How'd I Do on this 4.28 ct Blue Sapphire?

[ILikeBond]

A couple days ago, you helped me avoid a $5k mistake (or at least a hassle) by pointing out some problems with a stone I was scoping on ebay - https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opinions-on-this-ebay-sapphire.182159/.

As part of my effort to find a blue sapphire right hand ring for my wife, I'd been scoping some rings offered by the Sapphire Ring Company (http://sapphirerings.org). On Thanksgiving, one jumped out at me as having gorgeous colors and a lot of great features for a reasonable price (large carat size, platinum setting, and semi-matching with my wife's wedding & engagement rings - see https://www.pricescope.com/communit...n-wedding-band-and-e-ring-lots-of-pics.64595/).

I should receive the stone Monday and am looking forward to viewing it in person, since pictures and video only tell you so much. That being said, to pass some time till then, and because I only have a short period to return it (2 days), I'd very much appreciate your thoughts on the ring and stone, good or bad. Here are my impressions, but am curious to hear yours:

Color of stone jumped out at me as almost "neon" blue. According to vendor, it's GIA bV 4/4. I realize this is considered kind of mid-grade,or maybe high jewelry grade, but not collector, but to my eyes, this stone is just incredible. It does have a noticeable violent tint to it, and I think a lot of silk so that it may be a bit "sleepy" - that being said, it sparkles plenty in the video. And when I put it side-by-side with a beautiful nearly $8,000 1.11 carat Kashmir sapphire offered at Kashmirblue.com, the color seems almost spot-on. But mine is 3.17 carats more and $3k less - with setting included! (Of course, mine's heated) Finally, I do not notice any "half and half" "extinction" (or darkening), perhaps because the oval's ratio is approx. 1.2.

Here are pictures of the ring I purchased (these are humongous - hopefully they automatically resize; if not, sorry):




Here is the video of the ring - http://www.sapphirerings.org/videogallery/gallery/single/product_id/260/media_video_id/102/

This is the link to the full listing, with details and a written description - http://www.sapphirerings.org/sapphi...ceylon-natural-sapphire-and-diamond-ring.html

Here's a picture of what I think is a comparably-colored stone at Kashmir Blue:


Link to stone here (first one in first row) - http://www.kashmirblue.com/Sapphire/kbsapphire.html

So - do my eyes deceive me, or did I get a great deal and a fabulous stone for my sweetie?

I'll close the loop once I have it in hand and post some more pictures.

 

[LD]

Well it looks very pretty but I would absolutely ignore the 2 valuations posted with the ring (they're written by the company selling the ring so to all intents and purposes are useless for determining real value).

The GIA lab report says that it's heated (TE). As we know, GIA are not as reliable for coloured stones. If you buy this I would make it conditional on getting the same report back from AGL stating that it isn't BE treated.

I don't know this company but giving somebody 2 days to evaluate a ring seems a little odd.

If you're going to proceed, do so with caution because there are just a few worry bubbles for me.

BTW you're comparing apples to oranges i.e. a heated stone that may have more treatment with unknown origin to a Kashmir sapphire (that is probably unheated - looking at the price) with an AGL lab report.

 

[GregS]

Like LD said, proceed with caution. But both my girlfriend and I agree, it's a very pretty ring. I like to color of the Sapphire.

 

[minousbijoux]

I hope its as pretty in person as it looks and I hope it is as represented - please consider getting a report through AGL as well, or, at the very least, call GIA to confirm their report. It makes me nervous that they offer such a short return period. That stone looks to be a good example of how silk produces glow. I don't imagine that it will have as much sparkle/scintillation as some stones you've seen, but boy do I hope I'm wrong! One thing I wanted to point out - in the photo you posted where its sitting on the ring stand, I don't know if its just the way the light is hitting it, but I would ask them if there are any chips on the girdle (or anywhere for that matter). I can't tell, but it looks like there might be a chip.

Oh, and bonus points for being a jewelry buying hubby!

 

[ILikeBond]

Thanks for the comments so far.

