2ct Blue Sapphire

[Justin_Cutter]

The differences in Saturation from your pictures to the vendors pictures is astonishing.

Sorry lin_ny, keep your chin up!

~Justin

 

[chrono]

Urgh...I feel horribly to have even suggested Gemfix based on at least two recent posters' experience. Until their photography and description gets more accurate, I will only recommend them (or perhaps not at all) with the caveat that what is seen on your monitor is 2 shades lighter and less saturated compared to the stone in person.

Lin,
It is no consolation but I am glad that Gemfix finally sees reason to post hand shots at long last. The only sad thing is that potential buyers have been greatly disappointed and likely to be turned off for good, not to mention other lurkers who have been following your quest.

 

[lin_ny]

Urgh...I feel horribly to have even suggested Gemfix based on at least two recent posters' experience. Until their photography and description gets more accurate, I will only recommend them (or perhaps not at all) with the caveat that what is seen on your monitor is 2 shades lighter and less saturated compared to the stone in person.

Lin,
It is no consolation but I am glad that Gemfix finally sees reason to post hand shots at long last. The only sad thing is that potential buyers have been greatly disappointed and likely to be turned off for good, not to mention other lurkers who have been following your quest.

The whole experience was a bit frustrating. I feel like I have a short memory because I've already fallen in love with another sapphire on their site. What is wrong with me? I've officially caught the bug...

I was actually wanting to ask your opinion on something... could you e-mail me?

 

[chrono]

Got it. Please erase your email ASAP!

 

[minousbijoux]

Hey Bugs, nice job with the photoshopping - extrapolating the colors that way is extremely helpful

 

[emcee]

The whole experience was a bit frustrating. I feel like I have a short memory because I've already fallen in love with another sapphire on their site. What is wrong with me? I've officially caught the bug...

Any updates on this second GemFix sappire, lin_ny? I have my fingers crossed for you!

 

[lin_ny]

The whole experience was a bit frustrating. I feel like I have a short memory because I've already fallen in love with another sapphire on their site. What is wrong with me? I've officially caught the bug...

Any updates on this second GemFix sappire, lin_ny? I have my fingers crossed for you!

It is actually a champagne cushion on their 'newest gems' page. Sometimes I see something other than blue and I'm intrigued - then I come to my senses (after some good advice) and realize blue is and ALWAYS will be the right colour for me!!!

I have to stop online window shopping though, because I'm definitely not gonna order anything else. My boyfriend really wants to do the entire thing himself. He'll source a stone through a local gemologist friend that we have... which I hope doesn't take too long. Seems as though the search will be long and daunting. hahah.

 

[emcee]

A champagne stone sounds gorgeous! I know what you mean about sticking with the classic blue though. Is your boyfriend going to pick the setting too or will he let you take care of that part? It's going to be so hard to just wait!

 

[chrono]

You have nerves of steel and a ton of trust to allow him 100% control of your forever ring. DH knows me too well and had me go pick my own ring.

 

[lin_ny]

A champagne stone sounds gorgeous! I know what you mean about sticking with the classic blue though. Is your boyfriend going to pick the setting too or will he let you take care of that part? It's going to be so hard to just wait!

It does indeed appear gorgeous. I think it would look gorgeous haloed.... incredibly unique but the colour has to be just right! I spoke with Chrono about it too, and she mentioned that light coloured stones can tend to disappear against fair skin... and I have very porcelain skin. I really do want the contrast. And although I like that it's a bit more neutral than a royal blue stone, I can't just tell the bf "hey, I want a champagne coloured stone." It would be 10,000 times harder for him to find a cushion cut 2-3 ct. champagne stone and that colour is so unpredictable. Could be too brown, could be too yellow, etc. Blue is so straight forward. I think he feels so much more comfortable picking a blue stone, as well. There's a lot of factors that went into me deciding against impulsively buying that stone.

All that said, I'm still completely in love with blue.

And as far as the setting goes, he wants to really do everything himself. He knows that I want a low-profile, as-delicate-as-possible halo. Problem is, I don't know what I want detail-wise. I don't know if I want diamonds on the stems or how I'd like the gallery designed. I don't know the differences between all the different types of pave or which one I should have. I guess I just have to trust that he'll go to a jeweller that will help him every step of the way, ensuring the setting is designed to showcase the stone as best it possibly can.

You have nerves of steel and a ton of trust to allow him 100% control of your forever ring. DH knows me too well and had me go pick my own ring.

If he'd let me, I'd be all up in there!!!

We're gonna go this weekend to visit the gemologist friend and talk to him a bit about what I'd like. If I'm lucky, he'll let me bring in a few stones to look at.

