Looking for a larger sapphire like this!

[eesmom]

Hello Psers, I was wondering what kind of price point I would be looking at if I was looking for a sapphire in a 8-9 mm range round or 8 by 10 mm oval? I’ve included pics of my ring with my stone.

I ask because I am new to the sapphire market( this ring was a gift from my hubby many years ago) and with an anniversary coming up, I wanted to get a larger stone. Thanks so much!

And also for fun, what color would you call my stone?

 

[lovedogs]

Depends on what color you want. Do you want the same color stone as the one you have now? I like yours a lot. It is kind of velvet-y but still bright. Do you care about heat treatment? That will affect the budget a lot

 

[eesmom]

Depends on what color you want. Do you want the same color stone as the one you have now? I like yours a lot. It is kind of velvet-y but still bright. Do you care about heat treatment? That will affect the budget a lot

I would love the exact same color and sparkle and brightness. And heat treatment is fine!

 

[lovedogs]

Not quite as big as you want, but I like this one as lot.

Oval Modified Portuguese Cut Natural Blue Sapphire 2 carats - Gemfix

Royal Blue Natural Sapphire Oval Modified Brilliant Portuguese Cut

gemfix.com

Slightly smaller than you want, but great color (I always look at the in hand pics rather than the others)

2.29 ct Blue Sapphire

2.29 ct Blue Sapphire

www.finewatergems.com

Has size and color, but comes at a price.

3.61 ct Blue Sapphire

3.61 ct Blue Sapphire

www.finewatergems.com

 

[eesmom]

Not quite as big as you want, but I like this one as lot.

Oval Modified Portuguese Cut Natural Blue Sapphire 2 carats - Gemfix

Royal Blue Natural Sapphire Oval Modified Brilliant Portuguese Cut

gemfix.com

Slightly smaller than you want, but great color (I always look at the in hand pics rather than the others)

2.29 ct Blue Sapphire

2.29 ct Blue Sapphire

www.finewatergems.com

All three are so pretty! I really love them all. Thank you for giving me a good idea of what the price point would be for the type of stone that I am looking for! So helpful to know what correlates to the kind of stone that I love so much- the brightness and color!



Has size and color, but comes at a price.

3.61 ct Blue Sapphire

3.61 ct Blue Sapphire

www.finewatergems.com

 

[voce]

Also not quite as big as what you want, but I'm loving this one from Litnon.

Bright & Pretty! Fine Color Ceylon Blue Sapphire 2.26 ct - Litnon

I recall a nice blue sapphire of the dimensions you wanted going for $9,000+ from Mastercut Gems, and from any other vendor it'll likely be more than $10,000, since 8x10 in size is likely between 3 and 4 carats in sapphires. Please consider what your budget is and whether now is the best time for you to make such a large purchase.

I would personally go down a little, and pick a sapphire in the 8x6 size, which is a lot more affordable. 8x6 is a size that I consider large enough for me.

 

[lovedogs]

Also not quite as big as what you want, but I'm loving this one from Litnon.

Bright & Pretty! Fine Color Ceylon Blue Sapphire 2.26 ct - Litnon

I recall a nice blue sapphire of the dimensions you wanted going for $9,000+ from Mastercut Gems, and from any other vendor it'll likely be more than $10,000, since 8x10 in size is likely between 3 and 4 carats in sapphires. Please consider what your budget is and whether now is the best time for you to make such a large purchase.

I would personally go down a little, and pick a sapphire in the 8x6 size, which is a lot more affordable. 8x6 is a size that I consider large enough for me.

Ooooh this one from Linton is lovely!

 

[eesmom]

Also not quite as big as what you want, but I'm loving this one from Litnon.

Bright & Pretty! Fine Color Ceylon Blue Sapphire 2.26 ct - Litnon

I recall a nice blue sapphire of the dimensions you wanted going for $9,000+ from Mastercut Gems, and from any other vendor it'll likely be more than $10,000, since 8x10 in size is likely between 3 and 4 carats in sapphires. Please consider what your budget is and whether now is the best time for you to make such a large purchase.

