Is this sapphire inclusion acceptable?

[Joonyk1]

Hi,
I posted a separate thread on here a few months ago asking for opinions on a replacement sapphire for an engagement ring. The general consensus was that the sapphire options were poor.

I decided to choose a sapphire which appeared less clear so that any inclusions would be less visible. Unfortunately I received the ring and there appears to be a very nasty looking inclusion quite close to the surface of the sapphire. It also looked nothing like the gem in the photo which I was sent.

Please could I again ask for your opinion?

 

[voce]

The transparency isn't great. Could you provide a link to your previous thread?

 

[Bron357]

It’s a pretty colour but heavily included. That’s rutile silk that you can see.
From your earlier post you are stuck in an awful situation. From what I can gather, the majority of your $$$$ purchase is in the setting and the $$$ allocated to the centre sapphire modest and hence only lower quality sapphires being offered.
As you said earlier, you can’t get a refund as too much time has passed and you’ve had no luck exploring different options. So you’re pretty much stuck.
I would just accept this as a difficult, unpleasant and awful “learning” experience and move on. I would then save up and search for another and better sapphire and replace it.

 

[T L]

Are you obtaining reputable lab reports with your sapphire choices? When I say reputable, I mean, are they testing for diffusion? Many labs do not have the full ability to do so.

 

[Bron357]

Are you obtaining reputable lab reports with your sapphire choices? When I say reputable, I mean, are they testing for diffusion? Many labs do not have the full ability to do so.

The OP bought a ring set with a sapphire online. After proposing, his fiancée thought the sapphire too dark and due to other serious issues with the ring that developed after a year, they were able, after much effort, to get a replacement sapphire. However, the replacement sapphire options were very limited and the best option the OP thought was this one now in the ring. However, due to the rubbish photo supplied, the first one, the fact that the sapphire is full of rutile wasn’t obvious.
I think at this point, the OP is stuck and should, when finances permit, find another sapphire from a reputable vendor to replace it with.
It’s terrible, the vendors website is full of manipulated photos and nonsense marketing blurb about how “visible imperfections are good because you know it’s natural”!

 

[voce]

Okay, now that @Bron357 has supplied the context, I can tell from the middle photo that is the same stone, but the bottom photo where the sapphire looks its best is clearly taken from an angle where the rutiles aren't noticeable. What vendor is this? This is a despicable practice, and I'm sorry that the vendor duped you by disguising/hiding the inclusions. Is there anything you can do about it at this point?

 

[minousbijoux]

What you see is silk and zoning, can't really say about any inclusions. I tend to agree with Bron...staying with this vendor is like beating a dead horse; they are just not going to provide the quality level acceptable to you.

 

[lovedogs]

Agree with others. I think just accept this stone for now and save up for a better option down the road.

 

[MissyBeaucoup]

The ring is very pretty, and a classic design. I hope you both are able to enjoy it for now. The stone is a nice color and the rutile adds some interesting character. Life isn’t perfect, and marriage surely isn’t. As we grow, we learn and things get better. Your love will blossom, be more colorful, and gain clarity in time. Wishing you much happiness together!

 

[Bron357]

Makes me soooooo mad, really does.
I had a better look at the OPS vendor in the UK - what !!
They use computer generated photos and “video” to display their wares - so deceptive in my opinion. What you see isn’t what you get!
And check out this diatribe regarding their “Premium diamonds”
....our premium quality diamonds look better than those usually sold on the “high street”.
The clarity quality of premium diamonds ranges from I1 to I2, any imperfections can only be noticed if you look very closely at the stone.. within 6 inches.........
If that’s their “premium diamond category” wonder what ordinary or average is ... opaque?

 

[Joonyk1]

The OP bought a ring set with a sapphire online. After proposing, his fiancée thought the sapphire too dark and due to other serious issues with the ring that developed after a year, they were able, after much effort, to get a replacement sapphire. However, the replacement sapphire options were very limited and the best option the OP thought was this one now in the ring. However, due to the rubbish photo supplied, the first one, the fact that the sapphire is full of rutile wasn’t obvious.
I think at this point, the OP is stuck and should, when finances permit, find another sapphire from a reputable vendor to replace it with.
It’s terrible, the vendors website is full of manipulated photos and nonsense marketing blurb about how “visible imperfections are good because you know it’s natural”!

