Can’t decide between these unheated royal blue sapphires

[icy_jade]

Just wondering, as it seems that there are ppl who are “in the trade” here on this forum (and I’m obviously not), is it true that Burma sapphires are v scarce and hard to get hold of?
I’m based in Asia and in my four months of searching for a sapphire I love, I’ve only seen 2 Burma sapphires

Rare but doable if you know where to look? Skip the commercial stores. You need to go to specialty jewelry shops.

Mind you it’s hard to get stuff from Burma now given the situation unlike in the past.

And am not in the trade, just an avid shopper.

 

[LilAlex]

is it true that Burma sapphires are v scarce and hard to get hold of?

You have gotten some fairly sophisticated advice on this thread. And after it all, this new post seems to indicate that you need to take a big step back and get educated.

 

[poppystar]

There are over 400 results for 'Burmese sapphire' on 1stdibs. Of course, the right one in the right quality/budget is hard to find.
In contrast, there are 2000+ combined results for 'Sri lanka sapphire' and 'Ceylon sapphire'. Only 64 for 'Kashmir sapphire'. Not scientific at all but its something



Side note, if by 'in the trade' you mean sellers/jewelers/ect, the majority here are not. Just consumers and enthusiasts. Some posters are but they have an icon under their profile image that looks like this:

Ah I see
Yeah I found quite a few results on gem pundit too
When I meant I’ve only seen 2 Burma stones, I meant in person
I’m a little wary of buying online via videos and pics cos early in my search I had a bad experience. A dealer I trusted a lot brought me a Ceylon cornflower blue sapphire. In videos the stone looked amazing but in person it was a huge letdown, it looked v washed and pale, nothing at all like the videos

 

[icy_jade]

I’m based in Asia

Which country? It’s hard to give you advice on where to shop if you don’t tell us.

 

[demantoidz]

Ah I see
Yeah I found quite a few results on gem pundit too
When I meant I’ve only seen 2 Burma stones, I meant in person
I’m a little wary of buying online via videos and pics cos early in my search I had a bad experience. A dealer I trusted a lot brought me a Ceylon cornflower blue sapphire. In videos the stone looked amazing but in person it was a huge letdown, it looked v washed and pale, nothing at all like the videos

I see I did not mean to suggest you shop on 1stdibs or online, it was more of an answer regarding your question on the rarity of Burmese stones. Based on the 1stdibs numbers, roughly, there's 1 Burmese for every 5 Ceylon, and 1 Kashmir for every 6 Burmese. Again, not scientific at all, and IRL jewellers work differently - but the right Burmese stone should not be unattainabley rare if you have your heart set on that origin.

 

[poppystar]

I see I did not mean to suggest you shop on 1stdibs or online, it was more of an answer regarding your question on the rarity of Burmese stones. Based on the 1stdibs numbers, roughly, there's 1 Burmese for every 5 Ceylon, and 1 Kashmir for every 6 Burmese. Again, not scientific at all, and IRL jewellers work differently - but the right Burmese stone should not be unattainabley rare if you have your heart set on that origin.

Thanks! Nah I don’t have my heart set on the Burma stone, it’s just that it made my heart sing, and then my heart sank after I heard the price
I suppose I was rather swayed by the dealer of Sapp 3 telling me how rare it is to find an unheated Burma royal blue, hence me coming to this forum and posting for the first time
I appreciate everyone’s views and I think I’ll look around more

 

[demantoidz]

Thanks! Nah I don’t have my heart set on the Burma stone, it’s just that it made my heart sing, and then my heart sank after I heard the price
I suppose I was rather swayed by the dealer of Sapp 3 telling me how rare it is to find an unheated Burma royal blue, hence me coming to this forum and posting for the first time
I appreciate everyone’s views and I think I’ll look around more

Hope you enjoy the journey! I understand it can be quite overwhelming.

 

[Snowdrop13]

The Tucson gem show is on right now, why not ask one of the vendors who is there to look out for you? I think desertrose from IG is.

 

[poppystar]

yeah I’ve asked a few vendors to keep an eye out for me. One of them told me that stones at Tucson are really pricey and I won’t be able to get any good deals there? i’ve never been so no idea

Any views on this?

