Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire, plz

[LD]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Hello All. My apologies for not replying sooner with picture. Unfortunately I had to do a little work. The pictures that were posted by Pregcurious were indeed of the ring I purchased. It is not what I had originally intended to buy, but I have always had an affinity for emerald type cuts plus I believe that it is a style that my girlfriend will like. I spoke with the woman that made the ring and she said that quality square stones have been difficult to come by and that this stone has deep rich blue color. As for pulling the trigger Minousbijoux, well I am typically the person that thinks about things too much, but several PSers have taught me that when you are looking for a particular stone, you have to be on it before someone snatches it out from under your hand. Im soooooo happy that I have wonderful people like you to help guide me so I feel comfortable making a decision Thank you.

LD: I am sincerely considering keeping the MasterCut gem also. Budget isnt really an issue (atleast with the price of this stone) and I dont know how difficult it would be to get a good stone in future but I also dont want to keep it without a plan. So much to consider. Thanks for the wonderful idea though. The ring is for an engagement and if she accepts, I will need a wedding gift, right?

Absolutely, you need a matching wedding gift!

We need a report when the ring arrives, ok? Then you do realise we need to know when you propose, how you propose, what she says, what she things of the ring and then photos of her wearing the ring (hand only of course if you prefer)!!!!

I am soooooo pleased for you.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Hello All. My apologies for not replying sooner with picture. Unfortunately I had to do a little work. The pictures that were posted by Pregcurious were indeed of the ring I purchased. It is not what I had originally intended to buy, but I have always had an affinity for emerald type cuts plus I believe that it is a style that my girlfriend will like. I spoke with the woman that made the ring and she said that quality square stones have been difficult to come by and that this stone has deep rich blue color. As for pulling the trigger Minousbijoux, well I am typically the person that thinks about things too much, but several PSers have taught me that when you are looking for a particular stone, you have to be on it before someone snatches it out from under your hand. Im soooooo happy that I have wonderful people like you to help guide me so I feel comfortable making a decision Thank you.

LD: I am sincerely considering keeping the MasterCut gem also. Budget isnt really an issue (atleast with the price of this stone) and I dont know how difficult it would be to get a good stone in future but I also dont want to keep it without a plan. So much to consider. Thanks for the wonderful idea though. The ring is for an engagement and if she accepts, I will need a wedding gift, right?

Ahh, this is why we like you! Please keep up the good gemstone work!

 

[James_K]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Okay All,

Here are a few pics of both of the stones I now have. Any feedback on the stones or even my photography?

OUTDOOR INDIRECT LIGHT


OUTDOOR DIRECT LIGHT


INDOOR FLUORESCENT LIGHT


INDOOR NATURAL LIGHT #1


INDOOR NATURAL LIGHT #2


INDOOR NATURAL LIGHT #3 (different camera app)

 

[chrono]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Unexpected!

First off, how accurate are the colours shown? If they are accurate, the step cut sapphire has to be sent back. It seems to never light up, either darkening too much or showing so much silk that it hardly sparkles. The Mastercut sapphire looks to hold its colour much better under the variety of lights even though the saturation isn't as strong.

 

[LD]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

James are the photos representative of what you see?

I'm going to be brutally honest and I hope I don't offend. The stone in the ring is NOT good. It's very very very dark to the point that you can't see the facets. I'm really disappointed because it's much darker than the photo suggested (although they did hint that it was darker).

The loose gem is still my favourite of the two but it is looking quite grey in some of your photos (rather than the violet you've seen before). Is that the case?

I think when you're looking online for stones, you have to pick photos that show a gem lighter than you want it to be. For some reason most vendor photos are taken with bright light and amp up the colour. So if you look for a lighter stone online then you may achieve the medium dark colour you're looking for. If you pick a stone that you think is the perfect colour, you'll probably get something darker (as is the case with this ring).

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Oh, I am disappointed. That looks way too dark, and I see a lot of grey. In general, vendors show their gem at their best performance, and it's expected that the stone will look like the vendor picture under at least one environment (like outdoors, or under flourescent lights) but not at all times.

