Opinions wanted on this Pink Sapphire

[Sierracomet]

hi all,
This is a wonderful forum !
I am new here and would love people's opinions on this pink sapphire i just bought.
It is set in a decoratively etched gold ring i presume it is an antique piece from my understanding.
The sapphire measures 5mm.
Description by seller is - Vintage 10K Yellow Gold & 5mm Round Cut Pink Sapphire Etched Ring - Size 6.5
Ring Size: 6.5 ,Band Width: 1mm, weight 1.1g,
Stone has a scratch.
This item/lot may show signs of dust, scuffs, dents, soiling, tarnish, & wear. Items/lots may contain stones that have abrasions, chips, blemishes, feathers, inclusions, & other clarity characteristics. All listed sizes and measurements are approximations.
Tested presidium Presidium Gem Tester PGT/CSE/PGT2
Thank you all so much in advance for your time and help !!!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Hallo and welcome! What would you like to know exactly?

Generally I just celebrate a purchase anyone has made as taste varies and there’s no point in critiquing a piece that someone already owns.

 

[Sierracomet]

Hi Mellowyellowgirl ! Thank you so much for your kind reply !
I will clarify that i saw it and loved it & won it at an online auction of an estate a couple of days ago and there was some demand with 10 other bidders. I thought i was lucky to have won it. I have yet to receive my invoice so I have not paid for it yet.
I was drawn to the vivid color of it and also what looks like hand cutting.
I am drawn to the charm and different qualities the old mine cut / old European cuts & other old gemstone cuts show when compared to modern cuts.
I would like to know the likelihood of it being a real sapphire ? and what its value might be roughly ?
I will be paying enough that i would be disappointed if it were a cheap fake or glass.
I am unsure how educated the seller is in identifying gemstones they only stated they go by appearance and presidium 2 gem tester which i have just read can be unreliable so i am concerned.
The auction is i another country so a return may be difficult.
I have always loved gemstones and have been reading up all i can and am considering doing some online courses.
Thank you so much for your time and help !

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Ahhh all good! I’ll let loose then!

First things first, do you mind the window? The window is the light part in the middle of the gem. Can you see how the gem is darker around the edge and then switches colour in the middle? That’s a window and they bother some people a lot. If you looked down and saw this eye effect constantly, would it bother you?

Without some kind of a lab report it may or may not be a sapphire, could be lab created, could be a spinel, garnet etc. No way to know and your confidence needs to live in the hands of the seller. A. that they are honest and B. that they know their gems.

Can’t help you with price but I can show you a little example that may help you.

1.13 CRT Natural No Heat Sapphire Gemstone

Pink Sapphire Gemstones 6.5 x 6.5 x 3.6mm 1.13 cts Auction #2581712 Gem Rock Auctions

www.gemrockauctions.com

This is 1+ carats, $500, has inclusions. Comes from Thailand so I can get a $10 report to at least verify that it’s an untreated sapphire as claimed. So you’re looking at $500 for a stone that’s definitely a sapphire. Depending on what you paid, I’d go from there, add a bit on for the setting.

 

[Avondale]

Ok, so you want to know more before you pay?

First of all, that is a very dainty band. This is not an everyday ring and if you're not careful while wearing it, it will quickly be bent out of shape. So that's one consideration. It's very pretty, though.

At 5mm, you're somewhere in the "a little over half a carat" territory. Difficult to estimate how much. The window could mean the stone is shallower and closer to half a carat. So I'd say, the stone alone, provided it's natural and unheated, shouldn't be more than $250-300. Add to that the melt value of the gold (shouldn't be much), and if you won this ring for more than that, then you're definitely overpaying.

Of course, all this hangs on the assumption the stone is indeed sapphire, is natural and untreated. A gem tester will usually identify sapphire just fine, but that's about it. It could either be treated, or synthetic, and the tester wouldn't have a way of knowing because it's a very basic tool.

This is why more savvy buyers will usually buy such pieces at low prices that account for the assumption the stone is synthetic or overall misrepresented and not worth a lot. Either there's a deal to be made, or there won't be a deal in the first place.

In your situation you're placing your trust with the vendor. You won't be sending such a small stone to a lab in the US, you'd be spending upwards of $100 for a lab report, it doesn't make sense financially. So you either have to decide to trust the vendor, or that you don't care all that much about what you actually have as long as you like the way it looks. If you're not comfortable with either of those things, you'd do better to save your money and put it towards something you'll actually enjoy.