Anyone know more about white sapphires?

[3Richmond]

I''m looking for a white sapphire pear (7x5mm) for a custom necklace in white gold and melee diamonds. I have been communicating with several vendors and the information they provide are minimal and not consistent from one site to the next.

I have a couple of questions which I hope someone can answer or clarify for me.

1) One site I found used diamond colour grades to describe the white sapphires. As the diamonds in the necklace are H / I, I want to make sure the sapphire is white. I''ve seen them described as greyish white which doesn''t sound appealing.

2) What does the A, AA, AAA grading system? What''s the difference in clarity, colour and finish? Any online resources I can read up on this?

3) What''s the difference between a pear that is machine cut versus cut by hand. From the pictures I''ve seen, the hand cut stones seem to be more facetted and looks nicer (from the picture anyways).

4) Lastly, is there anything else I should be asking about these stones before purchasing one.

Thanks for your help!

3Richmond

 

[valeria101]

These questions tel me that you have been looking at the wrong source... The A-AAA grading systems is something at each seller's mercy. White sapphires are 'gray' when they are low quality, 'machine cut'! no idea what this means (there is some common precision cuting done on 'index-type machines...) since it has become some generic term for mass-produced, standardized cuts. This kind of info does not seem to come from a great source. Take a look at awesomegems.com. As for diamond color grades being used for white sapphire: this is quite comon sinceit is assumed that white sapphires are purchased as diamond substitutes. I guess you cna take such grades with a grain of salt and only interprete them in ranges of diamond grades such as white (D-F), near-white etc. and not really count on individual grades being sacred truth. Iam quite unsure wether this color grading is done using the same color masters and grading conditions as it is done on diamonds...
Another source could be simplysapphires.com but they do not keep such a large inventory. This, however, is a common problem, you will not find huge lists of non-diamond gems like diamond lists are. Hope you find what you are looking for. If not, we'll see. But also contact awesomegems because they might find what you want. also, Gemhut used to have white sapphires...

 

[3Richmond]

Valeria,

Thanks for your response.

I've been in contact with both simplysapphires and awesomegems. Simply sapphires have two pears that I'm interested in but the owner cannot tell me much about the colour. And in regards to the cut, he tells me it's hand cut versus machine. Is that good or bad?

As for awesomegems, he told me he doesn't carry pairs and didn't offer to help me find them

Also, is purchasing a calibrated gem a good or bad thing?
From what I can tell a 7x5mm sapphire should be around .75 ct
The ones from simply sapphires are 7x5mm but weight .98 ct - is this good or bad?

 

[3Richmond]

Handcut white sapphires

 

[3Richmond]

These are white sapphires graded AA.

 

[valeria101]

----------------
On 10/9/2003 3:09:54 PM 3Richmond wrote:

These are white sapphires graded AA.----------------

So, it seems that in the view of this seller (thaigem.com?, by chance?) AA grade allows for large dark inclusions, strong color zoning and a flat cut?

 

[valeria101]

'Hand cut' does mean less precision, but this is not necesarily a kiss of death in the land of colored gems, where, strangely enough, white sapphires still belong. Since white sapphires are used as diamond subtitute sometimes, sellers are tempted to award them diamond color grades. I amnot aware if a lab would. However, unless the stoe sells their stones specifically as diamond substitutes, most likely they are not going to bother to specify such grades. Given the relatively low value of the small stones, it is a good sign already that the sellers says anything about their cut. In conclusion, unless you either go for a large piece or find some seller specifically sells white sapphire as diamond decoy, geting grades is unlikely. And, is it all that useful? These two stones do not have a blatant tinge (as white sapphires could have, either towards yellow or blue, or pink or whatever). Simplisaphires has never attributed diamond color grades to their white sapphires in the two years of so I've known their e-store. However, if asked, they could tel you wether, say, these sapphires could be a good color match to an I or D color diamond. In the somewhat distant past, awesomegems has been quite curteous with me, but, it could be that their attention to customers varies with the cost of the deal. I did not buy from them ultimately, because I gave up on that project, not because of their behaviour.

 

[valeria101]

True enough,I do not see small, white sapphire pears all day (not that I am particularly interested in them, but still). So, unless you fall on another good one in the next few days, go for them! Simplisapphires is not a bad place at all.

 

[3Richmond]

Valeria,

Thanks for your insight. You've been very helpful.

They are surprisingly hard to come by. My goldsmith I'm working with could only get his hands on one white sapphire pear and it has a blue tinge to it.

I'll let you know how things go.

 

[valeria101]

On the contrary, I am ASHAMED of myself:

Look here: http://creativegem.com/gem_deals/includes/shopdisplayproducts.asp?header=gemstone

I don't look for calibrated goods often, so it took another post (about peridot trills) to remind me of these guys...