Arg! What do you do when you're only 90% on a ring?

[MakingTheGrade]

Sorry, this is a part vent/part request for advice sort of thread.

About 2 years ago I bought a 2+ trillion sapphire which I adored when it arrived. Billed as a nice native cut, heat only, I thought it was as described and my absolute ideal color.

I had a set soon after, and the weirdest thing, I started noticing the stone had a window. I swear for the life of me I didn't think it had a window when loose. And most of the time I don't even notice the window because of table glare or the body color is so wonderfully intense that I don't even care, lol. But 10% of the time, when the lighting is just terrible enough that the color is more muted, I notice this darn window and it makes me crazy! Also, the accent diamonds are very well cut, which I think makes me more critical of the native cut sapphire.

I keep feeling torn about what to do! Sell it to raise funds to buy a precision cut sapphire? Unset it to get it recut? Try to ignore the 10% of the time it irks me? Gah!!

Anyone else ever struggle with what to do with a gem/ring they love 90% but wishing it were 100%?

I attached some pics (because, well, it's PS, that's what we do, lol)

Here it was loose:




And when I first got it set, I was too distracted by the lovely blue it was outdoors to really notice the window:




But as time went on....I noticed, especially in indoor lighting...

 

[endless_summer]

You could always explore your options further. Honestly, it would drive me nuts to have something that I loved and yet sometimes that I wish would be something else. I totally understand how you feel - darker colors hide windows much better than lighter, but once you see it, it's hard to unsee it...If you want to keep that particular stone and you think you have a window (I can't hardly discern from the pics), I would consider exploring recutting the pavilion, if only because it will be the mind-clean solution and give you a brilliantly sparkly stone. Jerry (www.gemartservices.com) does amazing work in this respect, and he'll give you an honest sense of what is and isn't feasible. If a recut seems risky to you or you'd rather a less invasive approach, you could try to close the back on the setting - you're setting is gold, but if you back it in white gold, the metal would probably just help reflect back the blue. You can see if that helps by putting the handle of a spoon or fork behind it before actually altering the setting. If you love the color and you've gotten attached to the stone, I wouldn't sell it unless something drove me so nuts that I just didn't want to wear it at all - I only say that because I know I would probably regret selling anything that I adored at one point in time.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Yeah, I think I'm pretty sure I"ll send it in for eval for a recut.
Haha, this is first time I think I know what setting remorse feels like! I guess there's a teeny tiny chance if the outline doesn't change, I can reset it into the setting but I somehow doubt it. :/ I'll probably have to get another custom made setting after the recut. On the up side, I'd get to brainstorm a new setting! Haha.

 

[periwinklegirl]

Put the stone in a pendant?
I would find it hard to give up that colour! What saturation! Leaves my ceylon in the shade!

 

[minousbijoux]

Well fwiw, it certainly looks like it has good depth to it, so maybe a recut isn't so farfetched a notion. Good luck whatever you do.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Well fwiw, it certainly looks like it has good depth to it, so maybe a recut isn't so farfetched a notion. Good luck whatever you do.

Yeah I feel like it should be a good recut candidate. I guess we'll see! But it might be awhile before I can get to my jewelers to pop it out lol

 

[JewelFreak]

Once you spot something like that, it keeps calling your name & drives you crazy. I know I'd regret selling such a gorgeous sapphire, so let's hope a re-cut is in the cards. Jerry has worked miracles with other stones & yours looks a ton better than some of them did at the start. Let us know, ok?

--- Laurie

 

[chrono]

MTG,
I've not heard of a situation where there is no window when the stone is loose but has a window once it is set. It doesn't make sense to me but you see what you see and I will not dispute that. If it bothers you a lot, I would consult with a lapidary to see what he/she can do.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

MTG,
I've not heard of a situation where there is no window when the stone is loose but has a window once it is set. It doesn't make sense to me but you see what you see and I will not dispute that. If it bothers you a lot, I would consult with a lapidary to see what he/she can do.

Haha, I know, it makes me sounds like a crazy person! But maybe I just didn't notice loose, or maybe it's just a really awkward tilt window, but I can definitely see through the stone sometimes.

 

[jstarfireb]

Hard to say. If the stone were loose, I'd advocate a recut, since I'm a precision-cut freak. But since it's set, I'd keep it in the beautiful custom setting you had made for it and continue loving it 90% of the time, or sell it to someone who wants the whole package, because I think it would be a shame to take that ring apart!

 

[OreoRosies86]

I say recut it and have fun designing a fabulous new hone for it! The color is too gorgeous to give it up.

 

[FrekeChild]

I kind of feel like it's a tilt window? In the loose pics, it looks like it's perfectly flat towards the camera, but the pics where you're demonstrating the windowing, it looks like it's slightly tilted. I'd probably keep it as is.

 

[chrono]

I kind of feel like it's a tilt window? In the loose pics, it looks like it's perfectly flat towards the camera, but the pics where you're demonstrating the windowing, it looks like it's slightly tilted. I'd probably keep it as is.

I was wondering this too.