Received oval sapphire from Gemfix! What do you think?

[stargurl78]

I have been looking for an oval blue sapphire for quite some time now and have purchased a few from some of Tan's eBay stores with no luck. They were either too dark, too light, poorly cut, or had too much extinction going on. I don't have a huge budget ($1200 at the very most) so I understand that I am not going to get top color and I don't mind if the stone is heated. Well I *think* I might have found a winner with Gemfix but I want your honest opinions before I make my decision, I have until Friday to decide. It does have some extinction going on in some lighting but for the most part it is a pretty medium-dark bright bluish purple color. And I'm happy with the cut (that is one thing that I am realizing I am a bit picky about).

So with my budget, do you think this stone is a good choice? If not, let me know if you have any other suggestions. My criteria are: the cut has to be at least decent, can't be too purple, can't be that light cornflower blue color (even though its pretty, I don't like it on me), has to be an oval or cushion, close to the size of this stone or larger. I'm not terribly concerned about clarity as long as its mostly clean.

Anyways, its the last blue sapphire on this page:
http://www.gemfix.com/newest_gems.html

Specs: 7.2x6.1mm, 4.2mm depth. Description from site: Intense royal-violet blue color. Well cut, clean and sparkly. Nice.
(Cut by Andrew Gulij)

Here are LOTS of pics:

 

[stargurl78]

.

 

[stargurl78]

These show the extinction (I think that's what it's called?):

 

[stargurl78]

I warned you there would be a lot of pics!!!

 

[stargurl78]

This is the last set...

 

[Enerchi]

They look like lovely photos to me- that colouring appeals to my tastes and I also prefer that cut and sizing. It has plenty of sparkle but I agree, you can see the extinction. I'm not knowledgeable enough regarding sapphires, but do all darker stones have some extinction to them?

I have purchased 3 gemstones in total from Gemfix and loved/kept all of them. A blue/green oval portugese cut tourmaline. A brilliant cut blue zircon and a modified cushion cut pink tourmaline, which I had both of these set in separate pendants for both my DD and middle son's g/f. (Oldest son was not dating anyone at the time!) I found the colours on the web to be accurate in real life and I really liked speaking with both Laura and Andrew.

Hope you are happy with the sapphire - it is lovely! What are your plans (if you keep it?)

 

[stargurl78]

They look like lovely photos to me- that colouring appeals to my tastes and I also prefer that cut and sizing. It has plenty of sparkle but I agree, you can see the extinction. I'm not knowledgeable enough regarding sapphires, but do all darker stones have some extinction to them?

I have purchased 3 gemstones in total from Gemfix and loved/kept all of them. A blue/green oval portugese cut tourmaline. A brilliant cut blue zircon and a modified cushion cut pink tourmaline, which I had both of these set in separate pendants for both my DD and middle son's g/f. (Oldest son was not dating anyone at the time!) I found the colours on the web to be accurate in real life and I really liked speaking with both Laura and Andrew.

Hope you are happy with the sapphire - it is lovely! What are your plans (if you keep it?)

Thanks Enerchi! Maybe all darker stones do have some extinction, I'm really not sure (maybe the experts can weigh in?). I have been very happy with Gemfix as well, I've ordered 2 other stones from them previously.

I want to put it in a white gold ring with a chunky halo and a plain shank (I know it's very similar to Kate's ring, but I don't care, I love it!!):
http://idjewelryonline.com/popup_image.php?pID=10626

I would love it if I could find a setting with old cuts in the halo but I know that won't be cheap so I probably won't get my hopes up on that one...

 

[Enerchi]

Love the setting! Obviously if Diana and Kate/Catherine have worn it, and countless others, it's a classic keeper! It will be beautiful with that sapphire set in it! Very nice!

I had a great experience with IDJ - have you purchased from them before?

What were your other stones from Gemfix? Just curious!

 

[stargurl78]

Love the setting! Obviously if Diana and Kate/Catherine have worn it, and countless others, it's a classic keeper! It will be beautiful with that sapphire set in it! Very nice!

I had a great experience with IDJ - have you purchased from them before?

What were your other stones from Gemfix? Just curious!

Thanks, I love the setting too

I actually just recently purchased some earring jackets from IDJ but I haven't received them yet, they should be completed by the end of next week at the latest. Anyways, so far I've really liked working with them. Their prices are decent, they are very pleasant and friendly people, and their pieces seem to be of good quality from what I've seen on here. I will say that they are pretty slow at responding to emails but that's really not a big deal to me.

One stone that I purchased from Gemfix was an aqua (that I still have to post my own photos for but I'm slow at everything ):
[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-aqua-iolani-ring-from-sally-is-finished.165749/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-aqua-iolani-ring-from-sally-is-finished.165749/[/URL]

I love the stone but I might try to sell the ring on DB because I just don't wear it that often, its a bit much on my small finger (9mm in a bezel on a size 4.25 finger). I also purchased a blue-green tourmaline from them but I ended up returning it because it didn't work for the setting I had hoped to put it in. What stones did you purchase from them?