Thanks for this message. I couldn't have put it better myself. Although my head is a bit of a mess with all of this at the moment. My wife is very unhappy with the ring and so it is currently sitting in the box . To be honest it is my fault for deciding to buy the ring online. I was studying a Masters degree at the time and had a limited amount of time, but really wanted to propose. I was also duped by the stupid advertising (cookies) that popped up showing this ring on every website I was on. I wouldn't consider myself a person who is easily manipulated but I feel foolish with this.

I am still arguing with the vendor and demanding a refund. By UK Law the vendor has one attempt to repair a product. If this fails then the buyer can ask for a replacement or refund. I was only told by the vendor that they were going to replace the ring with a new one and was never given the option of a refund. Furthermore, I feel like the item is 'not as described' given the poor photos.

I'll see where I get with it but I may have to keep it and as you say, source a replacement. That's if my wife still wants it.

I also think there is something weird about their Trust Pilot reviews. It went from a poor score to a high score very quickly.

 

[Bron357]

Thanks for this message. I couldn't have put it better myself. Although my head is a bit of a mess with all of this at the moment. My wife is very unhappy with the ring and so it is currently sitting in the box . To be honest it is my fault for deciding to buy the ring online. I was studying a Masters degree at the time and had a limited amount of time, but really wanted to propose. I was also duped by the stupid advertising (cookies) that popped up showing this ring on every website I was on. I wouldn't consider myself a person who is easily manipulated but I feel foolish with this.

I am still arguing with the vendor and demanding a refund. By UK Law the vendor has one attempt to repair a product. If this fails then the buyer can ask for a replacement or refund. I was only told by the vendor that they were going to replace the ring with a new one and was never given the option of a refund. Furthermore, I feel like the item is 'not as described' given the poor photos.

I'll see where I get with it but I may have to keep it and as you say, source a replacement. That's if my wife still wants it.

I also think there is something weird about their Trust Pilot reviews. It went from a poor score to a high score very quickly.

I’m sorry you and your wife are so disheartened by what was supposed to be a special and important gift and time.
I’m not familiar about UK laws and consumer protection remedies but the vendors online advertiser is misleading and deceptive.
They are using computer generated photos and videos to promote their rings. On each of the items, the main photo is not of a “real ring” it is a computer generated ring. In the series of photos per item only one is a real ring.
With the videos, most rings have 2 videos but some only one. The videos titled “close up detail” for your ring and others is FAKE, it is NOT a real ring or hand. The other thing is that you can’t “expand” this video to full screen. This is no doubt because their deception ie fake hand and ring will be more apparent.
And most importantly and where I think you can get remedy is from the Reviews.
Like you said, you, as a novice purchasers, were comforted and encouraged by the fact for your ring that there were 15 glowing reviews from happy purchasers from TrustPilot. See their page (photo 1)...
But wait, that’s totally misleading too (photo 2)....
If you click on the reviews section you get a pop up telling you 0 reviews are actually from Trust Pilot and 15 of 15 are from the company.
You made an online purchasing decision based on misleading and deceptive advertising.
It’s the same throughout their site. All the “close up detail” videos are computer generated and NOT of a real ring or hand.
Of all the reviews throughout their site, only 1 here and there is supposedly from TrustPilot, all the rest are from the company.
99% are not via TrustPilot. They are fraudently asserting that their reviews are unbiased and from Trust Pilot and therefore can be trusted as genuine.
I would be writing a letter to whoever your Government or Industry consumer protection dept is and outlining these deceptive practices and include screen shots from the vendors website.

