Is this a good buy? Sapphire

[mcb00]

Hello,

I just bought this estate ring: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ESTATE-14KT-WHITE-GOLD-60CTW-SAPPHIRE-DIAMOND-SOLITAIRE-ACCENT-RING-2-8gr-/190732536886?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&nma=true&si=ZD030Zj7YBtppYImSwrLGIWCtDg%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

Seller tested it with gem tester. Bought it at estate sale in Delaware. It has a "W CO" hallmark on it.

Seller believes sapphire is genuine (natural). I know gem testers are not good. I don't want to pay 30% the price of the ring to get it tested by a gemologist.

Is there anything else I can do to tell if it is a natural sapphire?

If it is, how good of a quality it is? I can see inclusions/cloudiness. It is not the most intense blue either, but it has some clarity and is not dark.

All insights appreciated! Thanks!

 

[chrono]

What is your definition of a good buy? The setting alone will be more than the listed $100. I don't think the diamond accents are of decent quality. The sapphire could possibly be genuine by virtue of looking not very decent either. It is cloudy and rather grayish greenish blue. If you tried to replicate the ring yourself though, it is likely to cost you more than what the buyer is selling it for.

 

[mcb00]

You're right. The price is great considering the cost of the gold alone (if the weigh is accurate) would be around $86. It is a pre-owned ring so the setting shouldn't cost the same as a new ring (beyond the melt gold value).

What would be the cost of that sapphire? Is it gem quality?

I guess by a "good buy" I mean a good quality piece of jewelry that looks classy and beautiful. What would this ring cost new at a jewelry store?

Thanks!!

 

[chrono]

What do you mean by gem quality? To me, the sapphire looks like commercial quality (mall type). To assign a cost figure, it would be helpful to know the treatment and exact colouration. It is unlikely to be worth much though, no matter the treatment. If the colour appeals to you, then by all means get it. A deal is not a deal if it's something you don't like.

 

[mcb00]

Thanks Chrono. The seller doesn't know about treatments or technical details about color.

When I receive it, I'll have a better chance to see if I like the color and how saturated it really is.

By gem quality, I mean the criteria people use to call a stone a gem. My understanding is that not every precious stone has the quality to render it a gem.

Commercial (mall) quality usually uses 10K gold or if it is higher than that, it tends to be a lot lighter in gold weight. At least that's what I observed.

With the limited information you have on real color, what is your estimation of the worth of this ring? I do not mean the worth for insurance, but rather the average retail price one could expect for a ring like this?

 

[chrono]

What is the carat weight and dimensions of the sapphire? The listing had it down as 0.6 ctw which doesn't make sense. Did he add the diamond melees together with the sapphire carat weight, hence that is the total carat weight?

 

[minousbijoux]

It says the weight is 2.8 grams - I've always wondered when they list weight like that, does one have to net out the weight of the stones to calculate the gold weight? That sapphire must be tiny if the total carat weight is .6, though the diamonds look teeny tiny by comparison. I really don't think that sapphire has much value considering its 1) well under one carat; and 2) cloudy, low saturation and not well cut.

The ring is likely worth at least what you paid - just enjoy it!

 

[mcb00]

From what I understood the carat weigh of the sapphire is 0.5 and the diamonds are about .10 total (10 at .01 carats each).

The sapphire is not as small as you'd expect for the carat weigh. Unless I misunderstood, it is about 8-9mm long (and about 4mm wide).

Minousbijoux, I don't know how to judge the quality of the cut, but the pic does not show the cut that well. How did you determine that?

 

[chrono]

A 1 ct oval sapphire might be around 6 x 4 mm, a 2 ct oval is around 8 x 6 mm and a 3 ct sapphire is around 10 x 8 mm, give or take. There is no way a 0.5 ct sapphire is going to measure 9 x 4 mm. Actually, in looking at the picture, it is unlikely to measure 9 x 4 mm because that would make it a super skinny oval. Something isn't measuring up correctly.

 

[distracts]

A 1 ct oval sapphire might be around 6 x 4 mm, a 2 ct oval is around 8 x 6 mm and a 3 ct sapphire is around 10 x 8 mm, give or take. There is no way a 0.5 ct sapphire is going to measure 9 x 4 mm. Actually, in looking at the picture, it is unlikely to measure 9 x 4 mm because that would make it a super skinny oval. Something isn't measuring up correctly.

The listing says the sapphire is 6x4.

 

[mcb00]

Distracts is right. I missed that part. It measures 6 x 4mm. I was going by her measure of the "top of the ring", which I thought was just the sapphire. It still seems big for the carat weight, doesn't it?

 

[chrono]

The sapphire is very cloudy (inclusions), cut is very average (shows tilt window in most pictures), has uneven colouration, and low saturation (has some gray and green modifier). The biggest con of this sapphire is that it is translucent, rather than transparent. To get a stone like this cost in the tens of dollars if you look on eBay. You won't see the PS recommended vendors sell stones of this quality.

A 1 ct round measures 6 mm all around so a 1 ct oval is likely to be a bit more than 6 x 4 mm, probably closer to 7 x 5 mm. I'm not into ovals so my guesstimates could be off.

ETA
Went to other websites to check oval sapphire measurements.
0.5 ct 6 x 4 mm so this is spot on
1 ct 7 x 5 mm
2 ct 8 x 6 mm

 

[mcb00]

I see. Thanks! Where do I find the recommended stores? In the resources link?

 

[chrono]

Correct, there is a recommended vendor sticky thread on the main CS page.

 

[minousbijoux]

Sorry, Mcb, just now seeing your question about the cut. From what I see, the cut is, rudimentary, nothing notable about it. In - I think - the fourth picture, it appears that something is off, either the girdle is wonky or the faceting is off (I don't think its a reflection), and it has a tilt window which would be more evident if it was of good clarity.

Take a look at some of the stones around here, particularly the precision cut stones, and you'll get a feel for a well cut stone. Hope that helps.

 

[mcb00]

Thanks Chrono and Bijoux for all the great information! Greatly appreciated!