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Pepto bismol sapphire inclusions

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
Hello CS friends.

I have fallen in love with silky, cool-toned, light pink sapphires. I have also included spinels in the hunt. The Japanese refer to the color as "sakura" (cherry blossom), and I have seen stones that I like described as baby pink, light pink/purple, bubblegum, etc. etc.

My inspiration stone is this one - but this retailer only ships to Japan. *sigh* ...I asked them to make an exception. Nein. :lol:

I also liked this one - but it is far over budget and not as silky as I would like in a perfect world. So, also Nein. This one leans purple but I find the color very pleasant.

1612714536683.png

I found one that I love color-wise - it has a bit of color-zoning that doesn't bug me - I want a milky looking stone, which may not be everyone's cup of tea. That is more important than matching the color of my inspiration stone. This one has more orange and even blue...but I do loveeee the color.

My question is this - how unsightly are these black inclusions? I am waiting on measurements and the vendor is sharing videos of a different stone tomorrow that they said is cleaner.


 
Last edited:

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,033
I looooove these milky/silky stones. I made a thread about them a while ago because I was trying to figure out how the heck to search for them (no luck, basically just need to stumble upon them Haha). Anything with this kind of "opalescent" effect makes me swoon. I dont mind the inclusions, but that's just me. I know for some people it would be a total deal breaker.
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
I looooove these milky/silky stones. I made a thread about them a while ago because I was trying to figure out how the heck to search for them (no luck, basically just need to stumble upon them Haha). Anything with this kind of "opalescent" effect makes me swoon. I dont mind the inclusions, but that's just me. I know for some people it would be a total deal breaker.

I have gotten searching down to a weird science but it’s super arduous. I’ve looked at HUNDREDS of photos and videos. I am happy to share ones I pass on!

***edit - I haven’t found hundreds - they seem quite rare honestly!

I can’t stop watching the videos which is usually a sign...
 

lovedogs

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 31, 2014
Messages
18,033
I have gotten searching down to a weird science but it’s super arduous. I’ve looked at HUNDREDS of photos and videos. I am happy to share ones I pass on!

***edit - I haven’t found hundreds - they seem quite rare honestly!

I can’t stop watching the videos which is usually a sign...

Yes please!! I'm on a buying ban (what else is new?) But might make an exception for an opalescent stone haha
 

silkystarlight

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 30, 2021
Messages
100
Hello CS friends.

I have fallen in love with silky, cool-toned, light pink sapphires. I have also included spinels in the hunt. The Japanese refer to the color as "sakura" (cherry blossom), and I have seen stones that I like described as baby pink, light pink/purple, bubblegum, etc. etc.

My inspiration stone is this one - but this retailer only ships to Japan. *sigh* ...I asked them to make an exception. Nein. :lol:

I also liked this one - but it is far over budget and not as silky as I would like in a perfect world. So, also Nein. This one leans purple but I find the color very pleasant.

1612714536683.png

I found one that I love color-wise - it has a bit of color-zoning that doesn't bug me - I want a milky looking stone, which may not be everyone's cup of tea. That is more important than matching the color of my inspiration stone. This one has more orange and even blue...but I do loveeee the color.

My question is this - how unsightly are these black inclusions? I am waiting on measurements and the vendor is sharing videos of a different stone tomorrow that they said is cleaner.


OMG.... that color!! That pink is absolutely gorgeous and I feel that the silkiness just kicks up the delicate feminine factor! Ugh that is one heck of a stone! :kiss2:

What a bummer that they don’t ship outside of Japan! I would totally understand if you wouldn’t, but would you consider a forwarding service? I actually just used one for shipping a dress in Canada over to the US. Had zero issues outside of a longer (but as-advertised so totally expected) shipping wait that was hard because I was SO impatient! Although I understand that dresses and gemstones are two totally different matters, as is shipping from basically one “neighbor” to another vs. across a whole ocean! But, if you loved that first stone enough and were willing to take that chance, I might look into it if the additional shipping/handling costs from a forwarding service wouldn’t burn your budget all too much! I had actually almost went to a Japanese forwarding service to get the limited edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch when it was a hot item last year (BIG nostalgia factor for me and basically would’ve been the only reason to get a Switch) buuut patience won out for me in the end and I was able to snag one at my local Best Buy like 6 months after I first started looking. But yeah! Forwarding services! Miiiight be worth it! ;))

Anywho as for if that other stone’s inclusions are too much... I don’t know, I think they could work! Funny enough those little inclusions remind me a lot of the cherry blossom flowers themselves...

