Looking for a 1.5-2.0ct square cushion sapphire!

[emcee]

It looks like I am one of many people looking for a sapphire right now! I am trying to find a stone for my engagement ring and any help would be much appreciated

Here is what I had in mind:

• - Color: medium dark royal blue (like this stone: http://www.pricescope.com/blog/jewel-week-sapphire-halo-engagement-ring)
  - Cut: square cushion. I'm not too picky about it being precision cut, but I would definitely like it to be as flashy/sparkly as possible.
  - Weight: 1.5 to 2.0 carats
  - Clarity: VVS
  - Enhancements: Heat is fine but no other treatments

Here's what I have found so far:

Stone 1 from a local gemologist:
- 2.09ct rectangular cushion
- 8.5mm x 6.5mm
- deep velvety colour
- $4,700


The photo doesn't really do the stone justice, but have a look at the video: https://vimeo.com/46863727. Most of the sapphires I have seen in person have been terrible and inky with no fire to them at all. This one was nothing like that. It had amazing brilliance and sparkle as well as a beautiful deep colour. However, I'm not sure whether a rectangular cushion shape would work with the setting I had in mind. And as much as I love the colour, I'm not sure if it would be too dark in some situations. Lastly, is it overpriced?


Stone 2 from a PS vendor:
- Shape: Square cushion
- Cut: Modified Portuguese cut
- Treatment: Possibly heat treated
- Dimensions: 6.8mm
- Depth: 4.7mm
- Clarity: VS-VVS
- Origin: Ceylon
- Weight: 1.77 carats
- Price: $2212.00
- Color is deep-medium blue with violet tones, excellent brilliance.

No pictures of this one yet but I should be getting them soon.


Stone 3 and 4 sourced through Brian Gavin:
- 1.60 carats for $2295
- 1.71 carats for $2450
- both are heat treated

Not much other information, aside from them saying that it comes from a very reputable supplier with a beautiful inventory. I can get the stones sent to Brian Gavin for him to take pictures of, but based on that limited information, is it worthwhile to request that?


Thoughts?? Based on the video of stone 1, how easily can I find something of a similar brilliance? I don't know whether most decent sapphires have that kind of sparkle or if I stumbled onto something very rare. If you can recommend any other stones that would fit my requirements, I would be very appreciative!

 

[chrono]

Local stone:
You made no mention if the stone is heated or untreated. Does it have any proof to back up the treatment level? What is the lighting condition of the store? Does it sparkle like that under natural lighting? How does it look under fluorescent lighting? Some stones do better under one type of lighting versus another so it is best to check it out under as many situations as possible. I agree that it has a tendency to be dark. What sort of setting do you have in mind? For a stone like this, it is best to have as open a setting as possible to allow maximum light play.

Stone 2:
Will wait to see pictures of this one.

BGD Stones:
Not enough info to even know if they are good or bad.

I wouldn't call what you see rare - good cutting will net you a lively stone. As mentioned above, the right type of lighting will also bring that out.

 

[distracts]

I don't like stone 1. It has an annoying half-and-half extinction thing going on in the video. The color is nice (I suspect it would get even better in lighting that wasn't meant to flatter diamonds, because that kind of lighting often seems to darken sapphires, in my experience), but the extinction would bother me in a ring I looked at every day. I can't say anything about others yet.

Not only is good cutting important for a lively stone, but having a sapphire that is free of silk. Silky sapphires have their place, but they don't really "sparkle" the way a clearer one does. With that said, I own a number of sapphires, only one which was expensive, and they are all very sparkly. BUT also that video is done under a type of lighting that increases sparkle, so it won't actually sparkle THAT much in real life... Except in hockey stadiums and Lowes, which have very excellent lighting for sparkles.

 

[NKOTB]

I think that stone has a very nice colour, but only in parts. I see a lot of darkness that would bother me, but that is based only on the pic and video.

