Dark pink sapphire! Obsessed with color. Cut ok?

[ravengirl]

Thanks to everyone for your help the other week hunting down additional champagne-y sapphires after that Gemfix sapphire I love sold! After working more with Laura, however, we took quite a turn, and have ended up deciding between two pink sapphires. One is a beautiful lilac-pink (and was actually the subject of this post from Nurse 22 last August: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-me-decide-on-this-pink-sapphire.215339/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/help-me-decide-on-this-pink-sapphire.215339/[/URL]). The other is this really unique, dark pink sapphire with some warm undertones. It is GORGEOUS in real life. I've become totally obsessed with the color. I see less of the warmtones in real life (though I don't mind when I do see them!), and usually just see a gorgeous, deep, glowing watermelon reddish pink.





One quick question I wanted to ask you all though -- sometimes I can see this dark X through the stone. You can see it pretty well in the AGL card. Any thoughts on that?

 

[elle_71125]

Would you believe I was actually lusting after this gorgeous (but seriously out of my budget) stone? I love that pinky peach color but the traditional pads all seem to be so light in tone. This baby just has that smack you in the face color.

I wish I could help with the x you see...I'll be interested to see what the more knowledgeable ladies say.

 

[ravengirl]

Elle_71125, agreed! I love how rich the color is. I don't think I've ever seen a color quite like it! And I'm glad it wasn't labeled a pad, or I'm sure it'd be even more outside our price range -- we were hoping to stay around/under $5k for the stone...oops.

 

[jordyonbass]

Wow that's an absolutely beautiful sapphire!!

 

[chrono]

I think the "X-factor" is an artifact of the cut.

 

[ravengirl]

Thanks, Chrono. When you say "artifact" of the cut, is that a bad thing? Is this a problem with the cut such that you would avoid buying a stone with it?

 

[chrono]

Thanks, Chrono. When you say "artifact" of the cut, is that a bad thing? Is this a problem with the cut such that you would avoid buying a stone with it?

I think this is something that will bother me in the long run. It might not for someone else.

 

[ravengirl]

Is this "extinction"?

 

[nojs]

Think about if it will bother you, and if so, for what reasons. I once passed on a diamond based on the recommendations of others regarding its asset, and when I has a change of heart a day later, someone has snatched it up. I have regretted not buying that stone for 3 years now It would have been great value for money, and I haven't been able to find anything similar since. Wanting perfection can get really expensive. But only you will know how you feel about the stone and the cut.

 

[ravengirl]

Think about if it will bother you, and if so, for what reasons. I once passed on a diamond based on the recommendations of others regarding its asset, and when I has a change of heart a day later, someone has snatched it up. I have regretted not buying that stone for 3 years now It would have been great value for money, and I haven't been able to find anything similar since. Wanting perfection can get really expensive. But only you will know how you feel about the stone and the cut.

Thanks nojs, I really appreciate your comment! So far I haven't seen any other stone that has gotten me excited the way this one does. I literally start squealing sometimes looking at it because I find the color so beautiful. I think I would regret it if I let it go and lost it, but I also didn't want to find out down the road that I'd been swindled or something! (Although I've only heard great things about Gemfix and Andrew's cutting, so I would be surprised!)

 

[pregcurious]

It would be very difficult to find that color again. I personally would keep it, but I can forgive imperfect cut for color.

 

[Michael_E]

Is this "extinction"?

No, it's not extinction. It's a double bow-tie. Almost all cushion cuts display some sort of dark cross pattern in some lighting/viewing conditions. The pattern is caused by the angles of the stone causing your head and shoulders to be reflected back at you as a dark "X" pattern. You could sort of look at is as if the sides of the stone were two marquise shapes stuck together, (marquise shapes being notorious for showing bow-tie/head reflection). If you want to see what it would look like without the cross just cut a small hole in a piece of copy paper and look through the hole at the stone. Those dark crosses should almost disappear.