C3C368B1-863C-4A01-B860-08BF5C2350B3.jpeg
I mean look at that! The little pollen bits with the petals as their background kind of remind me of the inclusions in that stone! (okay, you might have to squint a little.... but I’m sure you know what I’m getting at! :lol:)

@silkystarlight You have inspired me a bit here - I have always loved stones like this, and have quietly yearned for an ultra cutie-patootie pink one....soooooo here I am! Haha!!!
Yeeess!! Go for it! Live out your silky-stone dream life! :bigsmile: We can be our own little band of shimmery silky gem collectors..... show the world what these special stones are made of! Glad I could inspire you to chase that dream! ::)

I have gotten searching down to a weird science but it’s super arduous. I’ve looked at HUNDREDS of photos and videos. I am happy to share ones I pass on!

***edit - I haven’t found hundreds - they seem quite rare honestly!

I can’t stop watching the videos which is usually a sign...
Oh yeah, the searching is BRUTAL!! Definitely share whatever you find, I’d love to see!

And, that definitely sounds like a good sign!

I looooove these milky/silky stones. I made a thread about them a while ago because I was trying to figure out how the heck to search for them (no luck, basically just need to stumble upon them Haha). Anything with this kind of "opalescent" effect makes me swoon. I dont mind the inclusions, but that's just me. I know for some people it would be a total deal breaker.
Opalescent silky stones really are something special! And hey, others can leave them be... means there’s more for us! :bigsmile:
 

Rfisher

Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Oct 19, 2013
Messages
5,487
I truly think you won’t know about those peppered-in inclusions being bothersome and intolerable until you see in person. What might outweigh them being there. Whether it’s size, color, sleepiness or the fact your eyesight isn’t what it used to be.
I too love silky stones.
Leon’s milky blue spinel was always the ultimate ultimate for me.

This has a window - but wonder how visible/bothersome it would be.
71A18067-2AA1-4E0B-A03D-69A71837E260.jpeg

I’ll follow your quest with interest :)

Edit
Oops-I didn’t catch the budget amount earlier
 
Last edited:

silkystarlight

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jan 30, 2021
Messages
100

idola

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Messages
128
Hello CS friends.

I have fallen in love with silky, cool-toned, light pink sapphires. I have also included spinels in the hunt. The Japanese refer to the color as "sakura" (cherry blossom), and I have seen stones that I like described as baby pink, light pink/purple, bubblegum, etc. etc.

My inspiration stone is this one - but this retailer only ships to Japan. *sigh* ...I asked them to make an exception. Nein. :lol:

I also liked this one - but it is far over budget and not as silky as I would like in a perfect world. So, also Nein. This one leans purple but I find the color very pleasant.

1612714536683.png

I found one that I love color-wise - it has a bit of color-zoning that doesn't bug me - I want a milky looking stone, which may not be everyone's cup of tea. That is more important than matching the color of my inspiration stone. This one has more orange and even blue...but I do loveeee the color.

My question is this - how unsightly are these black inclusions? I am waiting on measurements and the vendor is sharing videos of a different stone tomorrow that they said is cleaner.



Kind of left field, but have you considered shipping the original stone to a proxy in Japan? It's very, very common practice as few Japanese sellers will ship abroad (especially with the heavy restrictions on where you can send most package types due to covid). If you're up for it, whiterabbit is an extremely easy to use proxy.
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
I truly think you won’t know about those peppered-in inclusions being bothersome and intolerable until you see in person. What might outweigh them being there. Whether it’s size, color, sleepiness or the fact your eyesight isn’t what it used to be.
I too love silky stones.
Leon’s milky blue spinel was always the ultimate ultimate for me.