Roger Dery has a few square cushions. Although it's a little under your size range, I like the look of the 1.46 ct.

http://www.spectralgems.net/A-corundum.html

I always like to see as many options as possible when making a big purchase like this. I don't think there is any harm in having pictures taken of the BGD-sourced stones, and the one from the PS vendor sounds promising.

 

[erinl]

There is a pretty unheated sapphire on weblorn right now. I know people have had luck with her in the past. And I think her stones look better in real life than her photos:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/USA-CUT-STUNNING-NATURAL-UNTREATED-BLUE-SAPPHIRE-CUSHION-3-CT-/310405969679?pt=Loose_Gemstones_1&hash=item4845a3370f

 

[Fly Girl]

I think that stone has a very nice colour, but only in parts. I see a lot of darkness that would bother me, but that is based only on the pic and video.

Roger Dery has a few square cushions. Although it's a little under your size range, I like the look of the 1.46 ct.

http://www.spectralgems.net/A-corundum.html

I always like to see as many options as possible when making a big purchase like this. I don't think there is any harm in having pictures taken of the BGD-sourced stones, and the one from the PS vendor sounds promising.

I saw the 1.46 ct square in person at Roger Dery's round table yesterday evening, and jotted down the price. It is $3,495. It is a beautiful stone.

 

[emcee]

Thanks everyone for your help so far!

Chrono:
I was too distracted in the store and forgot to ask about treatments. But I contacted the gemologist today and found out that it is indeed heat treated. I am fine with that, as long as that is accurately reflected in the price.

I don't remember the store's exact lighting conditions (I'll make sure to watch out for that next time) but as you can see from parts of the video, I was viewing the stone under the light of a lamp. Later on in the video, I moved away from the lamp and was under the normal lighting. It's not in the video, but I also viewed the stone from their window/glass door, so basically at daylight on a sunny day, and the stone was still sparkly. Maybe not as sparkly compared to the store lighting, but I don't really remember. I am planning to get a halo setting for this stone.

Distracts:
Thank you for pointing out the extinction! I technically knew to look out for that, but I clearly forgot all about that when I was viewing the stone since I was distracted by the sparkles, lol. Your advice really puts things into perspective though. This stone was leaps and bounds better than any of the other stones I had seen in person so I wasn't sure whether I should be jumping at the chance to buy it. But it's great to hear that I can find even better stones online (thanks to all you lovely PSers for your help).

I keep reading about silky stones but I still don't really know what that means Is it when a stone looks cloudy, as opposed to being crisp and clear? I will be careful about lighting in the future. I'm from Canada and we don't have any Lowes stores here, but once I do get my stone, I may be visiting Home Depot far more often, if their lighting is anything like Lowes'

NKOTB and Fly Girl:
Thanks for the details on Roger Derby's stone! I actually emailed him about it a few days ago and he was incredibly nice and helpful. However, I think that stone may be quite a bit lighter in color than what I am looking for. I find it hard to imagine what these stones would look like in person, but it's not really close to a medium-dark royal blue, is it? In theory, I would much prefer the color of his 3.03ct sapphire (also on the site), but it is too large for me. I also really like the color of the local stone I posted, except without the extinction that I now know to look out for. Perhaps a tiny bit lighter than my local stone would be a good idea, so that it doesn't look too dark in some situations. Sadly, Roger didn't have anything else that fits my criteria, but I will stay in touch with him in case anything comes up.

erinl:
Thanks for sharing! I haven't checked out that vendor yet so I will definitely have a look.


Any other thoughts would be much appreciated! I'm still waiting for pics of stone # 2. And BGD is still waiting to gather some details for me on stones # 3 and 4, but I don't think they will work out since #3 is rectangular and #4 is square but a big lighter in color.

 

[emcee]

Hi again,

I did a bit more browsing and here is another option - let's call it Stone # 5.
- 1.55ct
- $2,325.00
- square cushion
- I'm waiting to hear back with more details, but I'm pretty sure it's heat treated



What do you think of it? I'm finding it hard to tell, but is this quite a bit lighter than my ideal medium-dark royal blue?

