New to colored stones! Need blue stone....

[purplesparklies]

Hello!

I don't know anything about colored stones so I am hoping to get some guidance. I am throwing my mom a surprise 60th birthday party in June. Her favorite color is blue. Blue house, blue car, blue......you name it, it's blue! . The theme of her party is "blue". Everyone is bringing a blue gift....you get the picture. Naturally, I want to give her something special and it must be blue. Obviously I know sapphires are blue but they are pricey. After all the party expenses I need something relatively inexpensive. Probably $800 max. I want eye clean clarity and the best cut possible. Any advice on what to look for?

Thank you so much for any help!

 

[chrono]

Does your $800 budget also include the setting? Another nice way to get a good deal is to look at the pre-owned section of PS where the stone is already set.

 

[slksapphire]

Does your $800 budget also include the setting? Another nice way to get a good deal is to look at the pre-owned section of PS where the stone is already set.

ditto ... don't want to violate any rules but there is a very pretty aqua for sale now ... a bit more expensive than your budget but close enough where there might be a deal (assuming pale blue is what you are looking for!)

and what a wonderful idea for a party/gift!

 

[T L]

Does your $800 budget also include the setting? Another nice way to get a good deal is to look at the pre-owned section of PS where the stone is already set.

ditto ... don't want to violate any rules but there is a very pretty aqua for sale now ... a bit more expensive than your budget but close enough where there might be a deal (assuming pale blue is what you are looking for!)

and what a wonderful idea for a party/gift!

Yes, please check out the pre-loved jewels forum. It can be found under the link, "Pricecope Cafe" in under "Forums."

 

[LD]

Before you look on this forum can I just add a few things that you need to bear in mind:-

1. This forum is full of gemstone junkies who "typically" buy the best stones so prices may be higher than you see elsehwere BUT the quality may be much better.

2. You said you wanted "eye clean" but most coloured gemstones are not and this will limit your search considerably.

3. Does your Mum know anything about gemstones? If she doesn't then the chances are she won't be too bothered by treatment levels. For example, you've said that Sapphires are expensive and yes, for eye clean, top colour and untreated they are BUT if you don't mind heat treatment (and most people don't - as I said only gem junkies may object!), not top colour and perhaps with some inclusions that would be seen if you put your eye a few mm away from the stone then you can find some really lovely gems within your budget.

4. Do you want a ring that your Mum can wear most days? If so, durability will be an issue. Only Rubies, Sapphires and a few other gemstones are suitable for every day wear.

5. Do you know the size of your Mum's fingers and also whether she likes HUGE gems or tiny weenie ones or something inbetween. This is important because it will change the price dramatically.

6. If you want a huge stone in an inexpensive setting and you don't care about treatment then you can get some fabulous large Swiss Blue Topaz set in silver. It's not an everyday stone but it's relatively inexpensive and so could be replaced if you needed to.

Hope that helps.

 

[innerkitten]

Do you plan on getting something simple? What type of metal? If you like silver how about a simple setting from an etsy vendor like this guy who's prices aren't too high.
http://www.etsy.com/people/danielmjewelry I have yet to use him myself but I hear good things about his work. And you'll have more to spend on a stone. Ld mentioned blue topaz. That's an option. Sapphire is nice too especially if it's a ring for daily wear as was mentioned already. Blue spinel is an option and is still pretty hard but it might be more of a lavender or grey blue.

I like this sapphire trilliant. It's a nice size and it would still leave you a couple hundred left for a setting http://www.simplysapphires.com/html/imagesblue2006/bluetns167-sm.html

 

[SB621]

You can get a blue sapphire diamonds by the yard necklace- I think that would be a lovely gift and it would be within budget.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I just want to mention one other thing about the pre-loved section. Most are SALES ARE FINAL. Most vendors give you a return period, most on pre-loved do not. If you are new to jewelry and stone buying, I suggest looking elsewhere.


Annette

 

[T L]

Hi,

I just want to mention one other thing about the pre-loved section. Most are SALES ARE FINAL. Most vendors give you a return period, most on pre-loved do not. If you are new to jewelry and stone buying, I suggest looking elsewhere.


