Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose :-)

[chrono]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

Thank you for coming back to update your search for the right stone. Be patient and take your time with viewing the stone tomorrow as well. In general, the colour usually perks up under diffused natural lighting and looks its worst indoors. From what I can tell, the stone appears very beautiful and saturated. A little dark but it could be your lighting condition and poor telephone camera. Other than the violet tint not showing, how accurate is the colour compared to the real thing?

 

[SB621]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

personally i love the color and saturation...it is gorgeous! specs?

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

The color and saturation is stunning. But, my caveat is - if you don't know her preferences on concave v. flat faceting, I would say it's safer to stay with flat faceting. And I say this as someone who owns a RH concave sapphire (and while I love it, I later realized I'm a much bigger fan of flat faceting). And having seen the many examples of JW sapphires on here, I'm sure he'll produce a gorgeous product (and that native cut you showed us earlier in the thread was beautiful as well - I'm sure it'll be stunning afte recut).

 

[arjunajane]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

The color and saturation is stunning. But, my caveat is - if you don't know her preferences on concave v. flat faceting, I would say it's safer to stay with flat faceting. And I say this as someone who owns a RH concave sapphire (and while I love it, I later realized I'm a much bigger fan of flat faceting). And having seen the many examples of JW sapphires on here, I'm sure he'll produce a gorgeous product (and that native cut you showed us earlier in the thread was beautiful as well - I'm sure it'll be stunning afte recut).

I agree.
I believe concave faceting is an acquired taste, a love or hate thing.
Where as traditional faceting, especially when done with precision, is a look pretty much anyone can appreciate.

Not knowing your girl's specific tastes, I would go with the traditionally faceted stone for safety's sake. If she isn't a jewellery/gem person, she is bound to be blown away by the beauty and sparkle of one of JW's sapphires.

 

[Pandora II]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I'm also not a fan of concave faceting - they look spiky to me and I know what Chrono means by static. It's like all the movement is within the stone, I don't feel they throw off colour and sparkle the way a traditionally faceted stone can.

As it's such a love/hate thing I would definitely go with the traditional faceting.

I also think 6.5mm sounds like a great size - I have size 6 1/4 fingers and my e-ring stone (my avatar) is just under 1.5ct and measures 5.75 x 7.25mm which is big enough to give good coverage and effect, but not so big that it can be mistaken for a cocktail ring rather than an engagement ring - that said, I do live in the UK where anything over a 1ct diamond is seen as HUGE and anything over 2ct is seen as FAKE... .

 

[iLander]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I LOVE the concave!!

I think it just pushes the color to its maximum! I also think it's WAY more unique than a regular cut sapphire.

The thing about concave is that it's all apparent in one glance. Does that make sense? Where a standard facet will flash the color off and on, the concave just continuously pours out color and light. It's like strobing a light versus leaving it on full blast. Get it?

As far as the class ring thing, I think it's because the color and brightness are so magnificent that they look fake. But it's not. . . It's a stunning stone.

So at this point it's your personal preference.

Go to a jewelry store. I think you'll find standard sapphires dull and dark in comparison. And way more expensive for what you get.

 

[VapidLapid]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I abhor concave. they look cheap and gaudy. They're ok for a fling but you wouldn't want to marry one. You have the budget to gt something really fine.
http://www.kashmirblue.com/Sapphire/Certs/profileLG10351.html

 

[Arkteia]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

http://www.africagems.com/gemstone-ring-s-100andrew.html

It is Andrew Sarosi's ring.

http://www.africagems.com/pink-sapphire446pair.html

http://www.africagems.com/blue-sapphire314.html

http://www.africagems.com/blue-sapphire503.html

Marc's stones are not on the cheaper end but they are definitely top-class. This is something you might consider as well. He also has very good jewelers working for him. I bought only one stone for him, which was exactly as shown in picture.
Please pay attention to the fact that all better stones are unheated. Which is the way I would go, given different ways they can treat corundum these days.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I'm not really a fan of concave cutting on a sapphire, I just think it's a shame for a stone that has such sparkle already in a traditional facet cut. I prefer concave cuts on gems like citrines or aquamarines that sometimes need a little sparkle boost.

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I abhor concave. they look cheap and gaudy. They're ok for a fling but you wouldn't want to marry one. You have the budget to gt something really fine.
http://www.kashmirblue.com/Sapphire/Certs/profileLG10351.html

That is quite nice (although the cut/shape doesn't look right), and I'd love a Kashmir sapphire, but the size (7.21 x 6.56 x 5.02 mm) is too large for the ring I'm working on.

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

http://www.africagems.com/gemstone-ring-s-100andrew.html

It is Andrew Sarosi's ring.

http://www.africagems.com/pink-sapphire446pair.html

http://www.africagems.com/blue-sapphire314.html

http://www.africagems.com/blue-sapphire503.html

Marc's stones are not on the cheaper end but they are definitely top-class. This is something you might consider as well. He also has very good jewelers working for him. I bought only one stone for him, which was exactly as shown in picture.
Please pay attention to the fact that all better stones are unheated. Which is the way I would go, given different ways they can treat corundum these days.