 

[lin_ny]

Hi again,

I did a bit more browsing and here is another option - let's call it Stone # 5.
- 1.55ct
- $2,325.00
- square cushion
- I'm waiting to hear back with more details, but I'm pretty sure it's heat treated



What do you think of it? I'm finding it hard to tell, but is this quite a bit lighter than my ideal medium-dark royal blue?

I've been creeping this thread because I'm interested (not shopping though) for a cushion sapphire as well for an e-ring.

Where is this one located online? Don't worry, I won't buy it. haha.

 

[NKOTB]

I like the look of that one, personally! I also often find that vendor pictures tend to make stones appear a bit lighter than they appear in real life, with some exceptions, so it might actually be pretty close to what you're looking for.

 

[Justin_Cutter]

Hi again,

I did a bit more browsing and here is another option - let's call it Stone # 5.
- 1.55ct
- $2,325.00
- square cushion
- I'm waiting to hear back with more details, but I'm pretty sure it's heat treated



What do you think of it? I'm finding it hard to tell, but is this quite a bit lighter than my ideal medium-dark royal blue?

I really like this stone but I do think its a little pricey for the size. What origin is it? It has a little bit of extinction but not bad. It actually has 3 different tones of blue in it. The tone in the center far right of the stone is beautiful.

The extinction in the first stone would be a big issue for me. Some is tolerable but not that much.

What lighting environment do you want the stone to look best in?
~Justin

 

[Justin_Cutter]

So I know they are a little bigger, but based off the dimensions of stone #1 they are not that big of a step up. Here are two quality options that I am sure you would be thrilled with in most lighting situations.

#6 2.47ct Heated

http://www.rwwise.com/products/id|1877

#7 3.00ct Unheated

http://www.rwwise.com/products/id|1962

I have no idea what these are priced at so I apologize in advance if these are out of your budget. Both stones are Sri Lanka origin.

~Justin

 

[chrono]

Here are some example pictures of silky versus non-silky sapphires.
http://www.palagems.com/sapphire_connoisseurship.htm

Kashmir blue also has many silky blue sapphires.
http://www.kashmirblue.com

Silkiness is a highly desired trait as long as it doesn't overwhelm the stone. Just a touch of silk softens the blue colouration, making the stone appear soft and velvety. Too much silk detracts from the overall beauty though, so it is a fine balance.

 

[chrono]

Stone 5 is lovely but this vendor is pricier than most. I think the slight colour variation seen is likely to be just lighting contrast and not colour zoning. Of all the options listed, I like this one the best. While it may not be a medium dark, it is almost there - better to be just a shade shy of what you have in mind because sapphires tend to darken a bit under fluorescent lighting.

Justin,
RW's stones are guaranteed to be even more expensive than Stone 5. It is sort of a running joke on PS that if RW doesn't post online pricing, you can bet it will be very expensive, likely to cost $5K and upwards. In this case, I'm sure it is much MUCH more than $5K.

 

[Justin_Cutter]

Stone 5 is lovely but this vendor is pricier than most. I think the slight colour variation seen is likely to be just lighting contrast and not colour zoning. Of all the options listed, I like this one the best. While it may not be a medium dark, it is almost there - better to be just a shade shy of what you have in mind because sapphires tend to darken a bit under fluorescent lighting.

Justin,
RW's stones are guaranteed to be even more expensive than Stone 5. It is sort of a running joke on PS that if RW doesn't post online pricing, you can bet it will be very expensive, likely to cost $5K and upwards. In this case, I'm sure it is much MUCH more than $5K.

Good to know! Thanks Chrono. I have never worked with him before but I had a feeling that was probably the case.
~Justin

 

[emcee]

Sorry for the slow response! It's been a busy few days but thanks to everyone for your feedback so far.

lin_ny: Goodness, I checked out your thread and it sure sounds like we will potentially be ring twins! I'd rather not share the name of stone #5's vendor quite yet, since I've seen some PS users lose out on their stones after posting them publicly. I can definitely share it if I decide it's not the stone for me, though!

