Is this big enough? (New sapphire)

[Mjay]

Haha title is a joke! I definitely think it is big enough- perhaps a bit to large to be honest. Anyways, feel free to ignore my annoying story and skip to the pics!

I just received this almost 14 ct orange Ceylon sapphire today. It looked like more of a yellow orange in the videos and photos but it’s very orange in hand. In all honesty I got very little play time today but I will have a much better window of time to assess it tomorrow. I want to decide whether I’m keeping it or not asap so I can get it out to GIA. According to the vendor it is heat only no diffusion but I definitely want GIA confirmation that it isn’t diffused. I plan to set it in a halo of OEC diamonds. I was originally looking for around 5 cts when this caught my eye.

The positive:
-it’s massive!
-It knocked my socks off the second I opened it!
-I don’t feel that it needs to be recut. I was expecting to have to recut it but the cut looks fine in my eyes.
-The color makes me happy
- I love the glow (it is slightly silky)

The negative:
The only negative is that it does have eye visible inclusions. You can see the inclusions in my zoomed in pictures. I actually didn’t notice the inclusions until I was looking back at my photos. They are visible in my zoomed in photos but are difficult to spot irl. They are almost impossible to spot in indoor lighting and honestly you really have to be looking for them super close up when looking with your naked eye in any lighting I’ve observed so far. I knew that there was an inclusion in pavilion but I wasn’t expecting these few face up. The vendor said it was eye clean. I don’t disagree with them as it definitely is unless you have eagle eyes. They were not visible in the videos. No one would ever notice them irl unless they are actively looking for them but there are there. I have to decide if I can be ok with it or if I’d rather have a more flawless but smaller stone.

My thoughts right now are that I absolutely love the stone! The inclusions do bother me a slight bit because I wasn’t expecting them. I’m really having a lot of trouble researching prices right now because they seem to be all over the place. When I originally purchased I thought I got a great deal but after a night of overthinking I thought maybe if I search direct sources or even find something that needs to be re-cut on eBay maybe i can find a similar sized stone at a better deal. I honestly do feel an instant attachment to the stone and can’t imagine sending it back. I’m sure my decision will be solidified after I play with it tomorrow. Right now I’m 90 percent on keeping it.

 

[Niel]

What are they saying the treatment is? That color makes me concerned it’s diffused.
The biggest issue I have when I get stones over 10ct is that they are hard to wear every day. Which I get sounds ridiculous and maybe you intend this to be a cocktail - but is worth mentioning since you said you had first looked for smaller stones.

 

[Mjay]

What are they saying the treatment is? That color makes me concerned it it’s diffused.
The biggest issue I have when I get stones over 10ct is that they are hard to wear every day. Which I get sounds ridiculous and maybe you intend this to be a cocktail - but I worth mentioning since you said you had first looked for smaller stones.

They are claiming heat only. No diffusion. It’s going to GIA right away to confirm if I decide to keep it. I will lose my shit on them if it turns out to be diffused. That was my initial thought but after researching I saw quite a few GIA certified stones that are similar in color that are heat only. GIA does state diffusion right? I plan to wear it in rotation with my other rings. I don’t wear rings at home so i basically just play with them and then put them on for a short trip through school driveline, target and Starbucks. I’ve been having shrinkage issues with my other pieces so I went a bit extreme.

 

[Autumn in New England]

Oh my goodness, it's outrageously delectable!!!!!!!!!! I'd really have to restrain myself from wanting to eat it.

My thoughts... the size - truly awesome. The cut is perfectly fine - I wouldn't ever touch it. The inclusions, from what I'm seeing, are a total non-issue. Remember, the bigger the stone, the more you'll tend to notice inclusions. It's just the nature of the beast. So with this big of a stone and such minor blemishes, I wouldn't worry in the slightest.

As Niel mentioned, this color is the most common result of diffusion that I have seen. So it's really important you: A) trust this vendor; B) get it certified; and C) have a generous return policy. But if the color origin is natural, you have one hell of a stone there, my friend!!

 

[Mjay]

Oh my goodness, it's outrageously delectable!!!!!!!!!! I'd really have to restrain myself from wanting to eat it.

My thoughts... the size - truly awesome. The cut is perfectly fine - I wouldn't ever touch it. The inclusions, from what I'm seeing, are a total non-issue. Remember, the bigger the stone, the more you'll tend to notice inclusions. It's just the nature of the beast. So with this big of a stone and such minor blemishes, I wouldn't worry in the slightest.

As Niel mentioned, this color is the most common result of diffusion that I have seen. So it's really important you: A) trust this vendor; B) get it certified; and C) have a generous return policy. But if the color origin is natural, you have one hell of a stone there, my friend!!

