Sapphire Qualities?

[yennyfire]

Do sapphires have the same "qualities" of cut, clarity, color, etc. as diamonds do? If I want a really sparkly, clear, deeply saturated pink stone, like the one in the photo, how do I best describe it to the vendor? Also, if I'm having an eternity band made out of stones of this color, do you think it would look best in white gold or rose gold? Thanks for your help!

 

[jstarfireb]

Like diamonds, gemstones can be described with the 4 Cs, although the scales are different, and color is usually thought of as the most important C. Clarity depends on the type of gemstone...a Type I VS is not the same as a Type III VS, for example. Carat weight is self-explanatory, although gemstones vary in density, so stones of the same carat weight may not face up the same size. Cuts in colored gemstones vary a lot more than in diamonds. As for color, I am not at all well-versed in this, but there's a scale that incorporates hue, tone, and saturation...for example, stvB 6/5 describes a strongly violetish blue stone with tone 6 on a 10-point scale from light to dark and saturation 5 on a 6-point scale from weak to strong.

But I'd actually use the descriptors you've already mentioned...sparkly, clear (you can say "with good crystal" or eye-clean to further clarify that), saturated pink...

 

[yennyfire]

Thanks jstar! It's re-assuring to know that you think my description gets across what I'm looking for, although you brought up something I never would have thought of. I said that I wanted .15 stones so that they are the same size as the diamonds in my eternity band, but is there a chance that .15 in pink sapphire won't be the same size (i.e. to my eye) as .15 in diamonds?

 

[LD]

Do sapphires have the same "qualities" of cut, clarity, color, etc. as diamonds do? If I want a really sparkly, clear, deeply saturated pink stone, like the one in the photo, how do I best describe it to the vendor? Also, if I'm having an eternity band made out of stones of this color, do you think it would look best in white gold or rose gold? Thanks for your help!

You've actually hit the nail on the head with what to say! Don't forget to send a photo of the colour gem you like also.

 

[Pandora II]

Thanks jstar! It's re-assuring to know that you think my description gets across what I'm looking for, although you brought up something I never would have thought of. I said that I wanted .15 stones so that they are the same size as the diamonds in my eternity band, but is there a chance that .15 in pink sapphire won't be the same size (i.e. to my eye) as .15 in diamonds?

You'd be better to specify a size in mm rather than in carat weight to be sure of them being the same size - melee can be bought in calibrated sizes.

Just want to check that you know that sapphires won't sparkle the way that diamonds do - corundum doesn't show fire.

 

[iLander]

Yes, definitely send them a picture of the color. Pink sapphire can vary wildly in tone and saturation.

 

[chrono]

You are on the right track – a picture speaks a thousand words. As mentioned earlier, colour is the first C for coloured gemstones. Clarity, whilst important, isn’t ranked as high as in diamonds, so eye clean is what is acceptable. Cut is also not as important, as long as the stone is lively and not off symmetry. When it comes to coloured gemstones, there is another important factor which is treatment and it affects the pricing.
http://www.palagems.com/quality_4cs.htm

 

[yennyfire]

Thanks Lovingdiamonds, pandora, ilander and Chrono for your help. It's nice to know that I'm on the right track. If I can get sapphires that look like the one in the photo, I'll be tickled pink (pun intended, lol!)....now I just have to figure out how many mm my .15 diamonds are...I'll keep you posted!

 

[rocks]

i absolutely love that color, but sadly, you will have a difficult time finding it. i have one that i got about 10 years ago...1.65 ct oval. have been trying to upgrade it for years.....the dealer i bought it from has offered to buy it back...but has not found the upgrade...

keep us posted!

 

[rocks]

opps...as for the setting, mine is in 20kt yellow gold, and bezel set...reinstein-ross esque. it pops! i have another one that has an orange undertone (rather than the blue in the picture) that is set in a traditional 18kt yellow gold gypsy ring with side diamonds...the bezel appears to concentrate the color.

 

[Harriet]

As saturation in gems tends to decrease with size, it may be hard to find untreated melee that is as vivid as the stone you posted. I'd say that the choice between white and rose gold depends on how pink the sapphires you find are.

 

[rocks]

agreed. the melee will likely be heat treated.

 

[chrono]

Actually, to get them to match, the melees are more likely to be diffused.

 

[VapidLapid]

You might also get in touch with these folks:
http://big-sky-gems.com/facetedstones.aspx
since they only have montana sapphires they are used to sizes in the range you want. They do have some close in color to what you showed us online, but since their inventory turns and new stuff comes all the time your should definitely send them an email