This has a window - but wonder how visible/bothersome it would be.
71A18067-2AA1-4E0B-A03D-69A71837E260.jpeg

I’ll follow your quest with interest :)

Edit
Oops-I didn’t catch the budget amount earlier

This is quite pretty, thanks for digging it up - and a great price for the size! Admittedly, price aside, I am a weird PSer in that I prefer gems that are smaller than that! I think 3 carats is my absolute max
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
Kind of left field, but have you considered shipping the original stone to a proxy in Japan? It's very, very common practice as few Japanese sellers will ship abroad (especially with the heavy restrictions on where you can send most package types due to covid). If you're up for it, whiterabbit is an extremely easy to use proxy.

I didn’t even think about that or realize it was an option! I think the level of complexity does make a little nervous and the seller doesn’t use PayPal - which also makes me nervous! Thanks for the suggestion though!
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
I have some etsy options for your consideration although they are quite varied in terms of color, size, and shape

https://etsy.me/3rqpszG

https://etsy.me/3q0iMIi

https://etsy.me/3pZgJEx

https://etsy.me/3rwMm8Q

https://etsy.me/2MHScFA


Gemmax was very nice when I inquired about a sapphire of his (the trillion sapphire I shared on my erring post) and he was great about getting more pictures and videos for me!


Ooooh thank you! Some of them are really pretty - admittedly the color peach looks terrible on me, some of these unfortunately are bit too peachy...

But good to know what is out there!
 

idola

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Oct 17, 2020
Messages
128
I didn’t even think about that or realize it was an option! I think the level of complexity does make a little nervous and the seller doesn’t use PayPal - which also makes me nervous! Thanks for the suggestion though!

It does take a little while to get an account set up on whiterabbit or other proxies since the Japanese government requires ID verification for proxy shipping, but after that, the proxy service takes the payment (typically with paypal) so that you can avoid the seller requirements for Japanese credit cards and addresses only. Of course I understand if it's not your cup of tea, but I wanted to clarify in case anyone else is interested in buying gems from Japanese sellers without international shipping :D
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
OMG.... that color!! That pink is absolutely gorgeous and I feel that the silkiness just kicks up the delicate feminine factor! Ugh that is one heck of a stone! :kiss2:

What a bummer that they don’t ship outside of Japan! I would totally understand if you wouldn’t, but would you consider a forwarding service? I actually just used one for shipping a dress in Canada over to the US. Had zero issues outside of a longer (but as-advertised so totally expected) shipping wait that was hard because I was SO impatient! Although I understand that dresses and gemstones are two totally different matters, as is shipping from basically one “neighbor” to another vs. across a whole ocean! But, if you loved that first stone enough and were willing to take that chance, I might look into it if the additional shipping/handling costs from a forwarding service wouldn’t burn your budget all too much! I had actually almost went to a Japanese forwarding service to get the limited edition Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch when it was a hot item last year (BIG nostalgia factor for me and basically would’ve been the only reason to get a Switch) buuut patience won out for me in the end and I was able to snag one at my local Best Buy like 6 months after I first started looking. But yeah! Forwarding services! Miiiight be worth it! ;))

Anywho as for if that other stone’s inclusions are too much... I don’t know, I think they could work! Funny enough those little inclusions remind me a lot of the cherry blossom flowers themselves...

C3C368B1-863C-4A01-B860-08BF5C2350B3.jpeg
I mean look at that! The little pollen bits with the petals as their background kind of remind me of the inclusions in that stone! (okay, you might have to squint a little.... but I’m sure you know what I’m getting at! :lol:)


Yeeess!! Go for it! Live out your silky-stone dream life! :bigsmile: We can be our own little band of shimmery silky gem collectors..... show the world what these special stones are made of! Glad I could inspire you to chase that dream! ::)


Oh yeah, the searching is BRUTAL!! Definitely share whatever you find, I’d love to see!

And, that definitely sounds like a good sign!