Haha I totally get what you mean about wanting to eat it! So since you know the vendor, what are your thoughts? It was listed as heat only. My first thought was diffusion so I contacted them to confirm that it was heat only and specifically asked about diffusion. They told me that it is indeed heat only and not diffused. They said that they are legally required to disclose any and all treatments. My thoughts are that they obviously believe there is no diffusion but I still fear that it could have not been disclosed by their supplier. I don’t know enough about it to know if it’s something that their buyers would be able to notice. They do have other sapphires listed that are disclosed as diffused. 30 day return policy so it’s off to GIA on Tuesday if I keep it (probably will).

 

[Autumn in New England]

Haha I totally get what you mean about wanting to eat it! So since you know the vendor, what are your thoughts? It was listed as heat only. My first thought was diffusion so I contacted them to confirm that it was heat only and specifically asked about diffusion. They told me that it is indeed heat only and not diffused. They said that they are legally required to disclose any and all treatments. My thoughts are that they obviously believe there is no diffusion but I still fear that it could have not been disclosed by their supplier. I don’t know enough about it to know if it’s something that their buyers would be able to notice. They do have other sapphires listed that are disclosed as diffused. 30 day return policy so it’s off to GIA on Tuesday if I keep it (probably will).

Oh man, I'm so dense sometimes... is this the JTV stone?

 

[Mjay]

Oh man, I'm so dense sometimes... is this the JTV stone?

Yep!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Yep!

Ahhhhh gotcha! Was the stone listed on their site or did you acquire it through the concierge service?

 

[Autumn in New England]

So, yes, everybody can make mistakes, and, yes, JTV did have that andesine issue years ago. But I actually think that was a good thing, because now they are more cautious than anyone about accurately representing treatments. And they were the first to do so! Most vendors weren't even disclosing treatments up-front back then. Anyway, I digress. If JTV says the stone is heat only, then I am confident it is true. I'd be blown away if a report comes back to the contrary. I have purchased several stones from them and had them all certified. I've never had a problem. So I'm going to assume this color is not enhanced through Be... and in that case, wow, just wow!! Big congrats!!

 

[pokerface]

I'm confused as to why any seller, even JTV, would sell such a large stone absent proper certification. @Mjay, I know you'll get the cert, but you might be in the minority of JTV customers, even for those who can afford top-of-the-line stones like this one. JTV is not a small vendor that cannot afford a cert. I can't wrap my head around if they are indeed confident about the level of treatment, why they wouldn't get the cert and raise the price accordingly. Anyway! Fingers crossed that all is as promised and that you got a whopper of a sapphire at a great price!

 

[Mrsz1ppy]

Wow. Just wow. I love it. Fingers crossed GIA blesses it too.

 

[seaurchin]

Gorgeous! Maybe you can get one of those settings that is a ring and a pendant!

 

[Avondale]

Wowza!

So you basically upped the size three times! Be grateful it only knocked your socks off and didn't jump out the box and hit you on the head! I would've fallen unconscious.

 

[Autumn in New England]

@pokerface Yeah, they rarely offer certified stones, even with the higher-end collector pieces. It's a real pain. I suppose they trust their senior buyers and in-house G.G.s to preliminarily test them, and then leave it to the customer to send them to a lab for confirmation during the return period. They're the largest gemstone retailer in the world, and with that comes a certain amount of good will to their name. They know customers rely on that, so there's no room for error. If it weren't JTV, I'd be really concerned about diffusion here, because the price seems too good to be true. A lab cert is a must, regardless of the vendor, but I have faith that Mjay is going to get a good report! Fingers crossed!!

 

[pokerface]

I thought the main reason for getting stones certified at a reputable lab is that in-house GGs do not have the technical capacity to test for things like diffusion. Otherwise, why aren't we all getting our sapphires checked by JTV? Haha.

@pokerface Yeah, they rarely offer certified stones, even with the higher-end collector pieces. It's a real pain. I suppose they trust their senior buyers and in-house G.G.s to preliminarily test them, and then leave it to the customer to send them to a lab for confirmation during the return period. They're the largest gemstone retailer in the world, and with that comes a certain amount of good will to their name. They know customers rely on that, so there's no room for error. If it weren't JTV, I'd be really concerned about diffusion here, because the price seems too good to be true. A lab cert is a must, regardless of the vendor, but I have faith that Mjay is going to get a good report! Fingers crossed!!

 

[icy_jade]

That is amazing! Just not big enough.

 

[Mjay]

So, yes, everybody can make mistakes, and, yes, JTV did have that andesine issue years ago. But I actually think that was a good thing, because now they are more cautious than anyone about accurately representing treatments. And they were the first to do so! Most vendors weren't even disclosing treatments up-front back then. Anyway, I digress. If JTV says the stone is heat only, then I am confident it is true. I'd be blown away if a report comes back to the contrary. I have purchased several stones from them and had them all certified. I've never had a problem. So I'm going to assume this color is not enhanced through Be... and in that case, wow, just wow!! Big congrats!!

