Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique ring

[tinywilderness]

Hi everybody,

I found a ring that I really love, my boyfriend has already arranged for it to be sent to us to look at. I've only found one other ring that had a similarly shaped and colored star sapphire, although it was significantly smaller.

I've already heard that NSC has not so great a rep and I'm concerned about photoshopping, etc. I would love to hear from you guys. I am a humble songwriter and this would be the first real piece of jewelry I've ever owned. I know this is a *big* ring, but I've been wearing a similarly sized bezel set wooly mammoth tusk for many years and I love the oversized look. I don't wear earrings very often.

What I like about this ring:

1. I actually didn't like it at first. I thought it was a vulgarly large, weirdly shaped stone, and I had been looking for an Art Deco setting. But after looking at about a thousand padparadscha sapphires, which were the only stone that had every really interested me, and then realizing that the cool and unusual stone I had liked had become trendy, and then looking at about a zillion Art Deco rings, I found myself coming back to this one again and again, thinking that it was too bad that it was so darned big because it was so cool.

2. I don't care for diamonds. I mean, diamonds are okay, but I don't think they're rare or really that interesting. What I probably don't like the most is the message they send. My boyfriend is a rare coin dealer, the wives of many of his business friends are, please forgive me, of a particularly competitive type common here in Texas, and the only thing they prefer "real" is their diamonds. They can tell the carat size from across the room. I just don't want to play this game. My boyfriend wants to get me something really nice, he's very sweet that way. I'd love to get something that was so different that it just confused the heck out of those gals.

3. This is going to sound silly, but whatever ring I get is going to be in every photograph ever taken of me while I'm playing guitar, and I'd rather it be something wonderfully obnoxiously awesome.

4. I like the color of the stone. If it were more blue, it wouldn't be in my price range, but I think it's blue enough that people won't mistake it for something else. And it will go with jeans. The star isn't perfect, which I prefer.

What do you guys think? Is it actually what NSC says it is?

I would so appreciate your input!

http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/p-51677-blue-sapphire-ring-j4046/

 

[agingsparkle]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

For comparables, langantiques.com has several large-scale star sapphires you can look at -- go there and search for star sapphires. Some are smaller but with diamonds, some are larger. Lang has beautiful things that are priced that way, but it might be useful to see other pieces from similar era...

 

[arkieb1]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

The stone itself doesn't do much for me because it's pale, and it has to my eyes a lot of cloudy grey in it, if they are shining a pen light on it in that video the star is a weaker one. I think the setting is pretty. Get it and see if you like it in person if not send it back again.

 

[chrono]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

What is "obnoxiously awesome" to you? The quality of the stone? The Art Deco setting? Size? Colour? What makes this ring "affordable" is the stone itself. The setting is awesome but there are many dings on the stone quality: opaque, weak star, and wobbly legs. The star will not be seen unless you have a strong single light source, meaning that most of the time, you will see it as a "plain" cabochon.

 

[digdeep]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

Agree with previous comments...........I suggest you look at Lang as well. A quick peak turns up this one: http://www.langantiques.com/vintage-jewelry/gemstone-rings/art-deco-star-sapphire-platinum-and-diamond-ring.html
Which to my eye.......is a quality ring. Star sapphires are not always visible (depends on light and stone orientation) and most often if they are showing themselves---they will not be visible from more than a couple feet away. That's why being comfortable with the base cabochon color is so important. I'm sure you'll know when you see it.........but the NSC ring seems overpriced for what I'm seeing.

 

[tinywilderness]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

Hi everybody,

Thank you so much! I'm posting this from my phone, so please forgive my formatting.

The rings on Lang's are beautiful, I agree! I have drooled over their entire website
The rings you mentioned are in my top five. I especially like the one with the honeycomb sides. Right around that price range, there is a French Art Deco hexagon cut ring that I think is really beautiful, but I think the stone is too dark. There's also a bright blue sugarloaf sapphire in a swirly type setting that's pretty but it's not my style, but I do like the stone.

The ring will be here by Tuesday, and I want to be prepared to make an informed decision. Thanks so much for your help!

I am okay with the color of the stone but that is as light in color and as close to gray as I would want to get. I agree with everything you guys pointed out: light color, grayish, and weak star.

What I find obnoxiously awesome is probably the juxtaposition of this delicate, slim banded lacy setting with the size and the domed, almost sugarloafish to my uneducated mind, shape of the stone. I really like that it's antique, I love the Edwardian era. The setting is super awesome, I especially love the little prongs. To my over-imagination, they look like little people holding onto the stone for dear life. As for the star: I do view and like the stone as not having a star at all. The wobbly little weak-legged thing, to me, and only in this ring, is just a bonus.

I do love the idea of a ring with a history, and I love antiques. I don't want a repro, it's so annoying on some sites when they slip in the reproductions with the vintage and antique rings. I definitely want a natural stone that has not been enhanced! Something truly authentic.

When I've been looking all over the net for a ring, the search has been for an antique ring, Edwardian preferred but possibly Art Deco, not a lot of diamonds, with a large gemstone that has a lot of visual impact, sapphire or ruby probably a star, definitely a cabochon, a slim band that doesn't get in the way while I'm playing guitar, and uniqueness.