Royal Colors HK Limited( BTC Gems Group) on Instagram: "A stunner 5ct Gubelin Certified Burmese Unheat Sapphire. Prices of Burmese unheat Sapphire and Rubies will be on rise because of the current protest and closure of country’s economy. Right time

66 likes, 18 comments - royalcolorshkltd on March 25, 2021: "A stunner 5ct Gubelin Certified Burmese Unheat Sapphire. Prices of Burmese unheat Sapphire and Rubies will be on rise because of the current protest and closure of country’s economy. Right time to invest in gem quality? #sapphire...

www.instagram.com

 

[VividRed]

yeah I’ve asked a few vendors to keep an eye out for me. One of them told me that stones at Tucson are really pricey and I won’t be able to get any good deals there? i’ve never been so no idea

Any views on this?

Royal Colors HK Limited( BTC Gems Group) on Instagram: "A stunner 5ct Gubelin Certified Burmese Unheat Sapphire. Prices of Burmese unheat Sapphire and Rubies will be on rise because of the current protest and closure of country’s economy. Right time

66 likes, 18 comments - royalcolorshkltd on March 25, 2021: "A stunner 5ct Gubelin Certified Burmese Unheat Sapphire. Prices of Burmese unheat Sapphire and Rubies will be on rise because of the current protest and closure of country’s economy. Right time to invest in gem quality? #sapphire...

www.instagram.com

Without knowing the price i think this will be far out in price, higher than the other stones you showed us. Might be wrong, but the IG vendor is making a pitch in that direction.

Again, gems aren’t investments

 

[poppystar]

Without knowing the price i think this will be far out in price, higher than the other stones you showed us. Might be wrong, but the IG vendor is making a pitch in that direction.

Again, gems aren’t investments

Interestingly, this one isn’t so expensive ($35000), no idea why
The colour looks quite good to me, but I’ve only seen the videos
What do u think of the colour?

 

[VividRed]

Interestingly, this one isn’t so expensive ($35000), no idea why
The colour looks quite good to me, but I’ve only seen the videos
What do u think of the colour?

Ok so at that price it probably has one or two issues. Probably will look very dark in low light environments, and will lack some brilliance. I like the shape though. Imagine that a FINE sapphire of the same size, from Burma, will cost at least 10k per carat, at online retail price. This one is quite a bit cheaper so I would not put all my coins on it

 

[demantoidz]

Interestingly, this one isn’t so expensive ($35000), no idea why
The colour looks quite good to me, but I’ve only seen the videos
What do u think of the colour?

The color is nice, but you'd need to judge it in different lighting.
Might have some well hidden but problematic inclusions.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

Interestingly, this one isn’t so expensive ($35000), no idea why
The colour looks quite good to me, but I’ve only seen the videos
What do u think of the colour?

Much better than your first options, but maybe look for one shade lighter. The last link of a particular gemocean is an example of color to get close to that would give you a fantastic royal when set.

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GEM OCEAN on Instagram: "3.53 carats of pure bliss. Open royal blue sapphire. Well cut and even color through out the stone. Wonderful lustre and sparkly even under darker light setting. #blue #bluesapphire #royalblue #royalbluesapphire #radiantcut #

34 likes, 0 comments - gemoceanltd on December 22, 2021: "3.53 carats of pure bliss. Open royal blue sapphire. Well cut and even color through out the stone. Wonderful lustre and sparkly even under darker light setting. #blue #bluesapphire #royalblue #royalbluesapphire #radiantcut #emeraldcut...

www.instagram.com

 

[Snowdrop13]

You could look at Yavorskyy and Ivy New York for further inspo.

 

[Autumn in New England]

You have a healthy budget, OP, so make sure you view lots of stones before making a decision. I'm sure the results will be breathtaking. Be sure to update us... good luck and Happy Anniversary!

 

[milton333]

Squarely within your budget, unheated Burmese, top color. Respected vendor.

Enhoerning Jewelry on Instagram: "Not all sapphires are created equal...even at the high end of the quality scale, there are many subtle differences to consider. This vivid blue unheated Burma sapphire is crystal-clean, and the color is so vibrant th

276 likes, 5 comments - enhoerningjewelry on February 1, 2022: "Not all sapphires are created equal...even at the high end of the quality scale, there are many subtle differences to consider. This vivid blue unheated Burma sapphire is crystal-clean, and the color is so vibrant that it will...

www.instagram.com

 

[milton333]

Here are screenshots of what I linked above

 

[poppystar]

Here are screenshots of what I linked above

Thanks! I’m in touch with her

 

[poppystar]

So, in the course of my blue sapphire hunt, I chanced upon some nice stones
This is a pink sapphire I would have bought, except I’m saving up for my blue sapphire

 

[VividRed]

Thanks! I’m in touch with her

Good plan!

 

[Cerulean]

Here are screenshots of what I linked above

Wow this is far and away the nicest of the bunch IMO (I’ve been lurking on this thread out of curiosity!).

