Help - which of these two sapphires are best?

[aisha]

Hi

I am new to this forum and trying to find myself a quality 7 x 5 (ish) blue sapphire.

I have come across these and wondered what people's opinions are on the value?

1)

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/268471114/natural-kashmir-color-blue-sapphire-pear?ref=shop_home_listings

If this is unheated is this good value - or if it is heated, is it good value and a nice gem? Is it a little dark? It says it is precision cut but I can see darker parts. Is this normal? I am worried about it being dull in darker lights.



2)

http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/p-61163-pear-blue-sapphire-b7171/

This seems nice and bright. Double the price but comes under unheated. Am I missing something with this one?!



Thanks in advance for people's help!

 

[theredspinel]

Bump for the experts on here... someone please advise!

 

[chrono]

Etsy sapphire
1. No independent proof of origin, although at this size and price point, it doesn't really matter
2. No independent proof of treatment status
3. Just because it is precision cut doesn't mean it is well cut. I have noticed many poorly cut stones from this vendor.
4. Colour looks on the darker side of the spectrum but it is difficult to tell definitively.

NSC sapphire
1. No independent proof of origin, although at this size and price point, it doesn't really matter
2. No independent proof of treatment status
3. Girdle looks thick and uneven, which might pose a challenge for some setters and settings
4. NSC is typically one of the most expensive vendors, so if interested, do wait for their sale pricing.

 

[aisha]

Thanks for the bump and for the help Chrono. I did think the first may be too dark and the second seemed funnily cut (even to my untrained eye!)

I really am going round in circles not knowing what is best. I assumed that precision cut was always good. Oh dear!

In your opinion, at what price point do I start to get a decent coloured sapphire of a good cut (I want a decent enough brilliance) for a 7 x 5? I know that's subjective, but could do with knowing at what price I should be gearing towards, as no point in changing my ring and paying out for it not to be worthwhile.

I may have to trawl through hundreds of posts I think to try to get myself familiar through other comparisons as to what is good!

Thanks again!

 

[chrono]

http://www.africagems.com/blue-sapphire-pear-gemstone-06700016.html
http://www.pearlmansjewelers.com/gemstones/?sku=7000
This might be worth following up on, since there is an ongoing sale and the website says you can request a video of the sapphire (same stone listed at 2 different places).

 

[aisha]

Thanks again Chrono.

Will take a look as it looks beautiful and vivid. It's probably the perfect colour.

Initially I was thinking I wanted completely natural but then decided that I would probably regret looking down at my ring and knowing it could have been a lot more vivid for the price. I've been speaking with John Dyer too, who has been extremely helpful. The way he described it made me realise that heat treatment is a little like make-up - enhancing what is already there, unless you go to the extreme

"From a philosophical standpoint heating is the most widely accepted form of enhancement in the gem trade. Heat alone does not actually add or take away anything that is in the gem’s chemistry. Even though some gems might “gain” or “lose” color from heating, this is due to the heat affecting the mixture of elements that were already inside the gemstone. The traditional process of heating of gems is widely accepted by those in the know because nothing is added or infused into the gem."

I think I only want the normal heat treating though so will need to be careful.

Have you had any experience of John Dyer? I love his gem cutting - obviously not an expert, but he seems to be like an artist too. He has also suggested that if I am after brilliance I may be disappointed with a pear, so I am now trying to establish whether I go with my original redesign (a pear offset at around 2pm) or maybe a square turned on its side. Do you agree that pears brilliance? If so, is it to a high degree?

Decisions..!

 

[chrono]

Heated vs unheated is personal preference. If you want the same colouration but unheated, then be prepared to pay a premium for it. In a sense, unheated means that it could have been heated by Mother Nature herself over hundreds and thousands of years. Diffusion, however, is a totally different thing, because it is so extreme.

John is a highly skilled lapidary and you will be paying a premium for his cutting skills. I own several pear shapes and there are well cut (brilliant) pears out there. The only issue is time as it will take a while to find one that ticks all your boxes, especially so because you have a specific size constraint on top of the colour and budget.

 

[aisha]

Thanks again.

I anticipated I would pay a premium for his work as he has won lots of awards (and even my untrained eye can tell he's great!) but I suppose I will have to wait and see what the score is if I veer towards a "tilted" square instead. He is so lovely to deal with too!

I've requested a video of that pear too and excited to see if it looks as brilliant as it looks.