Help with Blue Sapphire for Engagement Ring

[indigoblue]

After looking again, i reach out to Gary at Finewater about the 3.48 ct Ceylon Sapphire and would like to know your thoughts on it? It will be a little above budget but it is also the one i liked from the very beginning. Thoughts?

http://www.finewatergems.com/sapphire.html

I think it's absolutely gorgeous, and you will not go wrong working with Gary. He cut a couple of amethysts for me a year ago, and they were fantastic. He's a great guy.

 

[LoversKites]

After looking again, i reach out to Gary at Finewater about the 3.48 ct Ceylon Sapphire and would like to know your thoughts on it? It will be a little above budget but it is also the one i liked from the very beginning. Thoughts?

http://www.finewatergems.com/sapphire.html

It's lovely. I'd ask him for a handshot and how it performs in other lighting.

Actually you should also ask Roger about different lighting with his sapphires.

 

[LoversKites]

Just FYI. The finewater one weighs 3.48ct and measures 8.7 x 7.3 x 5.9mm. The oval Spectralgems one weighs 2.98ct and measures 9.5 x 7 x 5.5. So their face up size are not very different from each other despite their differing weights. You're paying quite a bit extra for the 0.5 ct that you can't see. As long as you understand this it's ok.

Gary (finewater) mentions a special price for serious buyers in the description so thats definitely in your favour!

 

[Gin]

Thanks for pointing that out, and I think I am ok with it. while I don't want to rule out an oval I really would prefer a cushion cut. Also Gary offered me what seems to be a very reasonable price, and even though it's a bit over budget its in the ballpark. He is going give me hand shots in day or two to get another look.

 

[LoversKites]

Thanks for pointing that out, and I think I am ok with it. while I don't want to rule out an oval I really would prefer a cushion cut. Also Gary offered me what seems to be a very reasonable price, and even though it's a bit over budget its in the ballpark. He is going give me hand shots in day or two to get another look.

I understand wanting the cushion shape. I'm glad Gary offered you a price that's in the ballpark. Please do share the handshots, I've liked that sapphire for a while

I still suggest you ask him about how it performs in various lighting at some point (even though I doubt that it's not a good performer).

 

[Starzin]

Oh well done LK!!!! (Posted again so we don't have to keep flipping back)

Thank you SK! I am finding my biggest problem is i am having trouble comparing price to quality so this is very helpful. I went ahead a reached out to Rodger about both, though i think the cushion will a bit out of my price range. But i really like that oval too! Also on Monday i am going to try my best to go down to Gemfix and take a look at that in person, and i will try and take some photos of it. Its really hard to sneak down to San Diego without my girlfriend knowing

I agree with the others that from the pics we have 3 and 4 have the best colour, saturation and cut. The Finewater (posted below) looks greyer, similar colour to the Mastercut on my Mac, though Gary does say no grey, so it would be great to see some handshots.

However if you're going to blow the budget, I think would personally choose the Africa Gems cushion over this (given the pictures we have) - the video shows fabulous colour and saturation. I realise this is very subjective and we don't have comparable shots of the Finewater. The only reservation I would have is that the AG may be a bit darker in hand without the floodlights required to video, there is nothing wrong with the cut and it's a sparkler in any direction.

I do hope you can get to Gemfix We will be very interested to hear your thoughts - and see more pics! - once you've viewed this one and any others Andrew might show you while you're there.

Starzin........Dana didn't cut the stone, but because he's a cutter he could assess it as he did in the correspondence with the OP--that may not have been clear.

Sorry digdeep, missed this - yes sort of realised he didn't cut it by reading his comments and yes, Dana's more than qualified to comment

 

[Gin]

Here are some hand shots of the Finewater sapphire. I think it looks beautiful but would love to hear your thoughts!

 

[LoversKites]

Thanks Starzin for bringing it all over to this page

The handshots look good and I think the black areas are reflections of the camera.

I still think you should ask how it performs in different light. I'd ask for photos in fluorescent light. I'm guessing the hand shots were taken in diffused sunlight where sapphires almost always look their best in. You want a stone that will at least look good in the lighting it will mostly be in (I'm assuming fluorescent - maybe incandescent).

I have a pink spinel which is well saturated and quite glowy in diffused sunlight. In fluorescent light it loses a bit of it's 'wow' factor. In incandescent light it looks like a different stone - brown and poorly saturated. The light source is crucial in gems.

 

[Niel]

I love it. I find his photos to be very accurate and his return policy easy if for some reason you needed it. I never did though lol.

At this point I'd get it home and see what you think with your own eye.

 

[chrono]

Ditto LK's advice; I don't know what light source she will be wearing it most under but that's the one you want to check out the sapphire under as you don't want it to look great under strong diffused sunlight then blah at home/office.

 

[SparkliesLuver]

I love it. At this point I'd get it home and see what you think with your own eye.

+1

 

[Starzin]

LK - no problem

Well Gary was right, no grey there and a beautiful blue - in fact it looks like a different stone! It probably needs to be seen in hand, but it's worth asking beforehand whether that's head/camera shadow or extinction. Another one with gorgeous colour though.

 

[Justin_Cutter]

The Africagems sapphire is being hit with a lot of light in that video. I would be leery of that stone until I saw some hand shots.

The Finewater sapphire looks very nice and the lighting in the photos looks like it would be pretty nice indoors as well. It will probably have good flash. I wish it was a touch more saturated but other than that I don't have any complaints.
~Justin

 

[Gin]

Well I ended up ordering the Finewater sapphire! I asked Gary about fluorescentlight and he said it still looks great and sent me a video. This was the one I was always eyeing I am very excited to see it in person. Thanks for everyone's help and advice I really appreciate it!

 

[SparkliesLuver]

Awesome! Can't wait for your photos.

 

[LoversKites]

Exciting! I hope its exactly what you want.

 

[Starzin]

Terrific! Can you link us to the video?

 

[Niel]

awesome!

I love gary and I always loved that sapphire!

 

[LoversKites]

Bump.
I'm dying to know if you got the sapphire yet.
And I just mentioned in a different thread that I thought was a patient person...

 

[Gin]

Sorry to leave you hanging LK, but yes i got it and i love it. Its currently at the jeweler and i didn't take any pics of my own but i will post a picture of the ring when its done. It should be next week.

 

[Acinom]

So glad that you love the stone and that it is already at the jeweller's. Please post a lot of pics when you receive the finished ring.

 

[LoversKites]

Sorry to leave you hanging LK, but yes i got it and i love it. Its currently at the jeweler and i didn't take any pics of my own but i will post a picture of the ring when its done. It should be next week.

Nothing to be sorry about. I'm glad to hear you love it! I will look forward to the ring.