It’s rich, extremely vibrant but has a deeper color. It looks like it has the faintest touch of silk (it’ll glow!) but also is very clear - it’s going to be beautiful IRL I bet and won’t black out

Good luck on your hunt OP - very exciting!

 

[demantoidz]

If you buy that Inken stone you should be aware that if you get a custom ring by them it might not be returnable. Not sure of the specifics so make sure you know the policy. There was a fiasco about this here:

Terrible experience with Enhoerning Jewelry (Inken Krause)

I ordered a multi colored sapphire band from Inken (Enhoerning Jewelry) after seeing her "special" offer on her Instagram. Please note that under that same instagram post she posted her return policy (7 day no questions asked return policy) which drew me to order from her in the first place. The...

www.pricescope.com

That said there are plenty good experiences with them - not trying to bash! Just warn OP.

 

[whitewave]

Have you tried https://www.ajsgem.com/

they are in Bangkok

 

[LilAlex]

If you buy that Inken stone you should be aware that if you get a custom ring by them it might not be returnable

Simple; approve the stone in person first on a round-trip ship.

I would not have a custom ring made by anyone using an unseen stone -- I don't think it's specific to this vendor. (It's very different from a high-volume diamond vendor popping a 1-ct into a stock setting).

For a stone like this, the cost of the mounting will be modest in comparison.

 

[luckygreen317]

I bought an unheated blue sapphire 15 years ago and didn’t consider it would appear darker when set in a bezel with surrounding stones. Have you considered what setting you are going with? This ultimately will make the stone appear darker.

 

[whitewave]

BTW, I really like the one from Inken. She is very good at finding interesting and beautiful stones.

 

[Cerulean]

Simple; approve the stone in person first on a round-trip ship.

I would not have a custom ring made by anyone using an unseen stone -- I don't think it's specific to this vendor. (It's very different from a high-volume diamond vendor popping a 1-ct into a stock setting).

For a stone like this, the cost of the mounting will be modest in comparison.

Agreed. See the stone first - no question

Also I’ve had great experiences with custom work with Inken. I’ve had a stock piece and custom piece made by her, and a few other small jewelry repairs.

I expressed some concerns about the custom ring when looking at photos, and she said she’d make sure I was happy with the end result and that we could work out changes.

It ended up needing no changes and loved it in person, the workmanship from her bench was impeccable, and I think her customer service was outstanding throughout the process

 

[Lovinggems]

My favourite 2 blue sapphires from these lovely PS ladies.
@slksapphire & @Acinom

hi everyone,

i usually lurk around the diamond forums but i've received a request (tx diamondseeker) to post a link to my blue sapphire ring over in colored stones. thanks for looking!

[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-7-stone-emerald-cut-blue-sapphire-ring.175313/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-7-stone-emerald-cut-blue-sapphire-ring.175313/[/URL]

My journey started with a charming little ruby I
found at a jeweller here in Holland. Because
of the very high pricing I figured that I could
perhaps better explore other options.

A blue sapphire has always been high on
my list. On the day I had almost decided to
buy the little ruby anyway, I found this
sapphire at a local jeweller, specialized in
antique jewelry. It was love at first sight
although it looked rather dark in the very
poorly lit store.

I decided to further explore more options,
but although I found stones that had looked
better on paper (lighter, better cut, lower
Pricing) I kept getting back to this one. The
one I fell in love with immediately. There is
Something about the color that is just
mesmerizing.

It has been on a very long layaway plan and
the idea was to collect the ring in december
but as it turned out I could collect it earlier
and I couldn't have been happier!

The stone was already set in a platinum setting
from a local goldsmith. I planned to send the
stone to Victor , but the setting has really grown
on me. It has small baguette sidestones and the
setting has a very modern/classic architectural
feel about it. All parts feel logical and in place
and the baguettes fit in like glass in a modern
building.

Here is my newest addition to my colored stone
ring collection:

 

[demantoidz]

Agreed. See the stone first - no question

Also I’ve had great experiences with custom work with Inken. I’ve had a stock piece and custom piece made by her, and a few other small jewelry repairs.

I expressed some concerns about the custom ring when looking at photos, and she said she’d make sure I was happy with the end result and that we could work out changes.

It ended up needing no changes and loved it in person, the workmanship from her bench was impeccable, and I think her customer service was outstanding throughout the process

Glad you and LilAlex had positive things to say. I feel a bit bad for bringing up the one bad case someone had. I should have simply strongly recommended that OP checks and asks about their custom work policy. My bad.