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

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

I was so hoping this would be a beautiful stone without any major issues for you. And it is lovely! You did so well on your search and IMHO got a great deal. I can't wait to see this beauty after you re-set it.

 

[elizat]

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.

Yes, same. I think it would remove the charm from the stone. It is unique and different now. I like it as is. But it's not my stone.

 

[elizat]

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!

He has touched up my stuff and cut me stones. His dad is very talented, as is Sako.

 

[winnietucker]

So I actually decided to have DK unset and she was just delivered... it’s a good thing that decided I needed to bulk buy cheap gem jars a bit back. Adding a photo in case anyone was curious to see.

 

[Acinom]

What a beauty!!!! Looking forward to see it on your finger when you had it reset

 

[Crazie4Cuts]

Oh my goodness! Wow! what do you think? Are you ecstatic? is it what you think? Can you safely take it out of the gem jar, loupe it and take more pictures of this lovely for us to view?

-C4C

 

[Rfisher]

Oh my goodness! Wow! what do you think? Are you ecstatic? is it what you think? Can you safely take it out of the gem jar, loupe it and take more pictures of this lovely for us to view?

-C4C

Yes this- Exactly!
Lol!

Looks very pretty!

 

[winnietucker]

Oh my goodness! Wow! what do you think? Are you ecstatic? is it what you think? Can you safely take it out of the gem jar, loupe it and take more pictures of this lovely for us to view?

-C4C

Of course I can. You really are my kinda people... I feel the same way about stuff other people post lol.

I have a mandatory work break coming up soonish and will do it then. Trying to wrap too many files up. Working 4 10s is nice but is killing me right now.

 

[winnietucker]

Most just natural light, Christmas tree light, and grow light.

I’m probably shipping her off today to Jerry Newman since my boss is letting us all leave early. I had contacted Jerry shortly after I bought her. He’s a very prompt person, I love that. Hoping he can make this a better, less deep sapphire and then I can send back to GIA and maybe by this summer? Unless my husband lets me re-do all the floors in the house, then much later.

 

[winnietucker]

Everyone - how on earth would I send back to GIA for grading again? I wanted to be helpful and get everything ready for Jerry so everything is more or less ready to go and there’s very little he has to do. I was going to mail whatever documents over with the sapphire. I know he does want the address at a minimum. Would I just send a label for this one?
GIA World Headquarters
The Robert Mouawad Campus
5345 Armada Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92008

 

[deorwine]

Just be aware that recutting to make it less deep can also make the stone less intense in color. (This happened to me once.) If that's a risk you're willing to take them great!

 

[winnietucker]

Just be aware that recutting to make it less deep can also make the stone less intense in color. (This happened to me once.) If that's a risk you're willing to take them great!

We won’t recut if it affects the color. Confirmed we’d review first. I’ll just leave her asymmetrical and deep if color will be affected.

My plan if no recut is to bezel set in a cluster setting with larger diamonds angled down. I’m hoping that hides the wonky shape and makes it look like it’s high set because of the diamonds and not because the sapphire is deep.

Someone please tell me if this idea is terrible though lol.

 

[ForteKitty]

You have to register and enter all the info on GIA before you send it with the printouts. Please don't just drop it in the mail.

 

[winnietucker]

You have to register and enter all the info on GIA before you send it with the printouts. Please don't just drop it in the mail.

Ok I’m going to just let Jerry handle this. I wanted to be useful.

 

[Acinom]

I would not change what is already beautiful. I would not have it recut

 

[winnietucker]

I know no recut was a popular answer but I did it anyway. Initially thought we could stay in the 4 ct range per Jerry’s estimate but she’s at 3.95 ct with dimensions of 9.4 x 8.5 x 6.1 mm.

Going to get it in hand and ask the jeweler to send to GIA to confirm I like it first.

 

[winnietucker]

Btw these are photos from Jerry.

 

[Acinom]

Your stone is a beauty!