@LD - Thanks for the advice, following which I emailed the vendor to ask outright if he could say definitively that it had not been treated with Beryllium or any other element. Here was his response, which seems reasonable to me:

Since 2010 we have had to rely heavily on the GIA with some of these new treatments many of which are extremely difficult to detect and as fast as new technology advances to detect these treatments there are unfortunately people trying to cover this up with sapphires and rubies. Last year we started to see one or two sapphires with new treatments one of which is a very deep diffusion sapphire with what appeared to be natural crystals which the GIA found them out to be synthetic crystals.

The GIA along with the GIT,GRS and AIGS are probably the top lavatories in the world for full gem stone identification today.We have had sapphires in the past take over 4 months in advanced testing at the GIA before they came back to us and so far in 2012 we have only had one sapphire from our broker in Sri Lanka where the sapphire had beryllium caught in the fishers but not enchased by beryllium, this treatment was clearly shown on the GIA report just below TE and we of course returned this sapphire back to our broker and marked the stone.

We will only sell 100% natural sapphire either with no treatment or natural heat only, the GIA will always show which treatment/s the sapphire or ruby has had on top or below the TE "indication of heat". I have added a report from the GIA where a sapphire had treatments on top of natural heat which will show how they would show any treatments.

Sadly today the times of having a good Gem gemologist check and study a sapphire to see if this stone was natural or had just had being heat treated. Today it is estimated that over 70% of all natural sapphires sold have being enchased in some way out side natural heat and with out a laboratory report from a top Lab we always treat all sapphires as enchased unless shown other wise.

I apologies for such a long email, sapphires are their treatments is something we are very aware of and go to great lengths to make sure that every sapphire we have listed is 100% natural and not enchased we do cover some of this on our educational pages as well as information on the different laboratories with links straight to the GIA.

I have attached a GIA report for you, you will see how the GIA will go into detail on all treatments outside TE or NTE ( No indication of heat ) .

Please contact myself with any questions or concerns you have I am always very happy to help in anyway I can.


He attached a GIA report for another stone showing TE2, but what I gather from your comment is that you can't necessarily take a GIA "TE" grading as gospel. Is that correct? How much would it cost to have an AGL cert done where they check for treatments beyond heat?

I did a little reading up on some tell-tale signs of BE treatment, like broken crystal and "spring" inclusions, and some signs that a stone was not BE treated, such as intact bubble inclusions, so maybe I'll be able to see something in a loupe that will give me some reassurance (though I kind of doubt it, my eye being untrained and all).

To me, the vendor seems honest and provided a fair response to my question, so I feel relatively comfortable that it probably does not have BE treatment.

Finally, on the apples/oranges thing - that was kind of my point. "My" stone is obviously not of the caliber of the excellent Kashmir, yet despite the apple/orange difference, the color still looks remarkably close, which is pretty neat.

@Minous - Thanks for the suggestion. If I call GIA, what specifically should I ask to confirm the report?

RE the girdle - I think it's just the poor quality of the photo, but I'll definitely take a carefully look for this.

Lastly, on the 2-day review period, while not ideal, there are three mitigating factors: first, the policy seems very strong, e.g., can return for any reason, no questions asked, and they even pay the return shipping, and no restocking fee or any of that annoying stuff; second, I think you just need to call and obtain an return authorization number within 2 days of receipt, but you actually have 5 days to return it; and third, it seems like this is basically a one-guy, or at least a small shop, and so far he has been very responsive and accommodating over email, and from what I can tell, I suspect he wouldn't give too much of a hassle or strictly enforce the policy necessarily.

Thanks very much, and I appreciate any further comments.

 

[Kitten35]

Looks like it has a bit of a window.

I would follow up on the cert as well. But if it is what it says it is...killer color IMO!

 

[LD]

Thanks for the comments so far.

@LD - Thanks for the advice, following which I emailed the vendor to ask outright if he could say definitively that it had not been treated with Beryllium or any other element. Here was his response, which seems reasonable to me:

Since 2010 we have had to rely heavily on the GIA with some of these new treatments many of which are extremely difficult to detect and as fast as new technology advances to detect these treatments there are unfortunately people trying to cover this up with sapphires and rubies. Last year we started to see one or two sapphires with new treatments one of which is a very deep diffusion sapphire with what appeared to be natural crystals which the GIA found them out to be synthetic crystals.

