Buying a Padparadscha

[HelpPlease]

After much research, I''ve decided that the padaparadscha sapphire is the perfect gem for the engagement ring I will be giving my girlfriend. Now, the only problem is finding an buying one! Through this forum I''ve come across several well-respected places you can buy online (RW Wise, etc) but I really feel like I want to see the stone to get that feeling of whether or not it''s "it" before I make the purchase.

Can anyone suggest anyplace to go to in or around Washington, DC, Baltimore or NY? I live in DC, so the closer the better. If there are not actually brick and mortar stores I can go to, is buying online and returning it if I don''t like it possible/acceptable?

Thanks very much for any advice!

This place is a wealth of knowledge for newbies like me and I''m sure I''ll have a ton more questions in the future.

 

[chrono]

HP,
Welcome to the CS forum. Unfortunately, I don''t know any B&M vendors in your area. As for buying from reputable vendors online, you do get a chance to inspect the gemstone at leisure in the privacy of your home. Many will give you a week''s worth of inspection time and if you aren''t happy, you are only out of the return shipping cost. You will be refunded the cost of the gemstone upon the vendor''s receipt of the stone. The inspection period may vary from vendor to vendor but 1 week seems to be the most common time frame.

 

[RNgemlover]

The Natural Sapphire Company has several VERY pretty stones that are uheated, and untreated... which is the only way I go. I think they are very reasonably priced, and many of them have video, as well as pictures...