Feedback on these sapphires

[Caysee0321]

Hello, I’m currently shopping around for center stones for my engagement ring, and someone on Reddit suggested that I come to this forum for advice.

I really like these marquise sapphires, but since I’m new to gemstones, I would love some feedback if they are suitable stones based on at least some pictures.

Unfortunately I’ve previously purchased a different sapphire online but a jeweler told me that it was very low quality and may appear black in a setting. If I can avoid the same mistake that’d be great. Thank you in advance!

 

[dk168]

Welcome to PS.

I am not an expert and would pass on all three based on the following reasons:
Left - too dark
Middle - still too dark
Right - colour is fine however, it has a massive window as can be seen in the photo alone

DK

 

[Avondale]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Would you mind showing the stone you already have? What drew you to it? Also, do you have any inspiration photos for what you’d like your sapphire to look like as a finished ring in terms of colour? If you share your budget, people here might even be able to suggest you other options.

To be fully honest, I’m not really impressed with any of these stones. None of them strike me as particularly saturated or exhibiting a pleasing colour. But maybe you’re after something very particular, and not the conventional blue.

 

[Caysee0321]

Welcome to PS.

I am not an expert and would pass on all three based on the following reasons:
Left - too dark
Middle - still too dark
Right - colour is fine however, it has a massive window as can be seen in the photo alone

DK

Thank you for your feedback! That was definitely my concern for the first two. I love the deep blue green tone but not if it means it would appear too dark once it’s set and that’s a shame about the green one, I figured there was something off with it but I couldn’t tell what.

 

[Caysee0321]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Would you mind showing the stone you already have? What drew you to it? Also, do you have any inspiration photos for what you’d like your sapphire to look like as a finished ring in terms of colour? If you share your budget, people here might even be able to suggest you other options.

To be fully honest, I’m not really impressed with any of these stones. None of them strike me as particularly saturated or exhibiting a pleasing colour. But maybe you’re after something very particular, and not the conventional blue.

Thank you very much! Absolutely, I can attach it to this reply.

I really like the deep blue-green tones in it, and in certain lighting the color zoning pops out and looks yellow. I really do love how complex it looks- but only in certain lighting. In any lighting other than direct sunlight it only shows off as very slightly blue.

You’re right about the color, I’ve found myself drawn to darker or muted blue tones for sapphires, or totally blue-green/teal colors. However many aren’t in my budget for the center stone I’m aiming to stay below $800 if I can.

The third picture is almost exactly how I’d like my sapphire to look. The stone in the picture is actually a London blue topaz and originally that was the stone I wanted, but I opted for a sapphire instead due to it being more durable for daily wear (extremely important for my ring). I’ve already found a local jeweler to work with but the stones they have in-house are upwards of $2000.

 

[dk168]

Sorry, however, IMHO, your budget of 800 USD is too low for a decent Sapphire, unless it is a very small one!

Hopefully, one of the experts will prove me wrong!

DK

 

[Avondale]

Sorry, however, IMHO, your budget of 800 USD is too low for a decent Sapphire, unless it is a very small one!

Hopefully, one of the experts will prove me wrong!

DK

Hmmm not necessarily… teals can be good deal cheaper than blues. But it also depends on size. Obviously something in the 2+ct range could exceed the budget.

 

[dk168]

Check out Bespoke Gems as in Doug Menadue's site based in Australia:

https://www.bespoke-gems.com/gemstones-for-sale.php#Sapphire

Unfortunately, he has adopted the practice of "Price On Request"!

DK

 

[Avondale]

Thank you very much! Absolutely, I can attach it to this reply.

I really like the deep blue-green tones in it, and in certain lighting the color zoning pops out and looks yellow. I really do love how complex it looks- but only in certain lighting. In any lighting other than direct sunlight it only shows off as very slightly blue.

You’re right about the color, I’ve found myself drawn to darker or muted blue tones for sapphires, or totally blue-green/teal colors. However many aren’t in my budget for the center stone I’m aiming to stay below $800 if I can.

