Sapphire Color Zoning-should it greatly reduce the price?

[lulu_ma]

Without revealing too many details, I am looking at a blue sapphire with some color zoning. Should that greatly reduce the price?

Any insight is appreciated. I am a colored stone noob.

Also, I did a search and couldn't find any relevant threads. If I have missed one, please post the link here for me

 

[Rfisher]

Loose stone?
Greatly reducing the price will depend on how much & what angle(s) the zoning is viewable from, and how ‘top tier’ the stone would be considered without that zoning.

IMO and from what I’ve seen in person and pricing related to those zonings.
But - not an expert.
I think it’s also easy for a vendor to say ‘without that color zoning it’d be selling for a lot more’. So take that with a grain of salt but I’ve been told it by more than one vendor on various sapphires.

 

[lulu_ma]

Loose stone?
Greatly reducing the price will depend on how much & what angle(s) the zoning is viewable from, and how ‘top tier’ the stone would be considered without that zoning.

IMO and from what I’ve seen in person and pricing related to those zonings.
But - not an expert.
I think it’s also easy for a vendor to say ‘without that color zoning it’d be selling for a lot more’. So take that with a grain of salt but I’ve been told it by more than one vendor on various sapphires.

Thanks for the info @Rfisher!

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

I’ve seen many nice looking blue sapphires that are priced very competitively due to colour zoning so yes I would think that there would be a discount.

 

[Avondale]

It definitely affects the price. Whether it affects it greatly... depends on what you mean by greatly. Let's put an arbitrary definition of a 25% difference in price - I don't think it reaches that much, as long as we're talking about a stone that doesn't show the zoning from the top view. But stones with an even colour throughout their entire body definitely sell for more.

 

[ShinyPink]

Some people like color zoning and find it unique. Guess it depends on the zone's attributes.

 

[Autumn in New England]

You've already received some great answers, so I just wanted to mention that I love seeing PS diamond lovers venture into colored stone territory! Have fun!!