gemsarecomplicated
Rough_Rock
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2016
- Messages
- 6
Hello,
I know these threads come up a lot, and forgive me - I've pored over them and read all the FAQs but I'm still having trouble identifying quality sapphires. My boyfriend has told me to pick out a sapphire for my engagement ring (yay! I'd, truthfully, rather pick it out then be surprised, since I'll be wearing it every day). The variance in prices is frankly confounding to me. I should state firstly that I don't wan't him to spend more than about $1,700 on a gem, which I know limits us greatly. I'd like something that's well cut and 1-2 carats (north of 1.5 if possible, and willing to sacrifice on color and clarity of course). I know that this budget is rather small and he could afford to go above it, but I'm not really a jewelry person and I wouldn't feel very comfortable with that.
Anyways, I've found stones that seem to fit what I want, but I'm still at a total loss. I have a lot of room in the color I'm looking for (I'd like a shade of blue, and not too dark, but otherwise I'm flexible). Likewise, my heart isn't set on any cut, although I have come across some cool geometric/hexagonal cuts that have caught my fancy. Here are some gems that I like:
http://www.customgemstones.com/SAPPHIRE/sa1711.html 1.98 carats, $396. I see that it's listed as being silky and maybe not the most desirable color, but it looks beautiful to me and I can't understand why it's so cheap. What am I missing?
https://www.mastercutgems.com/Products-251-Ruby_and_Sapphire/8355-SAPPHIRE_-_1_74_ct-Gem.php?FromPage=2 1.74 carats, $420 same question as above
https://www.etsy.com/listing/205640319/cornflower-blue-sapphire-165-ct-natural?ref=pr_faveitems I absolutely love this color and it's a great size; are the inclusions bringing down the cost? I'm not really bothered by inclusions unless they're highly distracting to the naked eye.
http://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-blue-1250-oval-portuguese-cut-2-30cts Possibly my favorite that I've found, but I'm also concerned by why a gem this large and lovely is so relatively cheap - is it the light blue color (I like it, but I know it's not the same as that classic rich sapphire blue).
Some other favorites that are slightly more expensive, per carat, but still seem pretty cheap to me compared to some of the stones I've seen posted:
https://mastercutgems.com/Products-301-ANAGEE_Sri_Lanka_Gems/7726-Sri_Lanka_Fine_Color_Shift_Sapphire_1_81_carat-Gem.php?FromPage=1
http://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-blue-1264
http://www.finewatergems.com/store/p44/1.61_ct_Blue_Sapphire.html
http://www.earthstreasury.com/product/1-51-carat-hexagonal-blue-green-montana-sapphire/
http://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-blue-1047-round-roulette-style-1-49-cts
I have about 40 more on my shortlist, but will spare you all! I know it may be hard to help me as I know hardly anything and also don't have any set criteria re: shape or color; I really just want a beautiful looking stone that's a nice size. Do any of the gems I posted above strike you as significantly higher or lower quality than the others? What questions should I ask? Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get the chance to check gems out in person before buying. Thank you in advance, and my apologies for how all over the map I am.
I know these threads come up a lot, and forgive me - I've pored over them and read all the FAQs but I'm still having trouble identifying quality sapphires. My boyfriend has told me to pick out a sapphire for my engagement ring (yay! I'd, truthfully, rather pick it out then be surprised, since I'll be wearing it every day). The variance in prices is frankly confounding to me. I should state firstly that I don't wan't him to spend more than about $1,700 on a gem, which I know limits us greatly. I'd like something that's well cut and 1-2 carats (north of 1.5 if possible, and willing to sacrifice on color and clarity of course). I know that this budget is rather small and he could afford to go above it, but I'm not really a jewelry person and I wouldn't feel very comfortable with that.
Anyways, I've found stones that seem to fit what I want, but I'm still at a total loss. I have a lot of room in the color I'm looking for (I'd like a shade of blue, and not too dark, but otherwise I'm flexible). Likewise, my heart isn't set on any cut, although I have come across some cool geometric/hexagonal cuts that have caught my fancy. Here are some gems that I like:
http://www.customgemstones.com/SAPPHIRE/sa1711.html 1.98 carats, $396. I see that it's listed as being silky and maybe not the most desirable color, but it looks beautiful to me and I can't understand why it's so cheap. What am I missing?
https://www.mastercutgems.com/Products-251-Ruby_and_Sapphire/8355-SAPPHIRE_-_1_74_ct-Gem.php?FromPage=2 1.74 carats, $420 same question as above
https://www.etsy.com/listing/205640319/cornflower-blue-sapphire-165-ct-natural?ref=pr_faveitems I absolutely love this color and it's a great size; are the inclusions bringing down the cost? I'm not really bothered by inclusions unless they're highly distracting to the naked eye.
http://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-blue-1250-oval-portuguese-cut-2-30cts Possibly my favorite that I've found, but I'm also concerned by why a gem this large and lovely is so relatively cheap - is it the light blue color (I like it, but I know it's not the same as that classic rich sapphire blue).
Some other favorites that are slightly more expensive, per carat, but still seem pretty cheap to me compared to some of the stones I've seen posted:
https://mastercutgems.com/Products-301-ANAGEE_Sri_Lanka_Gems/7726-Sri_Lanka_Fine_Color_Shift_Sapphire_1_81_carat-Gem.php?FromPage=1
http://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-blue-1264
http://www.finewatergems.com/store/p44/1.61_ct_Blue_Sapphire.html
http://www.earthstreasury.com/product/1-51-carat-hexagonal-blue-green-montana-sapphire/
http://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-blue-1047-round-roulette-style-1-49-cts
I have about 40 more on my shortlist, but will spare you all! I know it may be hard to help me as I know hardly anything and also don't have any set criteria re: shape or color; I really just want a beautiful looking stone that's a nice size. Do any of the gems I posted above strike you as significantly higher or lower quality than the others? What questions should I ask? Unfortunately, I don't think we'll get the chance to check gems out in person before buying. Thank you in advance, and my apologies for how all over the map I am.