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First Time Buyer: Pink Sapphire

shadowrunner

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Jun 22, 2016
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Greetings everyone, I am a first-time poster. I have browsed these forums and there seems to be a lot of helpful people so I decided to sign up and ask for some advice. I did read the article on colored gemstone buying.

I am considering buying the ring below with maybe some customized modifications and without the center-stone (I want to buy that separate.) It will be worn by the wearer everyday. I couldn't find anything positive on the forums about the quality of Diamondere's gemstones. If anyone has experience with them I would love to know how your experience was.

http://www.diamondere.com/d/product/837-835-engagement-rings-vintage-bernice/platinum/pink-sapphire/si-diamond

The modification I am possibly considering is enlarging the center-stone so that the prongs are on the tips of the wings rather than slightly inward.

So here are the specifications I am looking for in a gemstone:

Size: 5.0-6.0mm in diameter, may consider bigger
Shape: Round (If you think a different shape would go well with the ring I would love to hear your input)
Budget: ~$1,000
Color: Medium to Hot Pink
Treatment: Prefer untreated, though heat treated is okay as I am primarily concerned with cut quality followed by color

I look forward to hearing people's advice and want to thank you in advance for putting in the time to help me out.
 

deskjockey

Brilliant_Rock
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Can't really speak to the quality, but I think my biggest issue is that you're not seeing the *actual* ring or stone that you're buying, and they use kind of meaningless descriptors of their stones ("AAA" and "AA" quality are frequently used but only vaguely seem to correlate to measures of quality I've learned here... they mostly seem to grade color/clarity but don't seem to address cut at all, from what I gather, and there's no set definition of what those grades actually mean).

I don't know if once you get started they show you actual photographs of the stones, etc, that could certainly help, but from my time here I would absolutely recommend the method of buying the stone first, so you can get something phenomenal, direct from the cutters or dealers other than jewelers (avoiding some of the markup), and then either finding a semi mount or having something made. Is the price of this ring representative of your budget?

I'm not at all an expert and am sure smarter and more experienced will chime in about the quality of the jewelry itself :)
 

chroman

Brilliant_Rock
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Oh, that .96 from gemfix looks nice!

Not the cleanest stone, perhaps, but coming from Gene it will be well cut (and the price is reasonable):
http://www.precisiongem.com/gemstackpage/gems.php?product/page/337/Gem+1737-+Pink+Sapphire

Are you open to Spinel in addition to Sapphire? They can also do pink really well. Anything like these appeal?

Round, more or less in your specs:
http://gemfix.com/gems/spinel-362-round-modified-mixed-cut-80cts

Not round, maybe a little over budget, but does this sort of pink click with you?
http://gemfix.com/gems/spinel-322-barion-rhapsody-style-cushion-1-34cts
 

deskjockey

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chroman

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Heh. For some reason every sapphire I seem to be drawn to in the last week is kind of silky. I feel like I need a disclaimer when I post, "if you're looking for a perfectly clean stone, ignore me!"
 

shadowrunner

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
7
deskjockey|1466600093|4046608 said:
Is the price of this ring representative of your budget?

I'm not at all an expert and am sure smarter and more experienced will chime in about the quality of the jewelry itself :)

The listed budget is what I am willing to pay for the gemstone.

I saw that someone on the forums purchased a ring from Diamondere and got their own stone. Perhaps I should ask them of their opinion, although I'll appreciate the opinion of anyone who knows about it. EDIT: They haven't been online since 2013, so nevermind about that.

deskjockey|1466600093|4046608 said:
Are you open to Spinel in addition to Sapphire? They can also do pink really well. Anything like these appeal?

I haven't considered Spinel, but I am open to it. What's different about Spinel compared to Corundum?

I'm really diggin' the .83ct stone. The .96ct stone is nice as well. I'm liking those two the best of the bunch so far based on the photos. The unheated gem is a bit too dark. The 1.04ct and 1.08ct stones for some reason don't look as appealing to the eyes as the .83ct and .96ct stones. The 0.80ct spinel has a nice color. The other one seems a bit too deep.

I appreciate all of your help. Are there any other places you would recommend that I browse?
 

chroman

Brilliant_Rock
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I'm with you on the gemfix .83 as well, thats a great color.

Spinel is not as hard, but I think people here consider it durable enough for daily wear (though I don't have any). Might be something to think about. Here's a few others to throw into the mix:

Oval, a bit bigger and would need some design thought (maybe set EW?), but in budget and nice color:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/232594702/mahenge-spinel-oval-86-x-66mm?ref=shop_home_active_89

Different pink hue, but closer to your target size and precision cut:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/386900934/085ct-bright-pink-mahenge-spinel?ref=shop_home_active_10

ETA: Prima doesnt post prices, but they often have a good stock of spinel. You might want to email them if something like this appeals:
https://www.primagemsusa.com/content/100-carats-natural-mahenge-spinel
 

minousbijoux

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My advice for you is to look at as many in hand as you can. Some people like silky stones that often have more glow (like Chroman). Others of us don't care for silky, but go for the clear crystal that has sparkle. Its a rare stone that has both, so you may want to determine your preference.
 