Thank you! I am confident that they are confident in their assessment that it is heat only. It’s from their collectors collection. The price made me a bit skeptical so I was very particular with my questions. Apparently it was from a large close out buy. I read up on testing for diffusion and it can be done with an immersion test. One would think that if their buyers/gemologists suspected BE they would do their due diligence to test so that it can be accurately listed. I love the stone but would rather have a smaller stone than a BE diffused stone.

 

[Mjay]

I'm confused as to why any seller, even JTV, would sell such a large stone absent proper certification. @Mjay, I know you'll get the cert, but you might be in the minority of JTV customers, even for those who can afford top-of-the-line stones like this one. JTV is not a small vendor that cannot afford a cert. I can't wrap my head around if they are indeed confident about the level of treatment, why they wouldn't get the cert and raise the price accordingly. Anyway! Fingers crossed that all is as promised and that you got a whopper of a sapphire at a great price!

Totally get what you’re saying. They have an almost 30 ct supposedly no heat yellow sapphire listed for 90k. No cert! It’s craziness.

 

[Mjay]

Down the rabbit hole now!

 

[Mjay]

I thought the main reason for getting stones certified at a reputable lab is that in-house GGs do not have the technical capacity to test for things like diffusion. Otherwise, why aren't we all getting our sapphires checked by JTV? Haha.

I did quite a bit of research on diffusion before purchasing this stone and a good gemologist can indeed test for it.

 

[Autumn in New England]

I thought the main reason for getting stones certified at a reputable lab is that in-house GGs do not have the technical capacity to test for things like diffusion. Otherwise, why aren't we all getting our sapphires checked by JTV? Haha.

I know, right?! lol Actually though, the most effective way to test for diffusion is the immersion method, which I imagine is fairly straightforward for their staff of G.G.s. I guess they must feel quite comfortable with their findings. That's why we "trust, but verify!"

 

[Autumn in New England]

I read up on testing for diffusion and it can be done with an immersion test.

You beat me to it! lol I wouldn't worry too much about it. You've done all the right things with this purchase... do let us know the results once received. I'm eager to congratulate you a second time!!

 

[Mjay]

You beat me to it! lol I wouldn't worry too much about it. You've done all the right things with this purchase... do let us know the results once received. I'm eager to congratulate you a second time!!

Thank you! I’m very nervous about it. The timeline is going to be very tight. I’m trying to be optimistic though. I’m hoping for good news because I truly love the stone. I can’t wait to update!

 

[Autumn in New England]

Thank you! I’m very nervous about it. The timeline is going to be very tight. I’m trying to be optimistic though. I’m hoping for good news because I truly love the stone. I can’t wait to update!

So even if you blow the return period, and the stone comes back as diffused (), you'd be entitled to a refund. I don't think JTV would give you a hard time in that instance, but you'd have a boatload of recourse if so. The FTC mandates treatment disclosures (and this would be a downright misrepresentation), so a complaint would need to be lodged with them. You can also contact the JVC for assistance. The threat of bad press alone would force a resolution, I'm sure. But I highly doubt it would come to any of that! And I really feel good about it being heat only!! You clearly love the stone, and I'm selfishly wanting to see it set.

 

[icy_jade]

jokes aside, I hope it is only heated and can’t wait to see how you set it.

 

[LilAlex]

I love it! I love that unusual "butterscotch" color -- it's just amazing. I had the same concern about diffusion but sounds like you're on it. The inclusions are pretty unobtrusive against it.

If they provide the reputable (i.e., GIA) report, make sure you have someone else weigh and measure your actual stone just so you know it is a precise match. I don't think I would trust just a tiny photo in a report.

 

[lucida818]

Very good size with nice color but I believe there is room for bigger stone, lol

 

[Mjay]

Here are a few more super zoomed in pictures where you can see the inclusions and a picture next to platinum and a picture next to yellow gold. Again the inclusions are very difficult to spot with the naked eye but my camera captured them well on zoom. All soft indoor lighting. It’s such a fun stone to look at.

 

[Mjay]

So even if you blow the return period, and the stone comes back as diffused (), you'd be entitled to a refund. I don't think JTV would give you a hard time in that instance, but you'd have a boatload of recourse if so. The FTC mandates treatment disclosures (and this would be a downright misrepresentation), so a complaint would need to be lodged with them. You can also contact the JVC for assistance. The threat of bad press alone would force a resolution, I'm sure. But I highly doubt it would come to any of that! And I really feel good about it being heat only!! You clearly love the stone, and I'm selfishly wanting to see it set.

I have documentation of them assuring me that it isn’t diffused as well. I will be setting it right away! Im hoping to narrow down the setting before it even gets back from GIA.

 

[Mjay]

Setting inspiration. I had planned on a chunky halo of diamonds (like an orange version of Princess Diana’s ring) but since the sapphire is so large I could opt for a smaller halo. I also really like the collet set halo but that would make it even larger.