I would personally go down a little, and pick a sapphire in the 8x6 size, which is a lot more affordable. 8x6 is a size that I consider large enough for me.

thank you for the advice! I am seeing that there is a big jump in price for the larger dimensions that I asked about.

the one from litnon is really a great price- and beautifully hued as well. would you say that it is priced low? How does the sapphire from litnon compare with the one from finewater gems?

should I then be leery of eBay listings where large sapphire rings (3+ ct) that look really good in their pics are priced below $10k?

 

[qubitasaurus]

Finewater gems, concave gems, roger dery and enhoerning will all have sapphires in this size. It may be worth looking at them to get a ball park range of prices/options.

There is a thread somewhere here where lilith has been recommending thegemcollector (instagram vendor who may be able to source a larger stone a bit cheaper).

But typically this means you buy from overseas without a direct route for returns, and save something like 20-30% (a lot of money for an expensive gem but it doesn't change the rough ball park of prices you'll be looking at paying. Sort of like there is a price bracket which reputable vendors tend to sell these items in, with approximately a 20-30% variance over that bracket and you'll be able to find a way to come in at the bottom of that bracket by accepting a non conventional chanel where it's harder to return. [Should caveat this that there are always some outliers. Finewater seems to have everything priced very high at the moment so it may not help you that much in getting a prior.] Otherwise there are members here who do get killer deals on Ebay and other sites like the real real, but I wouldn't recommend it as a place for someone to start out looking for a sapphire.).

Otherwise if it has knock out colour it can sometimes be ok to drop the size requirements a little, I'll leave 2 in that category

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[lovedogs]

I wouldn't go with ebay if you're just starting out with gems.

 

[Lilith112]

The cheapest route is wholesale, though that might be complicated due to interruptions to the global shipping network. Currently, both Sri Lanka and Thailand are in lockdown, so you'll probably have to wait a bit to receive a sapphire. That being said, now is a good time since a lot of sellers are facing challenges with moving product, so you might be able to get a better price.

That being said, even if you go the wholesale route, a top-quality, unheated 3-4 ct. sapphire can easily run USD10000 and more. Could you let us know what budget you're comfortable with? Also, are you OK with heat treated?

 

[Bron357]

I’m an eBay addict myself and NOT in recovery ha ha and I think eBay can be a great place to shop. And I have a knack with sapphires.
For a person without a lot of experience stick with reputable sellers. Many business sellers ie bricks and mortar stores use eBay as another selling platform. These sellers are trustworthy and their listing details and photos are usually excellent.
It is risky however to buy from most private sellers. Often they don’t even know if the gems are natural let alone what sort of treatment.
There is nothing “wrong” with lab created sapphires, they are sapphires but the price is difference is like $50 for a 3 carat lab sapphire vs $10,000 plus for a natural.
While everyone would love to buy the $10,000 sapphire ring for a bargain price you don’t want to be the buyer who pays $5,000 for a $50 gem.
The colour you are liking is a “top” colour by current $$$$. It is a vivid velvet or royal blue. And like most gems, a 3 carat gem isn’t 3 times the price of a 1 carat, more like 10 times. So once you go over 3 carats the price goes up and up.
With any sapphire purchase, check the measurements as well as carat weight. Some sapphires have big bottoms and that is carat weight you pay for but isn’t visually appreciated.
This one is my eBay pick. It’s a “ring dant”. This is a ring that converts to a pendant as well. Very cool. This is a substantial ring, maybe way too much for most, but my style.
Price is 8,799 or offer. I’d start with a $7, 899 offer, hopefully they’ll counter offer. I’d be trying to get it for $8,200 max.
The other ring is cheaper. It’s Ivy & Rose, a recommended vendor. This ring only works if your finger size is a 7, it’s a full diamond band. I think it’s very good value at $3,150.

 

[eesmom]

Finewater gems, concave gems, roger dery and enhoerning will all have sapphires in this size. It may be worth looking at them to get a ball park range of prices/options.

There is a thread somewhere here where lilith has been recommending thegemcollector (instagram vendor who may be able to source a larger stone a bit cheaper).

