3.6ct Sapphire... what do you think?

[evil_unicorn]

I just made the biggest purchase in the shortest amount of time over the internet...... and I’m not sure if I made the right choice.

Not sure if you guys know, but there’s this online streaming thing in China (Taobao) where sellers can show you their inventory in real time while streaming online. This type of streaming ranges from clothing to tech stuff to underwear to, you guessed it, jewelry and gemstones.

Since I’ve been hunting for a sapphire I’ve been streaming every now and then just to see what’s on offer and at what price point, and at times you also get to see vendors haggling with Sri Lankan people which can be quite interesting and amusing to watch.
Some of these vendors fly to/live in Sri Lanka and stream while doing gem business with locals. While they are streaming, you can let them know what you are looking for and if you see something you like, they can haggle for you in real time while you’re watching. For me, the whole thing is just entertaining.

So I was doing my usual night time streaming and I dropped by a channel where the vendor was haggling for a viewer on a 3ct unheated vivid cornflower blue sapphire. Viewer ended up getting it for USD2550 which wasn’t too bad, the stone colour was good but it was quite flawed.

Anyway the streaming went on for others and I heard the vendor said that the Sri Lankan seller has a lot of sapphire tonight if anyone wants to see. I was interested to see what they have so I said yeah I’ll have a look. They asked me what carat range I’m after and I said I would like to see some 2-3ct round sapphire.
Sri Lankan guy then took out this massive, round blue sapphire, which at first sight I thought it was too dark for my taste and wanted to pass, but because it was so big, it really caught my attention and the more I looked at it the more I thought I don’t mind it?



Here are the video links:

It’s a 3.6ct heated sapphire, dimensions 9.75x9.75mm, USD$2200

What do you guys think?
Did I do okay with the pricing or did I overpay a heated sapphire?

And the stone? Anything I should be concerned about?
I saw the needles/inclusion near the center but I’m okay with that. Just not sure if I overlooked anything.
The stone doesn’t look like it has any window but is there’s silk in the middle? If so it could be that there is a window but the silk is blocking it?
What do you guys think of the colour? Is it too dark? Or will it be too dark once it’s set? And most importantly is this a good colour for a heated sapphire???

Anyway sorry for all the questions, I felt kinda pressured into buying it during streaming since the vendor kept asking “Do you want it?” “What’s your highest offer?” “You gonna accept his counter offer?” and everything was bang bang bang and I didn’t have a moment to stop and think before I said yes. Also hundreds of other people are watching with you and probably waiting for you to finish so it’s their turn and that probably adds to the pressure as well.

Thanks in advance for all your advice!

 

[Ionysis]

I’m afraid I strongly suspect when you receive this it will be virtually black.

That’s a much higher price tag than you’d have paid to a Sri Lankan IG vendor.

Edited to add: the first time I went to the Beruwala gem market I was totally seen off and paid $1,000 for a sapphire which I could probably have got for half the price. It’s all. Learning experience.

See how you feel when you get it.

 

[lovedogs]

I’m afraid I strongly suspect when you receive this it will be virtually black.

That’s a much higher price tag than you’d have paid to a Sri Lankan IG vendor.

Edited to add: the first time I went to the Beruwala gem market I was totally seen off and paid $1,000 for a sapphire which I could probably have got for half the price. It’s all. Learning experience.

See how you feel when you get it.

I agree.

 

[whitewave]

It’s really hard to tell because he has it under a bright light.

is there a return policy?

 

[nutellakitty]

I agree with lonysis. That piece has no fire and the transparency is not good. This piece will look very dull in person. Those live streaming are tricky and no refundable. If u don’t have too much experience it is not a good choice.

 

[evil_unicorn]

It’s really hard to tell because he has it under a bright light.

is there a return policy?

No, there is no return policy for this one but I haven’t paid for it yet (due to Alipay not letting me).

Should I pull out while I can? I feel terrible tho, as if I’m wasting the vendors time on purpose.

When you guys say there’s no fire and no transparency, what about those silky/sleepy sapphire? Aren’t they the same but still looks good anyway? What’s the difference between those and this one? Is it because this one isn’t blue enough?

