BE treated sapphires

[pregcurious]

I've read a lot on PS about people's opinions on BE treated sapphires, but I haven't seen anywhere near the discussion on them as we have on heated or unheated stones.

Do you own one? Did you buy it on purpose, or by mistake (undisclosed treatment)? How much did you pay? Was it difficult to find one that was nice? I am fully aware of what they are, and the downsides. I am interested in information from people who own one.

 

[colorluvr]

http://www.ajsgem.com/yellow-sapphire-gemstone-sapphire-2046340416.html

AJS is one of the reputable vendors that sells BE heated (lattice diffused) yellow sapphires. They vary in price, but as you can see, the larger ones aren't cheap!

From my limited experience, unheated yellow sapphires are often vary pale and if you find an unheated yellow sapphire with great color, you are going to pay a premium for it. Heat only yellow sapphires are getting harder and harder to find also, so I think that may be the reason the BE heated sapphires (that are a good cut and color) are starting to go up in price.

This is AJS's article on BE treatment
http://www.ajsgem.com/articles/beryllium-diffused-sapphire-testing-and-certification.html

 

[minousbijoux]

The benefit of Be sapphires are the amazingly vibrant colors that result. Oranges like mandarin spessartite, golden yellows as CL said, the richest, most vivid blues, etc. Personally, I think they are a great alternative for a limited budget. The problem lies in the disclosure, as we all know.

 

[colorluvr]

And yes I own one (I owned two but sold one with full disclosure to the buyer).

I didn't know it was BE heated until I got it back from AGL. I wouldn't have bought it had I known, but I also didn't pay any more than AJS is charging for their larger, nice yellow BE heated sapphires. (mine is 4.4ct - 9mm cushion). I had to have it removed from it's setting (I bought it in a ring) in order for AGL to test for BE. When I had it removed from the setting, I noticed that is had a small window that wasn't visible when set, so I sent it to Dan Stair who removed the window and improved the pavilion and then i had it reset in a less expensive setting that I already had.

It's another one of my "fun rings" now in that I wear it "whenever" without worrying about it or taking extra care. It's a pretty lemon yellow color (not golden or orange). I'd still love a heat only yellow sapphire this same color, but all the ones I've liked are quite expensive so I've not purchased one. I don't care for the pale ones (I had a small unheated pear at one time). They just look horrible on my skin tone.

 

[colorluvr]

I found this photo I took a while back after I had it reset. It's not a great photo, but it shows the color pretty well.

 

[minousbijoux]

Very pretty - and that's why we want to love 'em!

 

[Rosebloom]

I'm glad you started this thread. I've been considering a BE treated yellow sapphire as a fun ring at some point in the future. Does anyone have any vendors in addition to AJS that they'd recommend? Do the precision lapidaries ever cut BE treated material?

 

[Rosebloom]

And this is why I'm considering it -

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-long-overdue-wf-yellow-sapphire-engagement-ring-pics.148366/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-long-overdue-wf-yellow-sapphire-engagement-ring-pics.148366/[/URL]

For the life of me I cannot get this ring out of my head! I think it is absolute perfection. But I'm not sure yellow will look that great with my skin tone so I don't want to invest in an untreated or heat only stone (because at the 5+ carat mark even heat only is super expensive!).

 

[colorluvr]

You might check with Jeff Davies (he can be contacted via his FB page). He probably comes across a lot of BE heated stones or rough in Thailand and I know he works with a lapidary that does beautiful cutting.

As for the US precision cutters, I don't think there is much sapphire rough coming into the country, so unless they travel abroad, most of the sapphires that you see on their sites are recuts of larger poorly cuts stones. I've never seen one advertising a BE heated sapphire with a precision cut, but I could be wrong.

 

[Rosebloom]

Thanks, CL.

 

[keemoog99]

there is nothing wrong with be treated stones as long as disclosed. the colors are really nice. most yellow sapphires coming out of thailand have been treated. i have a pad sapphire 1.25 carat from 2007 old stock when they flooded the market. they are hard to find now in thailand (2013) starting price at the jewelry trade center was $450 a carat. I got mine for $250. last one my jeweler had. (Venus Jewelers). set in 14kt yg, size 7.5.

 

[chrono]

I don't have any but agree that it's a great way to get a superb looking stone at an affordable price. As with others, I only know of AJS selling such stones with full disclosure.

 

[T L]

I don't have any but agree that it's a great way to get a superb looking stone at an affordable price. As with others, I only know of AJS selling such stones with full disclosure.

Multicolour.com also discloses be treatment.

 

[minousbijoux]

There are many on ebay, some disclosed, some not. The most beautiful padparadscha I've ever seen was a Be treated sapphire I bought (and returned) from Gem-earth as a heat only sapphire, so there are many sellers that sell Be treated stones as heat only, either because they really don't know, or they assume the buyer won't follow up to find out what they really have.

 

[pregcurious]

Thanks, everyone. I didn't know that AJS sold disclosed BE-treated stones. I'm going over there to have a look right now.

 

[LD]

Years ago I bought some - without disclosure. If you want a vivid colour sapphire, don't mind treatments and don't have the budget for an untreated or just heated and it's disclosed then you can get a lovely looking stone.

For me as I don't want my sapphires to be treated like this, I sold them (with full disclosure) or kept the pretty ones only. Thankfully I paid BE treated prices so I wasn't too upset.

First photo is a BE diffused Ruby - see how clean and red it is?
Second photo is two BE diffused rainbow sapphire rings
Third photo BE rainbow sapphire ring - I still have this one. I kept it because I liked the design!

 

[pregcurious]

Does anyone know where I can find nice blues? I want to buy some tester blue stones before I go spend on a unheated/heated only one.

LD, that last rainbow ring is pretty cool.

 

[minousbijoux]

I would just assume that ebay would be a great place to start a search.

 

[chrono]

I agree with Minou that eBay will fit your needs in this particular case.