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Help evaluate this *blue* sapphire

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Odyssey44

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
Mar 20, 2023
Messages
671
Always the way that other things pop up when you are on the hunt for something specific! While looking for pink, I found this blue. First picture makes it look like a real beauty, just the color I would want. . The videos, I am not so sure, because it looks much darker. If this is the same person holding the stone, and I do not know, that is quite a skin color change. I have also circled an area in the last picture that never seems to sparkle when moved. Could this be a window? The dimensions to me seem a bit shallow, at 10.25 × 9.26 x 5.27? Not sure of this cut either. I do not trust my eye with blue sapphires so would be grateful for your caring critiques!
https://imgur.com/a/ehOBVYG
 
What kind of blue do you want?

This would be a no for me. I love silky but this is……muddy. Especially in the videos. They should be looking breathtakingly amazing in the videos in order for you to receive something nice in real life.

I feel you can be silky but lively at the same time and this stone is rather dead looking. If they couldn’t make it look super flattering it’s not going to be all that in real life.

The first photo is nice but there’s a dark patch/window and a truckload of light has been shone on it.

Sorry that comes off as super negative but I get the vibe that you have very discerning tastes and I don’t think you’ll be happy with this.

ETA:

For example this one may or may not live up to the video in real life but I feel like you have a fighting chance in real life of it looking awesome because the video is so beautiful

 
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Odyssey44 said:
I have also circled an area in the last picture that never seems to sparkle when moved. Could this be a window?
Click to expand...

You can't evaluate a window looking at the pavilion. :P2

With that said, the stone is windowed. Hugely so. You can see it best in the second video.

1754065754937.png

You see how there's a brighter rim around the very edge of the stone?

Everything else is a window.

It's massive. It's somewhat hidden by how silky the stone is - the light just can't get through, you can't see behind it. The crystal is not clear at all.

I don't trust the saturation of these images at all, and I believe the stone will be noticeably more grayish and dull in person.

I don't think you'll be happy with it.
 
mellowyellowgirl said:
What kind of blue do you want?

This would be a no for me. I love silky but this is……muddy. Especially in the videos. They should be looking breathtakingly amazing in the videos in order for you to receive something nice in real life.

I feel you can be silky but lively at the same time and this stone is rather dead looking. If they couldn’t make it look super flattering it’s not going to be all that in real life.

The first photo is nice but there’s a dark patch/window and a truckload of light has been shone on it.

Sorry that comes off as super negative but I get the vibe that you have very discerning tastes and I don’t think you’ll be happy with this.

ETA:

For example this one may or may not live up to the video in real life but I feel like you have a fighting chance in real life of it looking awesome because the video is so beautiful

Click to expand...

I am probably looking for a neon, velvety cornflower blue. I like the color of the first picture, but not of the videos--it went too dark. Is the window the area that is not sparkling back? That is what confused me because all the windows Iam familiar with you can see the background right through it. So this is a photography trick to disguise it? Your vibe of me is spot on and why would not consider buying a sapphire without asking here! Negative is what I want!! I want all the problems pointed out to me, so I don't wind up opening the box and being disappointed. Buying a stone with a window I did not catch would have made me cry! Thanks! :kiss2:
I can see the one you posted is quite sparkly. Would you consider it velvety too?
 
Avondale said:
You can't evaluate a window looking at the pavilion. :P2

With that said, the stone is windowed. Hugely so. You can see it best in the second video.

1754065754937.png

You see how there's a brighter rim around the very edge of the stone?

Everything else is a window.

It's massive. It's somewhat hidden by how silky the stone is - the light just can't get through, you can't see behind it. The crystal is not clear at all.

I don't trust the saturation of these images at all, and I believe the stone will be noticeably more grayish and dull in person.

I don't think you'll be happy with it.
Click to expand...

