Sapphire, maybe, possibly...

[iwantadiamond]

Hello folks, I’m not new to pricescope but have never posted before. I’ve wanted a diamond ring for a really long time and have been reading so many different threads on here to find the best one. With that said, the ring that I want will cost a pretty penny and with 2 kids in college, not sure that’s feasible. My fiancé gave me a sapphire a few years ago as a “pre-engagement ring,” I think it’s about 5 carats. He got it when he was over in Burma, it’s an oval shaped Burmese sapphire.

So, I’ve been thinking, maybe possibly using the sapphire as the centerstone and having 2 round diamonds on either side, or a halo, not exactly sure yet. It’s a beautiful stone, however, the problem is that it is very opaque. There is a beautiful blue on the outer edges but generally the stone isopaque. I really want a lighter blue transparent sapphire and I’m wondering if it can be recut. ? If I’m going to have this as my wedding ring and give up my dream of a diamond, then I want it to be the exact sapphire that I want. I’ve been looking at sapphires online, and figures, the ones that I like cost as much as the diamond!!

Is there anyone that knows a thing or two about sapphires?

Thanks

 

[voce]

When it comes to sapphires, you should know their value is most significantly tied to treatments and color. Obviously untreated is the best, but untreated with good color can of course cost more than diamonds on a per-carat basis. Heat treatment is acceptable for most folks on these forums, but we will recommend you get GIA or AGL to test it for beryllium treatment, since beryllium diffusion can significantly affect color in poorly colored natural stones.

Especially if you want something as large as 5 carats, you will have to make significant compromises with color to keep the sapphire within or under budget.

What I've learned from experts and books is that good color, untreated sapphires are much rarer than diamonds. So if your dream stone is a diamond and you're only going for a sapphire to save money as a consolation prize, don't do it. I think a diamond will make you much happier.

That said, you might also want to consider man made diamonds or sapphires. You can get really awesome beautiful colors and cuts for a fraction of the cost, it's just that those won't have as much resale value.

 

[ChanterelleJ]

Voce is giving sound advice. First thing you would want to find out is what exactly your sapphire is in terms of treatment. That is something a lab such as GIA or AGL can tell you. Should your sapphire turn out to be unheated and from Burma it would be worth a considerable sum that could easily buy a decently sized diamond. From the one picture I would say the color of your sapphire is not that bad. It is darker than what many of us on PS prefer, but there is a market for highly saturated sapphire.

Do you have any paperwork on your sapphire?

 

[iwantadiamond]

Voce is giving sound advice. First thing you would want to find out is what exactly your sapphire is in terms of treatment. That is something a lab such as GIA or AGL can tell you. Should your sapphire turn out to be unheated and from Burma it would be worth a considerable sum that could easily buy a decently sized diamond. From the one picture I would say the color of your sapphire is not that bad. It is darker than what many of us on PS prefer, but there is a market for highly saturated sapphire.

Do you have any paperwork on your sapphire?

I do not have any paperwork on it. My fiancé bought it in Burma over 10 years ago. When he had it set into a ring the jeweler told him it was untreated. I don’t think he wants to sell it. That’s why I was asking if it could be recut to a more transparent color for a 3 stone ring. If not it would just sit in my jewelry box

Do you have any recommendations as to where I could get it appraised and talk to someone about a recut?

 

[ChanterelleJ]

I do not know if it is possible to lighten the color by recutting it. It probably depends on many things. You could contact Enhoerning Jewelry and ask her. She has taught me a lot about ruby and sapphire and is always very generous with her advice.
https://www.enhoerning-jewelry.com

 

[scarsmum]

I do not have any paperwork on it. My fiancé bought it in Burma over 10 years ago. When he had it set into a ring the jeweler told him it was untreated. I don’t think he wants to sell it. That’s why I was asking if it could be recut to a more transparent color for a 3 stone ring. If not it would just sit in my jewelry box

Do you have any recommendations as to where I could get it appraised and talk to someone about a recut?

I don’t think you can have it appraised without very since the appraiser cannot confidently determine its status as natural, lab or heated. Send it to GIA. Takes about two weeks and maybe $100 for a cert. you would need to insure it for the posting. Would you really wants to keep it if it proves worth many thousands?

 

[voce]

I do not have any paperwork on it. My fiancé bought it in Burma over 10 years ago. When he had it set into a ring the jeweler told him it was untreated. I don’t think he wants to sell it. That’s why I was asking if it could be recut to a more transparent color for a 3 stone ring. If not it would just sit in my jewelry box

Do you have any recommendations as to where I could get it appraised and talk to someone about a recut?

I don't think that sapphire could be recut to a transparent color. Maybe the color will lighten up if you cut, say half of it away, but I don't think that the color will change significantly. Recutting can get rid of extinction that results from poor cuts, but in your case the sapphire tone is dark, and that's not something any cut can solve unless you want a shallowly cut stone that's significantly smaller.