lovedogs

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Here are some options from Pearlmans, some are a bit (up to 100) over budget, but I believe they give a PS discount, so wanted to show you anyway. I included Spinels as well, since they often have really nice pink colors and are considered durable.


http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=935
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=903
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=7954
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=6563
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=6076
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=5125#


ETA one more: http://wildfishgems.com/inc/sdetail/badakshan-spinel-1-39-carat/17424/13541
 

shadowrunner

Rough_Rock
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Jun 22, 2016
Messages
7
minousbijoux|1466628373|4046840 said:
My advice for you is to look at as many in hand as you can. Some people like silky stones that often have more glow (like Chroman). Others of us don't care for silky, but go for the clear crystal that has sparkle. Its a rare stone that has both, so you may want to determine your preference.

Do you have any recommendations as to where to go to do that? I would prefer to have a clear crystal that has sparkle.
 

chroman

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lovedogs|1466632905|4046868 said:

In budget, target shape and size, cut looks nice, and what saturation! :appl:

shadowrunner - do you know how flexible the setting (and vender) is to take various stones? For example, if it's only going to take a round, and they don't have a way to reasonable adapt it to other shapes, that probably knocks out a number of potential stones.
 

shadowrunner

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Jun 22, 2016
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chroman|1466648800|4046954 said:
do you know how flexible the setting (and vender) is to take various stones? For example, if it's only going to take a round, and they don't have a way to reasonable adapt it to other shapes, that probably knocks out a number of potential stones.

I don't know for certain, so that is why I am primarily looking for a round gemstone. I can get the ring custom-ordered. I'll contact Diamodnere ask about about it.
 

minousbijoux

Super_Ideal_Rock
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shadowrunner|1466637698|4046912 said:
minousbijoux|1466628373|4046840 said:
My advice for you is to look at as many in hand as you can. Some people like silky stones that often have more glow (like Chroman). Others of us don't care for silky, but go for the clear crystal that has sparkle. Its a rare stone that has both, so you may want to determine your preference.

Do you have any recommendations as to where to go to do that? I would prefer to have a clear crystal that has sparkle.

Sorry, just now getting back to PS. If you are located in the US, look up the Intergem shows. They are held throughout the country on a fairly consistent basis, so if there happens to be one close to you, it could provide an opportunity for you to see multiple stones in person.
 

shadowrunner

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Jun 22, 2016
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minousbijoux|1466667670|4047022 said:
Sorry, just now getting back to PS. If you are located in the US, look up the Intergem shows. They are held throughout the country on a fairly consistent basis, so if there happens to be one close to you, it could provide an opportunity for you to see multiple stones in person.

The nearest one that I could find would be in Chicago, IL and that is still a bit distant.

I got an e-mail back from a representative at Diamondere. The shapes that could accommodate the ring are round, square, princess, marquise, and cushion.
 

chroman

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shadowrunner|1466715854|4047261 said:
The shapes that could accommodate the ring are round, square, princess, marquise, and cushion.
But no oval? Bummer! That wipes out some of the options above.

Have they said that they are ok with setting outside stones? Some folks will only set stones they source.
 

swissmiss

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Nov 4, 2013
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234
Another option, if your finances allow, is to order a few of the "top" contender stones at a time to see them in real life.
 

shadowrunner

Rough_Rock
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Jun 22, 2016
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chroman|1466726704|4047338 said:
Have they said that they are ok with setting outside stones? Some folks will only set stones they source.

They said they dont work with customer's stones, but can manufacture the setting per the dimensions of the stone. So no, it appears they don't.
 

lovedogs

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shadowrunner|1466901598|4048378 said:
chroman|1466726704|4047338 said:
Have they said that they are ok with setting outside stones? Some folks will only set stones they source.

They said they dont work with customer's stones, but can manufacture the setting per the dimensions of the stone. So no, it appears they don't.

In that case, I'd STRONGLY recommend trying to find a similar setting online, or working with one of the more budget friendly vendors (e.g. David Klass) who can re-create it. I think having a setting made per the dimensions of the stone can be tricky, especially with depth and each fraction of a mm making a difference.
 

deskjockey

Brilliant_Rock
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lovedogs|1466907765|4048396 said:
shadowrunner|1466901598|4048378 said:
chroman|1466726704|4047338 said:
Have they said that they are ok with setting outside stones? Some folks will only set stones they source.

They said they dont work with customer's stones, but can manufacture the setting per the dimensions of the stone. So no, it appears they don't.

In that case, I'd STRONGLY recommend trying to find a similar setting online, or working with one of the more budget friendly vendors (e.g. David Klass) who can re-create it. I think having a setting made per the dimensions of the stone can be tricky, especially with depth and each fraction of a mm making a difference.

Ditto this. And honestly I think you'll get a better product this way anyway (just a hunch)

:)
 

chrono

Super_Ideal_Rock
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What is their opinion of moving the current placement of the prongs? I'm guessing it isn't advisable because re-positioning it as such might reduce its structural strength (to hold the stone securely for everyday wear).
 
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