Gemstone hardness/Online Companies

[bubbly1126]

Hello all. I have yet to be engaged but I have come across a couple rings that I am very interested in. I found them on MyJewelrySource.com and I was wondering if anyone has heard good or bad things about them?

Also, if I''m not planning to get a diamond, is there any gemstone that is better than the other when it comes to hardness or clarity?

Here is the first ring...

It''s a 1ct Oval Natural Pink Sapphire (heated) with .42 ct Diamond

 

[bubbly1126]

here is the second...

.85ct Natural Pink Sapphire (heated) with .56ct Diamond

 

[bubbly1126]

and the last...

1.03 Natural Pink Sapphire - Ceylon (Unheated) with .53ct Diamond

What do you ladies think?

 

[bubbly1126]

And thanks Chrono for the suggestion!

 

[Pandora II]

Take a look at the Natural Sapphire Company for some amazing untreated sapphires.

Sapphire/ruby is a 9 on the moh, and the next hardest to diamond.

I have a tsavorite in my e-ring, which is about a 7.5. I'm very careful where I wear it and the setting protects it a lot, so I can wear it everyday as long as I take it off if I'm doing anything with my hands, or showering or sleeping.

It's not just about the moh though - that only measures scratch hardness. You also need to look at the strength of the material. For example, jade whilst scoring low on the moh is very dense and compact and is therefore stronger than a lot of other stones.

If you like pink - a pink sapphire is the best way to go for colour/strength.

ETA:

Taking a quick look at the site you posted, it's not where I would shop personally for an important piece like an e-ring. I'm not impressed with the quality of some of the stones and the prices bear that out. Good quality cut and colour don't come at bargain prices on the whole.

I would prefer to get Wink to source me a beautifully cut stone and then find/design a setting around it.

 

[Lannie]

I don''t have much experience with coloured stones, but I just got a new ring from there and it''s fantastic. MUCH nicer than it looks in their photos.

They were very fast and attentive of my needs, I really enjoyed my experience with them. Please see my thread here for my experience with them and pictures. https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-amethyst-ring.70131/

In regards to service, I would definitely recommend them. As I said, I don''t really have experience with coloured stones, but so far, what I''ve seen has been good.

I''ve also heard very good things about the natural sapphire company as Pandora suggested, so I''d check them out as well.

Good luck with your hunt!

 

[chrono]

I haven''t dealt with the store, so I cannot comment on them. Sapphires are generally all right as everyday wear engagement rings. For something as important as an e-ring, I''d be very choosy and pick something well cut with strong hue and saturation. I''d also want the setting to be well made and sturdy. For me, I have no preference as to heat treatment but others do.

Here''s a good general reading site:
http://www.palagems.com/sapphire_connoisseurship.htm#sapphire_buying_guide
http://www.palagems.com/burma_ruby.htm#ruby_buying_guide

These are vendors I have used and trust:
www.winkjones.com
www.diamondexpert.com
www.acstones.com
www.whitesgems.com

Here are others that I have heard good things about:
www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com
www.ajsgems.com

 

[Pandora II]

I would prefer to work with someone where I got to choose each part of the ring seperately.

With sites like these, they have dozens of them stacked up in boxes ready to go. (I used to work for a company which made this kind of thing)

That's fine for a rhr, but for your engagement ring that you will wear forever, it really makes a difference to spend time looking for a stone that is uniquely yours and making sure that the settings are great quality and are well made with no porosity or structural problems.

For example if you look at the second picture you posted, the basket looks very badly finished to me.