Okay, I can't lie. The more we talk about it, the more I get nervous about the details. ESPECIALLY the details of the setting... not knowing how the stone will be set will probably kill me. I completely trust him to pick out a stone, because I trust the gemologist we're gonna deal with and I trust that he knows exactly what I want stone-wise. I'm sure he's tired of me showing him stuff all the time online... he keeps telling me "I know what you want." but I'm not sure he's aware of all the decisions he'll have to make. I'm too controlling. I need to relax.

 

[emcee]

Not to worry, I'm sure he'll do a great job with the stone and setting. As hard as it seems, it may help for you to stop looking around too much though, since the more you look the more you'll hope he can read your mind and get exactly what you are thinking of or what you have been finding online.

Haha, for a while I left the entire ring design process to my bf and just hoped and prayed that he would get it right (he wanted no hints, no pictures, absolutely no help). So I went stir crazy and PS crazy, looking up all the halo settings and sapphires that I could find and constantly refining the details of the perfect ring in my head. That just made it harder and harder for him to ever guess what I would have wanted! Sometimes I wish I just didn't think about it so much and just left the process to him, since I know I would have been ecstatic with whatever he proposed with.

But then, eventually he did give in and now he's just letting me pick whatever I want (with some input from him, of course). It's been a lot of work and it's a bit unconventional, but I've loved the process of choosing my own ring! So either way, I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever your bf chooses for you, but if he does give in one day and let you help, you can welcome that option too.

Btw, if you are leaving the setting to him, maybe you could point him in the direction of some highly trusted PS vendors for micropave halo settings (if I remember correctly, that's what you wanted, right?). That way, you know you can trust the designer's expertise and you know they will make something gorgeous no matter what. Some kickass designers (in case you don't already know) that specialize in this type of setting are Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, Leon Mege, and ERD.

 

[chrono]

Marriage is a combination of two people coming together and that's what the e-ring symbolizes in addition to the promise to marry. That's why I believe that both are partners in this and should be equally involved. He wouldn't buy your wedding bands without your input or try to surprise you with it, right?

In terms of setting, he really can't go wrong if the right designer is chosen. For really fine halo and pave work, I would trust Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, and a few select others to do a great job not only in execution but also the design.

 

[lin_ny]

O.M.G.

Can you imagine if he got Victor Canera, Leon Mege or Steven Kirsch to set my sapphire?

I can't help but feel those guys are totally out of the budget though. I thought I read somewhere that their settings can cost upwards of 4-5K? 4k is probably the entire ring budget...

Maybe we can find an equally amazing jeweller to hand-forge my ring where I live for a fraction of the price?? Possible, right?

 

[lin_ny]

Marriage is a combination of two people coming together and that's what the e-ring symbolizes in addition to the promise to marry. That's why I believe that both are partners in this and should be equally involved. He wouldn't buy your wedding bands without your input or try to surprise you with it, right?

In terms of setting, he really can't go wrong if the right designer is chosen. For really fine halo and pave work, I would trust Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, and a few select others to do a great job not only in execution but also the design.

AMEN SISTA!!!

 

[lin_ny]

Not to worry, I'm sure he'll do a great job with the stone and setting. As hard as it seems, it may help for you to stop looking around too much though, since the more you look the more you'll hope he can read your mind and get exactly what you are thinking of or what you have been finding online.

Haha, for a while I left the entire ring design process to my bf and just hoped and prayed that he would get it right (he wanted no hints, no pictures, absolutely no help). So I went stir crazy and PS crazy, looking up all the halo settings and sapphires that I could find and constantly refining the details of the perfect ring in my head. That just made it harder and harder for him to ever guess what I would have wanted! Sometimes I wish I just didn't think about it so much and just left the process to him, since I know I would have been ecstatic with whatever he proposed with.

But then, eventually he did give in and now he's just letting me pick whatever I want (with some input from him, of course). It's been a lot of work and it's a bit unconventional, but I've loved the process of choosing my own ring! So either way, I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever your bf chooses for you, but if he does give in one day and let you help, you can welcome that option too.

Btw, if you are leaving the setting to him, maybe you could point him in the direction of some highly trusted PS vendors for micropave halo settings (if I remember correctly, that's what you wanted, right?). That way, you know you can trust the designer's expertise and you know they will make something gorgeous no matter what. Some kickass designers (in case you don't already know) that specialize in this type of setting are Victor Canera, Steven Kirsch, Leon Mege, and ERD.

Who will set your sapphire??

 

[emcee]

O.M.G.

Can you imagine if he got Victor Canera, Leon Mege or Steven Kirsch to set my sapphire?

