Your opinion on this blue sapphire, please…

[sapphire_lover]

Hi there,

I recently purchased this ring. The centre stone is a 6.5mm Chatham light blue sapphire. I’m wondering what to make of the cut. The blue is lovely, but the stone seems to have very little sparkle. I know that sapphires don‘t sparkle like diamonds, but this stone doesn’t seem to sparkle at all - if anything, it just “glows” blue in the light, for want of a better word. Is this just what sapphires do, or is the Chatham cut poorly done?

The first picture is taken in regular daylight, and the second is taken using the camera‘s flash.

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[sapphire_lover]

I forgot to include the setting…

 

[Voodoo Child]

The most important question is do you like the ring? If you like it and it makes you happy, then that’s all that counts. 98% of the general public doesn’t know anything about gemstones, so it’s unlikely that anyone is going to look at your ring and say anything other than it’s pretty.

 

[indigoblue]

Mine doesn't really sparkle either. I was a little disappointed in the diamonds in the halo too because they are too small to sparkle much. I like my ring, but it isn't what I was expecting. I didn't think the setting designer listened to me or was willing to change. That dirty diamond has since been removed, cleaned, and reset.

 

[sapphire_lover]

Thanks for the responses, Voodoo Child and indigoblue. I do like the colour of the stone for sure, but am disappointed in the lack of sparkle, but I’m not sure if my expectations are too high for a sapphire.

Indigoblue, is yours a Chatham as well? It looks like maybe Chatham rounds don’t sparkle very well. Does anyone have a round sapphire that isn’t from Chatham, and is it sparkly?

 

[sapphire_lover]

I forgot to add, indigoblue, that I think your ring is gorgeous! The blue is amazing, the stone has great depth, and I love the two tone look!

 

[2Neesers]

I have found that darker blue sapphires don’t necessarily sparkle. A good cut will help with light performance, but a nice color is what will really make a darker blue sapphire eye catching, especially if you live in an region that’s overcast often. If you want sparkle I would look for a lighter blue sapphire. Have you tried thoroughly cleaning the stone? If not, I would give it a try and see if it helps.

 

[whitewave]

I’m guessing its the setting along with the cut. The setting doesn’t allow for thorough cleaning and light performance.

also, some sapphires sparkle. It depends on the sapphire.

 

[indigoblue]

I forgot to add, indigoblue, that I think your ring is gorgeous! The blue is amazing, the stone has great depth, and I love the two tone look!

Thanks. I don't know much about the stone. I bought it from the cutter who said it was from Sri Lanka. Some of the best sapphires in this group here at PriceScope don't sparkle as much as they glow.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Well, total non expert but I do love CS
The color is nice. You buy sapphires for the color. Sparkle is nice but it isn't nearly as important.
The setting is impeding light. It also has to do with it's refractive properties. When a sapphire has noticeable silk, like yours looks to(is that the case, or is it just the picture?) it doesn't sparkle in the same way a crystal body does. And as others have said, tone also factors into this. It will look amazing in the sun/lights but darken/dull in low light settings. It's just the nature of colored stones.
Really, all you can do is find one that doesn't go so dark it looks grey/black. Many people actually hunt for those silky sapphires for exactly that glow I'm seeing in your pictures(silky glow happens to be a favorite of mine)as that is what they're looking for.

Here's an imperfect example: Spinels are 'cousins' to corundum and sparkle slightly more than sapphires do, due to their slightly higher refractive index.
The bottom spinel is my favorite 'silky', it will never sparkle no matter how it's cut or set. It glows. The others are crystal bodies of the same color family and they do.
It all comes down to what you love. If you want sparkle you can go for a more 'floral' or precision cut, lighter color tone, and no silk to help with light return in your next sapphire. The mounting needs an open basket.
The stone you have now will sparkle/brighten a bit more in a different setting.
Long winded way of saying it depends on your taste

 

[theredspinel]

Chatham refers to the fact it’s labgrown, not the name of the cut? (Unless it is the name of a specific cut?)

 

[sapphire_lover]

Thanks for your responses 2Neezers, whitewave, indigoblue, ItsMainelyYou and theredspinel. I really appreciate your input!

I’ve cleaned it in an ultrasonic cleaner, so it’s as clean as I can make it. The point about the setting impeding light is well taken. I don’t think it has silk since it’s a lab grown stone (from Chatham), so it ought to be relatively inclusion free.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

That depends, some of theirs can look pretty silky.
They have some they grow them like that because they're trying to imitate Kashmir stones.
Does yours look glowy or crystal when cleaned? If it looks crystal clear then a setting change will do wonders, if it looks finely hazy/glowy then it's just the way the crystal was grown.

