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Does this sapphire have a window?

MySapphireQuest

Rough_Rock
Joined
Feb 24, 2023
Messages
17
Hi, I’m new to gem and have learnt a great deal from here. However, I still have a lot to learn. I got this sapphire recently and when I saw it, it appears to have a tilt window. I’m unsure if it also has a window I need to be concerned about and would appreciate some help. Here are some pictures:

In this picture, the stone is tilted and you can see the window:
IMG_3016.jpeg
these are more pictures of the stone:
IMG_3017.jpegIMG_3021.jpegIMG_3022.jpegIMG_3026.jpeg

Many thanks!
 
It's dark so I can not tell if there is a window in any but the first photo -- and that one looks like a tilt window, which most here would consider acceptable.

I actually can't tell if it is color zoning or a tilt window -- but if you rotate it horizontally 180 degrees and it looks the same, then it is the cut and not the color distribution. (Alternatively, it could be cut very asymmetrically but it doesn't look like it is.)

More importantly, does it have a reliable report and a good return policy?

It looks pretty to me but phone pics always way oversell the blue.
 
I don’t see a window face up and almost all coloured stones will have a tilt window so I would t worry about that.
 
Can't tell from the photos, being too dark, sorry!

However, I am not an expert.

DK :))
 
I think you're right, there is a window. I can see it in the picture that's next to last, when I zoom in. If you're still doubting, just hold the stone up to the light with the table facing you. If light is passing straight through, it will be easily visible.

Whether you should be concerned is a matter of personal preference. It's not a big window. And it's a dark stone which means it won't just sit transparent and colourless on your finger. What is more likely to happen is for the centre of the stone to appear very dark and I think you can already see this effect in your hand photos.

You basically have to decide if you like what you see. What you can also do is fashion a cup out of aluminum foil to see how the sapphire would look with the window closed and if there's a significant difference to your eyes.
 
A window that small is easily closed once set.
 
Thank you all. I still think there's a window and it's bothering me. It did come with a GIA cert and a good return policy which is why I want to decide whether to keep it. I love the color and the cut but I would be very bothered if after it’s set and I can still see the window. Here are more pictures. Would a jeweler be able to tell me whether it’ll still be visible after setting in a ring? The only thing I can find to prop it up so its not tilted it my scissors. The first picture does not appear to have a window but the others doIMG_3050.jpegIMG_3048.jpegIMG_3047.jpegIMG_3048.jpeg
 

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Looks like tilt window in the other pics because I think they are slightly tilted.
 
Thank you all. I still think there's a window and it's bothering me. It did come with a GIA cert and a good return policy which is why I want to decide whether to keep it. I love the color and the cut but I would be very bothered if after it’s set and I can still see the window. Here are more pictures. Would a jeweler be able to tell me whether it’ll still be visible after setting in a ring? The only thing I can find to prop it up so its not tilted it my scissors. The first picture does not appear to have a window but the others doIMG_3050.jpegIMG_3048.jpegIMG_3047.jpegIMG_3048.jpeg

What if someone, like a jeweller, tells you it will be closable when set in a suitable setting, for you to find it not to be the case?

It sounded like the stone is not going to be mind-clean for you, in that you are unlikely to be 100% happy with it.

Personal opinion and all that.

DK :))
 
Would a jeweler be able to tell me whether it’ll still be visible after setting in a ring?

You don't need a jeweler for this. And yes, a jeweler will be able to say.

Think of what a window is. You know that ideally a stone is cut in such a way that allows light to enter from the table, bounce around inside the stone and then exit again through the table. Now if the light is instead exiting from somewhere else, that means it's not returning to your eyes. That's what a window is. The light is passing straight through the stone, going on its merry way somewhere in the distance.

Now imagine what would happen if you place a windowed stone on some metallic reflective surface. The light is going to enter through the table, pass through the stone and... reach the reflective surface which will then make it bounce right back to your eyes. (That's why I suggested the aluminum foil trick.)

This is all there is to closing windows through settings. All you need is for there to be metal underneath the stone. Like a simple cathedral setting. Or a setting with an intricate gallery. Or a bunch of other variations of designs, as long as there's metal underneath the stone. Makes the window unnoticeable.

You'll still have to decide whether the presence of a window in itself, regardless of whether you're able to see it, is bothering you. Some people are very particular about cuts and don't want to compromise.
 
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