Who here requires their sapphires be unheated?

[LilAlex]

I’m wondering who here is a “purist” and only interested in untreated unheated stones

Not about being a purist; it's just the only thing I trust. I feel like the next undetectable treatment will still involve heat (like Be diffusion, etc.) so I jut avoid heat.

I would not get a less attractive unheated stone over a more attractive heated stone, though, if dollars were limiting. In that case, I would just make sure that a top lab affirms it is "heat only." I do not think there is any difference between "high heat" and "low heat."

 

[T L]

It depends on the price. I have some heated only sapphires that were relative bargains, but I absolutely refuse to buy diffused stones, unless it’s melee to highlight a more important center gem.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Heirloom meaning passing down to future generations? I can’t fathom why many jewelry items on PS won’t become heirlooms, I don’t think heirloom here means museum quality...

For example, my grandmother collected Persian rugs. Some rare, some not. All were inherited, and became heirlooms. Some were sold, some have been kept due to taste differences. I’d consider her rug collection, heirlooms

I think I agree with Icy_jade and ForteKitty. I believe they'll become keepsakes, more kept for the memories associated with them than anything else. I don't think my grandkids (if I am lucky enough to have them) will have grandma's tastes or intrinsically put value in the same things as me.

I have just been offered my grandparents possessions, twice in the last month as their estate is currently being resolved. I did not take any of them. I guess times change, and their interest in old sewing machines, fine China, antique solid oak furniture as well as cars did not pass down to me. I don't live in the right country to even accept many of them as possessions and I could not care for them with the love they deserve. I am very different from my grandparents, I live across multiple countries/continents with fewer possessions due to an understanding that I may be forced to relocate and leave them all behind next year and even the space to hold an antique table will cost me 5 k a year in rent just to maintain (or more than 100 k to buy the floor space/sq footage occupied by the table). Just to bring one of their many cars into the country I live in would probably cost me more than 150 k. While I am oddly supposedly far richer, I almost can not physically afford to inherit their possession. My life has been so different to theirs it is tinctured by things that I could not even explain to them. But it also doesn't have the many wonderful things, that I remember and cellebrate about them/my childhood. Passing of possessions from them to me almost does not make sense. I have never wanted anything -- I just wish I got to say goodbye. My daughters life will be more different still, and I think my grandchildren's lives and values will be unrecognizable to me.

 

[HGar]

Since I only have one chunky sapphire that was fossicked by my husband’s grandfather from the ground then cut, polished and set by a jeweller he worked very closely with in the 1950’s/ 1960’s I’m assuming mine is all natural with no heat.

I’m not that obsessed with sapphires but love the sentimentality of the piece so would probably never actually buy another one however since I along with my sister in law are the only two girls in the family I’m thinking I shall be be gifted more family pieces over the coming years to then be handed down to our children.

 

[Catmom]

I’m a sapphire magnet it seems. They sort of come to me.
Ive always bought what I like the look of at a price that equates to a bargain. I consider jewellery and gems as investments in my joy and the pleasing result of my “hunting”.
So I’m ok with heat, I expect it, but I don’t want flux filling, BE treatment or synthetic.

Totally agree with this!!

 

[Cerulean]

I think I agree with Icy_jade and ForteKitty. I believe they'll become keepsakes, more kept for the memories associated with them than anything else. I don't think my grandkids (if I am lucky enough to have them) will have grandma's tastes or intrinsically put value in the same things as me.

I have just been offered my grandparents possessions, twice in the last month as their estate is currently being resolved. I did not take any of them. I guess times change, and their interest in old sewing machines, fine China, antique solid oak furniture as well as cars did not pass down to me. I don't live in the right country to even accept many of them as possessions and I could not care for them with the love they deserve. I am very different from my grandparents, I live across multiple countries/continents with fewer possessions due to an understanding that I may be forced to relocate and leave them all behind next year and even the space to hold an antique table will cost me 5 k a year in rent just to maintain (or more than 100 k to buy the floor space/sq footage occupied by the table). Just to bring one of their many cars into the country I live in would probably cost me more than 150 k. While I am oddly supposedly far richer, I almost can not physically afford to inherit their possession. My life has been so different to theirs it is tinctured by things that I could not even explain to them. But it also doesn't have the many wonderful things, that I remember and cellebrate about them/my childhood. Passing of possessions from them to me almost does not make sense. I have never wanted anything -- I just wish I got to say goodbye. My daughters life will be more different still, and I think my grandchildren's lives and values will be unrecognizable to me.

I appreciate what you are saying, but I think it’s presumptive. Things don’t need to be worth a fortune to be worth passing down.

I also assume that some of the items I will collect will be sold, hence the ease of “they will all be unheated”. I certainly don’t imagine that they will all be adored. They might be sold for a fraction of what I paid for them, but they aren’t worthless. Even $500 is a lot of money for many people in the world.