 

[Laurainthesky]

No, there is no return policy for this one but I haven’t paid for it yet (due to Alipay not letting me).

Should I pull out while I can? I feel terrible tho, as if I’m wasting the vendors time on purpose.

When you guys say there’s no fire and no transparency, what about those silky/sleepy sapphire? Aren’t they the same but still looks good anyway? What’s the difference between those and this one? Is it because this one isn’t blue enough?

Pull out without guilt. The vendor knows that is not a high quality sapphire and pressured you anyway.

 

[YC]

No, there is no return policy for this one but I haven’t paid for it yet (due to Alipay not letting me).

Should I pull out while I can? I feel terrible tho, as if I’m wasting the vendors time on purpose.

When you guys say there’s no fire and no transparency, what about those silky/sleepy sapphire? Aren’t they the same but still looks good anyway? What’s the difference between those and this one? Is it because this one isn’t blue enough?

The vendor was most probably using very bright lighting to bring out its colour. In real life, this stone will be extremely dark, probably close to black colour. With such dark colour, the presence of silk will make little difference cos you won't be able to see the effect.

For heated sapphire with this colour from SL, the price is not good.

I would not proceed with the purchase if I were you.

 

[ShinyPink]

Don't feel guilty. You'd feel worse if you paid $2200 for the stone. And btw, sellers are really good at trying to make it seem like "it's the best price ever for the most beautiful gem in the world!"

 

[evil_unicorn]

Thanks everyone, I have cancelled the purchase.

Feeling a little down as this is the second time I've almost pulled the trigger but it just didn't work out... Oh well, back to square one!

 

[whitewave]

It may have been silky and sleepy but we can’t evaluate it, nor can you and without a return policy, it’s risky for that amount.

 

[ShinyPink]

Chin up! You'll find your stone. Start looking at the IG sellers we've used, get prices, and share the photos. Lots of people here will help you. $2000ish budget, blue sapphire?

 

[Cerulean]

Don’t be bummed! You dodged a bullet’ if it seems too good to be true it probably is. A decent sapphire that size would cost much more than 2k! Even from a Sri Lankan dealer.

Many people here I imagine would be happy to help you find something I’m sure! Your stone is out there

 

[marymm]

Why do some of you say the stone IRL will be black?

The fingers and other elements in the photos/video look normal toned to me, so why would the sapphire black out?

I would have thought IRL it would be a dark royal blue, opaque and silky.


FWIW I agree posters who said buying colored gemstones without a return policy is something to avoid.

 

[Bron357]

I would decline proceeding with the purchase.
Sapphires can be natural, they can be natural with some treatment, they can be natural with a heap of treatment and they can be grown in a lab.
You can’t determine from a photo or video which of these options it is and without a reputable lab report and a return policy it is very unwise to spend $$$$ on something unknown.
If it is heated it could also be beryllium treated. That would make it a $20 sapphire, not a $2,000 sapphire.
And in the absence of return policy and a payment method that allows you to seek a refund if nothing even turns up (ie using Visa or PayPal) it’s not advisable to send large sums of money to unknown vendors.

 

[icy_jade]

@marymm Bright lighting. So irl the stone should look darker. That’s how I interpreted the videos and pics. No glow or sparkles despite bright light.

 

[lovedogs]

Why do some of you say the stone IRL will be black?

The fingers and other elements in the photos/video look normal toned to me, so why would the sapphire black out?

I would have thought IRL it would be a dark royal blue, opaque and silky.


FWIW I agree posters who said buying colored gemstones without a return policy is something to avoid.

Because the color shown in the pics/videos is only under the strongest lighting (there is light flooding the pics). So likely IRL (when there isn't that amount of light--which is pretty much always) it will look extremely dark.

 

[Bron357]

Thanks everyone, I have cancelled the purchase.

Feeling a little down as this is the second time I've almost pulled the trigger but it just didn't work out... Oh well, back to square one!