The written description on the NSC site really trowels it on thick, though. I don't think the writers at Saturday Night Live could have written a funnier, more fawning description. For your pleasure, I'll copy and paste it here:

EDWARDIAN PLATINUM, STAR SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND RING, CIRCA 1915-20. I wish I could go back in time to see who wore this ring, or even to see who made the ring, for it is truly a work of art! We are proud to offer this outstanding and elegant 25.00ct star sapphire ring probably of Ceylon origin. The delicate lacy Edwardian setting is very detailed down to the diamond set prongs which beautifully set off the large cabochon sapphire. The pierced gallery and hand engraved shank reveal a level of skill and craftsmanship, making this star sapphire ring a treasure of jewelry history. Come see this ring in person, and imagine what it would have been like wearing it as a woman of the early 20th century. She was as stylish as you are!

And one last question: I read somewhere that "naturals" are not a big deal in a sapphire or ruby, and might be a helpful tell that it's an u heated stone. I really like the ruby cabochon ring here: http://pierrefamille.com/rings.php.. I called the store, but they said it was sold, and they wouldn't tell me even what it had been listed at. Does this ruby have naturals or is it scratches or wear? How much do you guys think it went for?

Thanks, and the second I get my grubby little paws on the "goose egg" I promise I'll put up some pictures.

 

[tinywilderness]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

Thanks, agingsparkle!

Lang has several close runner-ups, for sure. Are there any other places like it that have a lot of antique and vintage rings?

Thanks!

 

[tinywilderness]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

What is "obnoxiously awesome" to you? The quality of the stone? The Art Deco setting? Size? Colour? What makes this ring "affordable" is the stone itself. The setting is awesome but there are many dings on the stone quality: opaque, weak star, and wobbly legs. The star will not be seen unless you have a strong single light source, meaning that most of the time, you will see it as a "plain" cabochon.

Great questions, Chrono! Thanks for dividing it out for me like that.

I think the obnoxiously awesomeness, to me, is probably the delicacy of the setting, which I absolutely love, with the sheer size of the stone. Also, I think the intricate detail of the setting is balanced by the simplicity of the cabochon cut.

As for the stone, I am woefully uninformed. I do like the color of the stone. Would I like it better if it were more blue? Probably The quality of the star isn't so important to me, as long as it's not distractingly bad. I am totally okay with it looking like a plain cabochon even 99% of the time. The opacity of the stone is important to me.

What do I do if I love the setting and hate the stone? Since it's antique, would it be best to not swap out the stone, send it back, and just keep looking?

Also, when NSC comes up with the 13,500 price, what are the valuations involved in reaching that price? Is it worth less or more as an antique?

Thanks a lot!

 

[chrono]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

Colour is personal preference so there's no wrong or right, as long as you know what you want. Although swapping out sounds ideal, it is a PITA to try to find a stone that fits an existing setting - the search could take anywhere from months to years!

NSC is just simply overpriced, no ands, ifs, or buts.

 

[agingsparkle]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

If you love the setting but hate the stone, there are jewelers who could come up with a very similar setting, possibly incorporating your own special elements... I think it would be really challenging to replace the stone without damaging those lovely diamond-set prongs, and while beautiful, the setting is definitely not worth the ring's price. Based on some other settings I've done fairly recently I would think a custom replica might be had in the 2k or less range.

 

[arkieb1]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

I agree with the others I think you could replicate that setting, we can suggest jewellers for you.

Have you got it yet, do you like it IRL?

 

[agingsparkle]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

You did mention star ruby, and saw this one come across instagram today... http://eragem.com/jen11085.html

 

[qubitasaurus]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

the setting reminds me a little of this one

http://www.jewelsbygrace.com/new-additions/6-47ct-edwardian-sugarloaf-sapphire-ring#.VufqkOb-SVA

 

[tinywilderness]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

Hello everybody,

Just wanted to let you guys know how the story ended…

You all were totally right! It was definitely not a $13,500 ring.

Yes, the stone was *not so great* to put it nicely. The setting was surprisingly not so great, either. When we got it and I tried it on, it just didn’t seem like an antique, either. By this I mean, it actually had rough and sharp edges, as if it had either been newly manufactured and the process left rough spots that had not been ground away and polished, or the piece had been inexpertly polished, leaving rough edges. It was the exact exact opposite of every old piece of good jewelry I have ever seen, which admittedly is nothing compared to the pricescope community, in terms of the way it actually felt. It just didn’t seem right, and we ended up sending it back.

Can anyone explain what the sharp edges were likely from?

After the fact, I found out that my boyfriend’s jeweler friend, who looked at it before we did, pointedly asked the seller if it really was an antique or a repro, and the reply went something like, no, well, maybe, well, ahem, probably.

Stunning, considering the way it was advertised. I was going to raise holy hell with them if they put it back up on their site and continued shamelessly advertising it as anything other than what it was, but I never saw it again.

The experience helped me narrow down exactly what I was looking for.

On the bright side, I did end up finding another antique ring that I reeeeally think is splendid. After several months of finding the perfect stone, we finally found an unheated sugarloaf blue sapphire, and I’m beginning the process of figuring out how to get that splendor reproduced. I’m not so bright when it comes to internet forum stuff, so I’m posting that in a different thread.

Good luck all, and thanks for all the good advice!!

 

[chrono]

Re: Opinions, please? 25ct light blue star sapphire antique

I am sorry the ring was a disappointment all around but at least you got to see it in person to put your mind at rest. I'm looking forward to the newly found ring!