The GIA along with the GIT,GRS and AIGS are probably the top lavatories in the world for full gem stone identification today.We have had sapphires in the past take over 4 months in advanced testing at the GIA before they came back to us and so far in 2012 we have only had one sapphire from our broker in Sri Lanka where the sapphire had beryllium caught in the fishers but not enchased by beryllium, this treatment was clearly shown on the GIA report just below TE and we of course returned this sapphire back to our broker and marked the stone.

We will only sell 100% natural sapphire either with no treatment or natural heat only, the GIA will always show which treatment/s the sapphire or ruby has had on top or below the TE "indication of heat". I have added a report from the GIA where a sapphire had treatments on top of natural heat which will show how they would show any treatments.

Sadly today the times of having a good Gem gemologist check and study a sapphire to see if this stone was natural or had just had being heat treated. Today it is estimated that over 70% of all natural sapphires sold have being enchased in some way out side natural heat and with out a laboratory report from a top Lab we always treat all sapphires as enchased unless shown other wise.

I apologies for such a long email, sapphires are their treatments is something we are very aware of and go to great lengths to make sure that every sapphire we have listed is 100% natural and not enchased we do cover some of this on our educational pages as well as information on the different laboratories with links straight to the GIA.

I have attached a GIA report for you, you will see how the GIA will go into detail on all treatments outside TE or NTE ( No indication of heat ) .

Please contact myself with any questions or concerns you have I am always very happy to help in anyway I can.


He attached a GIA report for another stone showing TE2, but what I gather from your comment is that you can't necessarily take a GIA "TE" grading as gospel. Is that correct? How much would it cost to have an AGL cert done where they check for treatments beyond heat?

I did a little reading up on some tell-tale signs of BE treatment, like broken crystal and "spring" inclusions, and some signs that a stone was not BE treated, such as intact bubble inclusions, so maybe I'll be able to see something in a loupe that will give me some reassurance (though I kind of doubt it, my eye being untrained and all).

To me, the vendor seems honest and provided a fair response to my question, so I feel relatively comfortable that it probably does not have BE treatment.

Finally, on the apples/oranges thing - that was kind of my point. "My" stone is obviously not of the caliber of the excellent Kashmir, yet despite the apple/orange difference, the color still looks remarkably close, which is pretty neat.

@Minous - Thanks for the suggestion. If I call GIA, what specifically should I ask to confirm the report?

RE the girdle - I think it's just the poor quality of the photo, but I'll definitely take a carefully look for this.

Lastly, on the 2-day review period, while not ideal, there are three mitigating factors: first, the policy seems very strong, e.g., can return for any reason, no questions asked, and they even pay the return shipping, and no restocking fee or any of that annoying stuff; second, I think you just need to call and obtain an return authorization number within 2 days of receipt, but you actually have 5 days to return it; and third, it seems like this is basically a one-guy, or at least a small shop, and so far he has been very responsive and accommodating over email, and from what I can tell, I suspect he wouldn't give too much of a hassle or strictly enforce the policy necessarily.

Thanks very much, and I appreciate any further comments.

Interesting he should call them lavatories!

Whilst the jeweller is not wrong in his reply, it does show a lack of understanding somewhat as to treatments. BE diffusion has been around for many many years so I'm a little surprised that he only thinks it's a "newer" treatment. I'm also VERY surprised, if he sells coloured gemstones, that he doesn't list AGL amongt the lavatories he would go to!

You cannot determine BE treatment by sight/loupe. Absolutely not. Only a lab with highly sophisticated equipment can do this. I can't recall whether GIA has this capability or not. However, I would simply ask the vendor whether they would be willing, if you bought the stone, to extend the return warranty and accept the ring back should AGL identify more aggressive treatment. You could respectively point out that AGL are the go-to people in coloured gemstone world and GIA for diamonds. Just say you want to be 100% sure etc etc.

The stone does have a window BUT it's not dreadfully obvious and on the hand I doubt you'll focus on it - the colour/glow will be what you see. BTW I also agree with Minou that I think the silk will mean the stone won't sparkle but oh boy, it'll be replaced with the glowing gobsmacking colour!

 

[justginger]

Thanks for the comments so far.

