help-reposting about green sapphire

[sarahbw]

I'm confused, I have been looking to replace a 6 carat cushion cut green sapphire. I have seen many stones that didn't match in color, but I have finally found one through oscar heymann. It is considerably more expensive than what I thought. I was also told that it was most likely heated (there were no papers for it, but they were sending it out.) However my original green sapphire had papers that said "no evidence of heat." So i thought that the new stone would therefore be less expensive. I have various salespeople telling me varying things so I am confused! A saleswoman today said that only rubies and emeralds routinely come with papers. This does not sound right. Any input would be appreciated!

 

[chrono]

Prices of all gemstones across the board have been on the rise, some more than others. It is of no surprise that you are not able to get a comparable stone based on the original price paid. Not only that, quality, in general, has also taken a downhill slope. There are many here on PS who bemoan the days of when we could get nicer stones for less. Unfortunately, what is past is past and I don't think there will be any return of the "old" pricing. The Asian market is buying up coloured gemstones like there is no tomorrow.

Many coloured gemstones come with papers and many do not. It is true that the more expensive ones are usually accompanied by a lab memo but the customer can always request one. Who pays for it depends on various factors. If buying an unheated sapphire or concerned about other treatment, I would recommend having a reputable check it out.

 

[LD]

You are correct that a heated gemstone is "typically" more expensive than an unheated one BUT that's if they're the same carat weight, colour, clarity and are bought in the same year from the same vendor! Any variables to that (and I'm sure there are more) may mean different buying prices. Prices for sapphires have also risen considerably recently (although it's more for blue sapphires I think). I don't know if greens have increased but as they're not common - especially at 6ct - but I would suspect so.

Do gemstones come with lab reports? Not always! Some rubies don't. Some emeralds don't. I wonder though if the sales lady was explaining their normal practice? Some vendors will have only significant stones sent to a lab for checking before sale, others don't have reports on any stones but are willing to send them for you etc etc. In the case of heated sapphire, you are very wise to ask for an independent lab report - especially one that's 6ct. If the sapphire has a more significant treatment than just pure heat, it would affect the value of the gem (and therefore you'd want to pay less).

You're doing all the right things. To protect yourself, it might be worth making the purchase contingent on a lab report stating heat only AND I would also suggest the lab to use. FYI, AGL are a very reputable lab and are recommended for coloured gemstones, smaller labs may not have the diagnostic equipment to run similar tests. If you are worried by treatments/value or you will only buy with the certainty of treatment or not, then please ask the Vendor which lab they are using and if you haven't heard of them, perhaps suggest AGL?

Good luck and photos of your new stone are a MUST!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Notwithstanding availability.....I also suspect "price" is influenced by who sources it.......

cheers--Sharon