Sapphire characteristics

[RRfromR]

Hi all, I'm looking at a sapphire and the only thing that the seller knows is that it has silk and feather inclusions. Is that good? Is that bad? Does it mean it is heated? TIA!

 

[Rfisher]

does it mean it is heated?

I don’t think feathers will indicate heating or no.

I think silk will change in appearance before/after heating but it just being present doesn’t mean definitive

Is that good? Is that bad?

Depends on overall look - imo

If you are going off a vendor’s (or hobby seller ) word/opinion
And their opinion has a weighty influence on the asking price
I’d ask if a lab report finding differently would change the terms of sale.
Their answer means a lot - imo.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

Is it pretty? Is it priced as heated or unheated? Do you like it?

Everything has its own market so all you want is to pay for what you're getting.

 

[Avondale]

The presence of inclusions in itself is not an indication of whether the stone is heated or not. The way the inclusions look under a microscope can be a strong indication, but I doubt the seller would have any idea on the matter.

If you like how it looks and it's priced low, go for it. Otherwise, all the usual that you already know applies.

 

[LilAlex]

Hi all, I'm looking at a sapphire and the only thing that the seller knows is that it has silk and feather inclusions

Too much detail and too little info, imo. Almost all will have silk; the questions is where or the it is noticeable and is a "bug" (heavy, obscuring transparency) or a "feature" (almost imperceptible, and enhancing how).

Feathers are cracks and so it's like saying a used car "has dents." Where, how many, how visible, how likely to impact structural integrity, etc? I am not accustomed to hearing about feathers in corundum so that would be concerning to me, above and beyond any reassuring images that are shared with you. That said, I have not (recently, at least) shopped a price-point where feathers would be part of the package -- but in a large otherwise-pretty stone where there were no structural concerns, I would not rule it out. In fact, that may be the only way for me to get to the carat-weight I'm looking for.

 

[Rfisher]

I’m now getting the impression the seller is maybe saying “it has silk and feathers” as a way of saying it’s not synthetic nor simulant. Not as an indication of heat or no?

There’s few vendors and fewer hobbiests (even PS’ers ) I’d trust with that with them efforting to sell me something.
Especially if not priced really low.

 

[RRfromR]

This is part of the picture - it's old from the early 1900s, which is my kriptonite set in 15k gold. The estate liquidator told me that all they know is that it is natural sapphire with silk and feather inclusions