Newbie needs your opinion/help on a Sapphire ring

[simplexchange]

Hi,

My wife wanted a new ring with a large colored stone. we have settled on a ring from jewelrysource.com. I was eondering if I could get your opinion if the ring/stone are acceptable for the price. We are both jewelry newbs, the only real purchase I have made was her diamond engagement ring 5 years ago... She wants a sapphire that is 2+ cts. I tend to over research things but since this represents alot of our hard earned money I wanted to get all of your expert opinions. I am tempted by the custom gem but not sure if I can afford.
Anyways, here is the link. and THANKS in advance!!

Sapphire ring at jewelrysource

 

[ma re]

I can''t see anything wrong with the ring or the stone, but there are things I would ask. For instance, is the setting hand-made just for this stone or pre-made? Is the stone heated? Does the ring come with a certificate for the sapphire?

Heated stones similar to that can cost anywhere from 500 to 1000$, but probably not much more, while unheated can be much more expensive. Hand-made settings cost much more than stock settings. All valuable stones should come certified by reputable gemological labs.

 

[AustenNut]

That is a beautiful ring! I love the setting on it. I''m a novice with stones, so I won''t comment on that except to say that Ma Re gave some good advice. Also, you may want to search the forums for any topics related to this vendor to see what others'' experiences have been. It can give you good peace of mind, or tell you to run in the other direction. (The search box is on the upper right hand corner.) Hope you and your wife enjoy whatever ring you end up with!

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 9/28/2009 3:39:00 AM
Author: ma re
I can''t see anything wrong with the ring or the stone, but there are things I would ask. For instance, is the setting hand-made just for this stone or pre-made? Is the stone heated? Does the ring come with a certificate for the sapphire?


Heated stones similar to that can cost anywhere from 500 to 1000$, but probably not much more, while unheated can be much more expensive. Hand-made settings cost much more than stock settings. All valuable stones should come certified by reputable gemological labs.

Ditto ma re - (although ma re, from what I''ve seen on heated stones that colour and size lately, I would disagree with the high end of your price range, but anyways ).

To answer simple.e''s questions - the ring is quite pretty and so is the sapphire. If the description of the sapphire colour and performance of it in different lighting is correct, and the specs of the setting are accurate, I would consider this a good price.
I would imagine for that price you can assume it is a stock setting, but it''s still quite pretty from the photos. One thing to ask is it solid, or is the setting hollowed out?

I would def. check what you get in the certificate - and the first questions I would be asking are about the sapphire:
- is it all natural
- is it heated
- is it treated of any sort

Most people consider heating of sapphires acceptable, as it''s pretty standard. But other treatments, such as beryllium treatment usually are not (and lower the value of the gem considerably).
I would want some type of confirmation if they tell you the stone is all natural.

Not sure if you mind about cut - the stone could possibly have a bit of a "window", which is very common with native cut stones (those cut in the country they were mined).
Depending on the size, windows can quite dramatically reduce the performance of your gem, as it is a space in the stone which doesn''t reflect light or colour back to the eye (looks dull).
You can learn more by searching on windows here, as I''m sure my explanation is rather rudimentary.

Can the vendor provide other photos on top of these stock ones? That would be a reasonable way to see if their claims about the sapphire are true - as it''s always possible that stock images like this are doctored to look their best.

Anyway, all of that said, they appear to have a good generous 30 day return policy.
If the above questions are answered to your satisfaction (or even, if you don''t care about "all that stuff"), I would just order it and check it out in person. Just be aware you will be charged $100 re-stock fee if you have the ring sized than return.

If you buy it, you can post pics here and the more knowledgeable folk than I can comments on the quality of the sapphire etc.

All in all, for a jewellery newb, if everything checks out I would say you''d done pretty well!


hth, sorry about the length, lol!

 

[serenitydiamonds]

Yeah I would definitely ask them more details about the ''Certificate of Authenticity'' and the treatments on the Sapphire. The ring looks quite beautiful.


--Joshua

 

[chrono]

Ma Re has suggested excellent questions to ask. The estimate of pricing is based on if the stone has been treated and also if the stone is custom made or premade. A thorough reading of the policies is also recommended.

