Choosing between two pairs of sapphires

[alene]

I've been looking for matching lighter blue sapphires for some time and have come across these two pairs. Both are precision-cut and untreated. There's a small size difference. Both are said to be eye-clean but SI clarity. The first pair looks quite a bit more included to me, do you think it is? Also, according to the seller, there's some difference in color, not sure if I can see any in the pictures. The price per carat is the same. Any thoughts on which pair may be better? (These would be for earrings). Thanks!

 

[T L]

I think the ones on the top are more saturated, but not by much. They're pretty close in color, as the vendor stated.

 

[alene]

Thanks TL! Hmm, the vendor says it's the second pair that's more saturated but has a slight greenish secondary color whereas the other pair does not. I feel like I'm color blind looking at these, I realy don't see how one is greener than the other.

 

[T L]

Thanks TL! Hmm, the vendor says it's the second pair that's more saturated but has a slight greenish secondary color whereas the other pair does not. I feel like I'm color blind looking at these, I realy don't see how one is greener than the other.

Hmmmm, typically green is a secondary color that devalues blue sapphire. The top pair might also look more saturated to me because the background grey color is slightly darker, and that helps the appearance.

 

[JewelFreak]

This is one of those cases where seeing them both in person is about the only way to tell. I don't see green in the 2nd pair either, but photos can be deceiving. Either would make nice earrings -- how do you plan to set them? Fun!

--- Laurie

 

[T L]

I do see a little green in the second pair, and to me, it slightly dulls their appearance because it's not a saturated green, but more of a greyish green.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Are these Montana sapphires?

 

[Lovinggems]

The second pair looks cleaner from the photos. I like your earring idea, simple but elegant.

 

[alene]

Thanks everyone! I went ahead and ordered the pair recommended by the seller as the more saturated one. Apparently, it wasn't greenish after all, according to the software he uses (Gemewizard) which he believes is more accurate. Does anyone know anything about Gemewizard by the way? I have no idea how exactly to interpret the results. As for my plans, I want to have them haloed but not sure if I should have permanent halo settings or simple settings and halo jackets. Oh these are from Umba, Tanzania, supposedly pretty typical for the region.

 

[Pandora II]

Gemewizard is great - it's a way to communicate colour when only one person can see the stone. You match it to a colour dot on the computer - there are hundreds of little dots for every colour and then when you select one it gives you a load of dots with different saturations etc.

There used to be a freeby calle GemeSquare Lite that GemeWizard di but they don't have it anymore - am rather devastated as I had a hard-drive failure and lost my copy and couldn't get it back. Waah!

 

[alene]

Thanks Pandora,
So basically, all that Gemwizard information is only useful for someone else who has it?

 

[T L]

Thanks Pandora,
So basically, all that Gemwizard information is only useful for someone else who has it?

I have a few problems with gemewizard.

There are way more variations in nature for saturation than the tool gives. There's probably more hues as well, but I'm a bit more concerned about the saturation. I think some vendors with either poor eyesight, or those looking to give their gems a better rating than they deserve, use this tool to their advantage. Also the fact that it's on a computer means that everyone's monitor will see these hues, saturations and tones differently.

The gemewizard tool is based on a GIA collection of little plastic paddles that represented all these hues, and their various saturations and tones. However, the GIA doesn't sell it anymore, so this computerized tool could be used. I think it has several limitations, and one should not always trust a vendor to correctly provide the correct gemewizard value for a particular gem.

ETA: Gemewizard is also a 2-D tool, and judging a 3-D stone against it also poses some challenges due to trichroism/dichroism, extinction, and having a closed axis. Some stones shift so much in color that their saturation and/or hue change drastically as well. Therefore, some gems should be given more than one set of values on the tool.

 

[alene]

Thanks for the information, TL! Sounds like Gemewizard is not entirely objective, after all. I guess seeing the stones in person is really the only way to know for sure what they look like.

 

[Sparkly_Not_Gaudy]

The top pair is far too dirty IMO. I think you'd be unhappy with them in any setting.

 

[LD]

I prefer the colour of the top pair but the clarity of the second pair. The bottom pair appear to be darker and slightly more green and as you said you were looking for light blue sapphires the top pair fit that description better. If you like the top ones better I would most definitely ask the vendor whether the inclusions are visible at 18 inches away. If yes, I would probably pass on them. It would be helpful to have face on photos of the 2nd pair also to really assess them better.