But typically this means you buy from overseas without a direct route for returns, and save something like 20-30% (a lot of money for an expensive gem but it doesn't change the rough ball park of prices you'll be looking at paying. Sort of like there is a price bracket which reputable vendors tend to sell these items in, with approximately a 20-30% variance over that bracket and you'll be able to find a way to come in at the bottom of that bracket by accepting a non conventional chanel where it's harder to return. [Should caveat this that there are always some outliers. Finewater seems to have everything priced very high at the moment so it may not help you that much in getting a prior.] Otherwise there are members here who do get killer deals on Ebay and other sites like the real real, but I wouldn't recommend it as a place for someone to start out looking for a sapphire.).

Otherwise if it has knock out colour it can sometimes be ok to drop the size requirements a little, I'll leave 2 in that category

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Thank you for your thoughts @qubitasaurus and your detailed info. I do think that I will have to consider the budget that I will be working with. I am okay with spending some extra for a beautiful smaller stone but definitely have to think more carefully about 10k plus for the larger size. Specially with all that has been happening in the world currently, I am a bit more cautious about spending too much.

I do appreciate the info that I have now about what kind of price a large sapphire similar to what I have would command! I needed that guidance to help me plan!

 

[eesmom]

The cheapest route is wholesale, though that might be complicated due to interruptions to the global shipping network. Currently, both Sri Lanka and Thailand are in lockdown, so you'll probably have to wait a bit to receive a sapphire. That being said, now is a good time since a lot of sellers are facing challenges with moving product, so you might be able to get a better price.

That being said, even if you go the wholesale route, a top-quality, unheated 3-4 ct. sapphire can easily run USD10000 and more. Could you let us know what budget you're comfortable with? Also, are you OK with heat treated?

My budget before all of the current world situation was 8 to 10k. We could still afford that but I do want to be more careful and prudent. And there is no reason why I couldn't wait until next year to get the stone/ring as well. I guess it is so fun to look and dream about pretty stones and rings!

And yes, heat treatment is fine!

 

[eesmom]

I’m an eBay addict myself and NOT in recovery ha ha and I think eBay can be a great place to shop. And I have a knack with sapphires.
For a person without a lot of experience stick with reputable sellers. Many business sellers ie bricks and mortar stores use eBay as another selling platform. These sellers are trustworthy and their listing details and photos are usually excellent.
It is risky however to buy from most private sellers. Often they don’t even know if the gems are natural let alone what sort of treatment.
There is nothing “wrong” with lab created sapphires, they are sapphires but the price is difference is like $50 for a 3 carat lab sapphire vs $10,000 plus for a natural.
While everyone would love to buy the $10,000 sapphire ring for a bargain price you don’t want to be the buyer who pays $5,000 for a $50 gem.
The colour you are liking is a “top” colour by current $$$$. It is a vivid velvet or royal blue. And like most gems, a 3 carat gem isn’t 3 times the price of a 1 carat, more like 10 times. So once you go over 3 carats the price goes up and up.
With any sapphire purchase, check the measurements as well as carat weight. Some sapphires have big bottoms and that is carat weight you pay for but isn’t visually appreciated.
This one is my eBay pick. It’s a “ring dant”. This is a ring that converts to a pendant as well. Very cool. This is a substantial ring, maybe way too much for most, but my style.
Price is 8,799 or offer. I’d start with a $7, 899 offer, hopefully they’ll counter offer. I’d be trying to get it for $8,200 max.
The other ring is cheaper. It’s Ivy & Rose, a recommended vendor. This ring only works if your finger size is a 7, it’s a full diamond band. I think it’s very good value at $3,150.

Thank you for these "picks" @Bron357 ! I have been perusing ebay a bit these last few days for fun and I hadn't come across that many. There were a few that piqued my interest but so hard to tell if the stone is nicely cut or have the brightness that I would want. Some even have GIA certs but the stones weren't that pretty.

I am sure that my hubby would be all over looking at eBay since he loves that platform but we will have to become much more savvy and educated in looking at sapphires if he or we intend to go that route!

And I have slowly come to see that sapphire carat weight isn't the same as diamond carat weight. The mms do not match up the same. Are sapphires heavier? or is it the way that they are cut (bottom heavy)?