 

[ma re]

AJ, I thought my estimates of sapphire prices might be a bit off, after all I''m no expert when it comes to US gemstone prices

I''ve seen that on some websites heated sapphires of such sizes and colors are in the above mentioned ranges, but those were not based in the States, so good point there.

P. S. I forgot to read my post after typing and correcting a bit (prior to sending), so it turned out to have a bit too much of a "much" typed in, sorry...

 

[Stone Hunter]

Classic ring style and the stone looks very pretty from their picture. It is a large stone, has your wife tried on stones of this size in halo settings at local stores? If so that's great.

I've never bought anything from that company and don't know how closely their photos match what gem color you will see in real life.

Please try to find someone who has bought from them and their opinion. Either here at PS or another jewelry forum etc.

ETA: From looking at their other ring postings the prices look good. The settings look very nice, I too would wonder if they are hollowed out. Whatever happens please post back about your experience!

 

[Barrett]

nice ring..very classy

 

[simplexchange]

First of all...

You guys are AWESOME!

Thanks for all the replies and things to watch out for!

I will email them for responses on treatments, heated/unheated and if the setting is hollow.

I am then going to order the ring unsized to try it on and take some non-stock photos for you guys.

Needless to say my wife was excited you guys like the ring too...

 

[Richard Sherwood]

Pretty ring. The sapphire has the color of a "Ceylon sapphire" from Sri Lanka. Chances are 95%+ that it is heat treated, which is not a problem. You should have it checked to make sure that none of the more unsavory treatments have been done to it, such as diffused color or beryllium treatment.

 

[simplexchange]

Hi again,

They replied really fast here is a paste of my questions and their response...The only one I am little concerned about is #6 re: the certificate...anyways I am ready to pull the trigger and order the ring in about 3 hours.. ....

1. Is the stone all natural?
Reply: The sapphire is natural, mined from the Earth. The diamonds are real.

2. Is it heated?
Reply: The sapphire is heat treated. Nearly all sapphires (>99%) used in jewelry are heated. This is an industry wide accepted treatment for sapphires. Beryllium treatment, for example, is not. Heat treatment is permanent and a heated sapphire requires no special care.

3. Were there any treatments done to the stone? (i.e., beryllium)
Reply: The sapphire has had the standard heat treatment only. No beryllium was used.

4. Is the settign hollow?
Reply: The setting is open in the back. This is so the diamonds and sapphire will sparkle more and can be cleaned as well.

5. Is the setting hand made for the stone or pre-made?
Reply: The setting is not a custom design. It is one that we make in house. First the blank mounting is cast in 18k white gold, then the diamonds and sapphire are set, and the setting is finished.

6. Could you send the certificate for the stone? What kind of certificate is it?
Reply: The Certificate that we provide is prepared by us and our intent is to provide a guarantee of the components of the ring.... for example, that the sapphire is natural (not synthetic), that the diamonds are real, that they are a certain quality, etc. Some of our customers are nervous buying online and this is our way to provide a written guarantee that what is being sent to the customer is what we advertised on our website.

7. Do you have more photos of the actual ring other than thos eon the webisite?
Reply: These are the only photos we have right now. If you would like to see another angle, please let me know and I will try to have a picture taken for you.



Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

 

[chrono]

It appears that the stone is really not certified after all. If the return policy is good, you should be able to purchase it and have it looked over by an independent appraiser like Richard Sherwood to verify that the stone is indeed only heat treated. The appraiser will also be able to assist you in gauging the quality of the stone (colour, etc) and the setting itself.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 9/28/2009 2:46:11 PM
Author: Chrono
It appears that the stone is really not certified after all. If the return policy is good, you should be able to purchase it and have it looked over by an independent appraiser like Richard Sherwood to verify that the stone is indeed only heat treated. The appraiser will also be able to assist you in gauging the quality of the stone (colour, etc) and the setting itself.

Ditto - this is what I would do based on their replies.
I also wasn''t sure about their reply to number 4 (bit unclear), but this will be easily answered once you have the ring in hand.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Well I hope this works out for you and your wife!! I''m looking forward to hearing what you think of it and your photos.

