Newbie buying E-ring sapphire, certificate questions!

[tsaun6]

Hi all, and thanks in advance for your help!

I am looking to purchase a sapphire for an engagement ring. I am currently deployed to Qatar and have been looking at purchasing it here before I head back to the US. Anyone that has been to Doha knows that just about every other store in town is a jewelry store. There is no shortage of jewelry, but my concern is making sure I find someone reputable and I'm getting what I paid for.

I was referred to a very small jeweler in town. He has a nice selection of sapphires, and I chose one. When I asked about certification, he said it was too expensive for a small dealer such as himself to certify every stone. When I said I wasn't sure I was comfortable with that, he started rifling through some papers behind the counter, and he conveniently had a certificate for the exact stone I picked out. He said I was "lucky" because it was one of the only sapphires he had certified.

This is where my concern is. The certificate is EGL Canada (which from what I read here before joining is much less preferable than GIA, etc.). The site listed for EGL Canada (www.eglcanada.ca) on the report doesn't seem to exist. I emailed EGL USA to try to get some information, but it has been two weeks and I haven't received a response. About the only thing that I know for sure is that the weight of the sapphire I chose (1.78 ct) matches the weight on the report.

I attached a picture. I wish I had a better one! Where should I go from here? Please let me know if there is any other information that would be helpful. Thanks!

 

[new-beginning]

I would not purchase a sapphire unless it came with a report from AGS.

 

[VirginiaZee]

Welcome to PS! A quick question, would you be willing to buy a sapphire and setting separately (and online), and then having the ring shipped to you when you're back in the States? If so, folks here are great at finding stones, and would just need your budget, and what you're looking for (size preferably in mm, shape(s), treatment (none, low heat), what color blue). From the photo it looks like the stone has a nice color along the edges, but I'm not sure from the photo if there's a window in the middle or if it's just the photo.

I think you're right to question the certificate at this point, it seems odd to me that EGL Canada hasn't responded. I would probably continue to look.

 

[tsaun6]

Welcome to PS! A quick question, would you be willing to buy a sapphire and setting separately (and online), and then having the ring shipped to you when you're back in the States? If so, folks here are great at finding stones, and would just need your budget, and what you're looking for (size preferably in mm, shape(s), treatment (none, low heat), what color blue). From the photo it looks like the stone has a nice color along the edges, but I'm not sure from the photo if there's a window in the middle or if it's just the photo.

I think you're right to question the certificate at this point, it seems odd to me that EGL Canada hasn't responded. I would probably continue to look.

My problem is that my proposal plan involves me proposing to my girlfriend when she picks me up from the return flight home from my deployment. The only way I could get a ring back in the states and still accomplish that is have it sent to a friend who could bring it to the airport just before I see her. At this point I'm short on time (returning home early August) and not sure what to do. I had originally planned to purchase this sapphire and have a goldsmith here make the ring.

Also, to add to my original post, I called EGL USA and spoke to someone there. She said that EGL Canada was dissolved a couple of years ago so there is no way to verify the report. So I am even less comfortable purchasing this sapphire now.

I am looking for a blue sapphire in the range of 1.5-2.0 ct, oval cut (approx. 6x8 mm), I'm okay with heat treatment and want to do a ring similar to this one.
http://www.brilliantearth.com/Sapphire-Fancy-Halo-Diamond-Ring-with-Side-Stones-White-Gold-BE1FH30R30-SB8X6OV/

The sapphire I picked out here is 1.78 ct. I was told I could have this ring made in white gold, with that sapphire, and a total diamond weight of 0.65 ct for 10192 QAR ($2800 USD). I've read 2-3 posts on other forums of people taking their jewelry purchased here home and it being appraised for2-3x what they paid. So I didn't think I'd be able to find the same thing stateside for under $3000. But maybe this is the place to get the right answer? I just don't want to be empty handed when I see my future fiancée again for the first time in 6 months.

 

[lovedogs]

Welcome to PS! A quick question, would you be willing to buy a sapphire and setting separately (and online), and then having the ring shipped to you when you're back in the States? If so, folks here are great at finding stones, and would just need your budget, and what you're looking for (size preferably in mm, shape(s), treatment (none, low heat), what color blue). From the photo it looks like the stone has a nice color along the edges, but I'm not sure from the photo if there's a window in the middle or if it's just the photo.

I think you're right to question the certificate at this point, it seems odd to me that EGL Canada hasn't responded. I would probably continue to look.