Don’t feel bad. Most of us had to gain experience the hard way ie spending too much money on poor quality items.
I don’t recommend that learning curve!
That’s why Pricescope is a great place, let us with experience help you find the right one at the right price.
The two most important rules for online buying of loose gemstones are
1. a return policy. A good vendor will allow returns if you are unhappy with your purchase. A good vendor will also provide lots of photos in different lighting conditions so you can be more likely to love what you receive. shipping costs (both ways) are the buyers responsibility so it’s not recommended to be buying Willy Nilly as shipping costs add up.
Some international vendors, depending on Country, have difficult and expensive return policies. With these vendors you need to be 99% sure you will love the stone.
2. a secure payment method. If you use a credit card or PayPal you do have some recourse if nothing turns up or if what you receive is nothing like what you thought you were buying. Some payment methods, bank wire, bank deposit, Western Union and no doubt others, don’t have any recourse once the money has been sent. So if nothing arrives, tough luck. Some vendors will ask you to pay the 3% to 5% merchant fees if you use a credit card or PayPal. Most would say it’s better to pay those extra costs for peace of mind.

 

[marymm]

I agree there is bright lighting but IMO based on the images posted I don't think the stone would be black IRL.

 

[peacechick]

No, there is no return policy for this one but I haven’t paid for it yet (due to Alipay not letting me).

Should I pull out while I can? I feel terrible tho, as if I’m wasting the vendors time on purpose.

When you guys say there’s no fire and no transparency, what about those silky/sleepy sapphire? Aren’t they the same but still looks good anyway? What’s the difference between those and this one? Is it because this one isn’t blue enough?

I would pull out. The sapphire looks dark and there is no sparkle at all from it. Fine if it’s a few hundred dollars but at $2200 you can get gorgeous clean sparkly stones directly from the Sri Lankan dealers on IG.

 

[peacechick]

No, there is no return policy for this one but I haven’t paid for it yet (due to Alipay not letting me).

Should I pull out while I can? I feel terrible tho, as if I’m wasting the vendors time on purpose.

When you guys say there’s no fire and no transparency, what about those silky/sleepy sapphire? Aren’t they the same but still looks good anyway? What’s the difference between those and this one? Is it because this one isn’t blue enough?

To explain the silky/sleepy sapphire thing, @evil_unicorn we are buying them partly because we like how they look and partly because they are bargains compared to top quality sapphires. These sleepy sapphires are around 3 cts and $600-$800. One of the things I like most about PS is we always share prices here, and this is how we learn what we should be paying.

 

[YC]

Going tangential here but I am curious about your comment @peacechick , has it been your experience that silky sapphires cost less per carat?

 

[Frost]

Going tangential here but I am curious about your comment @peacechick , has it been your experience that silky sapphires cost less per carat?

The OP stone is basically what you'd call a "bluff" sapphire, they're worth very little because they're so silky that they barely qualify as gems. It also happens to have a massive window on top of that and isn't eye clean. Price drops quickly with heavily included, heavily silky or very badly cut blues regardless of color.

I don't think there's anything wrong with its hue at all personally, it looks like it would be beautiful were it not so silky. Too much silk destroys saturation and brilliance, almost like it "closes" the color.

Exactly the right amount of silk - usually very little - can help a stone gain a slight glow. It is not the same type of near-fluorescent glow that you could see in Mahenge spinels or Paraiba tourmalines though, near-fluorescent sapphires don't exist (not even in Kashmir).

But there's a whole lot of blue sapphires coming out of various places in mainland Africa that are so dim that they literally can't hold a candle to even midrange, never mind high quality blues from other places.

Edited to add: the first time I went to the Beruwala gem market I was totally seen off and paid $1,000 for a sapphire which I could probably have got for half the price. It’s all. Learning experience.

See how you feel when you get it.

I lost 60k in Beruwala in 2012 in a long-term, patiently set up, strategic scam. Several people I know lost about the same, one a lot more. All I can say is that it's a place where one has to be very careful of who they trust and what they buy.

 

[YC]

@Frost, thanks for your explanation. I went back to look at the videos and kind of understand what you mean by too much silk. The stone does look quite opaque.
I am also sorry to hear about that scam; it sounds painful to be cheated in such a manner (presumably after gaining your trust )

 

[Rfisher]

I know silky /sleepy stones are a thing of personal preference.
The slight, almost imperceptible silk, that makes the finest gems ‘glow’ I understand the concept.
I wonder - in the speaking of finest gems- where is the line of too much silk drawn?

