Sapphire gotchas?

[chialea]

I''ve just done an involuntary about-face on the whole engagement ring thing. It''s not that I don''t want one, I still do, and I''m still getting one -- just not a diamond.

My SO went to a bunch of jewelers and finally found one who treated him like the well-informed geek he is. Who doesn''t like being treated like they''re smart and want to know all the millions of little details about things?

(BTW, I believe he has now compiled quite a list of really skeevy, uninformed jewelers in Pittsburgh, which is really quite a pity.) He''s gotten quite impatient since we haven''t been able to find a diamond for so long (can''t blame him, can I?), and he saw at the jeweler what he calls a "stunning" sapphire. Of course, he couldn''t buy it, but she is bringing some other ones in for him. This sapphire was sufficently beautiful that as soon as he got home he called me up and said "don''t buy a diamond! you''re getting a sapphire!"

So now I''m new on the sapphire circuit, and I''m looking for "gotchas" that might trip him up, tips that I can pass on to him.

Thus far I have:
1. make sure it doesn''t have a window
2. check for colour zoning

is there anything else I should pass on to him? (I''m told that he''s looking for a 6mm-ish stone, to go with the Tacori setting we''ve already picked out)

PS. NiceIce has been incredibly helpful, and I wanted to point out that the reason I don''t have a diamond is because there wasn''t anything out there (Canadian) that fit my specs, not because of them. I really appreciate their help, my SO is just impatient after a few months

 

[innerkitten]

What about making sure it's not a diffusion stone?

 

[Matata]

There's a bit of info at palagems that should help:

http://palagems.com/sapphire_connoisseurship.htm#sapphire_buying_guide

 

[bar01]

Congratulations on deciding to select a sapphire for your engagement ring! You join the ranks of British Royalty and others in choosing something as special as a sapphire. I have decided to do the same thing. I am trying to find the right sapphire for the ring I will give my fiancé.

Well, the bad news is that there isn’t an established, widely accepted, grading program for Sapphires like there is for diamonds. This makes it very difficult to comparison shop. You basically have to make a visual evaluation – good color (not too dark or light), clarity, sparkle. Have you considered “untreated” sapphires? Very difficult to find.

If you search this site for “Sapphire” you will find some similar questions and answers on how to choose a sapphire.


Also good sources for information and finding a local jeweler are:

The American Gem Society. WWW.ags.org

Palagems http://www.palagems.com


If you go to amazon.com they have a number of good books on sapphires.



Good luck !

 

[Diamondsbybree]

They have a beautiful selection of sapphires (natural).

http://www.ajsgems.com/

 

[Michael_E]

chialea,
Back up a bit on the color zoning thing ! There is absolutely nothing wrong with color zoning in any gem as long as it is not too readily apparent when the stone is face up. Some of the finest colored sapphires that I've ever seen hhad very distinct color zoning when the stone was tilted, or looked at closely through a loupe. I've even cut a few, that when looked at through a microscope, showed very strong colored planes that had the same appearance of venitian blinds. Tilt it a bit and POW color, tilt it back and the stone was almost clear. As a matter of fact, there are some types of color zoning that guarantee that a sapphire is untreated and natural, so it's not all bad. What you should really be looking for is the best color that you can find for your money, (with fine cutting being a given). The thing that REALLY makes a huge difference is the quality of the polish given to the stone. Looking at a single facet while it's reflecting a single clear light bulb, the surface should look like water. No fine scratches, no fuzziness, just a gleaming clean polish.