Need Opinion: Yellow Sapphire Ring

[agenova]

Hi everyone-

I have been reading your forum recently and have loved learning about colored gems! I have admired them ever since I was a child when we would spend a lot of time at the Smithsonian in their Minerals, Crystals and Gems gallery. I have been hooked ever since!

I am searching for a yellow sapphire ring for my birthday, although a yellow diamond would be wonderful, the occasion does not merit one yet

I found this one on Diamonds by Lauren and wanted an educated opinion about the sapphire's quality. They mention that it is likely heated but don't mention diffusion. http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/loose-sapphire-283ct-oval-yellow-sapphire-bright-color-r3207

If the opinion is that the sapphire is nicely cut, what questions do you recommend I ask of the seller to determine whether the ring is fairly priced?

Many thanks in advance!
I look forward to learning more about these beautiful gems.

Anne

 

[chrono]

The stone has a medium sized window where you will be able to see your finger though it. Is that acceptable to you? You will also get a tilt window fairly easily. This effect is seen very easily in the unset gem but slightly reduced in the tube bezel setting. The effect of a window means that the unwindowed part will be lively and sparkly whilst the windowed part will be "dead" and skin coloured.

 

[agenova]

Thank you so much for taking a look at the ring! I see what you mean now when I look back at the photos. Do you feel that the window has been factored into the price?

 

[chrono]

Unlikely. Coloured stones are priced mostly by colour and treatment. To me, the fact that I don't know whether it has been heated or not, would help me price it accordingly. He did say assume heat treatment though so that's what I will go with. For those who want an untreated stone, this needs to be verified first before purchase.

 

[Two4MeTy]

That setting is a beauty! But I see the tilt window too. Chrono: what's your opinion of this stone DBL has listed (my bro was considering this one, but went w a blue sapphire instead)...add their blingy (white diamond) halo or the double bezel and you'd have some nice hand presence for <$2k!

Http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/loose-sapphire-precision-cut-129ct-yellow-sapphire-emerald-cut-beautiful-color-r4181


http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/semi-mount-ring-floating-single-shank-halo-pink-lemonade-version-3-so3375

 

[chrono]

Http://www.diamondsbylauren.com/index.php/jewelry/loose-sapphire-precision-cut-129ct-yellow-sapphire-emerald-cut-beautiful-color-r4181

Colour isn't as good as the oval but the cut is what makes the difference. The precision faceting makes this worthy of an e-ring with excellent symmetry and lots of sparkle. There is a slight green modifier (if you don't mind this) and the saturation is slightly less than the oval. Given the choice between the two, I'll take this rectangular stone. Normally I am all about colour but that window is too large for my comfort zone.

 

[FrekeChild]

Diamonds by Lauren is typically WAYYYYYYY overpriced for their colored stones. I once saw a pair of Blue topaz studs (7ish mm?) in 14kt gold for $1,000 on their site. I laughed out loud. For a long time.

(They would cost about $200 to make with you sourcing the stone and getting them set.)

There are much better options out there.

 

[agenova]

Thanks to everyone for the great advice! I will pass on this ring. I have found a ring I like on Etsy by Melissa at RareEarth and will post the photos of the stone after the designer has a chance to take them. I will also include a CAD rendering of the setting.

Thanks again!
Anne

 

[agenova]

Here is a mock-up of the ring I have in mind. Using Photoshop, I took the CAD image from the designer, which did not show the diamonds, and added in some diamonds and a yellow sapphire image I found on AJS. This is for design only - I will post photos of the actual stone to get feedback on it's qualities.

Any thoughts on the design?

 

[velouriaL]

The design is very pretty!

I don't know what your budget is, but if you go with a setting like the first one you picked out-- baguette sides and no pave-- you might be able to find a higher quality setting for the money. Pave is very labor-intensive and can get expensive or, alternatively, has a tendency to fall out.

If you decide to continue your search, I would contact Michael E at gemshoppe.com. His website isn't very up-to-date, but he is great to work with has a very solid reputation. He is a gem-cutter and a jeweler. You can ask him to cut you a yellow sapphire and make the setting for it. You can go totally custom, or he can find a setting from Stuller or Adwar that will be reasonable in price and good quality.