If you can _never_ get the stone to perform like in the vendor picture, than that is an issue. In my limited experience, I have found that the stones in real life may have a slight color modifier that I did not expect from the picture, or are one shade darker (unless it was flooded with light in the pic, then it will be much darker). For the change in color modifier, vendors have been honest when I asked them pointed questions.

 

[James_K]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Yes, unfortunately these photos are pretty representative of what I see in real life. I didnt want to mention the darkness specifically because I was praying that one of you would say something like, "Oh, here is how you are supposed to photo a gem.....Thats why it looks the way it does." The stone looks good in only about 1 out of 10 looks and at any given time I can only see 1-2 of the facets. Im guessing that would disqualify it quickly. Anyway, Im going to take care of a few personal errands, come back later today and take a fresh look and maybe fresh photos of the ring. Im going to assume that little will change, and if thats the case, Ill have to develop a new plan.

Again, I really appreciate all of the feedback from you guys. Believe it or not, when I review my entire post and the stones in it, I see them in an entirely different way.

 

[LD]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

James - the stone will probably look better at night with indoor lighting I think. However, that's NOT what you want, unless your g/f is a vampire.

Is there any persuading you away from looking for a square? I'm pretty sure there's a stone out there with James written all over it, it's just so limiting looking for square/squarish gems.

 

[michellechan2211]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Aww man D: I was thinking the ring you ordered was lovely- but it is way too dark IRL

Like LD said, you might get better luck with a non-square shape- would an elongated cushion do for you?

 

[James_K]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

LD/Michelle: At this point Im not sure how open to other shapes I am and my reasoning for that may be a little weird. Ill try to explain.....when I was looking for a square stone I was able to narrow down the choices and then start getting "picky" with a few. Im a very indecisive person by nature and I worry that if I start to consider rounds, ovals, elongated cusions, etc. I will quickly become overwhelmed. Sometimes I can look at a bunch of rounds and they all look the same to me.....well, not literally because they all vary by size and such, but there generally are a few that I like, that would meet my criteria, but I dont necessarily have a reason to pick one over the other. When I started my search I was looking for a square cushion to have mounted in a halo. After all the looking I have done, Ive seen all sorts of shapes and cuts placed in all sorts of settings and Im surprised by how many different variations I like. So, to summarize, Im not sure exactly where to go with my search. Im open to other ideas for a stone but I also dont want to get frustrated with the process. Any thoughts?

J

P.S. I just reread LD's last post and had a funny thought. Maybe it would be easier to find a vampire to marry than to find a sapphire for my current g/f. LOL

 

[LD]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Assuming you don't throw your girlfriend out for a vampire ...............

Why don't we approach this another way? Why don't you find a setting that you love. One that you want to see on your girlfriends hand. Then we will give you a few suggestions for stones that meet your colour criteria that would work in the setting? That way, it may limit you feeling overwhelmed?

I absolutely understand your reasoning for a square BUT by choosing that shape you've actually knocked out most of the market and what's available is not good quality and I know over everything else you won't want to compromise on that.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

P.S. I just reread LD's last post and had a funny thought. Maybe it would be easier to find a vampire to marry than to find a sapphire for my current g/f. LOL

Yes, but not wise.

James: I am truly sorry that you are being so diligent and yet it has not paid off yet for you. Truth be told, I saw your stones last night and just did not have the stomach to log on and disappoint you! You are 100% experiencing the downside of buying online, when you think you are getting one thing and it turns out quite different.

Many shapes can be overwhelming and I don't think your strategy is a bad one at all. What I think *might* happen is that you will focus on that shape, see a bunch more sapphires and then, when you least expect it and when you get a sense, even with your limitations, of what you like color-wise, a sapphire will sneak up on you and smack you upside the head with its color, even if its a different shape. And voila, your search will be over!

I can't remember if we did this at the start of your search, but should we back up and talk about color and saturation level? Let me see if I can upload a photo of the saturation scale for you.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

I just went to Pala gems to look for their chart on saturation, but it wasn't a comprehensive enough example to post here. Does anyone remember seeing a good example of sapphire saturation, showing the different levels?

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

James, are you open to visting stores and seeing sapphires yourself? This might be easier for you than buying online. If you give us the general area in which you live, perhaps we can suggest stores near you. Unfortunately, there may not be any good colored gem stores nearby, but I think it's worth trying.

