How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement ring

[pinkants]

Hello knowledgeable PSers!

Buying jewelry/gems is a completely new experience for me, and I am hoping that you can help me. I did read the "New to Coloured Gemstone Buying" guide, which was super helpful!

My boyfriend and I are looking at blue sapphire engagement rings (we are located in Boston, MA). However, I am not even sure how and/or where to start regarding the sapphire. Some of my questions are:

- I know that color is important. Yet, how can I gauge the color? I know that personally, my eyes cannot tell if the gem leans towards green or purple. I also have no idea if it's light, medium or dark (like, what does one compare it to? Are there standard definitions for light, medium, or dark?).

- How would I be able to tell if there are extinctions or not?

- I am petite with a 3.5 ring size. As such, I think I only want a 1.5-1.75 carat (round cut) sapphire so that it doesn't look too overwhelming. Is it even worth it to ask for a certification for such a small gem?

- Would you only buy from jewelers who have certified gemologists on hand? My concern would be, their sapphire dealer could give them just any sapphire, and if they have no gemologists, how could they verify anything?

- How do I know who to trust?

Sorry if some of these questions sound very rudimentary. Thank you for any assistance you can provide!

 

[chrono]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

1. It is best to start off know exactly which colour you like best and want. Look around online and pick the few that you gravitate towards. It doesn't matter if they belong to someone else or is already sold. The intent is to narrow down what you like and then we can assist you in getting something similar. Yes, there is a generally accepted but not yet not widely practiced standard of colour definition breaking down the hues (green or purple modifier), tone (light, medium or dark) and saturation (light, medium, strong).

2. Extinction is the darkness in a stone that generally doesn't go away when the stone is moved around, differentiating it from shadow obstruction. A small amount of extinction is of little consequence. If it is an online purchase or if you are able to post pictures here, I am sure many will be more than happy to look out on your behalf.

3. A 1.5 to 1.75 carat sapphire is around 7 mm thereabouts. Due to varying cuts, shop by the mm measurement rather than the carat weight. 7 mm is not a small stone by any means and will look large on a size 3.5 finger. Lab verification depends on how particular you are about treatment. If you want an untreated stone, I would want good lab paperwork. If you need to be mind clean that the stone is heat only (no diffusion or other treatments), then lab paperwork is a good idea. For some, there is a certain dollar threshold where lab paperwork is a must.

4. Not necessarily so. I generally prefer verification by an independent 3rd party so this isn't a must for me.

5. Trust but verify. I usually stick with vendors that others have had good experiences with (good return and refund policy, good customer service, honest, etc).

 

[pinkants]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

Thank you so much for your help!

If it is an online purchase or if you are able to post pictures here, I am sure many will be more than happy to look out on your behalf.

That is so generous of the PS community! What are the ideal angles for photos (top, side, etc)?

Due to varying cuts, shop by the mm measurement rather than the carat weight.

Would you recommend carrying a measuring tape when visiting jewelers? Or, is this frowned upon?

If you need to be mind clean that the stone is heat only (no diffusion or other treatments), then lab paperwork is a good idea.

Where does one obtain lab paperwork from? Should it be from the jeweler or an independent third party?

Lastly, is there anything regarding sapphires that I am missing? Being such a newbie, I greatly appreciate your advice!

 

[movie zombie]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

if you have not yet done so, please do a search and read about the many threads regarding "the search" for a sapphire e-ring. it has been a popular topic. you will also find pictures of blue sapphires in many of the threads which will assist you in your education and decision-making. if you have already done this, you are well on your way.

as you gain more knowledge you may find that what you desire to purchase may also change.

welcome to the wonderful world of color stones and particularly color stone e-rings!

 

[marymm]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

All of Chrono's recommendations are spot-on.

And if you look again at the New To Colored Gemstones stickie thread, and scroll down a ways, you'll see a box chart showing Tone and Saturation as to Tanzanites - this chart gives an excellent visual as to how tone and saturation affect color.

I am linking to an old PS thread, and at the bottom is a chart which used to be available from Cross Jewelers - this chart shows sapphires running from light to dark blue - while you can ignore the color names, the spectrum may be assist you in narrowing down your color (or color range) preference. https://www.pricescope.com/communit...apphire-store-e-rings-or-alternatives.135315/ And if you right-click and save this color chart, you can send it to vendors to help convey the color(s) you are looking for.

