Aqua opinion.

[stermag]

I didn''t want to hijack anybody else''s thread, hence I''m posting my own.

I found this 2+ct aqua today, it''s heated and graded as vslgB 4/4vvs. I''m not sure whether at ~$300 the price is truly right, but it''s definitely within my range. The vendor claims this is a great cut - what are your thoughts, everybody?

 

[movie zombie]

it has a ''gray'' cast.. a bit much for my taste but i''d give it a try anyway if there is a good return policy.

movie zombie

 

[widget]

Well, I think it''s worth looking at, assuming there''s a good return policy.

I love the cushion shape...sort of unusual for an aqua...and didn''t I read here or somewhere that darker, richer colored aquas were few and far between at this year''s Tucson show?

widget

 

[movie zombie]

its all personal preference...which one do you like best? why not have them both sent for your approval...assuming they both have good return policies, of course.

personally,i like the first one better. but that''s just me.

movie zombie

 

[stermag]

Zombie,

Absolutely, and if it were for me, I''d have an easier time deciding. 90% of aquas I see on the market just aren''t my thing, so I''d probably go for something else entirely. Unfortunately, I''m trying to create a piece which will be a gift for someone else, hence the request for opinions.

Thanks!

 

[Richard M.]

Date: 3/18/2006 11:18:02 PM
Author: stermag
I wonder, is this a better specimen in terms of color? (cut, it goes without saying)

Gem cutting style is also a matter of taste. Some people favor the angular/geometric look favored by designers like Jeff Graham and the late Fred W. Van Sant. But many of them won''t fit standard settings and require expensive hand-made mounts. Most traditional cutting styles remain very popular.

Since similar geometric cutting styles were introduced in the U.S. as long ago as the 1950s they''ve lost some of that ''avant-garde'' sparkle. During a browse through the gem collection at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London a few years ago I was amused to see many ''modern'' gem and jewelry design ideas featured in late 19th century jewelry. Everything old is new again.

 

[conitta]

Date: 3/19/2006 2:29:46 AM
Author: movie zombie
its all personal preference...which one do you like best? why not have them both sent for your approval...assuming they both have good return policies, of course.

personally,i like the first one better. but that''s just me.

movie zombie

Don''t ya just hate to have to order these things? I would love to be able to pick them out in person and have a selection to choose from. But if I had too much to pick from I would not be able to make a decicion,but that is just me.

It is hard to really tell the color from a picture but they both have more color than what you find in retail!!! I think.

 

[stermag]

I''m awful, really. It was much, much simpler choosing a diamond. Despite the fact that it was an overall bigger financial investement, diamonds are graded, there are well established cutting grades (at least for RBs), you can look at them online and know what to expect (if it''s graded by a reputable lab, and so forth). Inclusions can be tricky, sure, but it''s not like this element is not present in colored gems.

Aaaaaaaaaaanyway... I''m typically all about instant gratification. If I do buy something online, I want it to be right the first time around - I don''t like the delays of shipping and returning... poop.

In this case, I think I like the color of the first one better, but pictures can be so deceiving... particularly this one - I really question its white balance. The second one appeals to me for its cut - I could imagine it as a very classy pendant for an older woman (which is who its itneded for).

I''ve oscillated between finding a sapphire, any sapphire... then decided, darn it, let''s just up the budget and get a really nice sapphire (color wise)... This lasted a couple of weeks, I search high and low but couldn''t decide. Now I''m on an aqua hunt - being that it''s her birthstone - but this is proving even more difficult. I definitely DO NOT like the washed out aquas found in retail... so it has to be a darker one or we''re back to the sapphire thing.

Apologies all around if I am getting too annoying!

 

[MINE!!]

Personally, I think talking about gemstones could never get boring. I find it difficult to find an Aqua that I like as well, so I understand. Thhey seem either too clear or too gray for me most of the time. Good luck on your search and I am going to take a peak round the net and see what I see as well!

 

[E B]

I actually really like the first one. Not too keen on the second. Is it for a pendant?

 

[Kismet]

I thought this one was very pretty.

But if I had the money I''d buy this one.

 

[conitta]

Date: 3/22/2006 12:48:08 PM
Author: Kismet
I thought this one was very pretty.

But if I had the money I''d buy this one.