 

[sapphire_lover]

Thanks, It’sMainelyYou! I’m not sure if it’s glowy or crystal. I’ve attached a link to a video done under bright room lighting. I’d be interested in your thoughts. It seems a little lifeless to me, but I don’t know a lot about sapphires. I’m sorry I couldn’t embed the video, but I also don’t know a lot about video attachments

It’s not an engagement ring or anything like that, so honest opinions won’t hurt my feelings!

Thanks!

 

[sapphire_lover]

Actually, that video attachment worked better than I thought!

 

[T L]

Hi there,

I recently purchased this ring. The centre stone is a 6.5mm Chatham light blue sapphire. I’m wondering what to make of the cut. The blue is lovely, but the stone seems to have very little sparkle. I know that sapphires don‘t sparkle like diamonds, but this stone doesn’t seem to sparkle at all - if anything, it just “glows” blue in the light, for want of a better word. Is this just what sapphires do, or is the Chatham cut poorly done?

The first picture is taken in regular daylight, and the second is taken using the camera‘s flash.

Your thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I normally do not give negative opinions on people’s owned jewelry/gems, but since you asked for opinions…

I think the sapphire would probably look better in a less enclosed setting. If you could reset it with those side diamonds, I would do so. The bezel is also a bit choppy looking. I’m not much of a bezel person, because most bezels lack proper workmanship. I think the sapphire itself is pretty, and would have more potential in the right mounting,

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Oh yeah, it's a glowy body!
I actually really like how it's set, but you have to bezel set with intention, if that makes sense. It's something I would definitely choose as I'm really hard on my rings, it's a very protective but particular 'look'.
Any minor roughness of the bezel can be addressed by a good jeweler if it's ever an issue that bothers you, but honestly * shrugs* I'm not bothered by it.

 

[sapphire_lover]

Thanks, TL. I appreciate your opinion! I chose a bezel setting as I wear the ring 24/7, and didn’t want to have to worry about prongs catching on stuff. I really love the look of prongs, especially claw prongs, but they just don’t work well for me.

ItsMainelyYou, thanks for your response. It seems like I’ve got a glowy stone vs a sparkling stone.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Very pretty! As others have mentioned, even fine grade natural blue sapphires can sometimes lack brilliance. And it's even thought to be desirable if we're talking about Kashmir stones, which can have a velvety look to them, as opposed to crisp light refraction off the facets. Unheated sapphires can also display a silky look due to the presence of intact rutile inclusions. This can sometimes even enhance the color. So I wouldn't worry about your stone being more geared towards color rather than sparkle. But, as other members have wisely pointed out, you need to be happy with the piece. If it's not everything you want, move on. I've found that if something even miniscule bothers me at first, it's a gem that inevitably ends up being sold down the round.

 

[sapphire_lover]

Thanks, Autumn! I never knew that some sapphires could have a velvety, glowing look to them, as opposed to crisp light refraction. It seems that mine is in that category, rather than just being the result of a poor cut, which is a relief. I think I’ll focus on enjoying the colour, which I really love, and look to another ring to bring the sparkle

 

[MMtwo]

I have no stone expertise, but I like the glow of the stone. Very pretty.

 

[LilAlex]

I’m not much of a bezel person, because most bezels lack proper workmanship.

This seldom comes up here but this has been my (amateur) observation. A slim, symmetrical, minimally-intrusive bezel is lovely. It also gets banged up.

 

[sapphire_lover]

Thanks, MMtwo and LilAlex! I’ve only had the ring for a few weeks, but I’ve definitely banged it up a few times already!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Well then congrats are in order on your new ring, @sapphire_lover! Wear it in good health and happiness!!

 

[sapphire_lover]

Well then congrats are in order on your new ring, @sapphire_lover! Wear it in good health and happiness!!

Thank you, Autumn

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Thanks, Autumn! I never knew that some sapphires could have a velvety, glowing look to them, as opposed to crisp light refraction. It seems that mine is in that category, rather than just being the result of a poor cut, which is a relief. I think I’ll focus on enjoying the colour, which I really love, and look to another ring to bring the sparkle

it is a lovelly ring in my very uneducated opinion
i love the colour and i rather like the setting also

 

[sapphire_lover]

Thanks, Daisys and Diamonds!