If you want to keep the budget as low as possible, I know that many people on here have found pave halo settings on ebay from the store Lord Of Gem Rings. These a made in China and aren't as carefully produced or as high-quality as custom settings, but they are fairly-priced.

 

[chrono]

I am not familiar with the Etsy vendor and thus cannot comment on the quality of the workmanship. It takes skill to make nice and even pave though, even when cast, so I would shop around with a discerning eye. As for the design, I chuckled when I saw it because it is almost an exact copy of what I planned to do with my large blue spinel. East / West for an oval with a half bezel studded pave but it tilts and curves downwards towards the shank with more pave down the band. Expect a well made pave setting in this design to cost over $2000 though, not including the centre stone.

 

[agenova]

I'm glad my design isn't too off the wall! What I like about it is that it doesn't look like an engagement ring - more of a right-hand ring. As far as the designer's skill, I can only go by the work she has posted for sale and to my untrained but picky eye it looks pretty good. I'd love to hear what you all think. Here's an example with rose gold which gives a good contrast against the diamonds.

 

[agenova]

Here is a ring I came across, also on Etsy, which to me looks like inferior pave. The photography is not as good in this one but it looks a bit sloppy. Tell me what you think?

 

[chrono]

Both are sloppy with the first one less so than the second. Look at the inside portion of the halo for the first ring and you can see that the melees are not set evenly. The metal isn't straight but curving all over.

 

[agenova]

Chrono,

I see what you mean now. I think, in weighing cost vs precision of work, that the first one represents a good compromise. I have been quoted $1650 for the ring design I posted with the east-west halo. Of course, I haven't seen the sapphire she has in mind yet but should have photos over the weekend to make a final call on price vs quality.

I have a combo 20th anniversary and 50th birthday in a few years and I plan to go big/expensive for that one!! With this ring I'm not going for heirloom quality but the best value for the money.

velouriaL,

I am familiar with Lord of Gem Rings but not Adwar or Stuller. I did not seem them on the PriceScope recommended vendor list. Where can I find them?

Michael E. could use some help with his website. I am a retired web developer so perhaps I could propose a barter!

Thanks again everyone!
Anne

 

[chrono]

Absolutely - it is all about cost versus workmanship which equals to quality. This is why the Chinese made eBay settings are considered well priced. Sure it isn't the heftiest ring nor well made but considering the end product for the price, it is a good deal. I think you should consider Daniel M of Etsy because his pave work is better looking for the money. Adwar and Stuller are companies that make ready made settings which your local jeweller can order, then set your stone for you. You can find their catalogues online.

 

[agenova]

Thanks Chrono! I can only find one example of pave on Michael M's website and it's a pendant. Should I email him to see more samples of his work?

 

[chrono]

Thanks Chrono! I can only find one example of pave on Michael M's website and it's a pendant. Should I email him to see more samples of his work?

Definitely!

 

[agenova]

Oops. I meant Daniel M's website on Etsy.

 

[agenova]

Here is a photo of the sapphire being proposed for the Etsy ring by Rare Earth. Hard to tell about the cut. I will ask about inclusions. Any other Qs I should ask?

**photo removed per DCMA request**

 

[chrono]

Heated or untreated? Any proof of that? Is it diffused? Unfortunately, this yellow sapphire has a medium sized window as well.

 

[agenova]

Does this show the stone better? It's an 8x6m, 1.46ct, IF/VVS Clarity, heat only from Ceylon, Sri Lanka.

I have to say that sometimes ignorance is bliss! I probably would have forged ahead blindly and been happy. Now I'm second guessing everything. Ugh.

**photo removed per DCMA request**

 

[chrono]

I disagree that ignorance is bliss. I prefer to know everything but make the informed choice to accept it.

Do you like the colour? It looks bright everywhere except the windowed area showing the skin underneath. There might be a bit of a bowtie (black obstruction) but it is difficult to tell. Often, most people accept bowties in ovals but try to pick one that shows the least. Most yellow sapphires are heated. Do you accept the risk that it could be diffused (many are) or do you need a lab report as proof? The clarity standard for coloured stone is eye clean, so IF/VVS is meaningless.

