Sourcing a Sapphire solitaire engagement ring

[SapphireHunter]

Hi all,

I am looking for a Sapphire engagement ring because my girlfriend does NOT like diamonds for a variety of reasons (ethical, financial, dislike of the diamond/de Beers marketing). As a result, I am pretty confident that a solitaire sapphire on a white gold or platinum ring with no accent diamonds is the way to go, but I still have a few questions and was wondering if any experts wanted to chime in with advice.

1. Size/Budget: My friend group has seen several engagements in the last year or so that I was involved in the ring selection for. My girlfriend was pretty shocked when I told her Friend A spent $8k and Friend B spent $5k on their diamond engagement rings (have I mentioned how awesome she is? Horrified is too strong of a word to describe her reaction, but she definitely was not jealous, lol). If I had to guess, I think her expectation of a reasonable budget is more in the $2k range, but I also don’t think she knows exactly what that means in terms of size/quality. She’s not the type to compare her ring to somebody else’s and feel badly about it, but I definitely want to avoid having her friends give her sympathetic looks too. So bottom line, I don’t have a defined budget and have been looking at stones in the 5-8 mm range. Any thoughts on solitaires of that size?

2. Cut: Is a particular cut recommended for Sapphire solitaire engagement rings? Based on my online searches so far I have seen a lot of round and oval cut Sapphires, but personally I have a slight aesthetic preference for the more rectangular cuts (radiant, emerald-cut, cushion, etc). I have no idea what her preference is and I don’t want to ask because I am planning for it to be a surprise. Thoughts or recommendations?

3. Ethical sourcing/BrilliantEarth.com: I would love to be able to tell my girlfriend that I bought from a retailer committed to ethical sourcing like Brilliant Earth. Unfortunately, Brilliant Earth doesn’t have much variety when it comes to cuts. They have mostly round, oval, and a single 6x6 mm cushion cut option. Are there any other retailers committed to ethical sourcing that I should check out? Does Brilliant Earth have a good reputation when it comes to the color, clarity, and overall quality of their gems?

Of course, any other advice would be welcome too. Thanks so much for your help.

 

[T L]

Hi all,

I am looking for a Sapphire engagement ring because my girlfriend does NOT like diamonds for a variety of reasons (ethical, financial, dislike of the diamond/de Beers marketing). As a result, I am pretty confident that a solitaire sapphire on a white gold or platinum ring with no accent diamonds is the way to go, but I still have a few questions and was wondering if any experts wanted to chime in with advice.

1. Size/Budget: My friend group has seen several engagements in the last year or so that I was involved in the ring selection for. My girlfriend was pretty shocked when I told her Friend A spent $8k and Friend B spent $5k on their diamond engagement rings (have I mentioned how awesome she is? Horrified is too strong of a word to describe her reaction, but she definitely was not jealous, lol). If I had to guess, I think her expectation of a reasonable budget is more in the $2k range, but I also don’t think she knows exactly what that means in terms of size/quality. She’s not the type to compare her ring to somebody else’s and feel badly about it, but I definitely want to avoid having her friends give her sympathetic looks too. So bottom line, I don’t have a defined budget and have been looking at stones in the 5-8 mm range. Any thoughts on solitaires of that size?

2. Cut: Is a particular cut recommended for Sapphire solitaire engagement rings? Based on my online searches so far I have seen a lot of round and oval cut Sapphires, but personally I have a slight aesthetic preference for the more rectangular cuts (radiant, emerald-cut, cushion, etc). I have no idea what her preference is and I don’t want to ask because I am planning for it to be a surprise. Thoughts or recommendations?

3. Ethical sourcing/BrilliantEarth.com: I would love to be able to tell my girlfriend that I bought from a retailer committed to ethical sourcing like Brilliant Earth. Unfortunately, Brilliant Earth doesn’t have much variety when it comes to cuts. They have mostly round, oval, and a single 6x6 mm cushion cut option. Are there any other retailers committed to ethical sourcing that I should check out? Does Brilliant Earth have a good reputation when it comes to the color, clarity, and overall quality of their gems?

