Blue sapphire question

[Rad_Fan]

Talking about color shifting, look at the various hues of author Barbara Taylor Bradford's sapphire.

 

[T L]

I’m sorry, but BTF’s sapphire is very ordinary and highly windowed. Even famous people have meh gems.

 

[arkieb1]

Yes because most vendors take photos and videos of sapphires at their very best, and many these days use photoshop enhancement (I don't with mine) but people do and filters on things like Instagram (I know several vendors that do that) which bumps up the saturation of the colour.

Sapphires shift. A sapphire under a light box will look great, most decent sapphires will look great outside in sunlight or next to sunlight and in strong indoor or what I call shop lighting. The test is a sapphire that still looks O.K in low lighting like inside on a cloudy day or indoors in low lighting at night.

I have a range of sapphires some look great all of the time, some show what I consider outstanding colours most of the time, and a small number (like the really really dark ones) flash something special in high or strong lighting.

There are many many sapphires that don't look that good in any lighting and many that in vendor photos look great, that in reality don't match their photos, I've sent things back including sapphires to vendors recommended on here myself.

I've gotten much better and much more skeptical at "reading" and understanding what I am looking at in vendor photos, as, probably have most of the long time gem collectors here.

 

[Rad_Fan]

Yes because most vendors take photos and videos of sapphires at their very best, and many these days use photoshop enhancement (I don't with mine) but people do and filters on things like Instagram (I know several vendors that do that) which bumps up the saturation of the colour...

Totally agree and I am even afraid to inquire from IG vendors...the skin tone of some of the Asian vendor's hand shots looked ridiculous even to an immature like me, so I assume the hues of their gems were "fake". AND that "DM for prices"... &

I just don't feel comfortable buying from IG when there isn't a "middle man" to "regulate" the transactions. eBay is getting pretty protective of their buyers and if he/she expresses any dissatisfaction, eBay would have sided with buyers. I don't know if IG is involved in such. I guess paying with Paypal/CC is the way to go and am happy to hear successful stories from other PSer's on their IG purchases.

 

[Rad_Fan]

I’m sorry, but BTF’s sapphire is very ordinary and highly windowed. Even famous people have meh gems.

You referred to the area below the table, correct? Does wearing the ring help to hide that window sometimes? It happens to some emerald rings, even without the enclosed galleries, no?

 

[T L]

You referred to the area below the table, correct? Does wearing the ring help to hide that window sometimes? It happens to some emerald rings, even without the enclosed galleries, no?

That’s not a window, but a “garage door!”

I doubt it’s something you can ever conceal.

 

[Rad_Fan]

That’s not a window, but a “garage door!”

I doubt it’s something you can ever conceal.

 

[Rad_Fan]

I just remembered the blue of @OTL's ring

 

[Rad_Fan]

My eyes keep drawing toward those blue scintillations...I think I get the magic of this kind of med. deep blue.

the_grand_mantra_ploy

 

[lmyracle]

I just remembered the blue of @OTL's ring

That's so pretty and makes mine look meh in comparison. Comparison is the thief of joy, right? lol. I love mine though...

 

[T L]

My eyes keep drawing toward those blue scintillations...I think I get the magic of this kind of med. deep blue.

the_grand_mantra_ploy

I love her IG page, but I don’t like that sapphire. Too dark.

 

[T L]

I just remembered the blue of @OTL's ring

OTL has a great eye for gems.

 

[Rad_Fan]

... I love mine though...

That is the most important part of gem buying

 

[Rad_Fan]

I love her IG page, but I don’t like that sapphire. Too dark.

Yes, I followed them because of you.

Just thinking out loud here, I don't like the areas without sparkle. Mine would be much smaller so it better sparkles evenly and throughout the sapphire. On the other hand, that hue of the blue scintillation is pretty close to what I like (think the above PS and Roadshow ones)...Maybe I don't know what I like yet.

 

[T L]

Well some people like dark sapphire. I dislike dark gems, except for Duck neck emeralds, so I’m more drawn to mediums to medium light stones. My ideal sapphire is that Kashmir I posted in this thread, but since I’m a mere mortal, a medium blue sapphire will do, even if it has a bit of grey.

I mean, if I’m going to get an almost black sapphire, I rather have a kyanite.

 

[Rad_Fan]

THIS was recommended on another thread a few days ago, I am not buying and hope that @Behr won't mind me asking here.

Just curious which picture to go with realistically. The gem looks fab. on the flower picture to me but a bit "different" between fingers. So expect it to look like the last 2 pictures?