 

[voce]

Thank you for these "picks" @Bron357 ! I have been perusing ebay a bit these last few days for fun and I hadn't come across that many. There were a few that piqued my interest but so hard to tell if the stone is nicely cut or have the brightness that I would want. Some even have GIA certs but the stones weren't that pretty.

I am sure that my hubby would be all over looking at eBay since he loves that platform but we will have to become much more savvy and educated in looking at sapphires if he or we intend to go that route!

And I have slowly come to see that sapphire carat weight isn't the same as diamond carat weight. The mms do not match up the same. Are sapphires heavier? or is it the way that they are cut (bottom heavy)?

Yes, you've got it right on both counts. Sapphires are 14% more dense than diamonds so the mm size is smaller. Many sapphires from Ceylon are also bottom heavy because that's how to get a better color face up, when the material is not super saturated. However, not all sapphires are bottom heavy, so you should take a look at the height compared to the other two dimensions to see if it's cut bottom heavy.

To your earlier questions, Litnon is less expensive because each vendor is different, and Litnon someone's has fantastic deals. I cannot vouch for how that stone performs compared to the Finewater Gems one, as I've seen neither in person. I personally go for unheated sapphire only above the 4x3 size.

Since you're okay with heat treatments, it should be okay for you to buy something from an Asian vendor with your current budget. Look around and see if there are any that you like. Lilith has listed some really nice ones in other threads to show us, if you're willing to buy from Asia.

 

[Bron357]

The new issue with eBay is that even if the seller accepts returns, PayPal still keeps their 3% fee. So eBay sellers now can’t refund all your purchase price. So you have to buy with the intention of keeping it. You still get a full return under returns for “not as described” claims etc, but not for “change of mind”.
The main thing with buying anything on the basis of photos is that it may not look like that in person, especially if you are looking at “studio” shots as opposed to say natural outside light. And any dark gem looks much darker once set and darker still when viewed inside at night.
Enjoy your search, to me that’s the best part!

 

[Rad_Fan]

Spotted this and thought of you, too "light"? Hard to read the color against white glove...

3.43 cts

 

[eesmom]

Spotted this and thought of you, too "light"? Hard to read the color against white glove...

3.43 cts

Just saw this as well! It is lighter than what I was thinking, it may look darker when set? Not sure what I feel about the cut though? I may have to do a search and see how this stone could look in a ring.

 

[qubitasaurus]

I think this one is going to have better chances of being what you are looking for

Roger Dery

Roger Dery

rogerdery.com

I have a prediction that the fantasy cut will shift a bit greyer and more purple under indoor lighting. And will in general lean a little lighter than what you are looking for.

If you have a 10 k budget and are not in a hurry, then I think I'd sit back and wait. Things are going to be a bit crazy over the next couple of months and even if you get the stone, you'll struggle to find a jeweler who can set it for you (i.e. you may struggle to meet them face to face to discuss it, or use the postal service to relay it. And gold prices are high so you'll pay a premium for no especially good reason). It makes sense to set a goal and then set aside money over the next few months, for something to look forward to once things have normalized. Then you'll probably have it all worked out when things get better.

 

[eesmom]

I think this one is going to have better chances of being what you are looking for

Roger Dery

Roger Dery

rogerdery.com

I have a prediction that the fantasy cut will shift a bit greyer and more purple under indoor lighting. And will in general lean a little lighter than what you are looking for.

If you have a 10 k budget and are not in a hurry, then I think I'd sit back and wait. Things are going to be a bit crazy over the next couple of months and even if you get the stone, you'll struggle to find a jeweler who can set it for you (i.e. you may struggle to meet them face to face to discuss it, or use the postal service to relay it. And gold prices are high so you'll pay a premium for no especially good reason). It makes sense to set a goal and then set aside money over the next few months, for something to look forward to once things have normalized. Then you'll probably have it all worked out when things get better.

Thank you for those thoughts. I do appreciate the sanity of it in the midst of the crazy. I think I will use the time now to educate myself as well as look at style of rings that I like. I do love this part of the research and hunt!