@LD - Thanks for the advice, following which I emailed the vendor to ask outright if he could say definitively that it had not been treated with Beryllium or any other element. Here was his response, which seems reasonable to me:

Since 2010 we have had to rely heavily on the GIA with some of these new treatments many of which are extremely difficult to detect and as fast as new technology advances to detect these treatments there are unfortunately people trying to cover this up with sapphires and rubies. Last year we started to see one or two sapphires with new treatments one of which is a very deep diffusion sapphire with what appeared to be natural crystals which the GIA found them out to be synthetic crystals.

The GIA along with the GIT,GRS and AIGS are probably the top lavatories in the world for full gem stone identification today.We have had sapphires in the past take over 4 months in advanced testing at the GIA before they came back to us and so far in 2012 we have only had one sapphire from our broker in Sri Lanka where the sapphire had beryllium caught in the fishers but not enchased by beryllium, this treatment was clearly shown on the GIA report just below TE and we of course returned this sapphire back to our broker and marked the stone.

We will only sell 100% natural sapphire either with no treatment or natural heat only, the GIA will always show which treatment/s the sapphire or ruby has had on top or below the TE "indication of heat". I have added a report from the GIA where a sapphire had treatments on top of natural heat which will show how they would show any treatments.

Sadly today the times of having a good Gem gemologist check and study a sapphire to see if this stone was natural or had just had being heat treated. Today it is estimated that over 70% of all natural sapphires sold have being enchased in some way out side natural heat and with out a laboratory report from a top Lab we always treat all sapphires as enchased unless shown other wise.

I apologies for such a long email, sapphires are their treatments is something we are very aware of and go to great lengths to make sure that every sapphire we have listed is 100% natural and not enchased we do cover some of this on our educational pages as well as information on the different laboratories with links straight to the GIA.

I have attached a GIA report for you, you will see how the GIA will go into detail on all treatments outside TE or NTE ( No indication of heat ) .

Please contact myself with any questions or concerns you have I am always very happy to help in anyway I can.


He attached a GIA report for another stone showing TE2, but what I gather from your comment is that you can't necessarily take a GIA "TE" grading as gospel. Is that correct? How much would it cost to have an AGL cert done where they check for treatments beyond heat?

I did a little reading up on some tell-tale signs of BE treatment, like broken crystal and "spring" inclusions, and some signs that a stone was not BE treated, such as intact bubble inclusions, so maybe I'll be able to see something in a loupe that will give me some reassurance (though I kind of doubt it, my eye being untrained and all).

To me, the vendor seems honest and provided a fair response to my question, so I feel relatively comfortable that it probably does not have BE treatment.

Finally, on the apples/oranges thing - that was kind of my point. "My" stone is obviously not of the caliber of the excellent Kashmir, yet despite the apple/orange difference, the color still looks remarkably close, which is pretty neat.

@Minous - Thanks for the suggestion. If I call GIA, what specifically should I ask to confirm the report?

RE the girdle - I think it's just the poor quality of the photo, but I'll definitely take a carefully look for this.

Lastly, on the 2-day review period, while not ideal, there are three mitigating factors: first, the policy seems very strong, e.g., can return for any reason, no questions asked, and they even pay the return shipping, and no restocking fee or any of that annoying stuff; second, I think you just need to call and obtain an return authorization number within 2 days of receipt, but you actually have 5 days to return it; and third, it seems like this is basically a one-guy, or at least a small shop, and so far he has been very responsive and accommodating over email, and from what I can tell, I suspect he wouldn't give too much of a hassle or strictly enforce the policy necessarily.

Thanks very much, and I appreciate any further comments.

Interesting he should call them lavatories!

Whilst the jeweller is not wrong in his reply, it does show a lack of understanding somewhat as to treatments. BE diffusion has been around for many many years so I'm a little surprised that he only thinks it's a "newer" treatment. I'm also VERY surprised, if he sells coloured gemstones, that he doesn't list AGL amongt the lavatories he would go to!

You cannot determine BE treatment by sight/loupe. Absolutely not. Only a lab with highly sophisticated equipment can do this. I can't recall whether GIA has this capability or not. However, I would simply ask the vendor whether they would be willing, if you bought the stone, to extend the return warranty and accept the ring back should AGL identify more aggressive treatment. You could respectively point out that AGL are the go-to people in coloured gemstone world and GIA for diamonds. Just say you want to be 100% sure etc etc.