I thought I was looking at the table in the bit I circled! I sure hope I did not circle anything below the girdle, but I did have to do it on my phone. I had my glasses on, I promise!
Ohhh, I totally see the whitish area around the outside and the interior of darkness!! Thanks! I thought if I could not see through it, there was no window. Now I understand. I am just learning how to allow for some silk but avoid what you are pointing out here. Thanks!! :kiss2: The world of blue sapphires is quite new to me. I only remember my mom having commercial ones that looked black and thinking, why bother?
 
I got a message that Imgur deleted messages for being in violation of their term of service. But they don't say exactly why. Honestly!
edited to say I think skin in the video may sometimes flag it as inappropriate. Ok, we love gems, but not like that!!! Come on Imgur!!
 
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Avondale said:
Nope, you can actually see the facets that join at the very bottom of the pavilion flash and move. So no window. But definitely veeeery silky. And I highly doubt that blue is true to life.
Click to expand...

Your eyes are good! I see the facets now that you say. I look for this in transparent gems to see how well they meet. I am having a hard time applying the same principles to these sapphires. Silk is just a whole new idea for me. Previously I thought of it as bad--just a euphemism for poor clarity.
 
Getting a feel for your tastes now, I don't think you're going to be happy with that first stone... not in the color, cut, or clarity. I like the second stone (just judging by the media provided) much better. The color looks good and the cut is fantastic. As @Avondale said though, the silk is very heavy, which is affecting the transparency. In person, I have a feeling it will be rather cloudy. Some folks don't mind that if the color is right. Do you have a return policy on that one?
 
Autumn in New England said:
Getting a feel for your tastes now, I don't think you're going to be happy with that first stone... not in the color, cut, or clarity. I like the second stone (just judging by the media provided) much better. The color looks good and the cut is fantastic. As @Avondale said though, the silk is very heavy, which is affecting the transparency. In person, I have a feeling it will be rather cloudy. Some folks don't mind that if the color is right. Do you have a return policy on that one?
Click to expand...

Yes, I am getting that impression. I have learned a new way to see windows! So I am glad my education is furthered. I have not inquired at all about the second one. I just saw it and really liked the color and wanted to see what people thought of it. I doubt I will get it. I have to better understand first the silk vs. transparency balance, and see pictures of stones that have the right balance. I will probably only ever buy one ring sapphire, so it is important to me to get it just right the first time. It is just so new to me, not asking for eye or even loupe clarity!
 
Odyssey44 said:
I have to better understand first the silk vs. transparency balance, and see pictures of stones that have the right balance.
Click to expand...

Here's the thing, though - the right balance is a matter of taste more than anything else.

In moments like these comparison is the wise man bestowing knowledge upon you. :mrgreen:

Silky vs crystalline ruby:

Silky vs crystalline sapphire:
www.instagram.com

Enhoerning Jewelry on Instagram: "A sizable unheated blue sapphire, showing the coveted 'Kashmir like' blue glow, but in fact, hailing from Madagascar ⁠ ⁠ Available for viewing & jewelry design consultation in our Midtown Manhattan showroom (by appoi

174 likes, 11 comments - enhoerningjewelry on May 10, 2025: "A sizable unheated blue sapphire, showing the coveted 'Kashmir like' blue glow, but in fact, hailing from Madagascar ⁠ ⁠ Available for viewing & jewelry design consultation in our Midtown Manhattan showroom (by appointment only) – or...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
 
And where exactly silky moves into sleepy territory is another personal taste parameter. It definitely affects price though.
It also can (I’m not sure if always?) be environmental light dependent on how noticeable it is.

Seeing a thread on a sapphire that someone evaluates in hand (and their pictures) that doesn’t enjoy silkiness, and then someone else’s thread on that same stone (and their pictures) that embraces silkiness, is enlightening. Neither is wrong nor inaccurate.

The second one you posted is interesting but I also have doubt it holds its color or even has the color as depicted. It’d have to be one for someone who on top of not minding sleepy, doesn’t mind inclusions.

The (lovely!) one Mellowyellow posted, I think looks like has areas of crystalline and areas of silkiness, so zoning. But hard to tell if that’s irl, just what I see in photo.
 
Avondale said:
Here's the thing, though - the right balance is a matter of taste more than anything else.

