Is this a fair trade for a sapphire?

[Crystal_Dreams]

So I would like some opinions please guys!

I had a sapphire with a vendor and something untowards has unfortunately happened to the stone. This is a vendor that I very much so trust and I absolutely do not believe that it was intentional. Regardless, my sapphire (which I had bought through them and left with them for 2 years without deciding how to set it) is gone.

The original stone was an unheated Portuguese cut sapphire weighing 2.15ct, facing up at 7.8mm.

Because of this, the vendor has offered to either replace it with another from their inventory of better cut and colour or refund me. However, the new stone is heated, and of a lower carat weight at 1.82. The face up measurement is the same at 7.8mm.

I got a really good deal (IMO) for the original stone at $1595. It did have a small crystal which could’ve been partially hidden by a prong and also some colour zoning. Although I never saw it IRL, I believe it was a lighter coloured stone, which took on a slightly greyish/purplish tone in poor lighting conditions indoors (though still blue).

The new stone is a slightly darker blue. My preference is actually for a slightly darker stone as long as it never blacks out.

I admittedly like the colour and cut of the new stone better than the original though I have not seen either in person. The vendor has taken multiple videos for me in different lighting conditions for me to see how it behaves. She says it never blacks out, and the video seems to darken it.

It’s hard because it’s an unheated stone for heated. At a smaller carat weight. Yet, colour is king. And the face up is the same. The original stone was GIA certed, and the new stone will also be to confirm that treatment is heat alone.

Here are the videos and photos: unfortunately my files are not of great quality.

Damn. Unfortunately the file type isn’t supported on PS for the videos. I asked for the most unflattering range of lighting conditions for the new stone. All videos and photos of the old stone were in the most flattering lighting apart from with the halo

Old stone:



New stone at its absolute worst (very dim indoors lighting), apparently darker in video than real life:



Outdoors shade:




Outside in strong direct sunlight


From its glamour video:

 

[Obscura]

Do you know what the new stone was listed as? You'll be losing 0.33 a third of a carat and heating, but won't be losing any size. And gaining a better color.

Well, how about this. If you had the option of choosing between the two to begin with for the same price, which would you choose? To me, better color and size are best, but I don't care *too* much about heat. As long as that's all there is.

But that is me. This is your stone and you need to love it.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

I think I would’ve chosen the new stone for its looks! The first stone was pretty, and unheated was a bonus. But given heat is a common and permanent treatment, I don’t mind it too much.

 

[Bron357]

What a shame about your first sapphire.
I really like the second sapphire, I love the RB cut in sapphires, it really suits them in my opinion.
Although the carat weight is less, the size being the same is more important in my book.
Heated vs unheated?
I think you should buy the sapphire, not the treatment, provided it’s heat only.
There’s a premium attached to unheated but the vast majority of sapphires are heat treated to improve clarity.
It’s like the “premium” for origin, all very nice on the lab report but it’s the sapphire you see, wear and enjoy not the lab report.
If I was offered to choose from both sapphires, I’d chose the second one. The colour is better, it has a bit of vivid so I’d enjoy looking at that one more.

 

[Obscura]

There’s a premium attached to unheated but the vast majority of sapphires are heat treated to improve clarity.
It’s like the “premium” for origin, all very nice on the lab report but it’s the sapphire you see, wear and enjoy not the lab report.

This is very well said!

I, too, think the new is gorgeous.

 

[MMtwo]

I am not experienced in colored stones, so take this for what it's worth, but I like the replacement stone more.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

Thank you @Bron357 ! Those were my thoughts, but I really wanted the advice of the PS brains trust on it to make sure I wasn’t doing something silly in allowing for a direct trade of the first stone for the second! It was that vivid colour that drew me in. I knew that I ideally wanted something with vivid colour, which the first stone was not and I also knew I wouldn’t be able to buy elsewhere for that price.

@Obscura , the second stone was never listed and was part of the vendor’s own collection of stones. They offered it to me to try to make up for what happened to my first one

 

[Obscura]

Ah, well, if the vendor was holding it back, that bodes well for the stone.

And as long as you love it, that's what matters! Seem like you do, and I'd love to see it when you get it!

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

The vendor told me that they had paid far more for the new stone than the old one, and the cut and colour were better but it is smaller (carat wise) though face up was similar and heated. They were trying to make up for what had happened with what they felt was a superior stone though of course, by numbers it being a smaller stone and heated were the caveats that they were upfront about.

I really do think the new one will suit me better. The cut is just so pretty! But although I trust the vendor, I wanted to double check with all of you

Having browsed gemfix etc recently, I don’t really think I could buy something similar for that price even if I chose a refund so I think it’s probably worth it?

I actually think the most important thing to me in a sapphire is how saturated it is. Highly saturated colours just tend to pull me in!!

 

[Rfisher]

Color is important of course and it does sound like you like the new sapphire’s color better than the original.
Thus is really really nitpicking - but thought I’d mention it just in case -
The new sapphire looks to have a larger table - lower crown, but am unsure with no profile views.
It also has an outline of short straight lines instead of a curve.
neither are ‘bad’, but wanted to point that out if indeed it would matter.
I think you are also pairing them with OEC’s? Would you want to switch them out to brilliant cuts as well? (I didn’t but it would have bothered other folk to mix)

either way will be lovely - can’t wait to see what you come up with.

PS- I creepy stalked you on an old LT listing and sent you an email

 

[PieAreSquared]

The vendor told me that they had paid far more for the new stone than the old one, and the cut and colour were better but it is smaller (carat wise) though face up was similar and heated. They were trying to make up for what had happened with what they felt was a superior stone though of course, by numbers it being a smaller stone and heated were the caveats that they were upfront about.

I'm positive your jeweler paid more than that for this sapphire. Very professional that she is taking responsibility like that, even at cost to herself.

...The new sapphire looks to have a larger table - lower crown, but am unsure with no profile views.
It also has an outline of short straight lines instead of a curve.
neither are ‘bad’, but wanted to point that out if indeed it would matter.

This would explain why the face-up is the same size but the weight is about 30 points less. Generally speaking, colored stones are cut deeper to maximize the color, in this case the (second) sapphire had good enough color without needing a deep pavilion. That is a plus to me.

 

[JPie]

I love the color of the new sapphire more than the old one! I know nothing of valuation for sapphires though.

 

[Crystal_Dreams]

@Rfisher , thank you for your input! That’s a very good point- mine are OMCs so I might have a chat to her about what she thinks on that!

Just saw your email and replying!!