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Opalescent Sapphire—risky business

You are correct. I let my excitement at the cuprian color cloud my judgement. Paid around $500/carat.

I did not know that AGL will cert as opalescent. Good to know!

I will chalk this up to the school of hard knocks.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

You would be surprised at how popular nice green sapphires are, and how hard they are to find without being brownish or dark. Has the initial disappointment faded, and you're actually pretty happy with the stone, or still not sure? You always have the option of trying to resell for around what you paid.
ETA, I know you already suggested setting plans, but sometimes taking a step back can be helpful. Not trying to deter you in any direction.
 
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I had no idea this was a thing, thanks for educating me. Do you know if there's a published paper on the topic or one that mentions it? I would love to read on it. I might email AGL directly.

I Googled and found this gorgeous one which belongs to @Sparklemore, with the AGL comment, for those who want to see a true opalescent effect with contrasting colors. I see a pinkish-yellow glow in a violet-blue-purple sapphire. So cool.

I suppose I should correct my above statement and say I hate the trendy overuse of that term for silky sapphires, which can be beautiful in their own right.

I also have a sapphire which AGL certed as opalescent; that thread is here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opalescent-tourbillon-ring-project.265623/

I took my stone over to AGL myself and got to briefly speak with the head gemologist. He said that opalescent sapphires are not necessarily rare but historically they have not been popular and many uncut stones of this variety (geuda) were thrown out, not certed! There's a bit more info in this thread here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opalescent-gems.256873/
 
You would be surprised at how popular nice green sapphires are, and how hard they are to find without being brownish or dark. Has the initial disappointment faded, and you're actually pretty happy with the stone, or still not sure? You always have the option of trying to resell for around what you paid.
ETA, I know you already suggested setting plans, but sometimes taking a step back can be helpful. Not trying to deter you in any direction.
I love all sapphires—they might be my favorite stone. The light affects them so differently and I find that fascinating, as long as they don’t completely black out. It’s a journey of discovery. Of course I was disappointed that a cuprian colored sapphire is still elusive, but I do see beauty in this stone. I’m so glad I’m not the only one!
 
I also have a sapphire which AGL certed as opalescent; that thread is here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opalescent-tourbillon-ring-project.265623/

I took my stone over to AGL myself and got to briefly speak with the head gemologist. He said that opalescent sapphires are not necessarily rare but historically they have not been popular and many uncut stones of this variety (geuda) were thrown out, not certed! There's a bit more info in this thread here: https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/opalescent-gems.256873/

I can't read over the whole thread right now but I will. I did find it amusing that geuda translates to simply 'bad' in Tamil (if I am correct that is the origin).
Mostly curious about what causes the contrasting color glow, rather than a similar-color glow.

I love all sapphires—they might be my favorite stone. The light affects them so differently and I find that fascinating, as long as they don’t completely black out. It’s a journey of discovery. Of course I was disappointed that a cuprian colored sapphire is still elusive, but I do see beauty in this stone. I’m so glad I’m not the only one!

Glad you are secure in your decision!
 
That turquoise color sapphire is very elusive. I purchased an opalescent sapphire almost the same exact shade from a dealer on IG and when I received it, it also was much greener than blue. I was surprised to see so much difference in color when the seller was located in the US and not close to the equator but alas it wasn't what I was looking for either.
 
That turquoise color sapphire is very elusive. I purchased an opalescent sapphire almost the same exact shade from a dealer on IG and when I received it, it also was much greener than blue. I was surprised to see so much difference in color when the seller was located in the US and not close to the equator but alas it wasn't what I was looking for either.

Thanks for sharing your experience.
 
I am glad you posted this, I almost ordered one.
 
said that opalescent sapphires are not necessarily rare but historically they have not been popular and many uncut stones of this variety (geuda) were thrown out, not certed!

That. Honestly still not that popular in generally but calling them opalescent is a stroke of marketing genius.

Around 70%-80% of gems mined in Sri Lanka belong to geuda varieties.
 
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Well, it’s not what I’d hoped and expected based on the video. I knew it was a gamble, and this time I lost.

Awww. That sucks. I’ve been burnt a few times and know how that feels. It’s made me super wary of buying expensive items online and from IG sellers.
 
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