Opinions on this Sapphire please?

[Midnight Blues]

Wow what a helpful forum! I really appreciate all the feedback. One thing I should point out: This is entirely opportunistic - she/we have not been hunting for a sapphire ring, she just happened to come across this piece and fell in love with it - love at first sight! She actually owns very little other jewelry other than her engagement ring and so if we can make the numbers work, then great. She is also very pragmatic and understands that if we overpay for it (too much) and the world caves in and we need to liquidate (we think about that when it comes to every expensive 'non-essential' purchase') then its not a smart purchase

So, if this doesn't work out, then we move on, and hopefully one day something else will knock her off her feet!

The key questions in my mind at this point are simply:

- Is this a 'good' color - ie classic Kashmir color. As @Bron357 said 'does it have the look of a premium Kashmir sapphire.' With some of the picttures he posted, I'm not sure. But it looks very similar to the colors of the Leon Mege ring, and also to some of the high-value auction items that have been posted. In person, it definitely has that silky mesmerizing look but I'm not sure if its too dark or not. Pictures are tough.

- Getting a 3rd certification that it is in fact Kashmir material.

- Figuring out /negotiating an appropriate price

 

[AV_]

I agree that the question is about colour and price. The stone seems impecable & the price is beyond. It is not too dark for a sapphire, sappire blues are somewhat darker blue among all things in life - an acquired taste of sorts www.

I assume that Art of Platinum kept its prices closer to firm, not too difficult to test.

Fingers crossed.

 

[T L]

While it’s a beautiful ring, the sapphire lacks the vivid blue saturation and medium tone of a fine Kashmir. I would not pay a premium for Kashmir origin. By the way, some Madagascar sapphire looks Kashmir with a much better price tag.

Sorry if I’m repeating g anything above, I skimmed over the comments above.

 

[T L]

By the way, I may be in the minority, but that sapphire isn’t that beautiful to me, and I think the huge diamonds distract from it. I think it’s a bit too dark and grey. Acinom’s sapphire is what I consider a gorgeous example.

 

[lovedogs]

By the way, I may be in the minority, but that sapphire isn’t that beautiful to me, and I think the huge diamonds distract from it. I think it’s a bit too dark and grey. Acinom’s sapphire is what I consider a gorgeous example.

Me too, but didn't want to say anything

 

[qubitasaurus]

Me too, but didn't want to say anything

Yes when I look at the ring the first thing I see is the melee (yet you could buy the setting and melee for ~1 k per melee stone). The sapphire isnt neon blue enough to act as a focal point for my attention, and I am still a bit disturbed that its facing up similar to the melee (even if they're 1/2 ct each). The Kashmiri origin bit would be impossible to tell without looking at the certificate, not what I'd be hoping for in a very expensive stone. But I think it is just me.

 

[LemonMoonLex]

I personally find the ring to be absolutely stunning but I wouldnt want to spend over 15k for it.
Then Again, Id never want to spend more than that on ANY ring ever.
I get queasy after that amount on one finger.

At 30k plus its just way too overpriced.

While it's just beautiful you could create the same ring that would probably be even more stunning for half.

 

[LilAlex]

...But being from Kashmir doesn’t make it the “best” sapphire out there...

This. Spouse has a small Ceylon with good provenance that very sharp vendor thought might be Kashmir and sent for full origin report. I did not believe this tale -- and overpaid a little for Ceylon-origin -- until I saw it in full sun and then I understood. It's unlike any other. Internet is full of Kashmir-origin garbage that would impress no one on this forum. If that ring is "original" and was made in the 1920s, then I would continue to be excited about its Kashmir origin. It sure looks nice in the photos...I hope you can see it in bright sun.

 

[Bron357]

Exactly. The reason why people pay the huge premium for Burmese rubies or the huge premium for pariba tourmaline Is because in sunlight they glow, literally glow. It’s a very beautiful and rare (very few gems “light up” and even then it’s only those with a specific chemical composition or internal structure) visual phenomena and it comes at a cost.
If you’re paying $25k a carat for a Kashmir sapphire, you want it to have the magic attribute that makes Kashmir sapphires so revered, you want the soft yet vivid neon blue colour. Otherwise why pay more?

 

[chrono]

Overall, it is a drop dead gorgeous ring. Sapphire-wise, the colour is nice but it is nowhere close to the infamous Kahsmir colouration. I'd say the colour is very good "regular" quality. The bulk of the price is probably the diamonds and origin of the sapphire, not the colour quality.