Of course, any other advice would be welcome too. Thanks so much for your help.

To point #3, you may want to go with a reputable lapidary for a Montana sapphire. American, as well as Australian sapphires, are ethically sourced. I would avoid all Asian, African and other sapphires because you cannot truly verify if it was ethically sourced unless you dug it up yourself. Montana and Australian sapphires are typically not as strong in color though as their African and Asian counterparts (especially Asian). If greyish blue, or dark toned sapphires do not appeal to you, it will be a more difficult search for the right one. That being said, many people here love their Montana sapphires (I have not seen as many Aussie sapphires in this forum).

I'm not sure who specializes in Montana or Aussie sapphires, but perhaps someone here can be of more assistance. You do have to be careful who you buy from.

I also recommend reading the sticky at the top of this forum about colored gems, as sapphires typically undergo many kinds of treatment and you have to be careful in that regard. Education is extremely important before making a purchase of significant value, either monetary and/or sentimental.

Very rarely, in colored stones, will someone get the right price, color, carat weight, cut, shape, treatment status, clarity all in one stone. Therefore be prepared to sacrifice something in the search for your gem. Good luck.

 

[SapphireHunter]

Thanks TL. So you don't have confidence in Brilliant Earth's claim that their Sri Lanka (for example) sapphires are ethically sourced? I do prefer the brighter blue of what I guess are Asian stones, so that is a potential issue.

I read LD's sticky "New to coloured gemstone buying?" and learned quite a bit. Based on the reading, I would add that I know I want a natural (i.e. not synthetic) Sapphire, and I am fine with standard heat treating, but am not interested in gems with fracture filling or berilium or lattice diffusion.

 

[T L]

Thanks TL. So you don't have confidence in Brilliant Earth's claim that their Sri Lanka (for example) sapphires are ethically sourced? I do prefer the brighter blue of what I guess are Asian stones, so that is a potential issue.

I read LD's sticky "New to coloured gemstone buying?" and learned quite a bit. Based on the reading, I would add that I know I want a natural (i.e. not synthetic) Sapphire, and I am fine with standard heat treating, but am not interested in gems with fracture filling or berilium or lattice diffusion.

To the bolded part above, no.

At least if you're open to standard heat treatment, that will give you more available options. Do a search in this forum on "Montana sapphire" and you'll see many examples of stones. Perhaps some will appeal to you. Beware of color shifts in various light sources, as some can go very grey and/or dark in some lighting. If you want a "brighter blue" as you said, that may not appeal to you.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Hi, I’ve been lurking for awhile. I’m a fan and collector of Montana sapphires. They may be a good fit for your budget and should definitely fit your future fiancé's ethical concerns.

I’ve purchased from https://www.etsy.com/shop/MountainMommaGems and was pleased with the experience. She has a wide variety of stones and may have something that isn’t posted on her shop so you might ask.

This site also has some nice looking Montana sapphires: http://www.gemfix.com/sapphire_montana.html I haven’t done business with them but they are on the vendor list. They seem to have some nice light stones (and rare colors) but perhaps not the blue you are looking for.

Does your future fiancé have a favorite color? I ask because I get the most compliments on my fancy colored sapphires (not blue) and she may find pink, orange, or purple a fun unique ring.

Good luck!

 

[digdeep]

Another mine owner in Montana is Blaze of Blaze n Gems. Didn't take much to send me looking for you........lol! Their photo's unfortunately.......do not help the stones! But they are very accommodating in sending a stone and easy return if it isn't what you want. Take a look at his site as he has a sale on--you can't get much more 'ethical' than this as Blaze is the owner, miner, salesman and salt of the earth good person........the photo's do not do his stones justice so open a conversation about what you want.

http://blazengems.com/retail/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=83

 

[SapphireHunter]

To the bolded part above, no.