The stone does have a window BUT it's not dreadfully obvious and on the hand I doubt you'll focus on it - the colour/glow will be what you see. BTW I also agree with Minou that I think the silk will mean the stone won't sparkle but oh boy, it'll be replaced with the glowing gobsmacking colour!

Freudian slip, methinks!

I agree that you should still press for an AGL cert. If he is confident of his products, he will agree.

Personally, I find this stone very attractive. I love the glow of a silky gem and this one looks like it could light up a room. I hope it all works out in your favor, and you're left with a fairly priced, accurately represented ring.

 

[ILikeBond]

Yeah, the guy's spelling is atrocious. One ring description notes that a setting was designed "pacifically" for the stone.

I noticed the lack of AGL mention too. And the small window in one angle, but I figured it was either a non-problematic tilt window (since the stone is at an angle), and/or would not be noticeable on the hand. I certainly don't see it on the hand model, but I'll take a close look at this too.

Thanks for the advice, I'll look into the AGL thing and see if he's willing to extend the warranty.

 

[LD]

Not a tilt window - you can tell from the cutting. I'm pretty confident it has a window - however the silkiness of the gem may make it less obvious.

 

[ILikeBond]

<sigh>

Well, several of your comments were prescient.

The stone is pretty, with a decent color, probably more violet than it looked on the website, and it even sparkles OK. The first picture is the best representation of its color to my eye, and I've included a few other decent photos I snapped (I apologize for the intrusion of my man hands).





But there are some deal breakers:

A very noticeable window.



At least two chips on the girdle, in separate locations, one on the long side of the oval, one on the short. These were hard to photograph, but not hard to see, or feel with my fingernail. This is the best photo I got, you can see one of the chips just above the lower left prong in the photo if you look for disfigurement in the oval shape. I also noticed some small hairs or fibers caught in the prongs, and the stone seemed to be smudged, e.g., with fingerprints. Not a huge deal otherwise, but suggests that the mounting was generally sloppy I think.



These things probably account for the decent price on a nice-colored stone this large, but for that amount of money I'd like something better. I made an appointment to view some sapphires at Gemfix tomorrow at 11 a.m. I'm fortunate to work a few miles from their location. Wish me luck, and I'd appreciate any tips!

------

PS - One additional note, concerning the issue of Beryllium treatment. Last May, Chrono posted the following:

Be diffused stones can be identified by mass spectroscopy like SIMS analysis, LIBS and LA-ICP-MS but these technique is expensive and time consuming. Usually, the presence of certain inclusions is sufficient to prove a particular stone has not been exposed to the high heat temperatures required for diffusions and therefore could not be diffused.

1. CO2 Inclusions – Internal “voids” that contain water and a bubble of carbon dioxide (CO2) are quite common in sapphires from some localities, particularly Sri Lanka. Because CO2 expands when heated, these inclusions cannot survive the very high temperatures necessary for Be diffusion. Therefore, the presence of undamaged inclusions would prove that a stone has not been Be-diffusion treated.

(Full thread here - https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/corundum-sapphire-and-ruby-treatment.175354/.)

I am able to see visible "bubble" inclusions through the side of the stone (see pics). Not sure if these are the CO2 inclusions Chrono is referring to, but perhaps this suggests no BE treatment...?

 

[TonyMontana]

Hi All,

If this stone comes with a GIA rep/cert confirming that its not be-diffused, should be good enough. AGL is a good lab but there are plenty of other labs including GIA who can test and detect be-treatments, and I strongly disagree that they are not reliable!!! That AGL is the only reputable lab for colored stones, might be wishfull thinking of some people but its simply not true.
Furthermore the temperatures that beryllium needs to penetrates the gem must be very high and will melt all the silk in this sapphire.
If it is silky (it does look silky in the pictures), it is an indication that its not be-diffused.

I believe this sapphire is very attractive. Nice open (nearly) cornflower color. Silky apperance. Most important the op (ilikebond) likes the stone.
Regards,
Tony

 

[chrono]

The colour looks nice but the chips are deal breakers for me unless heavily discounted. GIA has the equipment to test for diffusion but I think this unlikely to be diffused due to the heavy silk. It could still be heated but if the labs' GG found other signs that it isn't (the presence of silk is not 100% proof that it is unheated), then I trust their professional opinion.