NKOTB: Thanks for your advice. I didn't know that stones are often a bit darker in real life so I will definitely keep that in mind.

Justin_Cutter: Thanks for your reply! On an off topic note, I have been following your thread about your fiancee/wife's sapphire ring and it's outstanding! It's definitely one of my inspiration rings as well

As for more info on stone # 5, I got more details from the vendor.
- 1.55ct
- 6.10 x 6.05 x 4.7mm
- "clarity is eye clean with a few things internally using a loupe; it sparkles but what most will find beautify is the nice blue glow to it which I find attractive and I seek these gems out"
- "Receipt would indicate that this is believed to be Heated - and therefore, Heat Only, No other treatments"

I forgot to ask about origin but I will see if they can tell me. So far, I haven't made a big point of checking a stone's origin, since I've only cared about whether it looked good, no matter where it is from. Is there something I should be looking out for in terms of regions that are know for having poor stones?

Regarding extinction and preferred lighting conditions...I'm not really sure. I suppose the standard indoor lighting (since I work in an office) and regular daylight (my city is more cloudy than sunny, if that makes a difference)

Thanks for sharing those stones! Assuming Chrono's estimate of $5,000+ is correct, it's not necessarily over budget, but I don't think I would pay that much for those stones. They do seem a bit bulbous on the bottom. Is that normal or was that done for weight-saving reasons? I'm not too picky about going for precision cut stones, but I don't want something too far away from the ideal, since the sparkle factor is still pretty important to me.

Chrono: Thanks for your thoughts on Stone #5! Just looking at it a bit more, does it look like it goes too pale in the bottom center? It almost looks like the stone has gone translucent and I can see the pattern of the table/counter's surface through the stone. Is that normal? And if you have any other thoughts based on the additional info above, I would love to hear it!

As for price, how much above expectations would you say this stone is? It seemed like a pretty fair price, but I have been mostly looking at 1.75 to 2.0ct stones for a similar price, so I suppose that makes this one a bit high. It's also on the lower end of my size range and I'm wondering if I would be wishing I went with something larger. Hmm...

 

[emcee]

Just an update on the stones listed so far:

Stone 1: out of the running, it's clear that there are issues with the stone!
Stone 2: still waiting for more details from the vendor
Stone 3 & 4: still waiting for more details, but likely out of the running
Stone 5: the best bet so far!
Stone 6 & 7: likely out of the running based on the vendor

To throw something else into the mix, here is Stone # 8, which was sourced through Steven Kirsch:
- 2.68ct
- $3,215


Thoughts? Honestly, not that I am an expert at all, but I can't think of anything that I like about this stone. It is murky, dark, and dull. Am I missing something? What is driving up the price, aside from the size (or maybe that is it)?

 

[Justin_Cutter]

To throw something else into the mix, here is Stone # 8, which was sourced through Steven Kirsch:
- 2.68ct
- $3,215


Thoughts? Honestly, not that I am an expert at all, but I can't think of anything that I like about this stone. It is murky, dark, and dull. Am I missing something? What is driving up the price, aside from the size (or maybe that is it)?

emcee, honestly based solely off that picture I am not impressed by it. It looks to have a big window and the color falls into what some would describe as inky blue, which is generally not sought after.

In terms of origin, it may not matter to you and that's totally fine, but it most probably does matter to the seller of the stone. If for instance stone #5 was a Burma stone then I could at least understand why they are asking so much for it. That doesn't mean I would pay it necessarily but it would help me justify the cost.

I agree with you in the end if it looks great then who caries where it comes from. After all my stone came from Thailand which is generally not considered a "good" origin.

#5 is a great looking stone and I don't see any reason to think it wouldn't be a nice stone in person. I just which it was priced better. Maybe ask the seller if they are open to offers on the stone??? You never know.