At least if you're open to standard heat treatment, that will give you more available options. Do a search in this forum on "Montana sapphire" and you'll see many examples of stones. Perhaps some will appeal to you. Beware of color shifts in various light sources, as some can go very grey and/or dark in some lighting. If you want a "brighter blue" as you said, that may not appeal to you.

Thanks TL. Good to know. Last thing I want is a so-called "green-washed" stone.

Does your future fiancé have a favorite color? I ask because I get the most compliments on my fancy colored sapphires (not blue) and she may find pink, orange, or purple a fun unique ring.

I think I want to stick with a traditional blue sapphire, but thanks for the links. I will check them out.

Digdeep, wow you are right those photos are pretty terrible. But, you can't have everything and I'd rather work with an honest/ethical vendor than a questionable one with an easy-to-use website. Will look into it further.

 

[mtsapphirelovingannie]

Blaze has a facebook page that has a few clearer pictures: https://www.facebook.com/blazengemshome

Also this store might give you some ideas if a yogo might be to your liking: http://gemgallery.com/ I'm not sure if it is the blue you are looking for. They sell loose stones too. I've bought a finished ring from the store but haven't purchased any loose stones from them.

 

[CirrusClouds]

I've seen some nice Montana Sapphires on this site:

http://www.earthstreasury.com/

 

[minousbijoux]

I've seen some nice Montana Sapphires on this site:

http://www.earthstreasury.com/

Hi CirrusClouds: to avoid having you sanctioned, you should know that as a Trade member, you are not allowed to recommend other trade members. If you have the Trade Member designation in error, contact a moderator.

 

[deskjockey]

Considering her views on budget and ethical sourcing, I'd agree with the recommendations on a montana sapphire, though keep in mind that the really pure, rich velvety blue color is rare in montanas, they tend to be greyer and often have green modifiers (though they come in lovely yellows as well!)

I got mine from Mountain Momma Gemson etsy, it's a 6.5 MM 1.6 carat stone. We set it in a setting we got out of a clearance case, total price under $2K (like your lady, I find the cost of engagement rings completely ridiculous and it makes me uncomfortable!) Without accent diamonds you could probably get something of much nicer quality than I did for that kind of price if you look carefully.

Here's mine, just for reference (I was specifically looking for something teal-ish and silvery):



Here's the photo I bought it from:


In the vendor photos I was worried about a window, it looked like it had a heart shaped one, but in hand it does not have a window at all, only the "tilt" windows. Also, just fyi, these sapphires can be very shifty. So indoors the color of mine is more of a steel-ocean-blue, the color in the above picture was taken in ideal conditions (overcast, indirect light). So be prepared for that, it's not for everyone (personally I LOVE it but some people don't).

If you're interested in this type of sapphire, besides the sites already mentioned I've seen some interesting ones at gemartservices.com, mastercutgems.com (you may have to look under "guest cutters" and "most recent cut" to find them), and Alternatives Lapidary on etsy.com

 

[chrono]

Blue Montana sapphire
http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=10404

More blue Montanas here.
http://www.gemfix.com/sapphire_montana.html

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I've been in touch with Blaze recently, and this is one I've personally considered. The color is unbelievable, but it's not without issue; however, he said it could turn out nicely. I'd have to send it to a cutter for inspection (and their "okay") first, but for the price I thought I'd throw it out there.

http://blazengems.com/retail/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83_36&products_id=1344

 

[deskjockey]

Ooh. I would love to see a before/after on that

I really like this one too:

http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=7922

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Ooh. I would love to see a before/after on that

I really like this one too:
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=7922

Me too, deskjockey! I've eyed that one for awhile. Gorgeous.

 

[chrono]

Only downside is that the 2 ct sapphire faces up like a 1 ct sapphire. Can't deny the gorgeous facet pattern though.