If a stone has enough depth, it can be cut/re-cut with a "Barion" style pavilion. This is closer to the brilliant cut of a round stone and so the angles are easier to manipulate in order to avoid that dark cross when viewed at arms length.

 

[ravengirl]

Is this "extinction"?

No, it's not extinction. It's a double bow-tie. Almost all cushion cuts display some sort of dark cross pattern in some lighting/viewing conditions. The pattern is caused by the angles of the stone causing your head and shoulders to be reflected back at you as a dark "X" pattern. You could sort of look at is as if the sides of the stone were two marquise shapes stuck together, (marquise shapes being notorious for showing bow-tie/head reflection). If you want to see what it would look like without the cross just cut a small hole in a piece of copy paper and look through the hole at the stone. Those dark crosses should almost disappear.

If a stone has enough depth, it can be cut/re-cut with a "Barion" style pavilion. This is closer to the brilliant cut of a round stone and so the angles are easier to manipulate in order to avoid that dark cross when viewed at arms length.

So helpful, thank you Michael_E!

 

[elle_71125]

Is this "extinction"?

No, it's not extinction. It's a double bow-tie. Almost all cushion cuts display some sort of dark cross pattern in some lighting/viewing conditions. The pattern is caused by the angles of the stone causing your head and shoulders to be reflected back at you as a dark "X" pattern. You could sort of look at is as if the sides of the stone were two marquise shapes stuck together, (marquise shapes being notorious for showing bow-tie/head reflection). If you want to see what it would look like without the cross just cut a small hole in a piece of copy paper and look through the hole at the stone. Those dark crosses should almost disappear.

If a stone has enough depth, it can be cut/re-cut with a "Barion" style pavilion. This is closer to the brilliant cut of a round stone and so the angles are easier to manipulate in order to avoid that dark cross when viewed at arms length.

This is why I hang out here...so many knowledgable people.

How much of an issue will the double bow-tie be for you? Do you think it's all you're going to see or can you look past it to that incredible color? I don't think you should spend that kind of money unless your sure it's what you want (but at the same time...that color ).

 

[ravengirl]

elle_71125 -- I suppose that's the question! Right now I don't think it bothers me aesthetically. I was more concerned about it bothering me intellectually (if that makes any sense). I suppose I'll just have to wear it in my little temp setting a lot over the next couple days to make sure!

Years ago I had an oval aquamarine with a bowtie that I wore wear every day, and that didn't bother me. I understood they were common in ovals, and since I knew what I was looking at, it didn't nag at me. But this stone is for my engagement ring (and quite pricey) so you're right -- I definitely want to be sure, if I'm going to be looking at it every day!

 

[Acinom]

What a stunning color. Looks like the color of love It's also a great match with your skintone.
Personally the cross would not bother me in combination with a color this striking. But keep listening to your heart.

 

[woofmama]

I love that sapphire The color is beautiful. Have you asked Andrew about the issue you're seeing? Since he cut the stone perhaps he could tweak it slightly if you commit to keeping it. Personally I would keep it either way, because I doubt you'll find that color again.

 

[ravengirl]

Thanks, everyone! I know I shouldn't care what others think of the color, but I admit it's nice to hear that others think it's beautiful too, and that it's unique. I may have be less inclined to keep it if the consensus was "Oh, you can easily find that color elsewhere." And the fact that I realized I was hoping for this response tells me that I'm really wanting to keep the stone!

I wore it around my apartment last night, and loved it as much as ever -- probably even more after this thread, actually, because now I don't have to wonder about the X and instead can just see it as part of her personality. Though I'll still consider asking my boyfriend to reach out to Andrew and get his opinion about a possible tweak.

Michael_E, hoping you'll see this, as you were so helpful yesterday -- you mentioned that a re-cut with a "Barion" style pavilion might be able to help if the stone has enough depth. The dimensions are 8.58 x 7.64 x 4.59. Do you have any opinion on if this is "enough depth" for something like this? How would a re-cut affect the face-up dimensions?