Well yea....it is a lot BIGGER!!!I like the color of the first one,looks more blue,but then aqua is supposed to be aqua...gees! They both look nice but I am not a big Aqua fan.I guess because all I have seen is in retail and it stinks, so pale.I have never seen a really good quality, or even a good quality for that matter. It is the birthstone of my daughter,husband & step-mom...Connie

 

[stermag]

Kismet, I do like the first one. The latter is more than I'd like to pay for an aqua. I found a (much smaller) sapphire I love in that rich, gorgeous blue and it was a touch under a grand - I would be more inclined to go that route if spending 900+ dollars.

And yes, it's for a pendant.

 

[movie zombie]

kismet, i like that 2nd one also! and i don''t think its over priced for good quality aqua.

movie zombie

 

[stermag]

Hm, today I found this one: it''s within my budget and HUGE at 4+ carats. I think I see a slight window, what do you guys think of it?

 

[movie zombie]

it is my understanding that most color stones may window and that the only way to minimize or eliminate it entirely is to step up to the plate with the big bucks. color stones are no different than diamonds: cut is extremely important and you get what you pay for. in this instance, you won''t really know until you see it. as long as the return policy is good, why not have it sent to you? you may find you can live with a slight window if color is good and size is important. imo, color is always of first importance. color is so important to some that they will live with a ''native'' cut stone rather than have it recut and lose size. on my monitor this particular stone has a great shape but the blue color still has a slight grey cast. but you won''t know until you actually see it.

movie zombie

 

[MissAva]

I think it depends on the color you favor, I don’t like the brighter blues for aquas they look like topaz or zircon which are cheaper.
I would also caution trusting the color of the photos. I bought from gemwow and my stone looked like bluish/gray I got it and it is a very deep blue. I still enjoy it but the color is extremely different from what I had been expecting.

 

[stermag]

Mata, I remember your stone turning out to be different than the photo on the website, it was, nevertheless, beautiful.

My personal preference, when it comes to blue, is similar to the color of this sapphire:

I don''t like the retail aquas, and so I gravitate toward the bluest and darkest of the kind, which makes them closer in color to blue zircons than aquas, really... and also more expensive. This begs the question: why not just get a blue zircon? Ahhh... but my boyfriend''s plan is not to just get his mother a pendant but to get his mother a birthstone pendant.... (although, evidently, he has a thing for sapphires as well).

The impossible quest continues...

 

[JulieN]

Hey, Stermag, I think it's really sweet what you're doing. That's a really pretty sapphire. Are you only considering natural stones?

 

[movie zombie]

some useful aqua info.....: http://engagementrings.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Aquamarine_Engagement_Rings

movie zombie

 

[Richard Sherwood]

My God, that''s a beautiful sapphire.

Is it Sri Lankan?

 

[valeria101]

Among the aqua, I''d probably try out the smaller of the two pears at AC Stones and the cushion. Every darker (=better) blue aqua is going to be a tad grayish - perhaps allot larger stones may have less of that, but... And there may be exceptions once in a blue moon, but I have only heard legends and never seen one enough saturation to oust every last shade of gray.

The cushion looks like a darling.

The slightly windowed pear has a cute shape, but I wonder if for the size and money the color is not lighter too to boot. And I can''t say I am crazy for windowed cuts either, although not completely allergic. If that stone had something else going for it (say, top color) I would have forgotten about the window asap. As is...

There''s this shop ''Paraiba International'' that MJO mentioned at one point, which has a roster of fantastic aquas. Not sure about what''s in matching size and price, but I''d give them a try.

My 2c

 

[valeria101]

Digressing a bit..

... sometimes sapphire comes in a light blue comparable to aquamarine color (sans the green, plus a bit of violet - maybe).

Due to the identity crisis, these pastel stones are denied sapphire prices. But are easy to love as a better, brighter alternative to aquamarine.

 

[stermag]

IslandDreams, I have considered that one before (see above).

Ana, you are absolutely right - it seems obvious enough but I hadn''t considered the option of simply finding a lighter sapphire that doesn''t break the bank. This would seem to satisfy both color, mineral and price requirements.

Rich, regarding the sapphire, yeah it''s Ceylon, 1.75ct from Natural Sapphire. Item B880 for $3937.

The one that''s closest to that color and somewhat within my budget is this one:

Unfortunately, I''m not sure how well this shape would work for my pendant. Thoughts?