 

[pregcurious]

The stone looks really nice and I like the color. I would be concerned about putting it in a halo as it will probably darken the stone, which may be an issue if it already has some extinction. Does the extinction bother you?

 

[stargurl78]

The stone looks really nice and I like the color. I would be concerned about putting it in a halo as it will probably darken the stone, which may be an issue if it already has some extinction. Does the extinction bother you?

Hmm, maybe I should take it to my local jeweler to see what happens when I set it in the halo settings. Or maybe I'll try putting a little piece of tin foil around it, I saw someone suggest that before on here. I notice the extinction but it doesn't really bother me. In the previous stones that I tried, they all had the half and half extinction going on and that really bugged me.

 

[Enerchi]

LOVE LOVE LOVE your iolani ring!! Just gorgeous! And you are going to sell it? wish I had tiny hands but I'm a 7.5/8 sadly.

I don't have any photos of the necklaces but all will be here at Easter so maybe I can get pics then. I have some of my tourmaline if the iPad let's me upload. Let me try.... Nope. You can find my blue green tourmaline under my name.. I think

 

[beau-wy]

I think the price is on the good side of fair. I don't think I would call it royal, more of a darker cornflower in my opinion. I am not questioning the origin, but that Ceylon looks very much like a Madagascan blue (which generally have a violet modifier). Mr. Gulij is a talented cutter, no worries there. It does appear that there is some color zoning, a table-down view would clarify that.

With a 1200 budget and a 1.5ct min, you will have to, as you acknowledged, be willing to flex on something. If you like it, I think it is a very fair price for the stone.

 

[Arkteia]

Hard to give advises re. sapphires, everyone's tastes are so different, but I bought one sapphire from Gemfix, well-cut, in medium-blue color. I prefer dark-blue, but this stone was so well-cut and sparkly, I chose it and like it very much. I have seen Gemfix's stones and consider his material of good quality and his cutting superior.

 

[minousbijoux]

I think the price is on the good side of fair. I don't think I would call it royal, more of a darker cornflower in my opinion. I am not questioning the origin, but that Ceylon looks very much like a Madagascan blue (which generally have a violet modifier). Mr. Gulij is a talented cutter, no worries there. It does appear that there is some color zoning, a table-down view would clarify that.

With a 1200 budget and a 1.5ct min, you will have to, as you acknowledged, be willing to flex on something. If you like it, I think it is a very fair price for the stone.

Beau-wy: With all due respect, and to be fair to the other trade members who post on here, I suggest you re-read forum rules, as I believe posts by one trade member regarding another vendor's products are prohibited. You can imagine what might happen if that were not the case

 

[chrono]

It seems to be a fair price. You are correct that given your requirements of budget, size, shape, and colour, something has to give. The colour is pleasant and as you have noted, a fair bit of extinction at times. It is also a lively stone with good flash.

As to extinction, it is not limited to only dark toned stones. I have seen pale pink spinels and sea foam tourmalines exhibit major extinction in both native cutting and precision cutting.

 

[stargurl78]

Thank you all for your thoughts!!! So it sounds like it is a decent stone for the price. I would love to have a big bright royal blue stone but I definitely can't afford it (nor can I justify spending that much even if I could afford it).

I am leaning towards keeping it but I'm going to wait until Friday to decide for sure. Please keep your opinions coming!

 

[T L]

It's a little too dark for me, but I suspect it performs a lot better in person. It's hard to judge a precision cut gem from static photos. Even though its too dark for me, what's right for me, isn't what's right for you. I pretty much echo Chrono's comments.

 

[stargurl78]

It's a little too dark for me, but I suspect it performs a lot better in person. It's hard to judge a precision cut gem from static photos. Even though its too dark for me, what's right for me, isn't what's right for you. I pretty much echo Chrono's comments.

Thanks TL, I was hoping you would chime in. It does look better in real life than in the photos, PS seems to have a crappy effect on my pics However, you are right, it is a bit dark, but I think I'm ok with that. I might keep looking around for the next few days and then I'll make up my mind.

 

[stargurl78]

I do have another question - If I had to have a cushion or oval stone around this size with very little purple, well-cut, bright medium blue, with no extinction, what could I expect to pay? This stone is not what I would consider "perfect" by my standards but I don't know if it makes sense to hold out for something better because the price might be way too high.

 

[minousbijoux]

I would answer your question with some questions. First, if you want to hold out for the special stone, does that mean it should be unheated? Second, again if its your forever stone, would you want it to be precision cut? There is not a lot out there, but I found a few I would want more info on:

http://www.spectralgems.net/A-corundum.html Have a look at some of his Madagascan stones.

http://www.gemfix.com/sapphire_blue.html 7th row down, middle. Bigger than what you have, and cushion cut. I would want to see more photos to determine what is going on in the middle of the stone, whether that's a reflection or zoning.

http://www.multicolour.com/detail/?-1517770437 Would want to know more about the saturation level. It looks like it has a greyish modifier, but I would ask.

None of these look ideal, but it gives you a starting point. The range would probably end up being something like $600 to $3,500.