Annette

I respectfully disagree. Many of the people that sell colored gemstone jewelry in the pre-loved section are gemstone collectors that really know what they're buying, and are very honest. If you're concerned, you can always search their userid on Pricescope. Many would not want to risk their reputation by selling something that was not as described as what it truly is. I think you're likely to get ripped off at a jewelry store at a mall, where treatments are rarely disclosed, and you're often overpaying. There are some wonderful bargains to be had on the pre-loved forum.

While most sales are final, sometimes a review period can be worked out with someone. I personally would only buy from established PS members, and so far, I have heard absolutely no complaints from anyone about what they've purchased on the pre-loved forum, or complaints about the sale process in general. If I'm wrong, I hope someone corrects me, and if you've had a personal bad experience on the pre-loved forum, then I'm sorry, and please correct me as well.

 

[chrono]

Like buying from anywhere else, ask as many questions as you feel you need to and additional pictures to make you as comfortable as possible with your purchase. I have no qualms buying from the pre-loved section and have done so once. I found it an excellent deal as I scored a lovely stone that is already set at a competitive price.

 

[purplesparklies]

Hello all! Thanks for the feedback. I did not disappear just couldn't check in because my mom was in town for my son's birthday. Yes, unfortunately the $800 includes all. Looking for med. - dark blue so no aqua. Mom has good taste but she is not knowledgable about stones so permanent treatment is fine. Stone doesn't need to be flawless, just eye clean for a 60-yr. old, I suppose. Am open to eBay, db, ps pre-owned, etc..... Just looking for some suggestions. Tanzanite?

 

[purplesparklies]

Also, med. size stones. Nothing too huge but she likes a nice size. No silver. White gold is good. Yes, something appropriate for everyday wear but she is careful.

 

[ForteKitty]

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...ang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC18764-Cat56640&topnav=

 

[innerkitten]

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Produc...ang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC18764-Cat56640&topnav=

http://www.bluenile.com/blue-topaz-ring_17210

 

[chrono]

It is going to be a tough one, given the budget and size/colour combo. Since you mentioned that a permanent treatment is acceptable, does that mean a diffused sapphire is acceptable? If so, you can easily meet your medium blue requirement, mid sized stone, setting and all. A diffused sapphire is still a natural sapphire, only that it has been treated under extremely high heat with added minerals (usually beryllium) to improve the colour. It is essentially a dye than permeates evenly throughout the sapphire and is permanent.

 

[distracts]

Ice.com is a good place to buy if you don't mind treated stones. I have found their quality and return policy to both be good. Some of their pieces have videos, and those are always more accurate than the photographs as to color.

Here are a couple of things:
tanzanite ring - http://www.ice.com/rings/gemstone-ring-prd_rcc_040503.jsp
sapphire swirly band thing - http://www.ice.com/rings/precious-gemstone-ring-prd_rcp_016183.jsp

They even have this whole blue section right now, though most of the things have silver settings:
http://www.ice.com/features/nautical.jsp?ICID=HS-1

A few more I liked from BN:
http://www.bluenile.com/sapphire-pearl-earrings_6183
http://www.bluenile.com/sapphire-earrings_13656
http://www.bluenile.com/sapphire-pearl-pendant_6220
http://www.bluenile.com/sapphire-diamond18k-white-gold-pendant_13666
http://www.bluenile.com/london-blue-topaz-diamond-14k-white-gold-pendant_21762

From DB:
http://diamondbistro.com/category/196/Rings/listings/28202/Reduced-Blue-spinel-ring.html
http://diamondbistro.com/category/211/Earrings/listings/27892/Reduced-AGain!14kwg-Sapphire-and-diamond-earrings!.html
(If you are open to treated stones, basically every second-hand sales website and store will have something in your budget.)

If you don't want to buy a pre-made piece, my favorite gem cutter is Mastercut Gems, and here are a couple of blue stones that leave money for some kind of basic setting:
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6488
http://mastercutgems.com/index.php?page=viewgem&id=6521

Basically there are a ton of options in your price range. Have you given more thought to what kind of stone and what kind of jewelry? I don't think you've yet specified whether you're looking for a ring, necklace, earrings, etc.