In regards to #6, and #7 the cut in most likely a result of saving weight or preserving color. I would still call if I was you. The price could be better or worse than we think. I know with truly exceptional stones some vendors don't like to post pricing because the market is ever changing.

P.S. I am glad you enjoyed my thread. Thank you!
~Justin

 

[emcee]

Thanks for your feedback, Justin! Now it certainly makes sense to ask for a stone's origin. I will keep that in mind from now on!

I'll have to think harder about stone #5. I guess I have two hesitations about it. The first being the size, since it's at the low end of my preferred size range. And also that I'm not sure whether I'm a fan of the cut. I do prefer more of a diamond brilliant type cut, and I'm not sure how this one would look in person. I guess these photos are massively magnified so maybe the facets aren't very noticeable anyway in real life, but still. Hmm.

That's a great point about stones #6 and 7. I sent them an online inquiry but they made it clear on their site that they don't disclose prices online, so I'll probably try calling them tomorrow. I'll keep my fingers crossed that they aren't outrageously priced!

Lastly, I finally got a photo of stone #2. Here is a reminder:

- Shape: Square cushion
- Cut: Modified Portuguese cut
- Treatment: Possibly heat treated
- Dimensions: 6.8mm
- Depth: 4.7mm
- Clarity: VS-VVS
- Origin: Ceylon
- Weight: 1.77 carats
- Price: $2212.00
- Color is deep-medium blue with violet tones, excellent brilliance.



The vendor followed that up with a note that "upon close examination, a small "bubble" is noticeable under the table (see approx 9 o'clock position in the photo)." *MASSIVE SIGH*

Thoughts? Do you think the "bubble" would even be visible to the naked eye? I have a feeling that this would be something that would drive me crazy knowing that it's there. I'm so sad since I think this stone is pretty gorgeous otherwise.

 

[chrono]

Stone 5:
Origin does not matter much in this case (unless you happen to be shopping for a great looking Kashmir blue sapphire). I take it this sapphire doesn't come with any memo / brief to verify heat only treatment? This particular sapphire is also rather deep, so even though it is 1.55 ct, it faces up like a 1 ct stone. With regards to the translucency at the bottom center - I think you are over analyzing the stone. Crop it down to 6 mm and you probably won't see it.

With regards to bottom heavy stones, they are cut in such a manner for various reasons, namely to save weight as it follows the shape of the rough and sometimes to help deepen the colour.

Stone 8:
Does indeed look drab and dull and in this case, I attribute this to the lighting condition. I think it will perk up outdoors. This is why I always advise potentional buyers to check the stone out under various lighting conditions because they look best outdoors and look their worst indoors (fluorescent lighting).

Cut:
At this point, I would let the cut issue of it being a particular style go. I am not quite sure what you mean by diamond brilliant type but that usually refers to a round brilliant diamond cut (facet patter similar to round diamonds). All those you've posted in this thread are of the same cut style called mixed brilliant cut where the crown has diamond like faceting and the pavilion is step cut.

Stone 2:
What is his definition of "close examination"? 6 inches away? 12 inches away? Did he have to squint hard? This is a difficult call because it is almost in the center of the stone, right under the table. The cutting pattern gives this sapphire a lot of scintillation though so in person, all that flash and sparkle is likely to make the inclusion less noticeable. Again, this depends on how eagle eyed you are as well.

 

[emcee]

So I finally got more info on stones # 5 and 8.

Stone 5:

- 1.55ct
- $2,325.00
- square cushion

- 6.10 x 6.05 x 4.7mm
- "clarity is eye clean with a few things internally using a loupe; it sparkles but what most will find beautify is the nice blue glow to it which I find attractive and I seek these gems out"
- "Receipt would indicate that this is believed to be Heated - and therefore, Heat Only, No other treatments"

- The origin is Ceylon (Sri Lanka)
- It is not certified. The vendor says they normally only certify untreated or very valuable gemstones. Do you think that's acceptable if I'm dealing with a PS vendor and for a heated stone? It's hard to buy a gem with no certification to even verify the weight of the stone, but the process of getting it sent for certification would be expensive and time consuming...
- I mentioned to them that the sapphire may be cut a bit deep and thus face up smaller than average, but they just said that it faces up like a 1.5 ct square cushion. I agree with everyone here though, that it should really be facing up larger than just 6.10 x 6.05mm...