That said, if it were to be my forever stone, I would work with someone like Gene, Roger or Jeff to find and cut me one. Hope this helps.

 

[chrono]

Unfortunately, that's hard to predict. Some vendors might charge more or less depending on how much they paid for the rough, cutting labour cost and variable markup. Something better might show up tomorrow or one year from now. Shopping for coloured stones is like this because they just cannot be made to order.

 

[Laila619]

I think the color is really pretty and appealing.

 

[Enerchi]

I still like the stone! Friday is tomorrow - are you still in like or in love or have you decided against it?? I really like the faceting on your selection - and from the stone that is mine of the 3 I bought from gemfix, I really love the cut Andrew did.

Minousbijoux has some nice options there.

What are you thinking at this point?

 

[stargurl78]

minousbijoux - Thank you so much for those links! I LOVE that stunning cushion from Gemfix but unfortunately I can not afford that stone. I like some of the ones Roger Dery has on his page too and I just sent him a message although I'm sure they will be pricey. The multicolour one is too light for my tastes but the price sure is appealing I also realized that Roger Dery is located only a half hour away from me. In my message, I asked him if he has a storefront where I can check out the gems in person so we'll see. Also, for you other questions, I don't mind if its heated and I would prefer it to be precision cut.

Chrono - Thank you for your thoughts. You're right, it seems that prices do vary widely and colored stones are not always easy to shop for.

Laila - Thank you!

Enerchi - Well I emailed Laura at Gemfix to inquire about another sapphire on their site - 3rd row down, middle stone:
http://www.gemfix.com/newest_gems.html
I told her that I really like the stone I bought but I'm wondering if increasing my budget by $500 will get me a slightly lighter stone with less purple. She said that this new stone is slightly lighter and does has some violet but to her eyes is a tad less violet (and its bigger too! ). She said I could order that one, take a couple days to compare the 2 and then let her know what I decide. So I ordered it!! I'll post pics when I get it. I'm really hoping I can go see Roger Dery's stones in person too. I really didn't want to increase my budget but once I can compare a few stones in person, I can decide if it will be worth it. It's just too hard for me to decide on a stone based on the online photos...

 

[Enerchi]

That's great that Laura will extend timing and let you compare the 2 stones - perfect! then you can really see which you prefer and decide if the extra $500 is worth it to you.

Seeing some of Roger's stones in person would be amazing! only a 1/2 hour away- man, that would be just TOOOOO tempting for me! Take your camera with you when you go --- would love to see photos of the stones that intrigue you! Please share what you see!!

I'm eager to hear what you think of all these new options - keep us updated

 

[minousbijoux]

I like some of the ones Roger Dery has on his page too and I just sent him a message although I'm sure they will be pricey. I also realized that Roger Dery is located only a half hour away from me. In my message, I asked him if he has a storefront where I can check out the gems in person so we'll see. Also, for you other questions, I don't mind if its heated and I would prefer it to be precision cut. I'm really hoping I can go see Roger Dery's stones in person too.

So I doubt you'll hear from Roger for a day or two as I believe right this very minute he is flying to Germany. I know that he has just finished a swing through the Bay Area, met with several PSers who shall remain nameless unless they want to identify themselves and show off their purchases I also know that he sold a tremendous amount of his inventory recently. I would imagine that his prices would probably be up around the $3,000 mark for a stone the size you want. I also know that he is another of our great, fun and so, so nice cutters and if he and Ginger (his wife) have the time, they would likely be happy to bring stones to your home for an evening gathering for you and a group of your friends. I would LOVE to do that, but need a bigger house (hmm, maybe if I didn't spend all my money on stones I'd be able to afford a house - kind of like the gemstone version of 'Gift of the Maggi' )

 

[stargurl78]

Enerchi - I am almost hoping he doesn't have a storefront because I might get in too much trouble if I get to go look at everything! I'll definitely take a camera with me if I get to go and drool over the pretties!

minousbijoux - Thank you for sharing about Roger, I won't expect to receive an immediate response. Yeah, I figured his stones would be out of my price range but it would still be nice to go look for the sake of comparison (although it could also tempt me in a bad way!). Roger visits people in their homes?! Ohmygosh I would love that. Too bad none of my friends care about diamonds, gemstones, or jewelry period And these PSers that are remaining nameless better show off their new sparklies!

 

[chel180]

I am no expert but that looks like a very pretty sapphire to me. The oval looks very even and a lovely outline and table shape, not to fat or skinny. I really like the color but anyone who has helped me with sapphires will know I prefer slightly darker stones than is popular!

 

[stargurl78]

I am no expert but that looks like a very pretty sapphire to me. The oval looks very even and a lovely outline and table shape, not to fat or skinny. I really like the color but anyone who has helped me with sapphires will know I prefer slightly darker stones than is popular!

Thanks chel180, I think I prefer sapphires that are a tad on the darker side too. I ordered a second stone from Gemfix to compare this one too so I'll probably keep whichever one I like better. I have at least decided that I am most likely going to keep this stone if the other one doesn't thrill me.