 

[James_K]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

LD: Seems like a pretty decent approach and I love that it is from a different angle. Ill think Ill give it a go.

Minousbijoux: Yes, if you consider that I dont have the stone that I came here looking for, then my experience hasnt been all that great. However, if you consider a) all the knowledge Ive gained, AND b) the friends Ive met online (PSers like you) that have helped me relentlessly, even when they dont stand to gain anything from it other than the satisfaction of helping out someone that was once in their postion, then Id would call it a success. Ive even made a few connections with online vendors that have shown me that purchasing a gemstone online should not be that stressful. Its only cost me a few bucks shipping. As far as a revisit to color and saturation, I think that would be great. I believe I have a better grasp on color but saturation still eludes me. What do you think of this resource?
http://www.ruby-sapphire.com/r-s-bk-quality.htm

Pregcurious: Yes, I am open to visiting local stores (San Antonio, TX) and have actually visited a few. Unfortunately the few I have visited didnt have what I was looking for. They did say that they could get stones in (one actually located a 7mm square cushion for ~$3400) but it seems that I am right where I am now......considering stones that arent in front of me. I didnt pursue B&M store more because I am that value shopper and I know I will pay an extra markup there plus I really only have the opinion of one person, and that person is the one selling to me. Still, maybe I should walk further down this road.

 

[James_K]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

BTW - One of my resources that I respect suggested I look into this one a bit more. I dont want to go crazy posting everything that catches my eye but since someone went out of their way to help I want to give it its due attention. What are your thoughts for $4700

Described as:
Sri-Lankan Sapphire ~2.5 carats (Diamonds approx 0.50 carats)
Clarity: VVS Top clean gemstone
Color: Royal blue with a purple secondary hue. Premium Ceylon Color!
Treatment: Assume traditional heat. Guaranteed no other treatment of any kind
This is an beautiful Sapphire and Diamond ring! A fine quality natural Ceylon Sapphire with fine glowing color and full fire luster set in an 14 karat white gold ladies ring with full cut clean & white Diamonds. The Superb Sapphire is rich in color but not dark at all. This gem explodes into glowing color even in lower light conditions.

 

[chrono]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

The problem with sticking to squares is that you are greatly limiting your choices to the point you have almost none. With ovals you have the greatest choice, followed by cushions (rectangular), then rounds due to the natural shape of the rough.

By request, the below is a general colour chart wheel. Which blue number appeals most to you?

ETA
Blue sapphire ring - what type of lighting was used? It looks above average (a bit dark with medium to med strong saturation). Cut is decent enough. How is the colour shift?

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

You are a fast learner and a most gracious PSer! You linked to Richard Hughes, who happens to be one of the preeminent authorities on corundum. So you've found, as my sons used to say, a "hella" good source there.

So up above, in the "New to Colored Stones?" pinned thread written by our very own LD there is a graph showing detailed saturation for tanzanite. While they abound for blue sapphires, I was thinking if we could find one that detailed for you, we could go through and talk color with you. One of the things I've noticed is that the stones you pick are not highly saturated. We often refer to seeing grey in such stones, which is another way of saying that, in the absence of lots of coloring particles/agent or whatever they're called, the stone appears greyish.

Imagine if you took the unset blue sapphire and added more blue hue - it would start amping up, appearing to become brighter and brighter, more vibrant in color, right? This is saturation. It is a funny concept that is critical in looking at stones. The example for sapphire Richard Hughes has on his website is good, but only has four levels of saturation - the point becomes even clearer the more iterations there are along the way. Does that help? Should we show you examples of various saturation levels for sapphire?

 

[LD]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

BTW - One of my resources that I respect suggested I look into this one a bit more. I dont want to go crazy posting everything that catches my eye but since someone went out of their way to help I want to give it its due attention. What are your thoughts for $4700

Described as:
Sri-Lankan Sapphire ~2.5 carats (Diamonds approx 0.50 carats)
Clarity: VVS Top clean gemstone
Color: Royal blue with a purple secondary hue. Premium Ceylon Color!
Treatment: Assume traditional heat. Guaranteed no other treatment of any kind
This is an beautiful Sapphire and Diamond ring! A fine quality natural Ceylon Sapphire with fine glowing color and full fire luster set in an 14 karat white gold ladies ring with full cut clean & white Diamonds. The Superb Sapphire is rich in color but not dark at all. This gem explodes into glowing color even in lower light conditions.

