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Opinions on Blue Sapphires FWG vs MC

eastjavaman

eastjavaman

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
263
Gary's is half the price, faces up almost the same, would fit a standard mount, and looks gorgeous in the video. I would go for that one, personally.
 
I am having a hard time reading the picture versus video for the Finewater gem. In the picture, the stone looks like it lacks saturation. In the video, it looks much more saturated.

I would ask David at MC for a video of the stone. My guess is that the MC stone has better color, based on the written description. I've found written descriptions to be pretty accurate from trustworthy vendors.
 
It is something you can bring up with the vendor, but if I were the vendor, I would not be willing to pay for an AGL prestige report. Both stones already have GIA reports, so the sellers have done their due diligence in verifying material and in determining treatment levels. If for your own sanity you want an AGL prestige report because you are looking for an independent assessment of the quality of the stone, then that is something you can do on your dime once you own the stone.
 
Plus, if the vendor has to relist the sapphire because you return it, he will have to jack up the price by $500 in order to recoup the cost of a full grading Prestige AGL report for sapphires in this size range. Odds are most other potential customers for these Sri Lankan sapphires would not perceive that much additional value in having both a GIA report & the AGL report.
 
@NKOTB @Preg, The FWG price is definitely more attractive, but my concern is the under the studio light it is much more different saturation wise, unlike MC which you can see even in the studio is more saturated , I did contact Gary, he mentioned that natural sunlight brings out the best in Blue Sapphire thus the difference. I should and will ask for videos from David once I firm up.

@Minous, that is the thing, I live in Asia so upon receiving the stones and sending it half way around the world and back, is not very practical and I am also not sure whether I will get double taxed in my home country. As for buying online in Thailand and sending the stone to USA, do the receiver incur sales or any other taxes? since it is considered import. How about sending the stone to AGL from Asia? any taxes? :read:

Good point MM
 
It's none of my business but why not just keep the large sapphire you listed on LT?

I think you'd need to compare the videos, and ask both vendors about colour shifts and how well the vivid blue colour holds up in different lightning. It's a tough decision because its so hard to read nuances in colour from photos and videos, especially from different vendors who use different photography methods.
 
eastjavaman|1423548599|3830120 said:
@NKOTB @Preg, The FWG price is definitely more attractive, but my concern is the under the studio light it is much more different saturation wise, unlike MC which you can see even in the studio is more saturated , I did contact Gary, he mentioned that natural sunlight brings out the best in Blue Sapphire thus the difference. I should and will ask for videos from David once I firm up.

@Minous, that is the thing, I live in Asia so upon receiving the stones and sending it half way around the world and back, is not very practical and I am also not sure whether I will get double taxed in my home country. As for buying online in Thailand and sending the stone to USA, do the receiver incur sales or any other taxes? since it is considered import. How about sending the stone to AGL from Asia? any taxes? :read:

Good point MM
Click to expand...

judging from your nickname, I guess you are indonesian. As a fellow indonesian, I just want to remind you about Indonesian's import duty which occasionally absurd. Technically, consist of 15% principal duty, 10% PPN, 7.5% PPnBm, and some additional PPH (ranging from 0-15%).

Guess what, the craziness of the import duty did not end here! sometimes (but not always), they change the FOB (the value of the imported goods) even if you can provide them with original invoice or appraisal value. You have to keep this in mind because you are going to import a widely known gemstone. On the other hand, if you are going to import less known gemstone such as paraiba tourmaline, you can declare a really low value; most of the time, they do not care.

Last but not least, the method of which you will bring that stone to indonesia. if you are going to ship that sapphire, I will recommend hiring armored courier instead of other courier in general. I had several two bad experience with these "other world class" couriers.
why do you want to an AGL report? I think GRS or Gubelin are good labs, unless, ofc, if you want the AGL's famous color grading. (imo it's not worth the additional import duty and shipping cost to US).
 
Hi LK, can you blame me for wanting more? :bigsmile: I think the reason we are still existent in PS because we "never have enough candies" or "never enough monies to buy all the candies" should be the right sentiment.
The one on LT I am planning to keep for now unless I have a good offer of course. :$$):
 
eastjavaman|1423548599|3830120 said:
@NKOTB @Preg, The FWG price is definitely more attractive, but my concern is the under the studio light it is much more different saturation wise, unlike MC which you can see even in the studio is more saturated , I did contact Gary, he mentioned that natural sunlight brings out the best in Blue Sapphire thus the difference. I should and will ask for videos from David once I firm up.

@Minous, that is the thing, I live in Asia so upon receiving the stones and sending it half way around the world and back, is not very practical and I am also not sure whether I will get double taxed in my home country. As for buying online in Thailand and sending the stone to USA, do the receiver incur sales or any other taxes? since it is considered import. How about sending the stone to AGL from Asia? any taxes? :read:

Good point MM
Click to expand...


Richard Hughes has a new lab in Thailand - Lotus....

http://www.lotusgemology.com/index.php/about/staff/131-staff

Specialized in corundum.
 
I am hardly a sapphire expert, but I share the same confusion as previous posters about the FW stone's saturation esp under indoor light conditions (which at least for me is where I am most of the time). I bought a much smaller sapphire from MC and found the description, photo, and color designation to be spot on (at least to my untrained eye). It is by far and away the most ideally colored of all my modest CS purchases, most of which are fairly low saturation. It holds its color well in all lights without going dark. Just lovely. I cannot speak to pricing as I haven't been in the market lately, but FWIW if I were making a substantial purchase I'd want to be able to see that rich blue indoors as well as out.
 
eastjavaman|1423553440|3830147 said:
Hi LK, can you blame me for wanting more? :bigsmile: I think the reason we are still existent in PS because we "never have enough candies" or "never enough monies to buy all the candies" should be the right sentiment.
The one on LT I am planning to keep for now unless I have a good offer of course. :$$):
Click to expand...

No ever died from wanting too much (those are song lyrics) :)

IMO there is probably a quality difference since one is 15k and the other 30k, esp since MC is fair when it comes to pricing.
 
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