Vintage cluster rings with sapphires

milton333 · May 7, 2012

I know, another sapphire thread, but this is a bit different question. I am toying with sourcing 4-6 marquise-shaped sapphires for a future project, and have seen some interesting vintage/second-hand/ebay cluster rings with marquise-shaped sapphires.

My question - do I need to be concerned about synthetics? Is there an age/time period that is more likely to get me real sapphires? I'm not really concerned about treatments, I'm just looking for very small but real marquise-shaped sapphires.

chrono · May 8, 2012

They could be natural and untreated, natural and heated, natural and diffused, natural and filled, etc. They could also be synthetic. It is hard to say. There was a point in time when synthetics were very popular in jewellery and they weren't inexpensive either. The other issue with eBay is that the original stones could have been swapped out for something else (simulants, synthetics, whatever).

Pandora II · May 8, 2012

Pre-1880 they won't be synthetic - but may be simulants/treated etc.

For untreated you need prehistoric times and even then you can't be sure - the Romans were merrily heat-treating away.

TBH, I'd just buy what looks pretty or ask a jeweller to source you some melee which would be the quickest and easiest way - plus you could then get calibrated sizes.