 

[minousbijoux]

I've been in touch with Blaze recently, and this is one I've personally considered. The color is unbelievable, but it's not without issue; however, he said it could turn out nicely. I'd have to send it to a cutter for inspection (and their "okay") first, but for the price I thought I'd throw it out there.

http://blazengems.com/retail/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83_36&products_id=1344

Wow, that looks like it would make one gorgeous cut stone. I wonder if there is anything unique about cutting Montanas - say whether they tend to cut darker or lighter than the rough might indicate?

 

[digdeep]

I think Jerry Newman cut a large green asscher (5+ cts) for Blaze a while back (someone correct me if I'm wrong--I'm sure Jerry knows what he cut!)............that's where I'd send it and see what he has to say......... seems to have potential IMO. And would be ethical from start to finish!!

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I think Jerry Newman cut a large green asscher (5+ cts) for Blaze a while back (someone correct me if I'm wrong--I'm sure Jerry knows what he cut!)............that's where I'd send it and see what he has to say......... seems to have potential IMO. And would be ethical from start to finish!!

Jerry does cut some stuff for Blaze - they're very familiar with each other. Jerry also cut a pretty big asscher for a fellow PS'er (sorry, cannot remember their name), and that's been my inspiration ever since. He actually has the faceted stone on his website.

I did talk about the above rough with Jerry and he said he'd love to get his hands on it.

 

[minousbijoux]

I guess Blaze himself could answer the question as to whether Montanas cut darker, lighter or the same. I'm always surprised at how different so many cut stones look from their rough.

 

[SapphireHunter]

Thanks for the links everybody. I am starting to come around on the lighter denim/green coloration of the Montana gems. The Yogos are definitely really nice also and are a lot closer to what I had in mind originally for color. So much to learn about/consider.

 

[treasurehunter]

I know the person who supplies Brilliant Earths Sapphires, they are ethically sourced with the origin being certified as being mined in Sri Lanka...not bought in sri lanka which could mean it comes from africa...

 

[Siameseroo]

Considering her views on budget and ethical sourcing, I'd agree with the recommendations on a montana sapphire, though keep in mind that the really pure, rich velvety blue color is rare in montanas, they tend to be greyer and often have green modifiers (though they come in lovely yellows as well!)

I got mine from Mountain Momma Gemson etsy, it's a 6.5 MM 1.6 carat stone. We set it in a setting we got out of a clearance case, total price under $2K (like your lady, I find the cost of engagement rings completely ridiculous and it makes me uncomfortable!) Without accent diamonds you could probably get something of much nicer quality than I did for that kind of price if you look carefully.

Here's mine, just for reference (I was specifically looking for something teal-ish and silvery):



Here's the photo I bought it from:


In the vendor photos I was worried about a window, it looked like it had a heart shaped one, but in hand it does not have a window at all, only the "tilt" windows. Also, just fyi, these sapphires can be very shifty. So indoors the color of mine is more of a steel-ocean-blue, the color in the above picture was taken in ideal conditions (overcast, indirect light). So be prepared for that, it's not for everyone (personally I LOVE it but some people don't).

If you're interested in this type of sapphire, besides the sites already mentioned I've seen some interesting ones at gemartservices.com, mastercutgems.com (you may have to look under "guest cutters" and "most recent cut" to find them), and Alternatives Lapidary on etsy.com

Deskjockey I LOVE your sapphire and ring! It's gorgeous!

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Since we're talking about Montana's and blue, thought I'd throw this one out there:

2.44 carats
9 x 7 x 4.3 mm
VVS
Heat only
$915 (leaves you with plenty for a nice setting)
http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=10216

 

[chrono]

Since we're talking about Montana's and blue, thought I'd throw this one out there:
2.44 carats
9 x 7 x 4.3 mm
VVS
Heat only
$915 (leaves you with plenty for a nice setting)
http://www.litnon.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=10216

I prefer the Litnon round over this rectangular cushion because this one looks too silky and the cutting isn't as nice.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I prefer the Litnon round over this rectangular cushion because this one looks too silky and the cutting isn't as nice.