I can't help but feel those guys are totally out of the budget though. I thought I read somewhere that their settings can cost upwards of 4-5K? 4k is probably the entire ring budget...

Maybe we can find an equally amazing jeweller to hand-forge my ring where I live for a fraction of the price?? Possible, right?

Hmm, yeah their settings are definitely in that price range, especially for a full pave ring. I'm looking to get a halo but with a plain band (I prefer the look of a plain band halo next to a full pave wedding band) and coincidentally, that makes it cheaper too!

I've gotten quotes from all three of those guys above (along with a few others, like ERD and Brian Gavin). Whichever designer we end up choosing will depend on how much we need to spend to get the perfect sapphire! There's about a $1k difference between ERD/BG and VC/SK, with LM being somewhere in the middle. Gah, choices!

In terms of going with local jeweler/designer, you have to be a bit careful that they know their pave and can do it well. They can be outstanding jeweler but if they don't specialize in pave, it can lead to all kinds of issues like a clunkier ring with lots of metal showing, stones constantly falling out, etc.

 

[lin_ny]

It appears as though we are the same person.

I have toyed with the idea of doing a plain shank as well... the fact that it would be so much cheaper is definitely intriguing! Ideally if the stone size + the halo gave me good finger coverage, I wouldn't really need diamonds down the band, because they'd barely be seen. If my boyfriend can save on the setting and spend more on the stone, that would be great!!

Lil Misfits tourmaline: DROOOOOOLLLLL!!! I don't think I'd get a bezel but this is the kinda POW I want with my ring


You like the look of the plain shank with a pave wedding band? I suppose that would be nice! I've searched pricescope for examples of this combo but I'm curious to see your favourite settings/inspirations.

 

[emcee]

That is crazy! I actually contacted Lesley from BG about that exact ring and I also specifically asked about getting it with claw prongs instead of bezel set. She was happy with that and said they actually recommend against bezel setting for gemstones (i.e. anything other than diamonds) since they're not as strong and can get damaged in the process.

I was actually surprised that there wasn't too much of a price difference in going for a plain band halo. At some places (including some that were in the $4000 range), there was maybe only a $300 difference after removing the pave from the band, struts (bars holding up the halo), and donut (small circle at base of halo). I think one designer had a $1500 difference when going for pave only on the halo, but most of them weren't priced much cheaper, which I thought was strange. But for the most part, all the PS vendors I contacted quoted between $3-4k for a plain band halo.

I definitely like the look of a plain band halo along with a pave wedding band! I'm not a fan of the matchy matchy look, so I don't really like it when the band of the e-ring looks exactly like the w-band. I figure that if I had a super thin full pave e-ring band, and if that is worn next to a matching pave w-band, that just defeats the purpose of keeping it thin, since it just makes the e-ring band appear twice as thick when they're next to each other. And I find that it looks odd since this now-twice-as-think band won't be centered on the halo either. That's just my preference though!

My bf made it clear that he's not a fan of this look...he prefers it to be matchy matchy Hah and he also prefers super-blingy rings (he was a-ok going with getting that huge 3ct oval sapphire I posted and still getting a halo around it) so he thinks that the more diamonds on the ring, the better. Lucky me!

As for any of my favourite inspiration styles...I don't know why but I can't seem to find any right now! I should really organize my bookmarked pages, but I have dozens and dozens of PS threads saved on my browser, haha.

I really like Gypsy's and dreamingoftacori's sets here: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/anyone-out-there-have-a-halo-solitaire-with-a-plain-shank-and-a-diamond-shank-wedding-band-round.144390/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/anyone-out-there-have-a-halo-solitaire-with-a-plain-shank-and-a-diamond-shank-wedding-band-round.144390/[/URL]

I also looove wenwen's halo (it's the Guinevere from Whiteflash). Before I decided to go with a sapphire, this was my #1 top pick for my e-ring. I wouldn't go with the double w-band look though. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-1-8mm-eternity-bands-to-go-with-e-ring-finally-here.150556/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-1-8mm-eternity-bands-to-go-with-e-ring-finally-here.150556/[/URL]

And here's a gooorgeous set that I came across earlier today. It's an eternity band with a solitaire e-ring, so it's not a halo but I think it still shows the non-matchy look well. [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/60-points-to-85-points-thats-better.179304/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/60-points-to-85-points-thats-better.179304/[/URL]

 

[chrono]

Although you two are getting sapphires, I also recommend prong set over bezels as sometimes you cannot see the damage done during setting underneath all tha metal. I'm don't think there's much price difference in going with a plain band halo either, especially if you do it only halfway down (where nobody can see the underside anyway plus no stones on the lower half means no damage to the melees too).