Thanks these look like great sapphires, but are too big for what I'm looking for. I'm open to buying an unheated gem... color and a good cut are way more important to me than whether it's heat treated or not.

 

[AustenNut]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I really like the color and saturation of the sapphire, at least in your initial cell phone pics. It seems as though the stone will still maintain a lot of its color without blacking out in darker lighting conditions.

As far as the concave faceting goes, I think it depends on your girlfriend's tastes. I'd second the recommendation to see if you can take her to a local store that carries concave gems, that way she could express an opinion one way or the other. And I think that the safer bet would be the flat faceting.

That being said, I just got my first concave faceted stone today. It's an amethyst, and I like the concave faceting on it. It's fun to play with, and it's unusual. And if my e-ring stone had the perfect color and shape and happened to be concave faceted, I don't think I'd have an issue with it. But then again, my tastes tend toward the classic but not traditional (meaning I like a rather timeless look but I don't want to have what everyone else has).

Thanks for the update and looking forward to more details as they come along!

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

Here are some photos of the gem Richard Homer sent me, in sunlight (filtered through a car window) and indirect sunlight (shaded in a car):



I debated whether to post this; this color isn't really accurate at all:


Then I went to a jewelry shop in the mall, and got a larger, but still nice sapphire of theirs to compare with. I'm trying to get a sense here of whether I like the traditional flat-faceted look better or the concave cut. My concave cut gem is on the right:

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

No offense to your local jewelery store, but comparing a precision concave cut to a "mall" cut sapphire may not be doing precision traditional faceting any justice...

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

personally i love the color and saturation...it is gorgeous! specs?

It's a 1.17 ct Richard Homer round sapphire with his Concave Brilliant cut, and measures 6.4 x 6.4 x 4 mm.

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

No offense to your local jewelery store, but comparing a precision concave cut to a "mall" cut sapphire may not be doing precision traditional faceting any justice...

That's true, but I wanted some way to see a concave cut and a precision cut side-by-side in person. Because when I first looked at the concave cut sapphire, all I thought was "ok, that looks like a normal sapphire... what else are they supposed to look like?" Now I feel like I get the difference, although I think it's kind of subtle (to the untrained eye, like myself).

I'm sure these sentiments have already been mentioned in this thread, but now I'm starting to understand what they mean... The precision cut gem seems to reflect more light that's visible when I'm farther away (1-2 ft). The concave cut looks very nice, but I have to get close enough to peer inside the gem (6 inches away) to really see and appreciate the sparkles coming from the concave faceting. In this regard I can see how the concave cut might seem more "static" or less sparkly from a little further away. The only time that I thought the concave cut really held its own was when I put it on a platinum setting with diamond solitaires on either side of it (as seen in the above photos), and I got up close to it. That's when I thought "oooh, that looks like an engagement ring". The platinum and diamonds adorning it really help... just looking at the loose stone doesn't do much for me. But then again, maybe I'd feel the same way looking at a Jeff White loose stone.

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

Thank you for coming back to update your search for the right stone. Be patient and take your time with viewing the stone tomorrow as well. In general, the colour usually perks up under diffused natural lighting and looks its worst indoors. From what I can tell, the stone appears very beautiful and saturated. A little dark but it could be your lighting condition and poor telephone camera. Other than the violet tint not showing, how accurate is the colour compared to the real thing?

The color is pretty accurate, but a little dark in the photos above. The very slight violet tint (that I might even be imagining) only appeared when I was in my kitchen taking photos on the counter under the phosphorescent lights. I just wish it was more "sparkly" from farther away, and looking at Richard's photos of the 2 gems, I think maybe I should have gone with the 1.42 ct sapphire. At least in that regard, anyway.

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

OK, I went to a different local jewelry store that I like lot better (NOT in a mall), and took some more photos. They had really good lighting, and I was able to put the concave sapphire in a setting so I could get a better sense of what it would look like when finished. (Since I'm not used to looking at loose gems in person, it's easier for me to appreciate the gem in a setting.)



What do you think?

I need to decide tonight (or maybe tomorrow morning, not exactly sure) whether I'm going to return it or not. If I decide to return it, I'll most likely go with this Jeff White sapphire, which after he cuts it will end up being somewhere from 6.0 to 6.75 mm:



With the hope that it would end up looking something like this:

 

[chrono]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I think Richard's stone is very beautiful in both colour and cutting. However, I am also biased towards the traditional flat faceting for the reason that you stated; I feel as though flat faceting gives me more flash when seen at a distance and up close. Have you had the opportunity to compare RH's stone to an equally fine flat faceted sapphire to see which style you prefer?

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

Honestly, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone on PS not loving their Jeff White sapphire, so it's probably a safe bet your fiance-to-be will love it too!

Do come back with photos if you decide to go with Jeff White!

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I think Richard's stone is very beautiful in both colour and cutting. However, I am also biased towards the traditional flat faceting for the reason that you stated; I feel as though flat faceting gives me more flash when seen at a distance and up close. Have you had the opportunity to compare RH's stone to an equally fine flat faceted sapphire to see which style you prefer?