The third picture is almost exactly how I’d like my sapphire to look. The stone in the picture is actually a London blue topaz and originally that was the stone I wanted, but I opted for a sapphire instead due to it being more durable for daily wear (extremely important for my ring). I’ve already found a local jeweler to work with but the stones they have in-house are upwards of $2000.

Well, to start, topaz is not an unsturdy gem. It's 8 on the Mohs scale, which is not to be underestimated. Furthermore, if you're rough on your rings, a sapphire will succumb to the daily wear just the same and will accumulate abrasions over the years. If you're very active with your hands in your day to day life, you might want to consider not wearing the ring 24/7 and instead taking it off for the more taxing stuff. If you adopt such an approach, you should also be completely fine with a topaz.

And of course there are the added benefits - a topaz is more readily available, you'll have an easier time finding a stone you like. If something were to happen to that stone in the future, it would be easier to replace it.

I looked quickly through my saved vendors. Finewater Gems used to have a lovely small teal sapphire in budged but I can't find it so it must have sold. Still worth keeping an eye on, he periodically adds new gems to his inventory.

Another precision cutter that had a stone I had saved up in my favourites but now has sold is Geologic Spectrum - https://www.etsy.com/listing/133448...how_sold_out_detail=1&ref=nla_listing_details. They often have more moody sapphires on offer, so do look through their inventory.

Adamant has this which is slightly above your budget but it's unheated and it has that yellow colour zoning you seem to like in your current stone: https://www.adamantgems.com/stone_info/219

Gemsdeposit have this one that's in budget: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1830317347/natural-milky-teal-sapphire-103ct.

Yvonne Raley has this, however there is a discrepancy between the price on etsy and the price in the description, and I have a sneaking suspicion that the price in the description is the correct one, which would put that waaaay out of what you're looking to spend. Still, I'm leaving the link here because Yvonne is phenomenal to work with and can source you a stone even if she doesn't have something already available on her website. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1732305362/sapphire-madagascar-teal-blue-sapphire

 

[Avondale]

The previous post was getting kinda long, so it's better to break it up.

The stone you currently have is also quite dark and I can see why you were advised it would probably black out. Haven't you noticed that yourself already, just looking at it in different light?

I tried to find you examples that are brighter, with more open colour. After all, if you don't have the colour, what's the point in going with a coloured stone at all? Better colour will cost more, but a smaller bright and vibrant stone is 9 out of 10 times better than a bigger dark one. Strong, noticeable colour will remain strong and noticeable even in a small package.

Furthermore, I see you're only showing marquises so far, so I'll assume that's the cut you're aiming for. To be honest, you might find it difficult to locate a stone if you were to limit yourself to marquise only. It's not like we're finding sapphires left and right, let alone sapphires with just the right colour. Add a specific cut on top of that, you might very well chain yourself to spending years looking for the right stone. If something has to give, the shape might be the first and easiest compromise to make.

 

[mellowyellowgirl]

They are all very dark and aren't discernibly teal. Lemme try and find you a pic of my ex teal sapphire

That said these might be a tad dark but they are good prices

Buy Teal Sapphire Online - Shop Teal Sapphires | Starlanka.com

Dive into the world of teal sapphires with our online collection. Shop teal sapphires in various hues and sizes to find your perfect gemstone today.

www.starlanka.com

 

[lovedogs]

Do you only want marquise shape?

 

[toomuchB]

Agree with the above that finding a perfect match (color size price shape) might take some time. But if you have the time, then I would spend it looking around rather than settling. The Tucson gem show is soon so you could ask a gem dealer to keep a lookout for something.

Maybe look into Australian sapphires, but keep in mind they may be too dark often. Found this which might be too dark (price in AUD). Also I personally prefer the teals over the olive greens.

Australian Parti Sapphire - Marquise 1.33ct

Colour: Blue/Green/Yellow Parti Cut: Marquise Weight: 1.33ct Dimensions: 10.1x5mm Origin: Australia If you like it but you're not in love with it please don't hesitate to get in touch to see what we can source just for you. Un-set stones can be shipped as they are, displayed in a presentation...

mwjeweller.com.au