I just bought a 5.5 ct unheated sapphire. What do I need to look for/ be aware of when I get it?

[Big Fat Facets]

i absolutely love love love your new ring! the sapphire is a captivating and electric hue. the setting is classic and stylish gypsy. accompanied by a report indicating that it is unheated ceylon material.

i feel it is a good price for a beautiful piece.

im hoping you will love the ring as is. because in all honesty, it looks spectacular on you! it looks like a chic classic stylish sapphire ring that was a family heirloom ... it looks fabulous as a stand alone ring or on the same hand as your moi et toi ...

 

[icy_jade]

Beautiful stone. It might look lighter away from the bezel setting. Will you be setting her in an antique inspired setting?

 

[winnietucker]

Beautiful stone. It might look lighter away from the bezel setting. Will you be setting her in an antique inspired setting?

I flip flopping again. My top two ideas right now are these:

 

[winnietucker]

What is up with me and photo attachments today?

 

[Rfisher]

Can you show us a profile pic with the ring on your finger?
how close is the culet to your finger skin in the setting as it is now?
and how many mm does it sit above your finger as it is now?
just curious.
thx!

 

[winnietucker]

Can you show us a profile pic with the ring on your finger?
how close is the culet to your finger skin in the setting as it is now?
and how many mm does it sit above your finger as it is now?
just curious.
thx!

It’s about 8.24 mm per my not so good calipers. The cutlet is pretty close but I have no clue how to measure.

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

I think you got a huge deal on a lovely sapphire. I love that color! And you can feel better about it now that you've gotten all these opinions and caveats. The setting is your choice but I hope you give it a chance. It's smooth and bold, and I think the generous expanse of yellow gold really complements the stone.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

I'm gonna go against the grain with you and say I would reset the stone too. I think the bezel doesn't do it any favors with the light, and the massive gold setting isn't everyone's cup of tea. Just like the halo you circled. But I happen to love it and would do exactly that if it were mine. I then would think of a "royal" name to call her! I call my avatar ring "Dutchess" because of Di's/Kate's and Eugenie's rings.

 

[icy_jade]

What is up with me and photo attachments today?

I’ll totally reset the stone just cos I’m not into the chunky setting. If you are still flip flopping on the setting then sit on it for a while until you come across a setting that makes your heart sing. It could be one of these two or just another setting that you haven’t seen yet. Whichever way you go, pls keep us posted!

 

[CircularBrilliant]

What a great find! If you're not sure about what you'd like to do for the reset, maybe your jeweler could shave the existing one down to make it more sleek. You might be happier wearing it while you figure out what you'd like to do. I remember another member doing that to a belcher setting, and I really liked how it looked after she had it done--there's a loupetroop listing that it includes links to the original PS posts so you can see the before/after (https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...d-2-dot-82ct-oec-in-rose-gold-8-prong-setting)).

 

[Arcadian]

Wow @winnietucker Its gorgeous! its got its faces for sure, and, looks very close to the vendor images. (in general they're not always dead on considering different cameras, different lighting situations, etc)

your happiness is what really counts.

Any reset is going to be a challenge and a chance, especially removing from a setting like that.

 

[autumngems]

Beautiful, can't wait to see finished product

 

[elizat]

I think it's a really pretty stone.

I think it does suit a gypsy style setting, but that one I think is rather bulky.

I would want it slimmed out a great deal if I were to keep it as is, assuming I'm you. I don't know if that's possible.

 

[winnietucker]

What a great find! If you're not sure about what you'd like to do for the reset, maybe your jeweler could shave the existing one down to make it more sleek. You might be happier wearing it while you figure out what you'd like to do. I remember another member doing that to a belcher setting, and I really liked how it looked after she had it done--there's a loupetroop listing that it includes links to the original PS posts so you can see the before/after (https://loupetroop.com/listings/rin...d-2-dot-82ct-oec-in-rose-gold-8-prong-setting)).

This is interesting! I’ll have to read through that thread after work, thank you!

 

[winnietucker]

Thank you all for the help, advice, and kind words. The style is really not my thing. I’m assuming if i recut it’d be best to send back to GIA? I was looking at their website and I’m not sure if it qualifies for the 50% off the original cost since to re-do. Does anyone know? If so I’ll get this going a bit faster.

 

[dk168]

No prize in guessing that I love the halo setting!

Off topic: the ring to the left of that halo ring, is it me or is the pink stone as a massive window in it?

DK

 

[Rfisher]

What’s your recutting goal?
the girdle outline or reducing the belly?
TBH I have an irrational dread of this getting a brilliant pavilion.

 

[winnietucker]

What’s your recutting goal?
the girdle outline or reducing the belly?
TBH I have an irrational dread of this getting a brilliant pavilion.

Generally just make it a nicer stone - if that is possible. I figured the cutter could see it in person and evaluate it. If it’ll be detrimental, I’ll take it back without a recut.

What does the last part mean?

 

[Rfisher]

Generally just make it a nicer stone - if that is possible. I figured the cutter could see it in person and evaluate it. If it’ll be detrimental, I’ll take it back without a recut.

What does the last part mean?

Just my unasked for opinion, speaking out of my pie hole.
looking at threads here over the years (or lapidary sites showing before and after photos) in favor of a brilliant cut in which cut performance is prioritized over color perception.
My uneducated wondering of instead of precision cut/brilliance being the cutters main goal - if something ‘less’ than precision brilliant but tweaked native cut and best of both worlds - color and brilliance) could have been achieved with a mixed cut - somewhere in between.
just my ramblings.
no experience.

 

[prs]

IIRC the stone was removed from the setting before it was sent to GIA. If so, it shouldn't be too difficult for your jeweler to remove it once again without damage to stone or setting.