Well, finding an "equally fine flat faceted sapphire" locally is pretty tricky. I haven't visited a ton of local jewelers, but nothing has caught my eye so far. The jeweler that I took the above photos at said he could get me a great precision cut sapphire in the same size and color as my concave cut, for 1/3 or 1/4 of the cost, in the next day or two. So, we'll see if that actually happens or not; I'm doubtful but willing to give him a chance.

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I decided to return Richard's concave sapphire. I liked it, but it didn't blow me away, so I'm going to keep looking.

Next up: Jeff White! I've gotta decide whether I want him to send me the native cut gem first so I can take a look at it, or if he should just cut it. If he cuts it and I don't like it, I lose 15% of the cost, so maybe it makes sense to look at it first, cause then if I don't like it I'm only out the cost of shipping? Although even if I wasn't crazy about the native cut, maybe I'd still give him the chance to cut it for me so I could see what it looks like.

Decisions, decisions. But at least I'm making progress...

 

[chrono]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

I’d suggest taking a lot at the native cut stone; all you’ve got to lose at this point is the shipping cost. The base colour isn’t going to be hugely different from after the recut. After a recut, there will be added brilliance and flash and of course, perfect symmetry.

 

[iLander]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

One last question, for now: I'm feeling at a bit of a loss, because I haven't had the chance to look at many sapphires in person yet. I've been to half a dozen jewelry stores, but none of them had more than a few different sapphires in stock. Is there a good place in the washington, dc area where I can go to see a bunch of sapphires (like NSC in NYC)? Are gem shows a good bet?

Thanks!

Have you been to see the gems at the Smithsonian already?

I like to see museum versions of stuff because it "trains" your eye to see what is the top quality of a particular item.

 

[arjunajane]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

hi steve, I must admit I'm happy to read of your decision -I think VL touched on my sentiments; concave may be fun or interesting for a unique project down the track, but I feel traditional faceting does more justice for the concept and ideals of an engagement ring imo. As a JW sapphire owner I can say I'm near positive you will love the results, I've only ever seen Jeff do awesome work, with blue sapphs especially. As to whether you should have the native cut sent to you first, I would actually be inclined to say no tbh-I've worked with Jeff twice now and his photos are extremely true to real life, as are his descriptions of colour and performance . He has proved very good at getting 'just the right shade of blue' that folks ask for. I would be concerned that the unattractive native cut and its related not so great performance may impact your impressions, make you worry or second guess, yanno? However if its important to you and you dont mind the time and shipping..just try to remember when viewing it that it will look like a whole different gem when Jeff is finished The only thing you should be judging before the recut is the colour, however keep in mind this also has potential to change as zoning, extinction etc are altered (improved) with the precision cut.
Whatever you decide, you are in great hands and your girl will end up with one of the prettiest sapphires around

 

[chrono]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

With a recut, there is always the potential for a gem to lose saturation, show more colour zoning, and etc (it can either be improved or worsened). However, if the lapidary is the one selecting the rough (which Jeff is), and also because Jeff is skilled at “reading” it, he will be able to make it look much better than it currently appears.

 

[arjunajane]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

With a recut, there is always the potential for a gem to lose saturation, show more colour zoning, and etc (it can go either be improved or worsened). However, if the lapidary is the one selecting the rough (which Jeff is), and also because Jeff is skilled at “reading” it, he will be able to make it look much better than it currently appears.

hey C, cheers for pointing that out, of course you're correct. I should have been more specific in my post about recuts in general, but as you say the risk of anything worsening in Jeff's hands is slim (to none), which is the premise I was commenting from.

 

[chrono]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

AJJ,
I understand exactly what you meant; I just don’t want any lurkers to think that recutting is a simple/straightforward process that will always produce a better end result. I did have the experience of Jeff recutting a pair of native cut blue spinels which didn’t turn out as expected (he sourced the stones) but he was extremely gracious about the whole affair and settled it to both our satisfaction. His recut of my native cut pink spinel, however, was nothing short of perfection. Everything turned out great and as expected.

 

[skingsland]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

OK, I'm currently having Jeff White cut a round flat-faceted sapphire for me. He's predicting it will be anywhere from 6.0 - 6.75mm in diameter. The question I'd like to get your opinion on is, which of these cuts do you prefer?

Please ignore the size and color; just focus on the cut. I'll give his descriptions verbatim.

"The first is the classic round brilliant design, which can be seen here:"



"The second proposal has the same crown facet configuration as the round brilliant, but it has additional facets on the pavilion, for a somewhat more complex look:"



"Some people prefer the simplicity of the classic brilliant, while others want something a bit different. Both of these should be possible within the size range you're after. I thought rather than sending the "blueprints," I'd send actual photos of sapphires cut in these designs, as it should give you a better idea of what to expect. However, I would still be happy to send the designs your way as well if you'd like."

 

[arjunajane]

Re: Help wanted: finding a Sapphire e-ring so I can propose

Hi Steve - both designs are lovely, but I'm not sure whether we can tell you anything but personal tastes here, as that is what it will come down to.
Do you have a preference between the two?

The other thing I would suggest is asking Jeff to cut which one he thinks will bring out the best in the material / give the nicest end result (if you really can't choose).