 

[T L]

THIS was recommended on another thread a few days ago, I am not buying and hope that @Behr won't mind me asking here.

Just curious which picture to go with realistically. The gem looks fab. on the flower picture to me but a bit "different" between fingers. So expect it to look like the last 2 pictures?

I take exception to this commentary on their item description. Heat us assumed, but that can mean diffusion as well. They conveniently left that tidbit of information out. It also only has an appraisal, not a real lab report.

“Treatment: None, other than heat treatment is assumed. Please read this blog to understand why heat treatment should be assumed in all sapphires unless accompanied by certification by the main GIA or GRS labs stating otherwise. https://pristinegemstonejewelry.com...reated-sapphires-by-pristine-gemstone-jewelry”

 

[Rad_Fan]

@T L I know that treatments are important to all gems. I am trying to focus on color. Do appreciate the warning tho .

 

[T L]

Well just in case anyone was considering that dealer, I had to express my concerns.

@T L I know that treatments are important to all gems. I am trying to focus on color. Do appreciate the warning tho .

 

[T L]

As. for the color, I think it’s nice, but calling it “Kashmir blue” is a bit too generous. It’s more of a Ceylon color. I hate when dealers do that, it reminds me of every blue spinel I see being called, “cobalt blue.” :roll

 

[deorwine]

So expect it to look like the last 2 pictures?

Yes. The last two pics are probably in reasonable lighting conditions, the first in a lightbox with light flooding it.

I should append my last comment; I said I would be happy with a sapphire that had good color in at least one kind of lighting. When I said that I meant "some kind of lighting I'm in in a regular basis." So just looking good in a lightbox doesn't count, but looking good in sunlight/shady-sunlight situations does (because I'm in outdoor lighting a fair amount).

@T L , I feel like "Kashmir" has been conscripted to generally mean "royal blue" and "Ceylon" has been conscripted to mean "medium blue, possibly not quite as saturated." (I know, I know. But that's the sense I get from the way I've seen multiple vendors use the terms.)

 

[Rad_Fan]

Yes. The last two pics are probably in reasonable lighting conditions, the first in a lightbox with light flooding it.

I should append my last comment; I said I would be happy with a sapphire that had good color in at least one kind of lighting. When I said that I meant "some kind of lighting I'm in in a regular basis." So just looking good in a lightbox doesn't count, but looking good in sunlight/shady-sunlight situations does (because I'm in outdoor lighting a fair amount).

Thanks. I guess that JBG one above did look good outdoor IMHO but shifted to more violet/grey indoor. Much to learn for sure.

 

[Rad_Fan]

Messing with the blues from her Sapphire Parure Tiara taken with different light sources.

"Medium Light" blue



"Greyish" blue



"Blue" blue

 

[Pinkmartini87]

What do you all think of this blue, just listed on loupe troop: https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...-diamond-halo-18k-rose-gold-and-platinum-size

Fair price?

 

[T L]

What do you all think of this blue, just listed on loupe troop: https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...-diamond-halo-18k-rose-gold-and-platinum-size

Fair price?

That’s a nice color, especially for dark tone. It’s at least saturated.

 

[T L]

Messing with the blues from her Sapphire Parure Tiara taken with different light sources.

"Medium Light" blue



"Greyish" blue



"Blue" blue

They’re very grayish despite the medium tone. Maybe it’s just poorly photographed.

 

[Rad_Fan]

So tempting...did you ask for indoor shots? If you "cannot live without it", you might want to put it on hold (is that possible?) in case of lurkers.

 

[Rad_Fan]

They’re very grayish despite the medium tone. Maybe it’s just poorly photographed.

The 1st picture of hers was the first time I saw those sapphires. I thought they look a bit watered down. Then I saw the 3rd one and thought they were nice, but then colors from 2nd one...

For educational purpose only.

 

[Rad_Fan]

Would you all consider this to be grayish with silk?

WWW

Is this blue a bit darker than OTL's and the Roadshow's?

WWW

Don't know if they were videoed under glam lights but the skin tone of the vendors look somewhat "normal".

 

[T L]

Would you all consider this to be grayish with silk?

WWW

Is this blue a bit darker than OTL's and the Roadshow's?

WWW

Don't know if they were videoed under glam lights but the skin tone of the vendors look somewhat "normal".

I think the top stone is nicely saturated for a dark stone, wish it were a bit lighter though, and it’s not vivid, but it’s a pretty color. I think the bottom stone is a bit too dark, and it’s grayer and darker than OTL’s and the roadshow’s to my eye. I’m not crazy about it, but I like it better than the Diana ring. It still has too many areas of extinction.