 

[qubitasaurus]

Thank you for those thoughts. I do appreciate the sanity of it in the midst of the crazy. I think I will use the time now to educate myself as well as look at style of rings that I like. I do love this part of the research and hunt!

You know you should take the opportunity to reach out and ask if they have any pictures of the stones your considering in dim/night time lighting (especially on the back of someone's hand, then you can compare straight up to your stone to see if it's a good colour match).

Since you have a little time, it makes sense to really get the information for yourself and talk directly to them (they are all nice people and know a lot more about gems than we do) rather than listening to our idle speculations . Youll get better information this way and you'll probably learn more and end up with something nicer with their advice.

 

[eesmom]

You know you should take the opportunity to reach out and ask if they have any pictures of the stones your considering in dim/night time lighting (especially on the back of someone's hand, then you can compare straight up to your stone to see if it's a good colour match).

Since you have a little time, it makes sense to really get the information for yourself and talk directly to them (they are all nice people and know a lot more about gems than we do) rather than listening to our idle speculations . Youll get better information this way and you'll probably learn more and end up with something nicer with their advice.

“Idle speculation “ haha! I already reached out for some more info and hope to learn more from sellers and from you all!

 

[eesmom]

Could I post a pic of a ring from eBay and get your thoughts on the qualities and character of this sapphire? I am hoping for some education please!

 

[Lilith112]

Could I post a pic of a ring from eBay and get your thoughts on the qualities and character of this sapphire? I am hoping for some education please!

Is it treated or untreated?

Personally, I think the color is ok. Nice medium tone, but it looks like there's some extinction and grey, particularly towards the bottom right. Is that ok w/you?

 

[eesmom]

Is it treated or untreated?

Personally, I think the color is ok. Nice medium tone, but it looks like there's some extinction and grey, particularly towards the bottom right. Is that ok w/you?

I was posting this because I wanted some education on what some of the pictures that I was seeing on eBay. There appears to be this 4 “leaf” pattern radiating out from the center of the stone. Is that something that is of concern? And the extinction is a fading of blue color, correct?

 

[Lilith112]

I was posting this because I wanted some education on what some of the pictures that I was seeing on eBay. There appears to be this 4 “leaf” pattern radiating out from the center of the stone. Is that something that is of concern? And the extinction is a fading of blue color, correct?

From the picture, it appears that that there's extinction along the perimeter; extinction refers to areas that are black/dark no matter how strong the lighting is (and I assume strong lighting since it's a vendor picture).

 

[Lilith112]

Based on what you're looking for, I would expect this sort of coloration in super bright natural sunlight:



Or maybe something like this in softer daylight:



What you want to look for, regardless of your color/saturation preference, is probably fairly even coloration throughout. If you see any you like, ask for super bright sunlight picture to judge if a sapphire has extinction zones.

 

[Bron357]

These are my 3 “picks” off ebay at around $5,000.
One thing about photos is that when they are “studio” or white LED the sapphire can look a lot better than it does in real life.
You are wanting a darker blue but vivid sapphire and the line between dark and vivid and too dark and vivid is a fine one.
It is a rare darker tone sapphire that still looks good inside at night under incandescent lighting.
For this reason people often chose to go lighter in tone and lose the vivid so that they get a “good enough” look in any lighting condition.
It’s a personal choice. Me, I prefer to see the glimpses of vivid because they are amazing and accept that inside at nighttime it’s not so great.

 

[eesmom]

These are my 3 “picks” off ebay at around $5,000.
One thing about photos is that when they are “studio” or white LED the sapphire can look a lot better than it does in real life.
You are wanting a darker blue but vivid sapphire and the line between dark and vivid and too dark and vivid is a fine one.
It is a rare darker tone sapphire that still looks good inside at night under incandescent lighting.
For this reason people often chose to go lighter in tone and lose the vivid so that they get a “good enough” look in any lighting condition.
It’s a personal choice. Me, I prefer to see the glimpses of vivid because they are amazing and accept that inside at nighttime it’s not so great.

Could you provide the links to these 3 that you liked from eBay? I am curious about their stats. I am trying to train my eyes to see what is good and not so good.