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I went on Craigslist and this happened....

Niel

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My apologies it gets wordie but its got a payout.
I was bored one evening in June. I usually will peruse Loupetroop, Ebay, RubyLane and others to find jewelry I may want to purchase, as I am sure many of you do. I was uninspired with the jewels I was finding, as I’d found them many times before. I thought to myself, where can I look that I haven’t before. I decided to go to Craigslist because, why not?
Typed in “diamond ring” and found a small return. The majority where Kay’s and Jared’s rings; Sprinkled in where a few small marquise 80’s rings and the random add for a local jeweler. The search resulted in terrible rings except for one that caught my eye.
Listed at 899 OBO was an ostentatious ballerina setting with a cushion cut sapphire. The listing showed some hard to read photos and an appraisal from 1983. Per the appraisal it’s a 2.08 sapphire with about 2cts worth of diamonds. I was skeptical but intrigued. I read the listing, in which the seller explained he was an ebay seller. Fantastic! I could go to his ebay site and buy with confidence. I quickly found his ebay listing where he had it listed for slightly less than the Craigslist but without an OBO. It was still more than I wanted to pay, something around $800. I emailed his eBay account to inquire about better, more accurate photos so I could tell what it looked like inside. I was impressed with the color, but after showing it to some of my PS friends – they suggested it was probably helped with photo editing.

I got photos of it indoors, and was still very impressed. The man was nice, seemed friendly, and was telling me about how he ran for local office. I work on the phone for a living. Talking to hundreds of people a week, I feel like I have a good read on people based on phone conversations. Because of this, I thought, he seems trustworthy, let me see if I can’t get this done locally. I offered to buy it in cash if he would take 775. He said sure, took the listing off eBay, and offered to meet at a local McDons. He say we “would need to meet soon, “as he had another woman “very interested in the ring”, its “very popular.” Clearly he was trying to make a sale, but what if he wasn’t! bah! I want to see it!

The day came to meet and I chickened out. I was certain I was going to get murdered, and didn’t want to do it! I emailed him and told him I wasn’t going to make it, but had another idea. I expressed to him that I really did want to buy it through eBay as it would mean I could protect my personal safety and financial safety. I explained I preferred the buyer protection of eBay and would be willing to pay the more expensive eBay price if he would relist it. He said no. He explained he would not do that because I specifically mentioned possibly returning it, and he could not do that as hi “business was very small and has a small overhead.”
I was uncomfortable! I said I only wanted to return it if it came back as something other than sapphire, why did he care?! Is he trying to screw me?? I was put off and told him to ignore the whole thing. We didn’t email again for a few days. I was still thinking about the ring, though. He emailed me a few days later and said he would consider selling it for $675. Obviously it wasn’t as popular as he claimed haha!
My life was important, but this seemed like a very good deal :lol: so was worth the possible murder. I said yes, but we had to meet somewhere safe. I suggested a police station, but that was out of the way, he suggested a church where his kids where having a VBS. I felt as though I wouldn’t be murdered in front of a lot of children, so I said that sounded fine.
I met him and he was a little annoying. He kept calling it a Ceylon sapphire (like how would you even know), and suggested I join the church where we met, as he was a deacon. The church had most of the lights off and it was late in the day. The sapphire wasn’t as stunning indoors. We took it outside and I was happy with the performance, but it was late in the day, as I said, and the lighting wasn’t ideal. I still wanted it, so I paid him and left.
The setting, which is obviously terrible, didn’t keep me from sporting the ring out for a few days. After wearing it and staring at it and gushing over it, wouldn’t you know it I fell for the setting too! I want to reset it eventually, but not ASAP like I had originally thought ::)
Since I was not going to unset the sapphire right away I figured I might as well send it to AGL set as who knows when it would be unset. I sent it off and it was received on July 1st. As soon as it was received by agl I started to panic! Why didn’t I just take it to a local jeweler?! It could have been a tanzanite! Youre an idiot, Niel!
I got an email shortly after AGL received my stone that was very short stating only that my ring was ornate and would require a prestige report. Um, excuse me, what?! That’s an extra 100 and I have no need for this. And what if it’s a tanzanite! Oh I was annoyed. I emailed them back and told them that I wanted an explanation as to what made it so ornate. Yeah, its gaudy, but its still just a sapphire in a diamond halo. Getting no response back to my email, I called. I got a nice man who looked at it (clearly thought it was hideous ) and said “yeah, I mean its ornate but its fine we can still do a gem brief”.