My sapphire absolutely depends on lighting and orientation of that light as to how silky it looks. Is this common? Could the sapphire @evil_unicorn posted be that way? Curious.

FWIW- at the right price I absolutely would rock that sapphire. Knowing the extent of heat, as well. Unfortunately that sales platform I cannot handle.
You’ll find yours, @evil-unicorn.

 

[voce]

Yeah well, I think a lot of folks have already steered you in the right direction with respect to this particular sapphire. For what it's worth, Taobao isn't set up for buying stuff like gemstones, but neither is Instagram. So it's caveat emptor out there. You can buy gems at a cheaper price when the seller isn't beholden to honor returns, and you're willing to give up consumer protections. For this reason reputation is very important in the gems and jewelry industry, more so than platform.

 

[peacechick]

Going tangential here but I am curious about your comment @peacechick , has it been your experience that silky sapphires cost less per carat?

Based on recent experience, yes. I was referencing the recent silky/milky lighter-colored stones a lot of us have been buying from IG sellers lately. I believe they fall in that price range. But I do note that, to begin with, light-colored sapphires are priced lower than sapphires with strong saturation.

It’s complicated with CS because color always comes first. If it’s a Kashmir blue sapphire with that silky look, the price will be through the roof. I know the silk contributes to the glow. But if we take color out of the criteria, I do think clean well-cut sapphires would cost more per carat than sleepy ones.

 

[YC]

Based on recent experience, yes. I was referencing the recent silky/milky lighter-colored stones a lot of us have been buying from IG sellers lately. I believe they fall in that price range. But I do note that, to begin with, light-colored sapphires are priced lower than sapphires with strong saturation.

It’s complicated with CS because color always comes first. If it’s a Kashmir blue sapphire with that silky look, the price will be through the roof. I know the silk contributes to the glow. But if we take color out of the criteria, I do think clean well-cut sapphires would cost more per carat than sleepy ones.

Yes, sapphire pricing is complex - colour, inclusions, cut, origin etc. With regards to these lighter milky sapphires you spoke about, I was of the opinion that it was the lower saturation / light colour which resulted in lower prices. In these cases, some (or should I say right amount of ) silk can be a good thing because it makes the stone "(???)glow" and adds warmth to the colour.

 

[icy_jade]

@YC I think the milky ones generally are not worth that much. Silk needs to be at the right amount.

From: GIA

Blue sapphires with extremely high clarity are rare, and very valuable.

Many of the most valuable Kashmir sapphires contain tiny inclusions that give them a velvety appearance. They scatter light, causing the coveted visual effect without negatively affecting the gem’s transparency.

Sapphire Quality Factors | Different Types & Colors of Sapphire | GIA

Sapphire is one of the big three of colored gemstones (the other two are ruby and emerald). This durable gemstone captures jewelry buyers with its practicality and aura of romance. Click here and learn about the factors that make sapphire so desirable!

www.gia.edu

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1347725808659242&id=1312159672215856

You can look up “Sri Lanka geuda” for more info on these milky sapphires

 

[YC]

@YC I think the milky ones generally are not worth that much. Silk needs to be at the right amount.

From: GIA

Blue sapphires with extremely high clarity are rare, and very valuable.

Many of the most valuable Kashmir sapphires contain tiny inclusions that give them a velvety appearance. They scatter light, causing the coveted visual effect without negatively affecting the gem’s transparency.

Sapphire Quality Factors | Different Types & Colors of Sapphire | GIA

Sapphire is one of the big three of colored gemstones (the other two are ruby and emerald). This durable gemstone captures jewelry buyers with its practicality and aura of romance. Click here and learn about the factors that make sapphire so desirable!

www.gia.edu

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=1347725808659242&id=1312159672215856

You can look up “Sri Lanka geuda” for more info on these milky sapphires

Thank you. That's really informative and very useful. Impt to know so that we consumers don't overpay.