 

[ma re]

Date: 9/28/2009 10:35:22 PM
Author: arjunajane

Date: 9/28/2009 2:46:11 PM
Author: Chrono
It appears that the stone is really not certified after all. If the return policy is good, you should be able to purchase it and have it looked over by an independent appraiser like Richard Sherwood to verify that the stone is indeed only heat treated. The appraiser will also be able to assist you in gauging the quality of the stone (colour, etc) and the setting itself.

Ditto - this is what I would do based on their replies.
I also wasn''t sure about their reply to number 4 (bit unclear), but this will be easily answered once you have the ring in hand.

It was a misunderstanding - he asked if it was solid or hollow, and they replied that it doesen''t have a solid (closed) back; two completely different things. Of course, nothing wrong with the ring not having a closed back (allows more light around the stone and makes cleaning easier, as they said). Honestly, I don''t think this setting is hollow, based on the weight mentioned on their website.

Sounds like a good buy after all. If return policy is good (no "fine prints" about the money back guarantee etc.) I''d check it out in person.

 

[arjunajane]

Date: 9/29/2009 3:08:47 AM
Author: ma re

Date: 9/28/2009 10:35:22 PM

Author: arjunajane

Date: 9/28/2009 2:46:11 PM

Author: Chrono

It appears that the stone is really not certified after all. If the return policy is good, you should be able to purchase it and have it looked over by an independent appraiser like Richard Sherwood to verify that the stone is indeed only heat treated. The appraiser will also be able to assist you in gauging the quality of the stone (colour, etc) and the setting itself.

Ditto - this is what I would do based on their replies.

I also wasn''t sure about their reply to number 4 (bit unclear), but this will be easily answered once you have the ring in hand.

It was a misunderstanding - he asked if it was solid or hollow, and they replied that it doesen''t have a solid (closed) back; two completely different things. Of course, nothing wrong with the ring not having a closed back (allows more light around the stone and makes cleaning easier, as they said). Honestly, I don''t think this setting is hollow, based on the weight mentioned on their website.


Sounds like a good buy after all. If return policy is good (no ''fine prints'' about the money back guarantee etc.) I''d check it out in person.

ah, thanks for the clarification ma re - clearly I didn''t understand what the vendor was referring to.

Anyway, like I mentioned this is easily answered once the ring is in hand.

I agree, this does sound like a good buy is vereything checks out.

make sure you come back with the outcome simplexchange!

 

[simplexchange]

Sorry I didn't know how to link to pictures directly

Here they are though

ring on finger

pic 2

underside

I intend to take the ring to an appraiser and have them check everything out and I also realized I suck at taking photos...I think I did not have enough light in the first photos

What do you think? My wife loves it by the way

 

[MakingTheGrade]

I think it looks lovely! A little more purpley-blue than the photos, but it looks nice on her finger! Glad she loves it, and hope all goes smoothly with the appraisal.

 

[chrono]

It looks darker than the vendor picture with a violet undertone. Actually, I much prefer how it looks in your pictures.

 

[arjunajane]

very pretty! The stone does have a window, but the colour and the setting are both very nice.
If she loves it, and it checks out, than well done!

 

[ma re]

Looks very nice in your photos too!

 

[simplexchange]

Here are two more this morning.

The stone is not as dark as my first set of photos showed, I think the canera was over compsating for the light...

These two pics are a little more representative

Thanks again to all of you

new pic in the sun

pic with white background

 

[violet3]

I think that is absolutely beautiful - and it looks really nice on the hand too.

 

[Stone Hunter]

That looks VERY VERY nice!! Congrats!!

And thanks for coming back with the photos. Please let us know how it turnes out at the appraisal!

 

[Spirit]

Beautiful ring especially on your wife''s finger! It reminds me a bit of Princess Di''s ring. Does anybody else see that resemblance?
Enjoy!

 

[simplexchange]

So everything went fine at the appraiser. I will be sending the ring back for resizing and the appraiser will take a quick look to make sure I get the same stone back.

This has been a good experience with this vendor.

Thanks to the pricescope community also for helping us out and we feel a lot smarter about jewelry now!

 

[fierypyropixy]

It''s a gorgeous ring on your wife''s hand! The website''s photos didn''t do it justice.