 

[agenova]

I don't know what to think at this point. I think I like the color but I feel like I have a fairly wide latitude to my preferences. Orange is my favorite color so I started out looking at Spessartite Garnets but realized that yellow is easier to coordinate outfits with So, any hints of orange do not bother me. Having not seen too many colored gems of this size and cut I can't tell if the window will bother me or not!

What do you think of this one: http://www.africagems.com/oval-yellow-sapphire-g2k1016.html

I can always buy the setting from her as a semi mount and find the right sapphire. For the 8x6 setting the stone must be between 7.80mm to 8.20mm x 5.80mm - 6.20mm. She can also do a 7x5mm or a 9x7mm.

 

[agenova]

Here are some additional stone options. I checked through all the PS recommended stone vendors and the previous stone and these 4 are the only ones that have the right dimensions and are less than $2500.

These are all heated/diffused but the price corresponds. Any of them look better than the one proposed by the artist?

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.7-carats.html

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.56-carats.html

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.53-carats.html

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.63-carats.html

 

[agenova]

Could anyone please comment on the 5 stones I am looking at? The AJS stones don't have very good photos. Do their cuts tend to be good? Africa Gems looks good to me but I'm no expert! I would prefer a stone closer to 9 x 7 but can go with an 8 x 6 if they are better quality. If anyone knows of any other ovals out there in these proportions I would love to be pointed in the right direction!!

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.7-carats.html

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.56-carats.html

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.53-carats.html

http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/yellow-sapphire/yellow-sapphire-2.63-carats.html

http://www.africagems.com/oval-yellow-sapphire-g2k1016.html

Thanks in advance!
Anne

 

[chrono]

I highly recommend that you read this about lattice diffusion to decide if this level of treatment is acceptable to you. Most people do not accept this form of treatment even though the treatment is permanent, stable and makes an otherwise beautiful sapphire unaffordable because the treatment is invasive, changing the internal make-up of the sapphire too greatly. The choice is yours.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/corundum-sapphire-and-ruby-treatment.175354/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/corundum-sapphire-and-ruby-treatment.175354/[/URL]

 

[agenova]

Ok so here are some natural sapphire options as well as a chrysoberyl and spessartite thrown in. I have my favorite but am wondering what others might think. So much for keeping the price down!

http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Yellow/Y2939/Oval/stoneid=Y2939 might be a hair to long for the setting, 9.39 x 6.81 x 4.59

http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/16199 Slightly wonky cut. 8.98 x 6.97 x 4.30

http://www.djraregems.com/finegems.html #8873. More orangey than yellow, might be a tiny bit off in proportion. 8.7 x 6.8 x 4.4 mm

http://www.africagems.com/oval-yellowsapphire-g2k-4368.html Looks a bit pale. Slightly off in proportion but may work. 8.76 x 6.19

http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?/details/single/chrysoberyl/ycb162af/ Yellow Chrysoberyl. 9 x 6.9 x 4. size is within range.

\http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/16789 Spessartite but I do love orange. 8.98 x 7.14 x 4.32. size is within range.

Thanks in advance!
Anne

 

[chrono]

I would do a search on NSC to decide if this is a company you would want to deal with. Most reviews have not been kind although a handful of PSers had good experience.

NSC - lopsided cut with a longish window. The colour is quite nice though.
Wildfish - lopsided, windowed and too shallow. The colour is extremely pale and under the sunlight, might look almost colourless at times.
Djraregems - a bit brownish and is plagued by the same window issue.
Africagems - yes, too pale although well cut.
MC - do you mind some green because chrysoberyls typically shift to a slightly greenish yellow colour. A small window and a touch light too.
Wildfish spessartite - look at the handshot for the most accurate pictures. Note that it is not as bright and neon as the mirror image. $900/ct for a 2 ct spessartite is also very expensive.
http://www.wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/16789

 

[agenova]

So I'm at a total loss as to how to find a stone for my ring.

I have looked through the stones of every vendor on the list and then some.