Jerry Newman at gemartservices.com is one of the most recommended professionals who provide recutting services.

Where you get it appraised depends on where you live. You should first submit it for a lab report before the appraisal. An appraisal will be inaccurate to useless without a lab report because the value of the sapphire will vary too much depending on the treatment, and you should want a lab to back up the jeweler's opinion of untreated. I don't know anything about your jeweler, but even some jewelers who specialize in colored commercial stones don't know much about finer quality colored stones.

A trusted Etsy vendor, Yvonne Raley, gets some of her gemstones looked at by GAL, which will indicate treatments as well as an appraisal value. If you go with GIA or AGL, among the most reputable labs in the world, they will not also give an appraisal value.

 

[iwantadiamond]

I don’t think you can have it appraised without very since the appraiser cannot confidently determine its status as natural, lab or heated. Send it to GIA. Takes about two weeks and maybe $100 for a cert. you would need to insure it for the posting. Would you really wants to keep it if it proves worth many thousands?

I guess I’m calling GIA first thing Monday morning! If it does appraise at a good amount I guess that would be a conversation w fiancé

Thanks for your insight!

 

[iwantadiamond]

I don't think that sapphire could be recut to a transparent color. Maybe the color will lighten up if you cut, say half of it away, but I don't think that the color will change significantly. Recutting can get rid of extinction that results from poor cuts, but in your case the sapphire tone is dark, and that's not something any cut can solve unless you want a shallowly cut stone that's significantly smaller.

Jerry Newman at gemartservices.com is one of the most recommended professionals who provide recutting services.

Where you get it appraised depends on where you live. You should first submit it for a lab report before the appraisal. An appraisal will be inaccurate to useless without a lab report because the value of the sapphire will vary too much depending on the treatment, and you should want a lab to back up the jeweler's opinion of untreated. I don't know anything about your jeweler, but even some jewelers who specialize in colored commercial stones don't know much about finer quality colored stones.

A trusted Etsy vendor, Yvonne Raley, gets some of her gemstones looked at by GAL, which will indicate treatments as well as an appraisal value. If you go with GIA or AGL, among the most reputable labs in the world, they will not also give an appraisal value.

Yes, I agree with you. Thank you for your advice. I’m going to send it to GIA for a lab report. I live about an hour from NYC and go there often. I wonder if I could make an appointment?

 

[scarsmum]

Yes, I agree with you. Thank you for your advice. I’m going to send it to GIA for a lab report. I live about an hour from NYC and go there often. I wonder if I could make an appointment?

I think you can drop it off in person.

 

[peacechick]

Also, is the diamond you want really out of reach? Have you tried asking the diamond hunters over at Rocky Talk? They are amazing at finding deals and prices seem flexible on pre-owned rings.

 

[MollyMalone]

Yes, I agree with you. Thank you for your advice. I’m going to send it to GIA for a lab report. I live about an hour from NYC and go there often. I wonder if I could make an appointment?

They accept walk-in drop-offs, but they won't grade the stone while you wait. Plus, rush jobs cost twice as much the fee shown on their fee schedule
https://www.gia.edu/doc/GIA_ColoredStoneServices-20171001-USD.pdf

 

[qubitasaurus]

If you want a daimond then I dont think you should just walk away from that, I seccond peacechick I think you should start a thread with a request for help in rocky talk. Have you flipped through some vendors like mydaimondzone? Just to see some options?

 

[chrono]

I feel that you should leave the sapphire as is (no recutting and no lab memo).

 

[MJO]

The only way to lighten the tone on sapphire is the have it heated by a professional that knows what he is doing. Not all heat well. My avatar is a 5.2 ct Burmese stone that I had recut from a 7ct stone 15 or so years ago. It was flat and windowed and therefore lighter in the middle. I had it concave cut by Richard Homer. This took out the window and made it look a little darker.

Sapphire gets more expensive at 5cts. Unless you can really improve the stone with a recut I think you will lose value by recutting. I don't believe you will lighten

 

[iwantadiamond]

Also, is the diamond you want really out of reach? Have you tried asking the diamond hunters over at Rocky Talk? They are amazing at finding deals and prices seem flexible on pre-owned rings.

No, I have not done but that’s a good idea!

 

[iwantadiamond]

The only way to lighten the tone on sapphire is the have it heated by a professional that knows what he is doing. Not all heat well. My avatar is a 5.2 ct Burmese stone that I had recut from a 7ct stone 15 or so years ago. It was flat and windowed and therefore lighter in the middle. I had it concave cut by Richard Homer. This took out the window and made it look a little darker.

Sapphire gets more expensive at 5cts. Unless you can really improve the stone with a recut I think you will lose value by recutting. I don't believe you will lighten

Thanks for your input, I will first wait to see what the GIA lab report says then go from there.