In moments like these comparison is the wise man bestowing knowledge upon you. :mrgreen:

Silky vs crystalline ruby:

Silky vs crystalline sapphire:
www.instagram.com

Enhoerning Jewelry on Instagram: "A sizable unheated blue sapphire, showing the coveted 'Kashmir like' blue glow, but in fact, hailing from Madagascar ⁠ ⁠ Available for viewing & jewelry design consultation in our Midtown Manhattan showroom (by appoi

174 likes, 11 comments - enhoerningjewelry on May 10, 2025: "A sizable unheated blue sapphire, showing the coveted 'Kashmir like' blue glow, but in fact, hailing from Madagascar ⁠ ⁠ Available for viewing & jewelry design consultation in our Midtown Manhattan showroom (by appointment only) – or...
www.instagram.com www.instagram.com
Click to expand...
This helps a ton! Thanks wise woman! Now Rubies I can see I do not like the silk. Both of those Enhoerning sapphires are positively stunning. The sily one has my heart though. Something about the solid wall of blue glow appeals to me most. I feel like I cannot see any inclusions in that stone, but there must be for it to be silky? This is where I am having trouble.

Rfisher said:
And where exactly silky moves into sleepy territory is another personal taste parameter. It definitely affects price though.
It also can (I’m not sure if always?) be environmental light dependent on how noticeable it is.

Seeing a thread on a sapphire that someone evaluates in hand (and their pictures) that doesn’t enjoy silkiness, and then someone else’s thread on that same stone (and their pictures) that embraces silkiness, is enlightening. Neither is wrong nor inaccurate.

The second one you posted is interesting but I also have doubt it holds its color or even has the color as depicted. It’d have to be one for someone who on top of not minding sleepy, doesn’t mind inclusions.

The (lovely!) one Mellowyellow posted, I think looks like has areas of crystalline and areas of silkiness, so zoning. But hard to tell if that’s irl, just what I see in photo.
Click to expand...
The one Avondale posted as an example of silkiness makes me swoon. The evenness of the glow is gorgeous to me. So I assume this is silky bit not sleepy? in my second photo I can see all the white marks around the outside of the stone--these are the inclusions? I'll post again as I see other sapphires I am wondering about. Thanks!!
 
Odyssey44 said:
This is where I am having trouble.
Click to expand...

You need some pictures from under a microscope. There's no better place to get them than Lotus lab's Hyperion database (I have filtered it for sapphire but you can look at images of all kinds of stones there).

Some inclusions like this one add to the silkiness. You won't be able to see it without sufficient magnification. To your eyes the crystal will just look glowy.

It's similar with actual rutile silk (needles). Fascinating under loupe. To the eye all you see is glow.

Others like this frosted crystal you'll definitely be able to see with a loupe, and often even with your eyes up close. The crystal around it could be perfectly transparent. This type of inclusion won't make the stone silky.

I'll give you another example with some of my stones.

This is a heated stone with pretty crystalline body, very lively and sparkly for a sapphire. From this angle you can see a veil and two frosted crystals. I imagine these are the types of inclusions you prefer to avoid, and also what bothers you when talking about inclusions.

1731065830323.jpeg

Then there's this silky one I bought from Dr_Diesel who has a whole thread dedicated to the fingerprints running through the stone. If you scroll a bit you'll find the microscope images he posted after he took the stone to a gemologist. In the case with this one the glowy look is thanks to those fingerprints, but you can't see that with your eyes alone. At the very least you need a loupe. Aside from that the crystal is pretty clean.

1749112743079.png

Odyssey44 said:
The sily one has my heart though. Something about the solid wall of blue glow appeals to me most.
Click to expand...

I'd say the emerald cut is definitely treading into sleepy territory. And I agree, there's something magical about that. Having a stone be all blue glow just tickles your fancy in a way few things ever could.
 
Avondale said:
You need some pictures from under a microscope. There's no better place to get them than Lotus lab's Hyperion database (I have filtered it for sapphire but you can look at images of all kinds of stones there).

