Opinion on a blue sapphire

[FartingRainbows]

Hi everyone!

I am looking for a gem for an engagement ring and chanced upon this stone on Etsy.

Could you please share your thoughts on this stone please and if USD4.9k is a fair price? We love the colour and all but I'm fairly new at this and would like to tap on the collective wisdom of everyone here before I pull the trigger! Please let me know if there is anything that I may have missed or should be concerned about. It's a ~3ct cushion cut stone with measurements of 8.1mm 6.4mm x 5.9mm.

Thank you so much!!



Listing: https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/...f=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&frs=1

 

[dk168]

Welcome to PS!

Heat or no heat, and does it come with a certificate from a reputable laboratory?

Based on the photos alone, I like the cut and colour, however, the colour is probably a bit on the dark side for a Sapphire that I would buy for myself.

At the price mentioned, I suspect it is heated.

Personal opinion and preferences etc., and I am not an expert by any means.

DK

 

[FartingRainbows]

Thank you DK for the warm welcome and quick response!

Yes, the gem is certified by E G lab. Will need to check whether it is heated or not, Did a quick web search and correct me if I am wrong, but it appears to be one of the more established Sri Lankan labs?

 

[Ionysis]

It’s a reputable Sri Lankan lab. Many on here would expect / want a western cert. Wouldn’t bother me personally however.

BUT I would ask for a few more shots of the stone balanced on fingers in natural light. This could be light flooded - forceps shots are notoriously misleading. I’d be worried this would turn up and be much darker in person. Nice cut - but I feel this will be overly dark in most lights aside from bright sun.

what is your preference? Darker or a brighter / lighter hue?

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

Agreed to hand shots, preferably hand videos. The video of it on the green moss it seems like there's some color zoning. That's not necessarily a deal breaker, just depends on what the wearer thinks.

 

[CSpan]

It is lovely stone, do you mind the Madagascar origin? It matters for some folks but not others.

The only other concern I have is that the seller only has 14 sales and 2 reviews. This might be moot, say if they sell via other venues, but it did jump out at me.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

A good rule of thumb is for the sapphire to be one to two shades lighter on the fingers than your goal color. It's subtle but makes a difference. The reasoning is that when set they can darken down depending on the mounting chosen. It's a very pretty stone but it will likely face up a beautiful deep royal/navy in most rings in indoor lighting.
* Also, and this seller does, make sure they accept returns. Gems are hard to buy if you can't see them in person(it takes practice) and it's not uncommon to return several stones until you find 'yours'.

 

[Bron357]

Welcome.
A few thoughts.

The Etsy seller is new, just 14 sales.
Im wary of Etsy because there’s only provision for buyers to leave positive feedback (were the other 12 buyers happy?)
Did they show you the lab report?
I’d ask for a photo of that before purchase.
Check what the return shipping and insurance costs will be.
With some Countries it’s extremely expensive/ difficult to return items.
Will you have any import or taxes to pay?
Check this first.
If you pay with PayPal (recommended due to security and dispute resolution process) will you be out of pocket PayPal fees?
Paypal changed their agreement, they now keep their fee (a seller receives your money less PayPal fees) regardless of the reason the sale didn’t proceed (except disputes). This fee is between 3 and 5%. That could be $250 US. So your costs to return the sapphire if you don’t like it ie if you return for refund, might be $250 US plus shipping and insurance. Important to check first.
About the sapphire.
Personally I think it’s too expensive if the sapphire is heated. That why you need to sight the lab report. Nothing wrong with just heat but it’s a treatment nevertheless.
It will be quite dark once set. That means it will look “flat” in low light situations ie inside, office lighting, night time. Not a deal breaker but that’s how it is with darker toned sapphires.

 

[FartingRainbows]

Thank you everyone who responded with the wonderful advice. Much food for thought.

BUT I would ask for a few more shots of the stone balanced on fingers in natural light. This could be light flooded - forceps shots are notoriously misleading. I’d be worried this would turn up and be much darker in person. Nice cut - but I feel this will be overly dark in most lights aside from bright sun.

what is your preference? Darker or a brighter / lighter hue?

A good rule of thumb is for the sapphire to be one to two shades lighter on the fingers than your goal color. It's subtle but makes a difference. The reasoning is that when set they can darken down depending on the mounting chosen. It's a very pretty stone but it will likely face up a beautiful deep royal/navy in most rings in indoor lighting.
* Also, and this seller does, make sure they accept returns. Gems are hard to buy if you can't see them in person(it takes practice) and it's not uncommon to return several stones until you find 'yours'.

I think what I prefer would be considered a darker hue. In fact, the colour in the forceps shot is exactly what I am looking for.