 

[ILikeBond]

The colour looks nice but the chips are deal breakers for me unless heavily discounted.

Thanks, Chrono. Just out of curiosity, what price would you expect for the stone and setting? I suspect it was discounted due to these issues, but curious to hear your experienced opinion of its value.

Here are the specific details on the ring from the vendor's site:

Clarity and Color - VS-Si - G-H
Sapphrie Carat Total Weight - 4.28 ct
Color - Blue
Cut - Oval
Cut and Polish - Excellent
Diamonds - Excellent
Diamond Cut - Round Brilliant Cut .85 ct & Baguette .20 ct's
Diamond Weight - 1.05 ct's
Exact Carat Total Weight - 5.33 ct's
G.I.A Certified - GIA
Main Stone - Sapphire
Main Stone Color - Rich Cornflower Blue ( GIA bV 4/4 )
Main Stone Treatment - Natural Gentle heat
Metal - Platinum
Metal Purity - PT 950
Rings Finish -Comfort finish
Origin - Sri Lanka ( Ceylon )
Ring Size - 6.5
Ring's Weight - 8.20 grams
Style - Cocktail - Engagement
Treatments - TE- Natural gentle heat only

 

[chrono]

Who rated the sapphire at bV4/4? As far as I know, GIA does not give their opinion on colour grading. I don't understand how a bV can possibly be cornflower blue if violet is the primary colour. The other thing I cannot tell is the workmanship of the setting and verification that the diamonds are indeed the stated colour and clarity.

 

[GemFever]

Good luck with your visit to GemFix ILikeBond!

My only small comment would be that personally I do not see a problematic window in the pics you showed. A little tilt window, but if the stone was exactly what you were looking for otherwise, I wouldn't worry about the tilt window. The most important thing is that you can't see through the bottom of the stone when looking right into the center.

 

[ILikeBond]

Who rated the sapphire at bV4/4? As far as I know, GIA does not give their opinion on colour grading.

No idea. That's what was listed on the website. Most of their items do not list this, I think this may have been the only one I saw...

 

[LD]

Not sure that's a window you're showing. As others have said, it appears to be a tilt window. What do you see when you look straight down into the stone (not tilted in any direction)?

I would have an issue with the chips and also with the setting. The stone doesn't sit well in the basket and there's a very large airspace when viewed from certain angles.

I like the colour of the stone. It's pretty and looks different - to be expected - in your photos. What was your reaction when you opened the package? Your first gut reaction? Sometimes that's a good barometer. We can over-analyse and find faults we wouldn't normally see.

 

[distracts]

Good luck with your visit to GemFix ILikeBond!

My only small comment would be that personally I do not see a problematic window in the pics you showed. A little tilt window, but if the stone was exactly what you were looking for otherwise, I wouldn't worry about the tilt window. The most important thing is that you can't see through the bottom of the stone when looking right into the center.

Ditto. I see a tilt window but only a teensy maybe-window when looking at it straight on.

My issue with this is all their settings just look awkward and have the stone set way too high. And the baguettes on the side are all crooked instead of straight, which makes me so angry.

 

[ILikeBond]

Thanks for the input everyone.

@distracts - the baguettes are one of the major issues I have too! I find the slanting strange.

@LD - I don't see a window looking straight down. I agree with your comments about the setting and the high mounting. My first reaction was a little disappointed, mostly because of the setting issues. I do like the stone, but it was also more violet than I was expecting, it looked more blue in the website photos. I was also disappointed with the chips.

So let me tell you guys about my experience at Gemfix.

Andrew is a wonderful guy! He's jovial, sincere, friendly, extremely knowledgeable, and not at all pushy. It was such a relaxed, fun atmosphere looking at stones with him, and he didn't get annoyed when I went through tens and set aside a dozen "maybes." I would really recommend the experience to anyone. By the way, his shop looks like a little candy shop fully of beautiful colors all staring at you. Hope to take my wife there someday to enjoy and maybe pick out something for the next piece.