Finally, if you are unclear whether you prefer a blue sapphire with violet or with green modifiers, you may want to check out GemFix's Blue Sapphire and Montana Sapphire pages - when you come across stones that please your eye, read the color description and note the stone's origin - if you are consistently preferring Ceylon (Sri Lanka) stones, you may prefer sapphires with violet; or if you mainly go for Madagascar and Montana sapphires, you may prefer sapphires with teal or green modifiers.
http://www.gemfix.com/sapphire_blue.html
http://www.gemfix.com/sapphire_montana.html

Finally, any colored stone bought online really must be examined in person - while reputable vendors do their best to accurately photograph and describe color, the fact is we all have different computers/monitors and different understandings of color definitions (your sky blue versus my sky blue may depend on where we are in the world, geographically) - so if you go the online route, be prepared for the likelihood that it may take several purchases/returns before you find exactly what you are looking for.

 

[chrono]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

A straight up picture (showing the crown or table, looking down into the stone) is best to start with. More preferred of course and a video would be ideal but most vendors do not have the time nor resources to make one.

A good shop should have a pair of either electronic or manual calipers. Measuring tape is too imprecise.

My preferred lab is AGL, followed by GIA in the USA. Other labs that are reputable include SSEF, Gubelin, and etc. It is best to have an independent 3rd party do the verification since a store report is a conflict of interest. If the stone isn't accompanied by a lab report, the jeweller should be able to send the stone out for you.

 

[pinkants]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

@movie zombie - Yes, I have been doing a search, reading as much as possible, and definitely getting overwhelmed! I am grateful for all of the advice I've been given so far.

@marymm - Thank you for this great information! I really like the color chart for sapphires and have saved it.

The gemfix links were also really helpful. It seems that I prefer a sapphire with violet modifiers. I assume that gemfix is a reputable site that people here like? Are there other sites that I should check out?

 

[chrono]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

Most PSers have purchase from the vendors in the link.
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/page-5']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/page-5[/URL]

 

[movie zombie]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

it is indeed overwhelming, pink!
take your time. develop your eye. see as many live in person as you can....even at box stores which usually let you see easily what we mean by extinction and windowing.
I would purchases at Costco before I'd purchase at a b&m jewelry store....admittedly, not all are created equal but I have found that most employees know lots about diamonds and less than I do re color stones.

you may be in luck, too, because the big Tucson show was just in February and many cutters may have new rough to cut to your specifications or may have picked up more stones. not all inventory is listed at websites so it is good to call and ask once you've more or less got the color in mind.

it is so good that you are involved in this! sometimes "the guy" wants to do it on his own and does find his way here....other times he doesn't. this way you get to get what you want! I'm a great believer in being involved in the process. and you will get to make the trade offs as well. most of us don't have the $ to buy a really world class blue sapphire and have to make trade offs re color, size, heat v. unheated stone, etc. you will get to decide what is important to you.

and while we are all here to help, at the end of the day it is you that the stone must please as you'll be the wearing it. also, there is no such thing as just "the one" stone. there are others out there so if one gets bought up while you're deciding, don't let it get to you. a hunt for a good and affordable stone can take some time and it is definitely worth it. but there is a lot of competition because more buyers are becoming savvy and blue sapphire is a very very popular stone right now.

I'm glad you found Pricescope 'cause I think you're going to learn lots to the point that you too will know more about color stones.....at least re blue sapphires....than most jewelry store employees.

also, for me the stone is more important than the setting. I'd rather get the very best stone I can afford rather than an elaborate setting with a poor color stone.

and trust me: we've all be overwhelmed when we started out! try to remember this is also supposed to be fun!

 

[Truthstar]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

As someone who is still going through this process and been all around, online and stores, I think you can get a better quality stone outside of the typical jeweler store bc there are some serious snakes out there. I really advise you to pick a stone that has a reputable lab report if you care about the details of such things. Most jewelry stores seem to not have them in my experience but you could get lucky.

I was considering a sapphire from a gem dealer and while looking at it he got a phone call from one of his regular buyers. Heard the owner say "It was irradiated??". I then asked if the stone had a lab report, it didn't, so I walked...even though he assured me it was only heat treated
Found a cutter in the Philly area that specializes in untreated. He does have some heat treated though as it turns out...new parcel he is cutting. I purchased a Sapphire from Gemfix and Andrew was nice even through all my back and forth questions about it

 

[pinkants]

Re: How do I even *begin* to look for a sapphire engagement

@movie zombie - Thank you for the encouragement! I'm definitely glad I found this site (I almost dismissed it due to its odd name). When I was initially conducing my research, I was so frustrated by the lack of information out there. Now, there is plenty of information for me to take in. Hopefully, I will find that happy medium soon!

Also, it's funny you mention that it's good I'm involved in this process. Originally, my SO wanted to completely surprise me. I was like, "Erm...maybe we should look at rings together..."

@Truthstar - Loved reading about your first-hand experiences! I certainly have no idea where to start with a jeweler, nor know which one to trust. I'm definitely going to heed your advice about the "snakes," and I feel slightly more comfortable now that I have more information about sapphires.

And funnily enough, I just emailed Andrew of Gemfix today thanks to this forum! I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that it goes well!