The seller did send me another picture of the stone on a white background. It does seem a few shades darker. Is this a more accurate depiction of what the gem will look like on a regular daily basis?

Also, we are thinking of going with a simple 4-pronged solitaire setting. What are your thoughts on that? Would that make a stone look brighter?

Agreed to hand shots, preferably hand videos. The video of it on the green moss it seems like there's some color zoning. That's not necessarily a deal breaker, just depends on what the wearer thinks.

Yes, I was a little concerned about that. Where do see the colour zoning? Is it along the long edges?

Welcome.
A few thoughts.

The Etsy seller is new, just 14 sales.
Im wary of Etsy because there’s only provision for buyers to leave positive feedback (were the other 12 buyers happy?)
Did they show you the lab report?
I’d ask for a photo of that before purchase.
Check what the return shipping and insurance costs will be.
With some Countries it’s extremely expensive/ difficult to return items.
Will you have any import or taxes to pay?
Check this first.
If you pay with PayPal (recommended due to security and dispute resolution process) will you be out of pocket PayPal fees?
Paypal changed their agreement, they now keep their fee (a seller receives your money less PayPal fees) regardless of the reason the sale didn’t proceed (except disputes). This fee is between 3 and 5%. That could be $250 US. So your costs to return the sapphire if you don’t like it ie if you return for refund, might be $250 US plus shipping and insurance. Important to check first.
About the sapphire.
Personally I think it’s too expensive if the sapphire is heated. That why you need to sight the lab report. Nothing wrong with just heat but it’s a treatment nevertheless.
It will be quite dark once set. That means it will look “flat” in low light situations ie inside, office lighting, night time. Not a deal breaker but that’s how it is with darker toned sapphires.

I'll be sure to find out more about these points. Thanks for pointing them out!

 

[icy_jade]

Looks like it will be a very dark stone. Personally I will pass

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

A four prong will let in some light, I really wished they'd done a back of the hand shot for you both inside and outside. The white background is great for objective color but does nothing for what it'll do on your hand- where it will live. It's going to be a navy stone, and many people love a navy stone- the only downside is that it can 'blackout' in some lighting which most people try to avoid. But, on the other hand, many people love the look so it really comes down to the color you're looking for. That's more important than trade ideal. What does your gut say? If this isn't the one there are many blue sapphires out there to choose from.
It will likely be a shade lighter than this, so still a very deep sapphire. Is this the look you were going for?


* I suggest looking for a picture of a sapphire ring with a color you love and go from there. We can help by looking at what you find.

 

[Avondale]

I'm not knowledgeable so I won't be offering any opinions on the stone. However, I do have a sapphire that's similarly dark in colour and I thought I could provide some pictures to help you see what everyone's talking about when they say it might be too dark when worn on the finger.

In sunlight, on white background:


On hand in daylight:


On hand inside, in the evening:


If the light becomes very dim, it blacks out entirely. So you gotta be careful about that, it can end up being quite the disappointment. I made this ring for everyday wear, so when I'm outside and about and in daylight the colour is exactly what I love. I would lie, though, if I was to say I wasn't bummed out when I realised what happens when the light conditions worsen. As people here told me, it's a learning curve.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

I'm not knowledgeable so I won't be offering any opinions on the stone. However, I do have a sapphire that's similarly dark in colour and I thought I could provide some pictures to help you see what everyone's talking about when they say it might be too dark when worn on the finger.

In sunlight, on white background:


On hand in daylight:


On hand inside, in the evening:


If the light becomes very dim, it blacks out entirely. So you gotta be careful about that, it can end up being quite the disappointment. I made this ring for everyday wear, so when I'm outside and about and in daylight the colour is exactly what I love. I would lie, though, if I was to say I wasn't bummed out when I realised what happens when the light conditions worsen. As people here told me, it's a learning curve.

that is a great compassion, we should save this somewhere so we can show it in all the dark blue saphire threads like this one
may i ask for future reference and as the owner of several too dark saphires what is the colour of your saphire actaully called ?

@FartingRainbows congradulations to you and your significant other on your engagment, my warmest wishes for a long happy life together for you

i hope you take advantage of all the help that the forum will offer you

 

[Avondale]

may i ask for future reference and as the owner of several too dark saphires what is the colour of your saphire actaully called ?

Supposedly it's royal blue with a tone that's leaning on the deeper side. I don't have the eye or the experience to evaluate it, I just saw it in the store and thought it was really pretty and vivid blue. I'd say the pictures are mostly an accurate representation of the colour, at least on my screen, so you'll possibly be a better judge.

If you'd like to use it as a future reference, please do, I don't mind in the slightest. If it's helpful to others, that would make me perfectly happy.