Ok, great. Now I just have to wait and worry I just bought a tanzanite. While I was waiting I found a number of faudy rings no eBay and Ruby lane. All like my ring, and all with tanzanites. None more troubling than the one linked here

oh my god! I bought a tanzanite!

The whole thing was now making me very annoyed and anxious. Finally today I got a call from AGL. I missed it and listened to the voicemail. “this is the American Gemological Society.” Crap. Im thinking…. Ugh it could be an unheated sapphire (yeah right), it could be heat only, (mmmmmmaybe) it could be treated out of its mine (please noooooo!) or it oculd be a tanzanite (ugh it’s a tanz im sure )
I call them back to see what they wanted, it was regarding shipping my ring. Results?? Heat only!! Woop woop.
Im over the moon. I never expected untreated, and I truly expected a tanz by the end. So im so happy with the result!

next, my photos!

tanzy.png

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Niel

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Outdoors in a few different lightings

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Niel

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My coworker gets headaches so she won't let any natural light at work. Something about the glair on the screens. Anyways, because of that it's only florescent lighting, and here's what it does there. The first shot is the "worst" it looks. I still like it, just cool toned , vs the nicer warm tones it gets in natural lighting.

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Niel

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The appraisal, which I'm inclined to believe after the agl findings, says it's just over 2ct

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chrono

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Firstly, thank goodness you are safe!

Secondly, that's a great bargain and I don't mind the setting at all, even though it's very different from what we see often on PS.
 

Acinom

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Ha! That's great news from AGL Niel. The stone has a stunning color :love:
The ring looks beautiful on your slender hand. Great find for an unbelievable price :appl:

Please post in the 'fabulous CS rings below 1250$' thread as well.
 

kgizo

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What an emotional roller coaster. I'm glad it is over and you got something love! I totally get what you mean about the setting is growing on you. I call it the "ugly dog" syndrome. There are some things that are so gaudy and unique they, like an ugly dog, cross over into being fun and fabulous. And the setting nicely features the beautiful blue of the sapphire.
 

Niel

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kgizo|1469474137|4059157 said:
What an emotional roller coaster. I'm glad it is over and you got something love! I totally get what you mean about the setting is growing on you. I call it the "ugly dog" syndrome. There are some things that are so gaudy and unique they, like an ugly dog, cross over into being fun and fabulous. And the setting nicely features the beautiful blue of the sapphire.
Yes! Emotional rollercoaster is precisely the right way to put it
 

minousbijoux

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Way to go Niel! Two good things I notice right away - it does not close up/black out in direct sunlight! And it looks quite decent in fluorescent light! Whoop, whoop is right! I guess the proselytizing you experienced was worth it after all! :lol:
 

Niel

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minousbijoux|1469475682|4059168 said:
Way to go Niel! Two good things I notice right away - it does not close up/black out in direct sunlight! And it looks quite decent in fluorescent light! Whoop, whoop is right! I guess the proselytizing you experienced was worth it after all! :lol:

Thanks! You're exactly right it doesn't ever black out. This has been what has kept me from getting a blue sapphire; the blacking out. I like a cobalt warm blue, but I always avoided sapphires as they seemed when that was their"best color", their not so best color seemed too dark or even black. This one gets cobalt in a select type of lighting, but gets lighter as opposed to darker in not ideal lighting
 

mastercutgems

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Niel !!!

You are a great story teller and I love the sapphire; my favorite color blue; it glows !!! :love:

Most Respectfully;

Dana Reynolds
ASG Certified
Supreme Master Gem Cutter
#96CGE42
 

katharath

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I am very impressed, congrats!! I loved getting to read the whole story all at once- I was so afraid you were going to end with something like "and now I'm just waiting to hear from the lab..." :D
 

Niel

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katharath|1469478864|4059193 said:
I am very impressed, congrats!! I loved getting to read the whole story all at once- I was so afraid you were going to end with something like "and now I'm just waiting to hear from the lab..." :D

Haha. I would have been too embarrassed to post this while still waiting to hear the results!
 

PattyCo

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What a great story, and better ring! You sure do have mad skills when it comes to finding great deals. I have seen you do it over and over again. Do you have any plans for your beautiful blue bombshell?
 