I’ve seen countless heirloom diamonds on this forum, or other inherited jewels. Some of them are even synthetic, and yet they are still precious to the new owners. Jewelry is also not furniture - they are small. Anyways - I fear we’ve strayed a bit off topic...but I also cherish many of the things I’ve inherited, and things I didn’t like I’ve sold off and that got me through hard times. Half of my home is furnished with those things. I also have pearls, necklaces, and a other items that mean a lot to me. I may not wear everything- but I love them, because they remind me of someone I care about, or I plan to rework stones into new projects. (My sister is pulling OEC melee from an heirloom necklace right now - the necklace is totally unsuitable for wear anymore but the stones will be used for her engagement ring and components will be converted ). That necklace has passed on through four generations, and survived my family being persecuted in the Holocaust. It’s worth maybe 4K, and yet it’s coveted by all of us.

For that reason alone, I keep these items, and they have value.

 

[voce]

@qubitasaurus I understand that you don't think your grandkids would want your things, including jewelry. The examples you bring up are all bulky possessions that wouldn't make sense to store because of lifestyle differences. Jewelry is quite compact in terms of the space required to store it, so I think that they make excellent keepsakes. I have a 24k necklace from my grandfather that I cherish because it's from him to me, not that it was crafted with exactly my style, but it was his taste.

 

[icy_jade]

Have heard of people who really don’t care for jewelry (I know, hard to imagine but it’s like if you inherit a collection of dolls/teapots that you don’t care for but is a big deal in the dolls/teapot collection world, what would you do? Keep or sell?), plus seen too many beautiful vintage jewelry items being sold to be certain that the bling things that I love and treasure will be equally loved and treasured by my descendants.

Who knows, maybe they will treasure and love my collection the way I do. Or maybe they’ll think that it’s just some junk to be monetized. Whatever it is, I’ll be long gone anyway, so don’t really think I will be bothered however things turn out.

 

[LD]

I used to be a purist but realised that unless it’s a 5ct / 10ct or heirloom gem, a bit of heat doesn’t matter to me. Finding exceptionally beautiful unheated gemstones can be problematic and costly so now I don’t worry about heat although anything else I won’t go near ie filling, be treatment etc.

 

[Cerulean]

Reading these posts, I think another factor here is size preference

I prefer gems at or under 3 carats, the exception would be a cabochon

If I lusted after a perfectly cut, 4+ carat, trade ideal colored sapphire - I'd naturally have to adjust my expectations and would have to accept heat treatment, or sacrifice size or some other factor

It seems like it just depends on priorities. On the topic or corundrum, I'd love a ruby one day for example, but may never afford even a small one that isn't heated. So I will have to decide if I can live with that - or go for a very small ruby instead of a slightly larger heated one, or a smaller ruby with secondary tones that aren't as appealing to the masses

 

[voce]

One more reason I maintain only unheated--it helps me be more picky, purchase less often. Otherwise, I shudder to think how many times I would have pulled the trigger on heated rubies.

I wouldn't be upset if whoever inherits sells my collection. I just want to make sure they don't undersell it, i.e. undervalue the entire collection based on a few treated or synthetic stones. I think of my jewelry as something I can enjoy now, and will probably be worth something in the future. It serves as an imperfect store of value and hobby rather than an investment. I expect prices on untreated stones to keep pace with inflation, not for them to actually increase value in real terms.

I also enjoyed luxury goods like designer purses, but every other luxury good besides jewelry depreciates in value much faster than gemstones and will not last nearly as long.

I just cannot secretly admire actual investments like stocks in the same discreet way I can with jewelry. Anything with a decent rate of return is much more volatile and gives me anxiety and pleasure in turns, but my jewelry always has a comforting effect, and I'm not concerned about it hypothetically dropping to only 1/2 or 1/3 its value in a single day.

 

[ForteKitty]

my jewelry always has a comforting effect, and I'm not concerned about it hypothetically dropping to only 1/2 or 1/3 its value in a single day.

Unless you buy heavily discounted, that's normal depreciation on day 1.

 

[autumngems]

No heat for me

 

[voce]

Unless you buy heavily discounted, that's normal depreciation on day 1.

Hence why I say it's an imperfect store of value. I think of the "depreciation" on day 1 as a transaction cost for me to enjoy wearing the piece. If I damage it and make its value drop, it's entirely on me, and I don't have to ever worry about it changing its value by thousands of dollars overnight while I was not monitoring it.

I'm entirely enthusiastic about managing my equity long positions, which have performed much better than the market. I do not trade derivatives or short positions, since I have a non-trading full-time job and would hate to worry about my positions while I'm out on vacation.

 

[donnabrsd]

I’m obsessed with sapphires lately.
I’m wondering who here is a “purist” and only interested in untreated unheated stones and who just looks for the best color/price among heated stones.
I thought I was fine with heat.
But after looking at a lot of stones, now I’m thinking I may have arrived at the point of caring and wanting no heat untreated only.
But yikes!
Double or more the cost!!
Is t worth it?
Is it a mind-clean issue or “investment” issue or something else??

In my recent hunt for a blue sapphire, I was hoping for unheated, but was fine with heated. Ultimately, I wanted a stone for a ring that I would enjoy looking at. Getting unheated at double or more the cost or getting something smaller was not worth it to me. I had no concern for investment or resale value. I purchased for my own enjoyment.