Some inclusions like this one add to the silkiness. You won't be able to see it without sufficient magnification. To your eyes the crystal will just look glowy.

It's similar with actual rutile silk (needles). Fascinating under loupe. To the eye all you see is glow.

Others like this frosted crystal you'll definitely be able to see with a loupe, and often even with your eyes up close. The crystal around it could be perfectly transparent. This type of inclusion won't make the stone silky.

I'll give you another example with some of my stones.

This is a heated stone with pretty crystalline body, very lively and sparkly for a sapphire. From this angle you can see a veil and two frosted crystals. I imagine these are the types of inclusions you prefer to avoid, and also what bothers you when talking about inclusions.

1731065830323.jpeg

Then there's this silky one I bought from Dr_Diesel who has a whole thread dedicated to the fingerprints running through the stone. If you scroll a bit you'll find the microscope images he posted after he took the stone to a gemologist. In the case with this one the glowy look is thanks to those fingerprints, but you can't see that with your eyes alone. At the very least you need a loupe. Aside from that the crystal is pretty clean.

1749112743079.png



I'd say the emerald cut is definitely treading into sleepy territory. And I agree, there's something magical about that. Having a stone be all blue glow just tickles your fancy in a way few things ever could.
Click to expand...

I had an unexpected trip to your neck of the woods because my FIL passed. Just before leaving we went to the RSPCA and helped my MIL pick a cat! It was so sweet and its owner had passed, so they can help each other over their losses. I am back and so pleased to see this perfect, perfect example primer. I will be reading it many times. Thank you Avondale!!
 
Odyssey44 said:
I had an unexpected trip to your neck of the woods because my FIL passed. Just before leaving we went to the RSPCA and helped my MIL pick a cat! It was so sweet and its owner had passed, so they can help each other over their losses. I am back and so pleased to see this perfect, perfect example primer. I will be reading it many times. Thank you Avondale!!
Click to expand...

I am so sorry to hear of your FIL's passing! I hope your MIL's new feline friend helps ease her heartache. ❤️
 
Autumn in New England said:
I am so sorry to hear of your FIL's passing! I hope your MIL's new feline friend helps ease her heartache. ❤️
Click to expand...

Thank you so much dear Autumn! They had been married for 61 years and this will be her first time living alone. She said she would like a cat to take care of and we were very happy to oblige that request. So there will be two heartbeats in the house afterall.
 
Odyssey44 said:
Thank you so much dear Autumn! They had been married for 61 years and this will be her first time living alone. She said she would like a cat to take care of and we were very happy to oblige that request. So there will be two heartbeats in the house afterall.
Click to expand...

I love this sentiment!
 
Odyssey44 said:
I am back and so pleased to see this perfect, perfect example primer.
Click to expand...

Dunno how perfect it is, a couple of my links got messed up. It seems they updated the website filters. So to avoid this happening again in the future, I'll just add the images instead of updating the links.

Snowflake-like clouds:

1755901456713.jpeg

Silk:

1755901474075.jpeg

Frosted crystal:

1755901487277.jpeg


Odyssey44 said:
Just before leaving we went to the RSPCA and helped my MIL pick a cat! It was so sweet and its owner had passed, so they can help each other over their losses.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good match, really. Animals help with grief. We communicate with them on a more basic, fundamental level that's more about feeling and intuition rather than an intellectual exchange, and sometimes that's just what you need the most when coping with loss.
 
Avondale said:
Dunno how perfect it is, a couple of my links got messed up. It seems they updated the website filters. So to avoid this happening again in the future, I'll just add the images instead of updating the links.

Sounds like a good match, really. Animals help with grief. We communicate with them on a more basic, fundamental level that's more about feeling and intuition rather than an intellectual exchange, and sometimes that's just what you need the most when coping with loss.
Click to expand...
Good idea with the links! I'll be back so much to look at these posts!

It has been a great match so far between my M-I-L and sweet kitty Luna. They are doting on each other all ready! It's so nice to see.
 
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