Another random curiosity: most of my friends that I've shown the stone to refer to it as "red." And I would probably also call it "red" if I didn't know it was being sold as a "pink sapphire." As I learned recently by googling "red sapphires," that's a ruby! I never knew they were the same stone. Anyway, obviously AGL classified this as a sapphire. What is the dividing line between a dark reddish pink sapphire and a ruby? Or do you think this call is based on the "brownish orangy" tones AGL saw? (I have no preference for a "ruby," just curious!)

ETA: The ring I have stacked with it in my pictures has rubies in it -- and again, I'm surprised by how close the coloring is! The new stone is certainly warmer, and the rubies are more blue/purple in tone by comparison, but as far as redness/darkness, they are pretty comparable to my eye. Very interesting...

 

[chrono]

Colour is so incredibly personal. For me, I prefer a cool red over a warm red, so there's no right or wrong choice, only YOUR choice. It's good that you've taken the time to learn how the stone behaves in various environments. My guess is that Andrew did the best with what he had. You are likely to sacrifice quite a bit to remove the X, is my guess.

To my eye in the your photos and Gemfix's, the stone looks very pink to me. Typically, a highly treated ruby is called a "red sapphire" but yes, ruby also belongs to the corundum family. The tone looks much too light to fall into the red category, hence it is a pink sapphire. Since it has a strong orange modifier, it is described as orangish pink. The stackers you have is much redder. The difference is very obvious to me.

 

[ravengirl]

Colour is so incredibly personal. For me, I prefer a cool red over a warm red, so there's no right or wrong choice, only YOUR choice. It's good that you've taken the time to learn how the stone behaves in various environments. My guess is that Andrew did the best with what he had. You are likely to sacrifice quite a bit to remove the X, is my guess.

To my eye in the your photos and Gemfix's, the stone looks very pink to me. Typically, a highly treated ruby is called a "red sapphire" but yes, ruby also belongs to the corundum family. The tone looks much too light to fall into the red category, hence it is a pink sapphire. Since it has a strong orange modifier, it is described as orangish pink.

Thanks, Chrono! Perhaps I've just been looking at light pink sapphires for so long that, by comparison, I'm (inaccurately) seeing this as almost red.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

Personally I find the sapphire quite lovely. The color is beautiful and I prefer cushion cut stones. The X factor would not bother me in this unique stone.

 

[lovedogs]

It sounds like you love it (which is the most important thing!), and as long as the "X" doesn't bother you then I would 100% go for it! I think the color is very unique and beautiful and you are unlikely to find something like it again in the near future. It looks gorgeous on your skin tone as well

I would vote for you to keep it if you love it, especially since you are dealing with a reputable vendor (so you aren't going to be getting a "bad deal"). To me it sounds like you love it and just want to be sure that you are getting something worth the price, which I think you are.

 

[ravengirl]

You're right, I do love it! This thread has been so helpful for gathering information and confirming what I was hoping for. You've all helped give me some peace of mind so I can just enjoy MY stone!

On to the setting!

 

[elle_71125]

im glad you've decided to keep it. The color really is fabulous!

I'm putting in a request for more pictures (maybe a couple outside in the shade). I can't be the only one who would love to see more of this baby.

 

[ravengirl]

im glad you've decided to keep it. The color really is fabulous!

I'm putting in a request for more pictures (maybe a couple outside in the shade). I can't be the only one who would love to see more of this baby.

I won't say no to that!! Here you go! (Pardon my nails...)







I'll try to take some outside in shade soon!

Finally, here's a video from my bathroom this morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCtIt4x0pEQ

*Edited to rotate pictures

 

[ravengirl]

And two from just now, in my office:

 

[woofmama]

Love the additional pics! That's a beautiful color, can't wait to see how you set it.