 

[blithesome71]

Stone doesn't need to be flawless, just eye clean for a 60-yr. old, I suppose.

hehe nice one

Anyway, when I first saw this thread the first gemstone that popped in to my mind was Kyanite. You mentioned med.blue & this will be carefully worn by your mom. Perhaps you might wanna check this one (the setting looks chic to me )

http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-36CT-SOLID-14K-W-GOLD-NR-RAVISHING-Kyanite-RING-/400288790737?pt=US_Fine_Rings&hash=item5d331238d1

or you could also consider (heated) blue zircon or london blue topaz (since permanent treatment is not a big deal for you) zircons are very sparkly & normally clean same goes with topaz.

Cheers*

 

[ChrisA222]

Im usually the first person to reccomend "softer than the big 3 hardest stones"..but I can't reccomend Kyanite as an Everyday stone. Kyanite is odd because it has different hardnesses, and one of them is absolutely too soft at 4.5. I had to look it up on wiki as far as what part of the stone is soft, at 4.5 and which is harder, at 6.5-7. It stated "4.5-5 parallel to one axis
6.5-7 perpendicular to that axis". I would absolutely NOT reccomend any stone where part of it is only a 4.5 on that Moh's scale...that is WAY too fragile and prone to scratching. If she is extremely careful, sure a ring would be OK if the stone is protected...to be worn at an evening event or something..but not every day!!

A lot of other much better stones out there that are blue, blue-purple, etc depending on what you like or find. Iolite can be similar looking to Tanzanite or Kyanite, and is a lot harder..not very expensive, Ill attach a pic of one of my Iolites. Iolite is a 7-7.5 on Moh's. Someone mentioned Blue Topaz, Topaz is an 8. I love Cambodian blue Zircon..that is a 7.5 although many on here think its too brittle (I do not). Tanzanite is softer at 6.5...can be done...have to be very careful. The pic is of a Cambodian blue Zircon set in a ring.

Someone mentioned diffused Sapphire..thats a great choice if the treatment doesn't bother you, as you get a very brilliant stone, with a hardness of 9.Also, there are a ton of Lab created Sapphires...if you don't mind synthetic. I bought my Dad a ring with a lab Sapphire (same properties--brilliance and hardness--of a natural stone. He didn't care, and the size stone needed, necessitated a lab stone to keep in budget).

Spinel can be blue but usually has a greyish cast in a lower price range, that is an 8. A lot of good options..but not Kyanite!! Keep that for earrings

Just my opinion!

 

[Pandora II]

Im usually the first person to reccomend "softer than the big 3 hardest stones"..but I can't reccomend Kyanite as an Everyday stone. Kyanite is odd because it has different hardnesses, and one of them is absolutely too soft at 4.5. I had to look it up on wiki as far as what part of the stone is soft, at 4.5 and which is harder, at 6.5-7. It stated "4.5-5 parallel to one axis
6.5-7 perpendicular to that axis". I would absolutely NOT reccomend any stone where part of it is only a 4.5 on that Moh's scale...that is WAY too fragile and prone to scratching. If she is extremely careful, sure a ring would be OK if the stone is protected...to be worn at an evening event or something..but not every day!!

A lot of other much better stones out there that are blue, blue-purple, etc depending on what you like or find. Iolite can be similar looking to Tanzanite or Kyanite, and is a lot harder..not very expensive, Ill attach a pic of one of my Iolites. Iolite is a 7-7.5 on Moh's. Someone mentioned Blue Topaz, Topaz is an 8. I love Cambodian blue Zircon..that is a 7.5 although many on here think its too brittle (I do not). Tanzanite is softer at 6.5...can be done...have to be very careful. The pic is of a Cambodian blue Zircon set in a ring.

Someone mentioned diffused Sapphire..thats a great choice if the treatment doesn't bother you, as you get a very brilliant stone, with a hardness of 9.Also, there are a ton of Lab created Sapphires...if you don't mind synthetic. I bought my Dad a ring with a lab Sapphire (same properties--brilliance and hardness--of a natural stone. He didn't care, and the size stone needed, necessitated a lab stone to keep in budget).