Stone 2:

[/b]- Shape: Square cushion
- Cut: Modified Portuguese cut
- Treatment: Possibly heat treated
- Dimensions: 6.8mm
- Depth: 4.7mm
- Clarity: VS-VVS
- Origin: Ceylon
- Weight: 1.77 carats
- Price: $2212.00
- Color is deep-medium blue with violet tones, excellent brilliance.

- Regarding the inclusion, they got back to me and said that it is "visible at about 4 inches to me, but I have eyes like a hawk." My eyes aren't nearly as trained so I don't know if I would be able to see it or if it would bother me knowing that it's there.


Do you all think I would regret going with a smaller stone than I was hoping for? Or do you think an inclusion would be OK if I have to look really hard in order to see it (i.e. no one but me will ever look that closely anyway)?

What to do? What to do?? I've contacted practically all the PS vendors and I don't have many leads left. I haven't decided on where to go for my setting yet, but I have contacted a few places and they will start looking for sapphires for me soon. This is a difficult process

 

[chrono]

If you are truly interested in both stones, check out the review/return policies to make sure you have enough time to view and think about them amongst other things like no restocking fee and etc. Then go ahead and purchase the stones to make that final call.

Stone 5:
Verification of weight and measurement can be done easily by a local GG using a digital scale and calipers. Verification of heat only treatment can be done by AGL for $55 with the Fast Track brief, which takes a week or so depending on their schedule. If you've seen the stone and like it, you can request that they make the sale final contingent upon the lab memo reflecting that the stone is as advertised.
My experience is that a 1.5 ct square cushion sapphire should be at least 6.5 mm thereabouts. I have a 1.75 ct asscher precision cut spinel (almost the same density as corundum and asscher cuts is the deepest design for gemstones) with a very high crown that measures 6.5 mm.

Stone 2:
I have eagle eyes too and sometimes, a particular inclusion might bother me or I might forgive it depending on the size and location of the inclusion, and also the colour of the stone. Unfortunately, this is a very personal decision.

 

[lin_ny]

Any update??

 

[emcee]

Ahh no updates quite yet. I'm still thinking about those last two stones. BUT I'm going to be meting with Lisa Elser today and she will be showing me a few stones. Unfortunately, they are not cut by her (she doesn't have anything right now that fits my criteria) but I think she has sourced some great options!

I'm also hoping to hear back from a few other places in the next few days. I'm most likely going to be picking a stone by Monday so stay tuned...I'm sure there will be some desperate pleas for help/advice shortly!

 

[lin_ny]

I hope you find the perfect stone! I'm very excited to see your ring come to life... we might be total ring twins for sure

 

[sebas]

Emcee, I just have to say that I love the sapphires that you posted.

I am still looking for a good place to find the highest of quality sapphires as the center stone to an engagement ring. I've been to Brilliant Earth, but not satisfied with what I've seen thus far. The sapphires I'm looking for are a lot like emcee, but has to be oval (Portuguese cut is one option).

Anybody that is highly recommended in the business of the "best of the best" sapphires?

Emcee, I would really appreciate your advice once you've picked out your sapphire. I understand why you wouldn't want to share while still shopping around in fear of losing the one you want.

Good luck with picking your sapphire.

 

[chrono]

Unfortunately, there is no one place that carries the best sapphires at any time, unless you frequent Sotherby and the like. It all depends on who has what inventory at the time you happen to be looking.

 

[Fly Girl]

Emcee, I just have to say that I love the sapphires that you posted.

