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Help finding a Montana sapphire and setting for engagement ring

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gatorsss1981

Rough_Rock
Joined
Sep 4, 2018
Messages
9
My girlfriend wants something other than a diamond for an engagement ring, and really likes the teal color that some sapphires have, especially the Montana sapphires. I'm having a hard time deciding and was hoping for some feedback and also other suggestions on stones to look at.

I'm also concerned that the stones might appear too dark when in a setting, and the color won't be very visible. Should I be looking at lighter colored stones?

Here are some examples of stones I was considering.

https://www.earthstreasury.com/product/1-85-carat-dark-blue-green-montana-sapphire-heated-2/
https://www.earthstreasury.com/product/1-62-carat-teal-blue-montana-sapphire-heated-2/
https://www.earthstreasury.com/product/2-21-carat-deep-blue-green-montana-sapphire-heated/ (This one would really be stretching the budget.)
https://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/1.60ct-montana-round-greenish-blue-sapphire-u8090-/
https://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/1.81ct-montana-round-bluish-green-sapphire-u8088-/
https://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/1.72ct-montana-round-greenish-blue-sapphire-u7524-/
https://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-montana-12-914
https://gemfix.com/gems/sapphire-montana-12-769
http://sapphiresofmontana.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_40_45&products_id=272 (Is anybody familiar with this company? The one pictured as an example looks great)

She liked this setting. Once I purchase the stone could I have somebody custom design a setting similar to this? Are there other ones like this?
https://www.brilliantearth.com/Willow-Diamond-Ring-(1/8-ct.-tw.)-Platinum-BE156-1152492/

Thanks for the help.
 
Bayoto on Instagram has been posting a lot of teal sapphires lately, and people here seem to love working with him. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqKrv_3DVrG/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1ozv8fzy57rli
I believe Montana sapphires have a grey modifier so that’s something to consider. But hopefully someone smarter will come along to speak to that. Earth’s treasury and gemfix come highly recommended. The Natural sapphire company not so much, especially with the legal problems lately. I would also
Buy the stone first and have someone like David Klass customize it.
 
Last edited:
Buying the stone first will make things simpler. That way the setting can be custom made for the stone or a stock setting can be easily selected.

To really simplify things see if the stone seller has settings that appeal to you and have everything done by one vendor. That’s not always possible.

The first couple of sapphires you list are too dark for me. Remember the vendor has light shinning directly on the stone. Also find out what your girlfriend means when she says “teal.” Have her show you paint swatches or her Pinterest board. People vary in how they see color.
 
Misscaliente08 said:
Bayoto on Instagram has been posting a lot of teal sapphires lately, and people here seem to love working with him. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqKrv_3DVrG/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1ozv8fzy57rli
I believe Montana sapphires have a grey modifier so that’s something to consider. But hopefully someone smarter will come along to speak to that. Earth’s treasury and gemfix come highly recommended. The Natural sapphire company not so much, especially with the legal problems lately. I would also
Buy the stone first and have someone like David Klass customize it.
Click to expand...

What does a grey modifier mean? Some of the stones I've seen do look really light grey in certain colors, but it didn't seem like that in the ones I chose.

If I'm buying from a private seller do I ask for a certain report, or is it something where I would get it tested afterwards?

That does seem like a better idea to buy the stone and then have a setting made, thanks for the help.
 
Stone Hunter said:
Buying the stone first will make things simpler. That way the setting can be custom made for the stone or a stock setting can be easily selected.

To really simplify things see if the stone seller has settings that appeal to you and have everything done by one vendor. That’s not always possible.

The first couple of sapphires you list are too dark for me. Remember the vendor has light shinning directly on the stone. Also find out what your girlfriend means when she says “teal.” Have her show you paint swatches or her Pinterest board. People vary in how they see color.
Click to expand...

We were looking at pictures together oneline, the ones I posted were the same color that she said she liked best. I used the word "teal" to describe the color, but the ones she preferred were on the darker side.