I think viewing the stone out of that heavy, bezel setting might inform you how it would look in a setting that allowed more light into the pavilion. Also if a recut was even necessary.

You could always choose to put it back into the original setting, or into a streamlined original setting.

 

[2Neesers]

Unless there is something specific you see with your eyes that you really don’t like, I would be hesitant to have such an expensive stone recut myself. Things can happen during a recut..are you able to insure the stone during the recutting process? I have had several stones recut, but they were all under $300, so there wasn’t much of a gamble there. In order to reposition the culet to the center of the stone, I would think a good amount of the depth would need to be cut away on one side of the pavilion. A couple of the stones I had recut didn’t have a lot of depth to work with, and while the recut eliminated the windows, which was the goal, the stones ended up look somewhat like a concave cut, but less splintery, if that makes sense. Did you ever hear from Jerry on his thoughts about recutting the stone?

 

[winnietucker]

Just my unasked for opinion, speaking out of my pie hole.
looking at threads here over the years (or lapidary sites showing before and after photos) in favor of a brilliant cut in which cut performance is prioritized over color perception.
My uneducated wondering of instead of precision cut/brilliance being the cutters main goal - if something ‘less’ than precision brilliant but tweaked native cut and best of both worlds - color and brilliance) could have been achieved with a mixed cut - somewhere in between.
just my ramblings.
no experience.

I did say I wanted the color to be unaffected and I wasn’t willing to lose a lot of weight so that’s my goal and the cutter is aware.

IIRC the stone was removed from the setting before it was sent to GIA. If so, it shouldn't be too difficult for your jeweler to remove it once again without damage to stone or setting.

I think viewing the stone out of that heavy, bezel setting might inform you how it would look in a setting that allowed more light into the pavilion. Also if a recut was even necessary.

You could always choose to put it back into the original setting, or into a streamlined original setting.

I’m thinking Sako or DK could do it. And yes - I was thinking seeing it unset could help. But I’m worried about it being uninsured while it’s loose. JM told me it can be loose with the jeweler but I’m aware it can’t be loose with me, just sitting and waiting.

Unless there is something specific you see with your eyes that you really don’t like, I would be hesitant to have such an expensive stone recut myself. Things can happen during a recut..are you able to insure the stone during the recutting process? I have had several stones recut, but they were all under $300, so there wasn’t much of a gamble there. In order to reposition the culet to the center of the stone, I would think a good amount of the depth would need to be cut away on one side of the pavilion. A couple of the stones I had recut didn’t have a lot of depth to work with, and while the recut eliminated the windows, which was the goal, the stones ended up look somewhat like a concave cut, but less splintery, if that makes sense. Did you ever hear from Jerry on his thoughts about recutting the stone?

He didn’t really give an opinion. I figured he just needed to see it in person to know.

It’s on my JM policy and I made it very clear to them what my intentions are and they said it was covered.

 

[2Neesers]

I’m thinking Sako or DK could do it. And yes - I was thinking seeing it unset could help. But I’m worried about it being uninsured while it’s loose. JM told me it can be loose with the jeweler but I’m aware it can’t be loose with me, just sitting and waiting.

If you’re sending the ring to Sako to remove the sapphire from the setting, his dad does recutting and polishing and might be able to evaluate the stone for recutting for you. I’ve never worked with him myself, but it looks like he’s been in the business for a very long time. Sako mentions him on Instagram, he’s thegemdoctor on IG. I’m glad to hear insurance will cover the stone during recutting!

 

[winnietucker]

If you’re sending the ring to Sako to remove the sapphire from the setting, his dad does recutting and polishing and might be able to evaluate the stone for recutting for you. I’ve never worked with him myself, but it looks like he’s been in the business for a very long time. Sako mentions him on Instagram, he’s thegemdoctor on IG. I’m glad to hear insurance will cover the stone during recutting!

Oh shoot I totally forgot about that! Thanks for the tip! I’m going to go find his dad on IG.

 

[CSpan]

Oh shoot I totally forgot about that! Thanks for the tip! I’m going to go find his dad on IG.

He works miracles on older stones. Has been in the industry forever. He custom cuts all the stones for their settings.

 

[winnietucker]

He works miracles on older stones. Has been in the industry forever. He custom cuts all the stones for their settings.

Good to know. I’m going to wait to see if anyone even wants the setting because if not, keeping it intact for probably extra $ wouldn’t make sense. I have a current project with DK and realized I could see if he’d unset and allow me to trade in the metal to go toward that and I can finish that one first.

 

[ForteKitty]

Thank you all for the help, advice, and kind words. The style is really not my thing. I’m assuming if i recut it’d be best to send back to GIA? I was looking at their website and I’m not sure if it qualifies for the 50% off the original cost since to re-do. Does anyone know? If so I’ll get this going a bit faster.

GIA considers it a brand new report once you recut it.

 

[winnietucker]

GIA considers it a brand new report once you recut it.

Makes sense. Thanks for letting me know. I can let her sit for a bit then

 

[partgypsy]

I normally like bezel settings but I agree with Elizat that it feels too bulky (at least to me) and a slimmer setting will showcase the stone better. Perhaps the stone is extra deep and that is why is is set like that? Yes if you can have David Klass design a setting for it, best of both worlds.

 

[prs]

It’s about 8.24 mm per my not so good calipers. The cutlet is pretty close but I have no clue how to measure.

No need to measure the culet. Your GIA states the sapphire is 7.67 deep, so at 8.24 your setting is just about the right height.

That is extra deep for a 9.47x8.58 stone. Either the cutter was aiming for maximum weight, or more likely your sapphire needed the depth to turn it into the fabulous gem it is now!