I'm not sure if my Sapphire ring is real

[Sarah_G]

Hi!! I just got engaged a week ago. I saw the engagement ring while my mom was looking on the Shop LC store online and I told my boyfriend that I loved it. A couple days ago, I noticed a scratch on a part of the stone. I've been researching Sapphires and found out that they are really hard to scratch up. Well, I downloaded a magnifying app on my phone and I found more scratches! I don't care if my ring is real or not, but it's upsetting me that there are scratches on the stone already. Here's a picture.

 

[lovedogs]

You'll likely get more responses in the colored stone forum. Do you have a link to the place you originally saw the ring?

 

[stracci2000]

I went to the Shop LC website to look at their sapphires. Is yours called Masoala sapphire?
It says the "Masoala" sapphires are fissure glass filled. They treat the sapphire by filling any cracks(fissures) with blue glass.
So the scratches you are seeing are probably inclusions(fissures) breaking the surface of the stone
These sapphires, while pretty, are not high quality.

 

[Bron357]

Hi, I’ve sorry to have to tell you this but I checked out the website where you bought your ring and found that they sell rings with a stone they call a “Masoala Sapphire”.
This is a completely made up name (by them I presume) to describe a sapphire that is filled with blue coloured glass to fill up all the cracks and holes.
What this means is a piece of rubbish sapphire crystal is highly treated and filled up with blue coloured glass to make it look a pretty proper gemstone.
These stones can be more than 50% coloured glass and of course this fake glass filling can very easily and quickly start to crack, chip and fall out.
I think that is what is happening with your ring, it got so much glass in it that it’s already chipping and falling out.
I would return the ring and get a refund and I would not buy another ring from them, their marketing practices are intentionally misleading. They are making out it some sort of real sapphire when it isn’t, they only mention the “process” in the fine print.
If you are wanting a budget conscious engagement ring, buy a synthetic sapphire. This is a stone that is man made in a lab but they are exactly the same material as a natural sapphire so will not chip and scratch like the glass filled ones will.

 

[rockysalamander]

I totally agree with @Bron357 and @stracci2000 that you should return this.

Just to add, however, it is not hard to scratch a sapphire. I've scratched mine several times. My mom tripped off her shoes and managed to scratch a quite expensive sapphire on a concrete wall badly enough to need to be restored.

You can buy nice and precision-cut man-made sapphires from AlternativesLapidary@Etsy. He'll custom cut to order, but likes to work over 6.5 mm in size. Several other cutters will cut synthetic material. You might get some additional suggestions over on the Colored Gemstones Forum.

 

[lovedogs]

Sorry, Op, but I agree with others who are suggesting you return for something of better quality. Precision cut lab sapphire is gorgeous if you want a budget friendly option. Also, lab sapphires are the same hardness as natural sapphire (unlike what you have now, which is largely glass).

 

[Sarah_G]

@lovedogs, @Bron357, @stracci2000, @rockysalamander

This is my ring. I cannot return the ring now since I took the tag off of it.

 

[MarionC]

It’s a pretty ring and you love it. I say wear it and enjoy it!
It may get a few more dings over time, but they all get some “love” along the way.

 

[lovedogs]

@lovedogs, @Bron357, @stracci2000, @rockysalamander

This is my ring. I cannot return the ring now since I took the tag off of it.

Thanks for the info! It definitely looks like it's glass filled, and is largely glass rather than natural stone. That means it will chip, scratch, and get damaged quite quickly. But if you love it, then wear it! Just be aware that it likely won't last too long.

 

[Sarah_G]

If anything, I can get a stone separately and have it set in the band. I'm not upset over it being fake, I just hate that there are scratches on it. I really do like it. My fiance is upset over it as well and he's thinking about saving up for a different and better engagement ring.

Thank you for your input!!!

 

[Bron357]

Have a look on eBay. There are a number of very beautiful 10kt gold (better than sterling silver) set with lovely lab sapphires for around $200.
A ring in gold with a lab sapphire will wear very well.
I think the cost of replacing the glass filled stone in your current ring might cost as much as the actual ring, and it might be tricky because your ring is sterling silver and it’s often not possible to bend out and rebend back in the claws as sterling silver can be brittle ie the claw could snap off.
Gold is better and easier metal to work with than silver.
And don’t be upset about getting a different engagement ring lots of us here on Pricescope have had a few different engagement rings over the years - upgrades, re sets and new styles.

 

[kmoro]

Honestly, you usually get what you pay for.

For $80, the ring is quite pretty ... having a low quality stone must be expected at that price.

I hope you’re able to enjoy it even with the scratches. I would not return it ... you won’t find anything better for $80. Save up so that, when it’s so scratched you can’t stand it, you can replace the stone with a higher quality one.

Well, that’s what I would do.

In the meantime. I think you did really well for $80!