Spinel can be blue but usually has a greyish cast in a lower price range, that is an 8. A lot of good options..but not Kyanite!! Keep that for earrings

Just my opinion!

Ditto this! Great post

 

[blithesome71]

A lot of good options..but not Kyanite!! Keep that for EARRINGS

Oh my, glad you mentioned this gurl hehe 'cos OP didn't mention what kind of jewelry she's planning to give to her mom.

As what Chrissa22 said, Kyanite is soft for everyday wear esp. for a ring so you might wanna consider/keep that stone just for earrings

 

[chrono]

The problem with Iolite is that most are downright yucky, made worse with it being trichroic where viewed from different angles, one side appears blue, another is bluish gray and the last is grayish yellow. Iolites can also break quite easily because of its cleavage plane and slightly brittle, thus they are best for pendants and earrings.

 

[blithesome71]

The problem with Iolite is that most are downright yucky, made worse with it being trichroic where viewed from different angles, one side appears blue, another is bluish gray and the last is grayish yellow. Iolites can also break quite easily because of its cleavage plane and slightly brittle, thus they are best for pendants and earrings.

Ditto. Iolite has low RI and it's usually dark tone (most look like dark purplish glass) and not eye clean esp. in fairly big sizes.

So OP, if you're looking for an earring gift to your mom, perhaps you could consider both Iolite & Kyanite (Note: the former is usually grayish dark blue violet while the latter is usually slightly included but has that nice royal blue color) or... other blue gems like Swiss/London Topaz, Treated Sapphire, Blue Zircon... or Lapiz Lazuli just kiddin'

––Lurker blithe

 

[purplesparklies]

Thank you so very much for all the recommendations! My son's birthday was this week so things have been nuts! More family arrives today.....

I have looked at and read everything. I am hoping to find a ring so I guess I do have to be careful in choosing a gem. Hoping to find a steal.....aren't we all!?!

I really would love to do a sapphire as that is her birthstone. Yes, the actual birthday is in September but the surprise party is in June. I am looking at a couple sapphires at mastercut gems. Thanks for the recommendation. Trying to find a setting that my work with one of those and come in under budget. Need a money tree!......

 

[ChrisA222]

Oh my, glad you mentioned this gurl hehe 'cos OP didn't mention what kind of jewelry she's planning to give to her mom.

As what Chrissa22 said, Kyanite is soft for everyday wear esp. for a ring so you might wanna consider/keep that stone just for earrings


No problem...except that I'm a guy not a gurl

Re: Iolite...I guess it depends on the stone, as far as color (s) and inclusions. That Iolite that I posted above is eyeclean and I don't see any yellow..it goes from that dark purply blue, to pale blue. But Iolite is usually cut in a way where you only see the "good" color face-up. Its personal preference also, as I like that look sometimes. I've seen lots of yucky Iolite, but...again, I have seen some that is very, very nice, and not included. If you look at JTV, which I am not really advocating, and look at their Iolite stones, you can see a ton of different shades..from almost a light lilac, on to a royal color like the one I posted. Different strokes for different folks I guess!

As far as cleavage/etc...while I understand what you are saying and value your opinion, I would much rather see the OP or anyone else use Iolite in a ring much before Kyanite! Or, something like Sphene that gets mentioned way too often as a ringstone. I love looking at Sphene...but man, in a ring?!

 

[LD]

As the forum risk taker I have Zircon, Kyanite and Sphene all set in rings! I seriously wouldn't recommend them though for your Mum unless she is happy to walk around with her arms in the air to avoid knocks and scrapes etc!

Actually I think Chrisa has a good point about where you could look - JTV. If they're like the jewellery shopping channels in the UK, they often have highly treated gemstones but some are very pretty AND the added bonus is that you get a setting a well! I presume they have a good returns policy so in theory you could watch for a few weeks, buy a piece at a time and return them until you find the one that you love. Okay, you may lose out in postage but at least you can try before you buy!

 

[blithesome71]

No problem...except that I'm a guy not a gurl

All this time I thought u were a "She"... perhaps a "she-guy" hehe just kidding. Alright, whatever u say MR. Chrisa.

***Back to the topic***

purplesparklies, sapphire from dana's good choice. Best wishes to your blue gift hunt