 

[finerthings]

The OP ring is drop dead gorgeous and his wife was basically breathless when she saw it... what else matters! Reactions to specific gems is very visceral to each person. Why dump on him about what gem could be better... we are talking about a gem that only ~1% of the population could really afford? In reality it is obviously a beautiful sapphire and a delicious ring.

 

[LemonMoonLex]

The OP ring is drop dead gorgeous and his wife was basically breathless when she saw it... what else matters! Reactions to specific gems is very visceral to each person. Why dump on him about what gem could be better... we are talking about a gem that only ~1% of the population could really afford? In reality it is obviously a beautiful sapphire and a delicious ring.

While yes, I agree that when it "comes down to it" what you mentioned is all that matters but, the OP specifically asked for opinions concerning a very large purchase hes thinking of making.

Truly nobody is "dumping" on him, we all just want to make sure that every person wanting an opinion gets a fair and true assessment of the item in question.

We want to inform eachother so we can get great deals, or at least be knowledgable about what we are buying.

Its also important to remember that without tone, text falls very flat and can easily be misinterpreted. Perhaps you read everyones comments and attached your own interpretation of tone to each one.

Either way, I agree it is quite a beautiful ring and that I think we can all agree on!

 

[chrono]

It is no doubt a gorgeous ring but overpriced. If Wife loves it, I would negotiate hard.

 

[Arcadian]

Overall, it is a drop dead gorgeous ring. Sapphire-wise, the colour is nice but it is nowhere close to the infamous Kahsmir colouration. I'd say the colour is very good "regular" quality. The bulk of the price is probably the diamonds and origin of the sapphire, not the colour quality.

I agree with @chrono. I love the ring, its big its blingy, I'm like a magpie that way. The color of the sapphire is def. not "Kashmir" even if the origin is.

So do negotiate very hard for this. 15K? ok I can see that maybe even 17-18K, but not 30. If you don't care about origin, you can open yourself to some amazing colored stones with that type of money on the table.

 

[lambskin]

Super expensive! You could probably source stones and duplicate. IMHO, i prefer a faceted stone rather than a cab.

 

[arkieb1]

You are paying a premium for Kashmir, is it the best Kashmir colour? No it isn't. Is it a bad Kashmir colour, no, it's O.K but not the best....

Will it be a good investment? All blue Kashmir Sapphires are still going up wards in pricing.... but, if you wife likes cabochons there are cheaper options;

6.80ct Sapphire and 0.32ct Diamond, Platinum Dress Ring - Antique Circa 1930

A stunning, fine and impressive antique 6.80 carat natural blue Burmese sapphire and 0.32 carat diamond, platinum dress ring; part of our antique jewellery collections.

www.acsilver.co.uk

4.90ct Burmese Sapphire and 1.39ct Diamond, Platinum Dress Ring - Antique French Circa 1935

A stunning antique 4.90 carat Burmese sapphire and 1.39 carat diamond, platinum cocktail ring; part of our diverse antique jewellery and estate jewelry collections

www.acsilver.co.uk

5.21ct Sapphire and 0.45ct Diamond, Platinum Dress Ring - Antique Circa 1930

A stunning Art Deco antique 5.21 carat Basaltic sapphire and 0.45 carat diamond, platinum dress ring; part of our diverse antique jewellery and estate jewelry collections

www.acsilver.co.uk

Vintage Cabochon Sapphire Diamond Platinum Engagement Cluster Ring For Sale on Ruby Lane

For Sale - Vintage Rings from Romanov Russia Ltd on Ruby Lane - Circa 1950 A platinum cluster ring is bezel-set with a cabochon cut midnight blue sapphire surrounded by ten sparkling old mine cut diamonds, H-I-J color, VS1-SI1 clarity. The shank is struck inside with 900 platinum mark and...

www.rubylane.com

This item is unavailable - Etsy

Find the perfect handmade gift, vintage & on-trend clothes, unique jewellery, and more… lots more.

www.etsy.com

Then again, some of the cabochon rings at Lang's Antiques make it look like a bargain;

Search results for: 'sapphire cabochon'

www.langantiques.com

 

[Anne111]

It's nice to fall in love with and so on, but if the buyer is inexperienced, he/she might just have fallen in love with 'sapphire'.
Most would find their very first pretty flower or nice sunset WOW, but that doesn't mean there are worth a year's salary.
However, TL, IMHO, if only the very top 1% are worth looking at, then the whole jewelry market would be dead in a day. That nasty padparadscha in the other thread that was just killed deserves so, but price aside, this is a nice sapphire, worth considering under the right conditions. This often feels very negative.

 

[Anne111]

Congrats,TL, for not rising to the bait!