think it''s hard to get it polished out but I know she did lose some carat weight and she has said that it is now more round than oval. Hopefully she will see this thread and can jump in here.

 

[Fly Girl]

Date: 4/24/2008 7:17:55 PM
Author: Pandora II
You need to be very careful with ANY e-ring, but sapphires and other stones will need extra care.

I don''t wear my e-ring except at work, if I''m going out (to do non-dangerous things) or if we have people over. Otherwise it lives in it''s box.

My grandmother, mother and sister have sapphire e-rings and all have chips.

My grandmother''s has no facets left at, but then she is the person who told me at xmas that I was neurotic for not wearing my ring 24/7 and that she did the gardening in hers!

So I showed her what her stone looked like through my loupe. There was blissful silence for at least 10 minutes!

Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this story, Pandora!

 

[chrono]

Miscka,
Diamonds aren''t foolproof either: bump it slightly at just the right angle and you''ll chip it too. Many are advised not to do yardwork, housework etc even with diamonds on as well.

 

[Miscka]

ok, I think I need to rephrase

are there activities where you could wear a diamond ring where a sapphire would not be advised? What kinds of things would that include?

 

[Pandora II]

Personally, I would be just as careful with a diamond - diamonds may be the hardest substance on earth, but they are not very tough, and catching the girdle in the right way could chip it.

Also, it''s not just the stone but the setting. Sleeping in your ring is not advised even with a simple setting as the prongs can rub and catch against the sheets.

If you have any pave in the shank of a ring you shouldn''t pick up or carry heavy things as any stress on the metal can make the metal bend a little and pop the stones out.

The only thing I''d do differently if I had a diamond solitare is stick in the the ultrasound daily rather than twice a week like I do.

Really it comes down to the risks you are happy to take.

 

[Fly Girl]

If you are looking to maximize wearability, and still want the beauty of a gemstone, I would recommend a smaller diamond (under 1 carat) in a simple solitaire setting.

As for your princess cut sapphire, I would insure it, and enjoy, knowing that repair or replacement is a possibility in the future.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 4/23/2008 11:58:50 PM
Author: Harriet
I didn''t chip a sapphire, but I chipped a spinel (8.5 vs. 9 on the Moh''s scale). I think I did it be squezing it into a temporary diamond holder. Grr.

Sorry about your spinel accident. But there''s a huge difference between a gem''s hardness and its toughness (resistance to chipping or cleaving). First, ANY gem can be damaged by accident or rough handling.

Hardness is only one of several important gem characteristics that relate to durability. There is also cleavage, a property in gems that''s similar to the ''grain'' in a piece of wood. We''ve probably all had fun splitting pieces of mica into thin sheets along cleavage planes. Many other gems, including diamond, have cleavage planes where they can be readily split. Diamonds are "forever" only in DeBeers'' advertising. I''ve seen plenty of damaged diamonds over the years.

Then there''s ''toughness.'' If you''re looking for the toughest gem that isn''t likely to suffer damage in hard wear (although it may require occasional repolishing), go for jade, especially nephrite. There are good reasons stone-age societies chose jade for ax heads, apart from its beauty. Stone age people really knew their rocks! Jade has a fibrous structure that makes it very tough, although it''s not terribly hard.

Then there''s characteristic ''fracture'' like ''conchoidal,'' ''splintery,'' ''uneven,'' etc. Corundum (ruby and sapphire) and spinel make excellent gems because they are hard, lack cleavage planes and are quite tough. But they can be fractured (along with nearly all gems), especially along sharp edges such as the girdle, where clamp-type holders may not be shaped right to avoid too much concentrated pressure to cause chipping/fracturing.

To make it even more dodgy (a word I''m picking up from around here

) ruby and sapphire often exhibit ''false cleavage'' or ''parting.'' These flat breaks can resemble cleavage planes but are probably caused when two crystals (twins) grow together and create areas of weakness.

Lesson, moral, or whatever you want to call it: use great care with all gems when ''tweezing,'' clamping, handling, etc. Always try to have a soft surface below the stone in case it''s dropped accidentally. Make sure there''s at least a carpet on the floor to soften its fall, not hard tile or stone.

Believe me, I''ve learned all this the hard way. There are few things more unpleasant than working hard for hours to cut a stone then, when admiring it for the first time, you drop it on a concrete floor and ruin it. (Second scenario, it flies off into some hidden place, never to be seen again -- avoid shag carpets and lawns for stone-viewing!)

 

[Harriet]

Thanks for the lesson, Rick. Would you polish the nick or leave it? You''d have to squint to see it. It''s on a crown facet.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

jmg, I would advise being careful just as you would if you had a diamond in the setting. But the great thing is that if you did chip it, you could just replace the stone. White sapphires that size should be pretty inexpensive.

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 4/26/2008 6:19:59 PM
Author: Harriet
Thanks for the lesson, Rick. Would you polish the nick or leave it? You''d have to squint to see it. It''s on a crown facet.

No one can advise you without actually seeing the stone. If it bothers you a lot then you might look into having it done but beware of weight loss. It''s rare that a single facet or two can be repaired without re-cutting the whole crown.

Richard M.

 

[Harriet]

Date: 4/26/2008 8:14:20 PM
Author: Richard M.

No one can advise you without actually seeing the stone. If it bothers you a lot then you might look into having it done but beware of weight loss. It''s rare that a single facet or two can be repaired without re-cutting the whole crown.

Richard M.

 

[Linda W]

Oh No, my beautiful Padparadscha!!!!

I''ll just have to leave it the way it is. No one can see it, but me. It bugs me that it is there though

Linda

 

[Harriet]

I''m sorry.

 

[Linda W]

Thanks Harriet. I learned a big lesson. Never put anything on over the sink, while looking in the mirror!!

BTW, I love your new avatar picture!!

Linda

 

[Harriet]

At least it didn't go down the sink. Remember my rolling ring?

 

[Linda W]

Yes, I remember that. I sure am lucky it didn''t go down the sink. Luckily my Pad rings are safe. I always take them off, over the bedroom carpet (no shag carpet) HA!!!

Linda

 

[Harriet]

I know a jeweller who hasn''t emptied his vacuum cleaner bag for years because it contains quite a number of stones picked up from his carpet.

 

[jmg124]

this has all been really helpful! my heart would definitely hurt if i ever lost a stone in grass or carpet!!

anyway, i ended up having my BF purchase a POS (sterling silver with CZ that can be replaced whenever, no prob/no tears) that looks kinda like what my real ering will look like and i will wear it while in potentially ring-threatening situations. i just want to always be wearing a ring - i don''t think i''ll be the kind who can just go without....

on a side note, i''m getting REALLY anxious to get my ring!!!!! i should probably post in the LIW section, heh.