Most impressively, soon after arriving, I showed him this ring and asked his opinion. He looked at it under a microscope, noted the silk, and at first thought it had no heat. I told him the GIA report said heated, and after looking some more, he found some evidence of heating. But in a sense, it was light. He said definitely not BE-treated, that would ruin the silk, and it had plenty. He thought it was a very nice color and size, and also that the diamonds in the setting were very good quality. I asked him what he thought was a fair price for the stone and ring (without disclosing what I paid), and he said $4k for the stone, $2k for the setting. When I told him what I paid, he said I got a very good deal. As for the chips, he looked and noted them but said that they were just natural inclusions that had come to the surface during cutting, and that if I wanted they could likely be polished out, either by returning the stone to the vendor or separately, for a few hundred dollars. His comments made me feel a lot better about it, and he nearly convinced me to keep it - which he didn't mind at all!

Nearly...

Thing is, he had so many beautiful stones. After discussing the ring for a while, I set it aside and we started going through his stones. After I had picked 12 "maybes" out, he took me to a jeweler across the hall to discuss whether he could make a setting and set the stone for me by next Wednesday, which is when I want it. It was tight, but the jewler agreed, and I think for a reasonable price for what I was asking.

I then went back to make a final decision on Andrew's stones versus the ring. While the ring stone is huge and a pretty light violet color, I just couldn't help being attracted to some of the more sparkly, rich royal blue stones he had, even though they were smaller. After a good while, I narrowed it down to these 4 (which I snapped with my phone's camera - which does not come close to doing the stones justice! You can see the details of each stone in the cases):

Anyone want to guess which one I chose?





Sending this ring back. It's not bad, and I believe Sapphire Ring Co. is a decent vendor, but for this amount of money, I'd like something that's just a little better quality.

 

[chrono]

Can I have two guesses? Either the oval or the cushion (on both far ends).

 

[athenaworth]

I vote the cushion! And thank you for keeping us posted on your progress. I've been lurking but enjoying the information you've shared. I can't wait to see which one you picked!

 

[ILikeBond]

Good guesses!

Chrono, one of you guesses is right - the oval on the end. All 4 stones were beautiful, but that oval had some extra "oompf" to its royal blue color that I couldn't look past. As a bonus, the stones are arranged on my fingers in order of cost, so I picked the least expsive one. The cushion on the left end was the only unheated stone, and a very beautiful and perfect blend of silk and sparkle, with an awesome color. But given the slightly better color of the oval and the $2.5k difference in price, I was happy to go with the oval.

I'll post some pics of the ring when its done.

 

[minousbijoux]

Yay! Excellent job! Can't wait to see how it looks! And I love it when the best one is the cheapest - for what its worth, and don't know whether you were biased in your photos, the oval was the one I would've gone with for color.

 

[chrono]

I guessed the oval because of the shape, colour and sparkle. I wasn't sure if you minded a cushion or not but hey, if the oval is that much less and you aren't fussed on unheated, it's a great choice.

 

[ILikeBond]

I actually like cushions quite a bit and that was probably my first choice on shape, but I couldn't ignore the color of the oval - it was electric. Hopefully I'll be able to show you all in some better non-cell-phone pics, once I get the ring in-hand.

 

[ILikeBond]

Update -

I picked up the ring today from a jeweler just across the hall from Andrew, who he had introduced me to. I had forgotten how amazing the stone is. It's almost like it has a dark top, but with liquid electric neon purple-blue swimming around inside of it, so that you just want to move it around and try to catch the beautiful but ethereal sparkles. This is partly (or maybe a lot) due to Andrew's Portuguese cut, whose cutlets you can kind of see in some of the pictures to some degree.

The setting is simple but dainty and the sapphire really pops against the F-VS mele (26 stones, 0.55 cttw.). I took some pictures, and hope you enjoy them, but they really don't do the stone justice.

Hope my wife likes it as much as I do.

 

[chrono]

I think you are casting a shadow on the stone in all the pictures. Can you take a few outdoor pictures? That is usually much easier than indoor photography. The setting looks great; good workmanship.

 

[Jereni]

Your final ring is so beautiful! I'm excited that you found a stone that makes you happier. Looking forward to some outdoor pics.

 

[FrekeChild]

Oh it looks beautiful! I'm sure your wife is going to be super excited to have such a gorgeous ring on her finger!

More pics!