 

[Pinkmartini87]

@winnietucker Thanks for updating us! It’s quite perfectly symmetric now and lovely (although I also did love its previously wonky chunkiness and the asymmetric but magic tiny and numerous scintillations it gave off!)

Just curious, I’m seeing less violet and more blue now. Have you had a chance to see it in person? If so, do you feel like color is different? I also feel like at least via your photos it seemed like the previous bezel setting make the color appear more intense—not sure if that may play any role in the future setting you are choosing for this lovely stone?

 

[winnietucker]

@winnietucker Thanks for updating us, lovely!

Just curious, I’m seeing less violet and more blue now. Have you had a chance to see it in person? If so, do you feel like color is different?

I have not. I just got the email today that it was done... which is kinda crazy how fast that was. Hoping to get it in hand soon.

 

[Rfisher]

That was fast!
it looks lovely!

If you are up to it - when you get it in hand-
Recreating your photos /same light/ same place and time of day
as from your post #129 would be most interesting and educational.

 

[winnietucker]

That was fast!
it looks lovely!

If you are up to it - when you get it in hand-
Recreating your photos /same light/ same place and time of day
as from your post #129 would be most interesting and educational.

I can definitely do that.

 

[Pinkmartini87]

I have not. I just got the email today that it was done... which is kinda crazy how fast that was. Hoping to get it in hand soon.

So exciting!!! Something to look forward to for the new year!

I think more people prefer no purple in their blue sapphires (I’m the exception), so the recut if it minimizes purple may be an added bonus! Also, I can barely see the inclusion now with the recut.

Can’t wait to see it!

 

[2Neesers]

It looks beautiful! Jerry did an amazing job! He’s in Southern California, so the color may look different when you see it in person if you live in a northern state. I can’t wait to see what you think and your pictures once you have the sapphire in hand.

 

[winnietucker]

Got here pretty fast. Here are some quick photos.

Jerry didn’t think the color would be affected and I’m inclined to agree but I think the inclusion is a little bit more noticeable close up after the recut.

 

[yssie]

@winnietucker Do you like it better now?

 

[winnietucker]

@winnietucker Do you like it better now?

The inclusion doesn’t bother me. It’s more noticeable but not terribly so. My husband has some work issues going on it doesn’t look like I’m setting it anymore (or at least for a long time). But IMO it looked best when it was set and surrounded by all that gold.

 

[yssie]

The inclusion doesn’t bother me. It’s more noticeable but not terribly so. My husband has some work issues going on it doesn’t look like I’m setting it anymore (or at least for a long time). But IMO it looked best when it was set and surrounded by all that gold.

Really just curious to hear if you like it better overall, post-recut? Are there specific things that you like better now, or specific things that you preferred before?

 

[winnietucker]

Really just curious to hear if you like it better overall, post-recut? Are there specific things that you like better now, or specific things that you preferred before?

Oh this is honestly asking for a level of detail that I don’t notice on the regular, so this answer might suck.

I like that it’s less deep. I didn’t want to set a deep stone because I don’t like high set rings. I like the way Jerry cut it but I can’t pinpoint why because it more or less looks the same and I can’t comment on how cutting styles affect anything cause I don’t know anything about that. I like that it’s no longer an egg shape with weird flea bites.

It bugs me that we lost so much weight. The initial estimate was we’d lose 10-15%. But we lost more than that and even though it faces up the same, it’s the only thing I don’t like about the recut. I know that part is totally a mental issue because again, same face up, but I wanted to be able to say I had a 4.5+ ct sapphire and now I can’t. It’s super stupid, I know.

 

[winnietucker]

Really just curious to hear if you like it better overall, post-recut? Are there specific things that you like better now, or specific things that you preferred before?

On second thought maybe my issue isn’t so much that I’m not detail oriented (which is still true - I’m not detail oriented) but more so that I can’t figure out how to explain it.

Like the cutting is clearly different when you really look at it closely but I couldn’t tell you why I like it. And it’s still so small that at normal viewing distance I don’t think it makes a big difference. Maybe a more eloquent person could figure this out for me.