Do you think the first couple will look too dark in a setting and the color won't be visible?
 
princessandthepear said:
If you would consider buying from a private individual, this stone shows a picture of what it would look like on the back of a hand. https://loupetroop.com/listings/bands/star-star-reduced-star-star-2-dot-2ct-unheated-teal-sapphire . It is a 2.2ct teal sapphire on loupetroop. If the link doesn't work then type "teal sapphire" in the search feature on the home page.
Click to expand...

In the first picture that looks like the color of the stones she liked, but in the third picture it does look really dark. Should I be looking at something lighter so that when it is in a setting it will show more color?

I would definitely consider purchasing from a private seller, but the price seems like too good of a deal compared to other things I've found. Is there any type of escrow or protection system in place so that I can verify it's legitimate?
 
MrsKMB said:
I purchased two gorgeous stones from him recently. He's easy to work with, and responds quickly.
Click to expand...

Did he provide a lab report, or did you test them afterwards?

The stones pictured look beautiful, but buying something from somebody off Instagram seems strange to me. Then again I've never bought anything like this before, so I don't really know what the standard is.
 
The reason that the price is lower with a private individual is that most do not offer the features that retail stores offer, like returns and financing. Questions you would ask are if it has a certificate(though it is not uncommon for gems to not have one), what are the inclusions and where are they located, is the sapphire heated, what kind of color shift does it have, has it ever been set in jewelry? You would have to ask the vendor if it has a certificate. If not then if you want a gem report you and the seller work out who will pay and where the gem will be sent and base your purchase on the final gem report, ie, earth mined sapphire, greenish- blue color.
Many Montana sapphires will display a grayish blue or green color instead of a true blue, sometimes Montana sapphires look silvery depending on the lighting.
 
princessandthepear said:
The reason that the price is lower with a private individual is that most do not offer the features that retail stores offer, like returns and financing. Questions you would ask are if it has a certificate(though it is not uncommon for gems to not have one), what are the inclusions and where are they located, is the sapphire heated, what kind of color shift does it have, has it ever been set in jewelry? You would have to ask the vendor if it has a certificate. If not then if you want a gem report you and the seller work out who will pay and where the gem will be sent and base your purchase on the final gem report, ie, earth mined sapphire, greenish- blue color.
Many Montana sapphires will display a grayish blue or green color instead of a true blue, sometimes Montana sapphires look silvery depending on the lighting.
Click to expand...


Thanks. Those are great questions to ask. I don't need financing and as long as the stone is real and as pictured I'm not worried about returns, so getting a better stone for the money is appealing.

Are there any labs work like an escrow system? Where the stone is sent to them for testing, and then if the test matches what was described I would pay the seller and the stone is sent to me?

If the seller gives me a report they already had done, is there a way to make sure that report is actually that stone?
 
gatorsss1981, I haven't done business with any of the vendors listed above. However, my advice to you is to use a vendor that allows returns. You may find that the sapphire isn't quite as pictured. Sellers are showing their stones at there very best.

I like the second sapphire from Earth's Treasure; however, I suspect it will be darker when set and also dark when not outside in good light.

I have worked with JuliaBJewlery on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JuliaBJewelry?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Julia has some Montana sapphires including some teals. She often has gems and rings that are not posted.
 
This thread https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/vendor-pictures-and-owner-pictures-of-ps-stones.109420/

is a great resource for seeing how much some vendor photos vary from what we consumers see. I ALWAYS expect the vendor photo to show a lighter stone than what I will see.

I personally recommend sticking with a vendor that has a good reputation on PS. They usually have good return policies and may also have stones available that they haven't listed yet. IF you are a risk taker then buying from an individual could get you a good deal. Hopefully someone who knows about gem labs and escrow options will chime in!
 
It's a real shame what has happened with the pricing of Montana Sapphires. Just a few years ago, these were very affordable stones, mostly being sold for $250 to $500 per ct. Now it seems that some people have pushed the prices way up, much more than the cost of the rough should dictate. Still Montana Sapphire rough is less expensive than comparable stones from Africa and other places, yet people are asking 2 and 3 times for the cut stones what the African stones sell for.
 
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