Niel

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PattyCo|1469480796|4059206 said:
What a great story, and better ring! You sure do have mad skills when it comes to finding great deals. I have seen you do it over and over again. Do you have any plans for your beautiful blue bombshell?
Well thanks for asking! I had a typo in my post it has about a ct, not two, of stones in the halo. I would like to use the stones in the halo to make a princess Diana style halo with a plain tri wire shank, complete with many little prongs like the Princess di ring. Shell still be very 80s, which is good because I've already named her Valerie. My favorite 80s ring named for a favorite 80s song

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lovedogs

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What a great story with an awesome outcome! Hooray for you, and the ring is really beautiful. I also like the setting (it's unique and not what we see a lot, but beautiful in its own right!). The stone is amazing and you got a great deal! Nice work!
 

Niel

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lovedogs|1469481688|4059214 said:
What a great story with an awesome outcome! Hooray for you, and the ring is really beautiful. I also like the setting (it's unique and not what we see a lot, but beautiful in its own right!). The stone is amazing and you got a great deal! Nice work!
It reminds me, and a few people have pointed it out too, to be similar to Heidi Gibson's stuff
 

PattyCo

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What lovely plans you have for your ring! Have you thought of who to make it for you? Will you have a plain band or use a couple of the baguettes, maybe one on either side? For all you have done to help other it's nice to see you get something wonderful. I'll be looking(stalking,lol) for updates!
 

derbygal

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Wow what an adventure. The color is just perfect. I feel the same about wanting a sapphire but wanting it to be really blue. Not even a little black. So glad it went well.
 

Rfisher

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Great score- beautiful stone.
Even better story, and you do have awesome storytelling skills.
Thanks for sharing it with us!
"It was worth the possible murder"
Ha ha ha ha ha! love it!
 

ninisaurus

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Wow, what a great find! The colour is perfect and it's cute how it now comes with a story! I actually like the setting it came in but your planned setting is definitely more classy and elegant. Bravo :appl:
 

artdecolover71

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SO Happy for you and cracking up at your hysterical description of your thoughts pre meeting. It is just beautiful and a great buy! (You can please text me and tell me what a stone like that goes for as you know I am a CS dummy lol!).
 

sarahb

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That is a pretty color Neil, and nice looking diamonds too--I think you really scored huge on that one!! Congrats!!
 

hathalove

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I love this story! Such a great find and you already know I LOVE the color!
 

GLbluegreen

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Very interesting adventure. I was afraid of a bad ending for you. I went with my daughter once for safety purposes to meet someone who posted an ad on Craigslist for paralegal services. We met at a busy Starbucks and everything seemed on the up and up and the man seemed respectable and as if he had proper credentials. So my daughter gave him a $500 deposit. Guess what ? That was the last we saw of him and my daughter totally got ripped off. Anyways, I just wanted to add that I am so happy it turned out to be what you hoped for and I think it's really pretty in the setting it's in. Great intuition. :dance:
 

Venti25

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Nice find! I'm glad it worked out for you :dance:
 

missy

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LOL love the story and even better I love the ring. I don't mind the setting either but that sapphire is beautiful. What a gorgeous blue. :love:

Great deal Niel and thank you for sharing the entertaining story. I have to say when you wrote:
My life was important, but this seemed like a very good deal :lol: so was worth the possible murder.
I thought oh yeah a girl after my own heart. I would have (probably) done the same. PSers we are a brave bunch for bling. :lol:

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Niel

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Thanks everybody! I got it back today and the measurements support the 2.08 ctw the old appraisal claims at 7.8*5.61*4.89
 

Niel

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GLbluegreen|1469514165|4059361 said:
Very interesting adventure. I was afraid of a bad ending for you. I went with my daughter once for safety purposes to meet someone who posted an ad on Craigslist for paralegal services. We met at a busy Starbucks and everything seemed on the up and up and the man seemed respectable and as if he had proper credentials. So my daughter gave him a $500 deposit. Guess what ? That was the last we saw of him and my daughter totally got ripped off. Anyways, I just wanted to add that I am so happy it turned out to be what you hoped for and I think it's really pretty in the setting it's in. Great intuition. :dance:

Oh gosh I'm sorry to hear that. And yes I should say this story is not meant to encourage anyone else to go to cregslist for sapphire's,b it I thought it an interesting story
 
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