It's been at least 1 year since I went with Whiteflash but do ask them for quotes. I have found them to be consistently less expensive than BGD when requesting quotations from jewellers.

 

[emcee]

Yeah, Whiteflash was indeed the most affordable. But (and this is a big "but") they no will no longer set gemstones provided by the customer. They will only set gemstones that they source for you themselves. At first, I got them to try and source a sapphire for me, but it simply isn't their specialty and I would have to pay shipping charges for them to bring any stones from their supplier into their studio to photograph for me. So despite their low cost, I just didn't feel comfortable going with them. Too bad!

 

[lin_ny]

I thought it might save a lot on the setting... apparently not! Alright, now I guess I have to decide what look I like better... this is gonna be tough.

The more I think 3-4k the more I think I'm not going to be able to have a halo... I wanted a sapphire for a lot of reasons, but a big reason was that I'd be able to save my boyfriend a lot of money... it's seeming like it's still going to be very expensive. Guess I'll be waiting a while longer.

LOVE wenwen's set you posted there, emcee! I actually love that look of 2 bands with a plain shank. Gorgeous. I wouldn't wear both initially (because I value what the wedding band represents) but I'd throw one on as a first year anniversary present!!

 

[lin_ny]

Okay... so the boyfriend and I did some 'shopping' today. We wanted to get a feel of the gemstone market in our city. It's kinda sad, to be honest. I guess we don't really know where to start.

So we started with a friend who is a gemologist. Basically he said that top sapphires are hard to find, especially cushions. He also said he'll almost never be able to beat any online prices... so I think we might have to go back to online shopping (which is disappointing). He gave us the name of one supplier in the city he used to use and we checked them out. They didn't have anything but they did give us the name of a guy we'll contact next week to see what he could bring in for us.

We did stop in at another gem/hobby store... the 'gem' guy wasn't in today, but she took down our info and called him. He said he could get some specs on a few gems and get back to us next week. We did find this stone there however, and HOLY CRAP I was really impressed by the colour. Basically EXACTLY what I'm looking for... just not big enough.

It's 1.43 ct and from Cambodia. $1350.

 

[chrono]

Lovely; throw in a halo and it'll be big enough. I take it the stone is heated?

Bummer about WF and I understand your concerns 100%. Since I source my own stones, I guess WF will not be setting any of mine hence forth. It's too bad because I've had such a great experience with them, setting at least 5 stones with them.

 

[lin_ny]

Lovely; throw in a halo and it'll be big enough. I take it the stone is heated?

Bummer about WF and I understand your concerns 100%. Since I source my own stones, I guess WF will not be setting any of mine hence forth. It's too bad because I've had such a great experience with them, setting at least 5 stones with them.

You like??? You're normally so hard to please! haha

Any thoughts on the Cambodian origin? Since the gemstone guy wasn't there, I wasn't able to see the 'certificate'. What do you think about the price? The colour consistency/extinction? I should have taken a video. Maybe next time. Cut seemed really nice actually... I was surprised! We didn't actually ask if it was heated (I'm almost positive it is), but the only think that made me nervous was the potential for other kinds of treatment. I'll definitely ask him when he calls me next week though.

I really wanted to see it in the sun but it was the most overcast, dreary day today. This was taken under some kind of crappy fluorescent lighting, and it still looked beautiful.

I'm really excited. After we got the 'sapphires are impossible to find' talk, I got a bit down on what road we were potentially headed down. But after I saw this stone, I was beaming. So pretty.

 

[chrono]

I'm not fussed on origin but it does make me question it more on possible treatment. Would definitely prefer to view a video because it captures characteristics often often not spotted in still pictures.

 

[colorluvr]

If you end up shopping online and like the color of the one from the store, check out sapphires from Madagascar - they are often that color of intense blue.

 

[lin_ny]

I'm not fussed on origin but it does make me question it more on possible treatment. Would definitely prefer to view a video because it captures characteristics often often not spotted in still pictures.

That was my main concern.

If I go back soon and see this stone again I'll certainly get a video (and for future stones, too).

If you end up shopping online and like the color of the one from the store, check out sapphires from Madagascar - they are often that color of intense blue.

Thanks for the tip!!

 

[Travelngal]

Have you looked at Richard Homer stones? I haven't seen an ugly one on his website. Concavegems.com

If you don't like concave cuts he will cut you a stone. I had him cut a rare seafoam blue peridot for me. Gorgeous, museum piece.

 

[Justin_Cutter]

That is a nice looking stone Can't wait for the video!

~Justin

 

[Travelngal]

Look at this one: http://concavegems.com/detail.cfm?zNum=6786