My problem is that my proposal plan involves me proposing to my girlfriend when she picks me up from the return flight home from my deployment. The only way I could get a ring back in the states and still accomplish that is have it sent to a friend who could bring it to the airport just before I see her. At this point I'm short on time (returning home early August) and not sure what to do. I had originally planned to purchase this sapphire and have a goldsmith here make the ring.

Also, to add to my original post, I called EGL USA and spoke to someone there. She said that EGL Canada was dissolved a couple of years ago so there is no way to verify the report. So I am even less comfortable purchasing this sapphire now.

I am looking for a blue sapphire in the range of 1.5-2.0 ct, oval cut (approx. 6x8 mm), I'm okay with heat treatment and want to do a ring similar to this one.
http://www.brilliantearth.com/Sapphire-Fancy-Halo-Diamond-Ring-with-Side-Stones-White-Gold-BE1FH30R30-SB8X6OV/

The sapphire I picked out here is 1.78 ct. I was told I could have this ring made in white gold, with that sapphire, and a total diamond weight of 0.65 ct for 10192 QAR ($2800 USD). I've read 2-3 posts on other forums of people taking their jewelry purchased here home and it being appraised for2-3x what they paid. So I didn't think I'd be able to find the same thing stateside for under $3000. But maybe this is the place to get the right answer? I just don't want to be empty handed when I see my future fiancée again for the first time in 6 months.

I definitely wouldn't purchase that stone. Especially with the new info you have and not being able to verify anything. Also, appraisal numbers for jewelry are largely meaningless--they often appraise for much higher than you paid because appraisals are very inflated. I think you'd be able to get a ring exactly like that for around 2800 from a reputable vendor and you'll know exactly what you're getting. In fact, these are EXACTLY like what you want

All similar in style--but different in terms of the main stone size and color. Julia B is well known and trustworthy, so I'd recommend either having it shipped to a friend in the States, or just buying it right when you get back. You'll be much happier long-term getting the right ring from a good vendor rather than going for something RIGHT NOW at the expense of quality.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/176749702/blue-sapphire-engagement-ring-224-carat?ref=shop_home_active_8
https://www.etsy.com/listing/197878135/blue-sapphire-engagement-ring-agl?ref=shop_home_active_31
https://www.etsy.com/listing/201521433/blue-sapphire-engagement-ring-173-carat?ref=shop_home_active_41
https://www.etsy.com/listing/210432533/precision-cut-untreated-purple-sapphire?ref=shop_home_active_49

 

[chroman]

Any chance you would have a family member at your destination? They might be able to get a military family gate pass to meet you inside security. Not sure what the policies are, but I did see this:
http://www.132dwing.ang.af.mil/shared/media/document/afd-090603-050.pdf

 

[tsaun6]

I definitely wouldn't purchase that stone. Especially with the new info you have and not being able to verify anything. Also, appraisal numbers for jewelry are largely meaningless--they often appraise for much higher than you paid because appraisals are very inflated. I think you'd be able to get a ring exactly like that for around 2800 from a reputable vendor and you'll know exactly what you're getting. In fact, these are EXACTLY like what you want

All similar in style--but different in terms of the main stone size and color. Julia B is well known and trustworthy, so I'd recommend either having it shipped to a friend in the States, or just buying it right when you get back. You'll be much happier long-term getting the right ring from a good vendor rather than going for something RIGHT NOW at the expense of quality.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/176749702/blue-sapphire-engagement-ring-224-carat?ref=shop_home_active_8
https://www.etsy.com/listing/197878135/blue-sapphire-engagement-ring-agl?ref=shop_home_active_31
https://www.etsy.com/listing/201521433/blue-sapphire-engagement-ring-173-carat?ref=shop_home_active_41
https://www.etsy.com/listing/210432533/precision-cut-untreated-purple-sapphire?ref=shop_home_active_49

Thanks! I'll take a look at her stuff, maybe send her an email as well.

 

[tsaun6]

Any chance you would have a family member at your destination? They might be able to get a military family gate pass to meet you inside security. Not sure what the policies are, but I did see this:
http://www.132dwing.ang.af.mil/shared/media/document/afd-090603-050.pdf

No, my family won't be at my destination - only her family. There is such a thing as a "gate pass" to escort a family member to their gate or greet them as they get off the plane (and you can do this without being military!), but from what I've read you need a good reason and they are supposed to actually be family. I might have to call customer service at my airport to see if it's possible to get one of her family members through.

 

[new-beginning]

you might want to look at Jeff Davies' website, he is in the Orient and can offer stones plus settings for the stone.