Huge 'Aquamarine'-Sapphire: Before and after recut

[the-fox]

Hello and Cheers from Switzerland!

have a look at this huge, over 19.45 ct. sapphire. I bought it in Germany from a watch-trader. He said it's probably an aquamarine,
but it turned out to be an untreated sapphire... it is also color-changing.

First the 'before' - it was gigantic, but definitely 'not in good shape'...:

 

[chrono]

Ummm....I hope you'll come back with the after pictures. Would also love to know the dimensions of the before and after.

 

[LD]

Ummm....I hope you'll come back with the after pictures. Would also love to know the dimensions of the before and after.

Chrono - I think, but am not sure, that the top photos are the "after" shots. If you look at the bottom photo it's very lopsided but far more even in the upper photos. Also the tone appears to have changed (but could be the photos).

 

[T L]

Ummm....I hope you'll come back with the after pictures. Would also love to know the dimensions of the before and after.

Chrono - I think, but am not sure, that the top photos are the "after" shots. If you look at the bottom photo it's very lopsided but far more even in the upper photos. Also the tone appears to have changed (but could be the photos).

You're correct LD. I think the OP should post some views from the table up. It's hard to tell the quality of cutting from the side or a tilted view.

 

[minousbijoux]

It would also be good if the OP would provide before and after stats. And definitely better photos!

 

[chrono]

I was confused because his last paragraph stated, "first, the before". I interpreted that to mean the first few pictures are the original stone. I noticed the culet seems centered in the fourth picture but lopsided in the last. I cannot get a full picture of the improvement with only profile views and some tilted shots. Would definitely love to see some hand shots too.

 

[VapidLapid]

From what little there is to go on in these pictures it appears to have lost much of its color in the nachschleifen.

 

[minousbijoux]

From what little there is to go on in these pictures it appears to have lost much of its color in the nachschleifen.

VL you are just full of überraschens

 

[the-fox]

nope, it's all the same stone BEFORE recutting!
remember, it's a color-changer.
here another shot BEFORE:

 

[JewelFreak]

Had to all be the same -- all the pics say 19 cts. What about the After?

 

[LD]

Well I'm surprised! The photos look incredibly different.

However, one thing that I really don't understand is why the saturation levels are so different? With colour changers you don't get that effect.

Do you have any photos of:-

1. The gem "before" with a top down/face on shot
2. The gem "after" with a top down/face on shot

 

[mastercutgems]

Good Find


The different saturation is due to all the different backgrounds ( wood golden color, flesh, dark wood, white ruler, etc.) and lighting conditions; the light background; one or more has a flash, then the hand shot which cups the gem giving it a richer body color, they all look like the same whop-sided cut pavilion to me; but the many different locations, backgrounds, and lighting arrangements will surely effect the saturation and tone as it is a lighter bodied colored gem...

I will be interested to see what style of cut the cutter or owner chooses as that is a big sapphire; something to hide the veil will be nice... Glad to see them get a good buy if they did not pay much as if they thought it was a aqua with a veil it had to go rather cheaply...

I definitely want to see the stone after re-cut..

Most respectfully;

Dana

 

[the-fox]

Yes, the pronounced color-differences have to do with different background and use of flash.
But additionally also the quite interesting color-change effect of the stone.

here two more photos before recut,
tomorrow I will post the result of the recutting...it is just so spectacularly different, you won't believe
it!

 

[VapidLapid]

Why postpone joy?

Post today!!!

 

[chrono]

2 days later and still no After pics; Fox really wants to amp up the suspense.

 

[JewelFreak]

Yeah, now my tongue is almost hanging out.

 

[the-fox]

here, the first photos after recut...

the downside: It has shockingly shrinked to a 'mere' 7.21 ct...
But it was well worth it!

it's a newly designed hexagonal cut - and I am allowed to give it a name. So far I have come up with 'Eiskristall'
(Ice-Crystal). But it's not the most creative name...it certainly goes along well with the color of this particular
sapphire though.

 

[minousbijoux]

Is it cut by Uri at Osiris gems?

 

[minousbijoux]

Dramatic difference - its awesome that you love it! What color is it? It looks to be almost clear but ever so slightly blue?

 

[the-fox]

The cutter is a secret for the moment

and the color is pretty fascinating, is so much depends on the light! I will soon post more photos in different
backgrounds and lights. It has such an enchanting sparkle!

 

[LD]

Do you mind if I'm brutally honest?

I love the new cut and your name for it - Ice Crystal just fits it so well. It looks remarkably like a Uri cut - so my money would be on him as the lapidarist!

BUT

I can't help but feel that the colour has been sacrificed with the recut. This can happen and is something that we always warn people about. Having said that, it's difficult to judge colour accurately in photos but in the "before" shots, it's definitely blue. In the recut photos, it looks very grey indeed.

My other concern is that you've gone from a 20ct to a 7ct stone which is a huge loss of weight. I therefore wonder if the loss of colour and carat weight means that value has been lost also. Clearly it's much more beautiful (so marketable) now but those are my worries. Did the cutter warn you about the huge loss in weight?

It's a very distinct cut so I'm keen to know what your plans are for setting (if any). This will certainly be a very interesting project.

 

[chrono]

The cut is spectacular but I am afraid it seems to have lost most of its colour. Naturally, when a stone loses more than half its carat weight, that is to be expected. I guess I am in the camp of colour first and foremost, while cut remains a distant second.

 

[Kim Bruun]

First, I think you did right to recut it - the native cut was simply too lopsided, windowed, and roughly finished. The new cut has a sort of cold beauty to it - cold because it's all angles and straight lines, if you follow. It's still a big stone, and I can imagine that it is positively dazzling when the light reflects directly into the eyes from the pavillon!

It's interesting, though, how the recut has sucked the colour right out of the stone, and that would definitely have disappointed me. I'd have to stretch my imagination quite a bit to see any blue in the two photos after the recut. A seller might kindly phrase it like this: "This stone is not for those seeking the immediate impact of a cornflower blue, but if you are willing to invest time and patience, this stone is very rewarding."

I'd be curious to see if your stone still exhibits some of that admittedly not very saturate but still obviously blue colour in certain lighting conditions.

 

[minousbijoux]

The odd thing is that the recovery was less than if you had started with a piece of rough, so it really is a huge loss in weight.

 

[minousbijoux]

I wonder if it was photographed on a surface background that wasn't so grey/black whether it would have a touch more blue? Still, I agree that it does seem to have become desaturated with the cut.

 

[chrono]

Is the huge weight loss due to the necessity of cutting out that veil?

 

[VapidLapid]

I think it is a lovely stone. The yield is a quite respectable 37%. Considering that you went with an entirely different shape, and that half the original pavilion had a great deal of excess weight I think you've done quite well.

 

[minousbijoux]

I think it is a lovely stone. The yield is a quite respectable 37%. Considering that you went with an entirely different shape, and that half the original pavilion had a great deal of excess weight I think you've done quite well.

Good to hear from a cutter type. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the Uri style cutting, so I may be biased. Still, it seems a large weight loss and I can't help but wonder if a lapidary could've cut it well without sacrificing as much weight...

 

[LD]

I'm not 100% sure but isn't that the veil that's still visible in photo 1 - look at 10-11 o'clock. In photo 2 it's rotated slightly and now at 1-2 o'clock.

Thanks for the clarification VL. I'm very surprised at the loss of weight. I do hope that Fox was pre-warned otherwise that would have been a big shock. I think I would have fainted - having said that, the lovely cut would probably make up for it!

 

[chrono]

LD,
I saw that too but thought perhaps it was a reflection of something else, perhaps a step or something.