Totally fair. Just thought I'd mention it, is all. I never thought of this one as silky, but I suppose it is.

 

[T L]

I know the person who supplies Brilliant Earths Sapphires, they are ethically sourced with the origin being certified as being mined in Sri Lanka...not bought in sri lanka which could mean it comes from africa...

Who or what party is doing the "certification?" That word, "certificate," is thrown around a lot in the world of gems, to mean something is official and true, but that isn't always the case.

 

[ephsea]

The rough stone from Blaze pictured above has a WOW color, but he has it listed as SI in clarity. In my experience buying rough from Blaze, the SI stones usually have *major* issues. The last SI rough I got had 3 or 4 cracks in it and would have cut several small, .5ct gems. It's *easy* to lose all your money trying to buy/cut rough, there is absolutely no guarantee you will get a stone you like, or any stone at all. Out of my last 4 pieces of rough, one ended up smaller than expected but lovely, one came out so silky that it's valueless, one came out great, and another so silky I had it heated and it cracked up badly. All these were from Blaze, and sent to Jerry Newman for cutting. Jerry didn't see any problems with any of these stones before cutting, so...caveat emptor. That's only 50% of my rough that came back clean, and all of these were from rough rated VS-VVS not SI. With SI, your odds go way down. Remember you will have to pay your cutter whether you like the outcome or not.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

The rough stone from Blaze pictured above has a WOW color, but he has it listed as SI in clarity. In my experience buying rough from Blaze, the SI stones usually have *major* issues. The last SI rough I got had 3 or 4 cracks in it and would have cut several small, .5ct gems. It's *easy* to lose all your money trying to buy/cut rough, there is absolutely no guarantee you will get a stone you like, or any stone at all. Out of my last 4 pieces of rough, one ended up smaller than expected but lovely, one came out so silky that it's valueless, one came out great, and another so silky I had it heated and it cracked up badly. All these were from Blaze, and sent to Jerry Newman for cutting. Jerry didn't see any problems with any of these stones before cutting, so...caveat emptor. That's only 50% of my rough that came back clean, and all of these were from rough rated VS-VVS not SI. With SI, your odds go way down. Remember you will have to pay your cutter whether you like the outcome or not.

It is graded as SI; however, I wouldn't proceed with cutting any rough, especially this one, without an "okay" from my cutter (depending upon what you're trying to achieve). Blaze said he graded it that way mainly because of all the issues on the top. He's unsure of how far down they reach, but a cutter would be able to give you a better idea. For the color and the price, it may be worth it to someone to take that risk. But you're right to proceed with caution when cutting any rough.

 

[minousbijoux]

The rough stone from Blaze pictured above has a WOW color, but he has it listed as SI in clarity. In my experience buying rough from Blaze, the SI stones usually have *major* issues. The last SI rough I got had 3 or 4 cracks in it and would have cut several small, .5ct gems. It's *easy* to lose all your money trying to buy/cut rough, there is absolutely no guarantee you will get a stone you like, or any stone at all. Out of my last 4 pieces of rough, one ended up smaller than expected but lovely, one came out so silky that it's valueless, one came out great, and another so silky I had it heated and it cracked up badly. All these were from Blaze, and sent to Jerry Newman for cutting. Jerry didn't see any problems with any of these stones before cutting, so...caveat emptor. That's only 50% of my rough that came back clean, and all of these were from rough rated VS-VVS not SI. With SI, your odds go way down. Remember you will have to pay your cutter whether you like the outcome or not.

Thank you, ephsea! This is the kind of information garnered from experience that will help so many newcomers who post on here that they've decided they can save money if, having never bought a colored stone before, they buy rough and have someone cut it on their behalf. Interesting odds there - not nearly as high as some of us would like. I have a few pieces of rough and it sounds like I shouldn't be holding my breath!