Opalescent silky stones really are something special! And hey, others can leave them be... means there’s more for us! :bigsmile:

So, I didn’t even know about courier services like that. Duh - of course that is a thing! Honestly the main dealbreaker for me with this vendor is they don’t take PayPal / Venmo - I was a victim of credit card fraud a little while ago and am too nervous to input my information directly in a website. It may be overly paranoid but....oh well!

And I love the analogy of the cherry blossom pollen bits, seriously!

I do keep looking at the videos *sigh*

And yes please! Team silky gems tehe
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
It does take a little while to get an account set up on whiterabbit or other proxies since the Japanese government requires ID verification for proxy shipping, but after that, the proxy service takes the payment (typically with paypal) so that you can avoid the seller requirements for Japanese credit cards and addresses only. Of course I understand if it's not your cup of tea, but I wanted to clarify in case anyone else is interested in buying gems from Japanese sellers without international shipping :D

This is excellent to know, really. It might be something I set up in the future actually. It’s a really cool idea I knew nothing about. For now, my appetite for complexity might be too low but definitely good for other folks to know too!
 

Gloria27

Brilliant_Rock
Premium
Joined
Jul 21, 2015
Messages
978
Some of those are very pretty, thanks for sharing - admittedly the prices seem shockingly low - I wonder if I’m being overly suspicious?

The guy is a serious seller, I've bought from him before (Garnet, Opal and Moissanite). He is a gem cutter.
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
Here are some I’m de
The guy is a serious seller, I've bought from him before (Garnet, Opal and Moissanite). He is a gem cutter.

Awesome - thank you for reassuring me! I feel much better with the knowledge that you have happily bought from him!
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,761
For whatever reason I can't attach the other pictures I have of my little 1.3 carat sleepy pink spinel. It looks dark in this picture but it's close to what you're looking for and it was from super cheap Ebay about 5-6 yrs ago. Ten bucks or something. I don't mind inclusions as long as it doesn't detract from the stone, so I wouldn't worry about them! The only reason I haven't set it is it almost disappears on my skin tone. I'm ridiculously pink. :lol:

IMG_20210207_190925104.jpg IMG_20210207_191736960.jpg
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
For whatever reason I can't attach the other pictures I have of my little 1.3 carat sleepy pink spinel. It looks dark in this picture but it's close to what you're looking for and it was from super cheap Ebay about 5-6 yrs ago. Ten bucks or something. I don't mind inclusions as long as it doesn't detract from the stone, so I wouldn't worry about them! The only reason I haven't set it is it almost disappears on my skin tone. I'm ridiculously pink. :lol:

IMG_20210207_190925104.jpg IMG_20210207_191736960.jpg

Oooooh this is super pretty! I am ALSO very pink skinned - that is why I need some bluish / violet tones to any pink I get - peach just dissolves on me - pads would look ghastly!!! Thank god for that or I'd want a juicy pad and they are always well beyond my budget :lol:
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,761
These are some that I've found on Etsy. I always keep an eye out for budget savers.
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
Here are a few I am definitely passing on, either due to cut, cost, color or clarity for interested parties!

I think this one was my favorite...but not at all the color I am after at the moment!






This is amethyst but suuuper pretty



not really silky...but the prettiest color!

 

Eric Nations

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 7, 2021
Messages
24
Inclusions in light pink 8.95 CT. sapphire. BEAUTIFUL. What do you think? 1704DE3A-A3B8-49F0-AF49-F4DC974D471B.jpeg
 

Cerulean

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
5,077
These are some that I've found on Etsy. I always keep an eye out for budget savers.

Ooooh - these are super pretty! I love the colors - the Sapphire Pal one looks very purply but so intriguing...I feel like I have seen a mixed review on them but now can't remember details....

The other two are also super cute - the bubblegum one is very close (maybe slightly warmer) to my inspiration - I worry it might be too small but something will have to give!

Ahh you guys are the best!
 

ItsMainelyYou

Ideal_Rock
Joined
Jun 27, 2014
Messages
4,761
I'm being evil, but you can expand to pad if it's the right shaaaaaade:evil2: like my padish spinel...
 
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