I am still looking for a good place to find the highest of quality sapphires as the center stone to an engagement ring. I've been to Brilliant Earth, but not satisfied with what I've seen thus far. The sapphires I'm looking for are a lot like emcee, but has to be oval (Portuguese cut is one option).

Anybody that is highly recommended in the business of the "best of the best" sapphires?

Emcee, I would really appreciate your advice once you've picked out your sapphire. I understand why you wouldn't want to share while still shopping around in fear of losing the one you want.

Good luck with picking your sapphire.

sebas, welcome to PriceScope.
If you are looking for the best, I'd give Richard Wise a call. www.rwwise.com

As was mentioned above, you do pay handsomely for his eye, but he does have some pretty sapphires.

 

[emcee]

Emcee, I just have to say that I love the sapphires that you posted.

I am still looking for a good place to find the highest of quality sapphires as the center stone to an engagement ring. I've been to Brilliant Earth, but not satisfied with what I've seen thus far. The sapphires I'm looking for are a lot like emcee, but has to be oval (Portuguese cut is one option).

Anybody that is highly recommended in the business of the "best of the best" sapphires?

Emcee, I would really appreciate your advice once you've picked out your sapphire. I understand why you wouldn't want to share while still shopping around in fear of losing the one you want.

Good luck with picking your sapphire.

sebas, welcome to PriceScope.
If you are looking for the best, I'd give Richard Wise a call. www.rwwise.com

As was mentioned above, you do pay handsomely for his eye, but he does have some pretty sapphires.

HI Sebas, you are lucky that your ideal shape is an oval! It seems like most sapphires tend to be oblong so ovals are relatively easy to find. I have my eye on square cushion sapphires and those are proving to be exceedingly hard to find

In terms of the "best of the best" sapphires, I would recommend that you contact Jeff White (www.whitesgems.com) and Lisa Elser (www.lisaelser.com). They are outstanding cutters and their stones are gorgeous. However, I hope you're not in any rush because their inventory is not very large and the demand for their sapphires far exceeds their supply. I wasn't able to find anything from them that fit my requirements

As for Richard Wise, I did contact him and he was certainly helpful and knowledgeable, but his stones were shockingly expensive. The one that I inquired about was double or triple the price that I had expected.

Good luck on your search! And don't forget to check out these sticky-ed threads: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-to-coloured-gemstone-buying-read-this-first.174284/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/new-to-coloured-gemstone-buying-read-this-first.174284/[/URL] AND [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/can-we-start-a-new-thread-with-respected-cs-vendors.169561/..[/URL].

P.s. You should consider starting a new thread and listing the specifications that you have in mind. There are plenty of exceptionally helpful PSers who would jump at the chance of helping you find your perfect stone

 

[emcee]

Alright, as for a personal update, the last few days have been full of highs and lows, but overall, I have yet to find my perfect stone

I went through a few other suppliers who were highly promising but didn't end up having what I was looking for - the stones were either too light, too dull, or too expensive. Many of them were beautiful but none were exactly what I had in mind.

So I considered settling between Stone 5 and Stone 2 . I pretty much decided to go with Stone 2, despite the inclusion, because I realized that I would easily notice the significantly larger size and the tiny inclusion is barely visible to the naked eye (even at 4 inches away). So I contacted the vendor to confirm the final details, and they told me that the stone was SOLD

So now it's back to square one. I do have some new stones to share, but I'm not quite sure what to think since none of them are absolutely perfect. Have a look at this video! http://youtu.be/Uz-fXc1OLIc

Not to get confusing, but I'll call these stones GOG # 1–4. I think the color of GOG # 1&2 are near perfect (could be a teensy bit darker) but they are more glowy and they don't have the outstanding scintillation and light performance of GOG # 4. What do I do?!?!??? What do you think of those stones? Do you think I'm being to picky in hoping for a deep color with excellent brilliance? I know it's achievable since the very first stone that I posted (https://vimeo.com/46863727) was a beautiful deep color and still super sparkly.

HELP!