James - feel free to post as much as you want. Honestly we don't mind. In fact I know that there are a number of us all rooting for you!

Okay, I've highlighted a worrying bit above. This statement is absolutely contradictory because it's saying that categorically there's no other treatment than heat BUT then it says to assume heat!!!! Eh? The problem with this is that if something is heated then it can be just heated OR heated/treated. There's a world of difference!

The other thing that is immediately apparent about the stone is the funky cut! Leaving aside that it's not square for a moment(!), this is a poorly cut gemstone. Certainly not the worst I've seen but it's not great. I'm not sure how this would look or perform in real life. Perhaps put it on your "I'll get it for a look if there's absolutely nothing else around" list.

 

[chrono]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

LD,
I am interpreting it differently. I read it as to assume traditional heat only with no other treatment (no diffusion, no clarity enhancement, etc), so no other treatment other than heat. I hope I'm not making this more confusing.

 

[LD]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

LD,
I am interpreting it differently. I read it as to assume traditional heat only with no other treatment (no diffusion, no clarity enhancement, etc), so no other treatment other than heat. I hope I'm not making this more confusing.

But Chrono how can you assume heat??????? It's either heated or it's not and the vendor should say which! As you know to assume makes an ASS out of U and ME! Why should a Vendor tell somebody to assume heat!?

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Okay, here's another thing - that stone is not highly saturated. Compare it to this sapphire of silksapphires, which is vivid saturation - not saying that's what you want or need, but I think it makes the point about color and saturation, if you can see it...

 

[CYIW]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

i thought that for the purposes of assessing price, why not assume, as the vendor suggests, that its heated? If we assume the stone is heated, the price seems about right (I think). If it turns out the stone is not heated then the price is good isn't it? It's only a problem if you assume its unheated and the price is correspondingly high. Right?

In terms of the ring, I'm personally not a fan of the setting design i.e. the round centre stone with a square halo thing. But that's just my aesthetic

The stone MinousBijoux put up is surely at the upper end of sapphire quality (I think). The price for it must have been very high. But that's not to say it was not good value though. So if you are only interested in value-for-money and don't really have a budget constraint, you can do better than the ring you've posted (I believe).

Of course, all this is from one "rough rock" to another lol...the better stone advice will no doubt come from the likes of Chrono, Minou, LD etc.

 

[chrono]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

CYIW,
Thank you for explaining where I was unable to. Yes, I meant that the vendor suspects the stone is heated. At best case, you'll get lucky and it isn't. Worst case, it is heat only. This sets the basis of evaluating what its value might be for such colouration. That said, always make the purchase contingent of a lab report proving that it is heat only.

 

[minousbijoux]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

You are absolutely right that the sapphire of SilkSapphire's I posted is a very fine quality, expensive sapphire, but I want the OP to see that there is a range of saturation levels, just as there is a range of hue and tone.

 

[CYIW]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Yes that's what I thought you were doing MinousBijoux. I was just trying to offer a bit of extra "context" for the stone I was certainly not implying James_K should not consider a stone like that!

 

[Nicki]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

I've been following this thread and wanted to throw out another potential source for stones for you to look at:

http://www.atggems.com/Photos_Sapphire1.htm

They're in Massachusetts (fairly local to me, which is why I keep an eye on what they have in stock for gems) and seem to have some lovely sapphires.

I might cut off my left leg for that pad on page 1.

 

[chrono]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

ATG has some very beautiful sapphires but are on the expensive side. Then again, with Justin's latest news from the Tucson show, this seems to be in line with what he noted.

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

Nicki, how accurate are their online pictures to the seeing the stones in person?

 

[pregcurious]

Re: Color blind and bad eyesight need help buying sapphire,

This is a ways off, but Intergem is coming in May to San Antonio:

http://www.intergem.com/shows/upcoming-shows/san-antonio-tx-may-3-5

I've never been to one as I am always booked when they come through Chantilly, but I know that people have had luck at Vance Gems and Prima Gems. It's worth seeing many colored stones all at once. For me, I learned more seeing them in person than my entire time being online here.