 

[Bron357]

Please don’t feel like you failed.
These types of vendors make my blood boil.
They are purposefully and knowingly deceiving novice purchasers into buying their crap merchandise by using 100% deceptive and misleading advertising.
Their “information pages” are full of misleading statements. Under Sapphire information they say “clarity is the foremost consideration”. So why exactly did they supply you with that sapphire? It is so full of inclusions the sapphire is barely translucent!
The big issue I have is that the photos they use to promote and peddle their wares are NOT REAL You can’t and won’t receive a sapphire (or emerald or ruby) that looks anything like their computer generated photos and videos. It’s just not possible for the $$$$. Really dark, almost black sapphires like you first received are cheap, really cheap to buy. The next one you got offered, a nice blue, but jam packed full of inclusions, again cheap, really cheap to buy. That’s all they’ll have or offer to purchasers. Cheaply bought by them, low quality gems that proper gem buyers have passed over.
For the prices they charge you simply can’t buy a quality sapphire set in gold with diamonds. An 8 x 6 sapphire of nice quality is easily over $1,000 a carat. That’s a fact, but they know that proper photos and proper description of their gemstones won’t result in sales. So instead they mislead novice purchasers into thinking they are buying “quality” at great prices.

So mad for you.

 

[Bron357]

To cheer you up, once you get your money back, there are some lovely rings out there.
These are off eBay uk, don’t worry, many bricks and mortar jewellers also use eBay as a sales point. These sellers all are established business sellers. They use real photos of the actual ring and all these rings are as good or better carat weight wise AND slightly cheaper even.
All are over 1 carat sapphire and over .50 carat diamonds. 3 are brand new, one is “pre loved”
Now, all these sapphires are slightly less than great, some coloring zoning / a bit of a window but remember “great” costs $$$$ still they beat any day the ones you were offered!
So don’t worry, we can get your dear wife a beautiful ring!

 

[clumberlove]

Maybe ask citizen's advice to see if they can help. They might know who you can complain to / threaten to report to in order to get your money refunded. Unfortunately there's every possibility that this vendor has weaseled through the loopholes and covered themselves in the fine print. I hope you manage to get a refund!

 

[Deathspi]

I’m sorry you and your wife are so disheartened by what was supposed to be a special and important gift and time.
I’m not familiar about UK laws and consumer protection remedies but the vendors online advertiser is misleading and deceptive.
They are using computer generated photos and videos to promote their rings. On each of the items, the main photo is not of a “real ring” it is a computer generated ring. In the series of photos per item only one is a real ring.
With the videos, most rings have 2 videos but some only one. The videos titled “close up detail” for your ring and others is FAKE, it is NOT a real ring or hand. The other thing is that you can’t “expand” this video to full screen. This is no doubt because their deception ie fake hand and ring will be more apparent.
And most importantly and where I think you can get remedy is from the Reviews.
Like you said, you, as a novice purchasers, were comforted and encouraged by the fact for your ring that there were 15 glowing reviews from happy purchasers from TrustPilot. See their page (photo 1)...
But wait, that’s totally misleading too (photo 2)....
If you click on the reviews section you get a pop up telling you 0 reviews are actually from Trust Pilot and 15 of 15 are from the company.
You made an online purchasing decision based on misleading and deceptive advertising.
It’s the same throughout their site. All the “close up detail” videos are computer generated and NOT of a real ring or hand.
Of all the reviews throughout their site, only 1 here and there is supposedly from TrustPilot, all the rest are from the company.
99% are not via TrustPilot. They are fraudently asserting that their reviews are unbiased and from Trust Pilot and therefore can be trusted as genuine.
I would be writing a letter to whoever your Government or Industry consumer protection dept is and outlining these deceptive practices and include screen shots from the vendors website.

Yep, it really annoys me too Bron. As I’ve implied before, it sometimes feels like the UK is the third world of jewellery.

I had an amusing talk with a ‘high end’ jewellery chain recently which went something like this:

Them: The Designer only uses the finest quality diamonds!
Me: But didn’t you say earlier that they are SI GH? That’s not really the finest...
Them: *Akward silence*

I found it funny anyway...

 

[Deathspi]

@Joonyk1 if you are still after a nice sapphire ring mat I make a suggestion? I’ve bought a few things from this lady on FB, (she used to be on eBay) and she has a nice mix of jewellery. Ask to see some of her sapphires and she’ll sort you out. She’s really lovely to deal with.
https://www.facebook.com/katherinesldn/