Opinions on this blue sapphire?

[JCJD]

I want to get a blue sapphire for a pendant to wear as my "something blue" in my wedding. I''ve browsed through here for sapphire knowledge, but I''m still really green when it comes to this...

I want a small blue sapphire, heated is preferred (I''m poor!! LOL), eye-clean, to be set in a 4-prong pendant locally. I''m not that picky, but I want to get something beautiful that is a good value for my money. Opinions on this stone? The picture looks nice, but I don''t really know what I''m doing...

http://www.ajsgems.com/SAP/SAP-00326.htm

or perhaps:

http://www.ajsgems.com/SAP/SAP-00325.htm

Thanks!!!

 

[Nicrez]

I personally don''t feel you can trust the computer screens for color...

Have you considered lab created sapphires? They are basically the same corundum material, and usually flawless, very inexpensive, and you can get a larger size or more (if you want a necklace or earrings perhaps)

If you buy sapphires or any other big three colored stones, be careful to ask them specifically if it is natural, what treatments if any it has, and if there is any certification available on it, along with other questions you can think of...

Good luck and how will you set this stone?

 

[valeria101]

Hm... sure the local jeweler doens't have anything in stock ? It is easier to pick one piece of a parcel they might have than guess. And shipping would make this cost more than necesary.

Speaking of sapphire, I would rather look up these:

(the calibrated squares and ovals) HERE

Small ones look pretty drab (like shards) if not cut well. Those two at AJS look shallow and dark to me.

A parcel of sapphire rounds might look like this in the jeweler's shop. Too bad these guys do not have a slightly larger (5-6mm, no ?) listed, but perhaps backstage they might. LINK Faceters.com lists a couple (5mm or so).


Speaking of blue, something else comes to mind

LINK I can still remember staring into one "paraiba" ring a whole evening only to find out it was a small blue zircon.

Anyway... here's another blue out of the box:

not sapphire allright, but with this color, they'd wish !

The all-times-special comes from StevePerryGems. I don't want to know what a large piece of this color might look like. Too good to be true - although I am sure there are some out there.

Another blue: 1 carat blue spinel this time. I think AcStones can set it as well...

And one more blue spinel to close:

I know these are colder blue than the perfect sapphire, but matching sapphire would likely not get this nicely cut and cost more just for the name, not the looks. Sure you know where my loyalty goes by now

I love spinel !

Hope some of the ranting helps.

 

[lonewoodminer]

It would only be an educated guess but the photos look very much like chinese stone.You may be surprised how dark they really are when you see the real thing. Im not sure where Nicrez is heading recomending lab created then warning if you buy a REAL sapphire to ask if its natural or what treatments. Surely you cant get much more mucked around with then lab created man made stuff. Perhaps Im to old fashioned but there are lots good natural sapphire at great prices.

Good luck
Andrew Lane
www.aussiesapphire.com.au

 

[JCJD]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I''d been toying with the idea of simulated sapph''s, but wasn''t too sure I wanted to go that direction because I''m OK with genuine heat-treated sapphires anyways. I hadn''t really thought about picking a sapphire at a local jeweler - didn''t think that they might do that really! Definitely would help me pick out a good color and size, and yes, save on shipping.
Ana - I didn''t know there were blue spinels! Are they very common? expensive??
lonewoodminer - I was wondering about how dark those stones would be, especially once set. I want it to look BLUE, not so dark that it looks black. It will be set in plat or wg or silver, not yellow - would that make a difference in the set color?

Some more questions - if I set the sapph in silver, how do I polish the silver? I''d read on here that sometimes silver polish will damage sapph''s, but is that only if there''s a coating on them? What could I do to polish the silver myself? Would I have to just bring it in for polishing instead? I''m leaning towards silver mostly because of price and wg definitely yellows on me quickly. Will the stone be less secure in a silver setting? Should I go with a 6-prong instead of 4 or 3 if I do silver? Will bezel make the sapph look darker?

Whew!! Thanks again all for your responses! I''ve got a lot to learn!

 

[Nicrez]

I was simply giving JCJD an option of lab created. They do create corundum that is basically a sapphire, without being grown in nature. I have purchased a few as specimens to keep in my collection and possibly make cufflinks out of for fun.

As for getting real sapphires, you can''t go wrong with real ones, but you do pay the price. I just warn that if you do buy natural sapphires, they rarely disclose any treatments and such to the customers, unless they are SPECIFICALLY asked. I say ask. If they lie, then you have recourse.

If you want an inexpensive blue stone, spinel is a good choice, or even Topaz (which is irradiated blue), Aquamarine, Paraiba tourmaline (which is a greenish blue, but a bit pricey for a nice specimen), and perhaps even Lapiz Lazuli, if you like that sort of rock look.

I love sapphires, and totally recommend them, but it just seemed to me you were on a tight budget for the wedding, and this was sort of a lark gift to yourself, and I know how pricey things can get when planning a wedding!!!

If you do get a heat treated sapphire, try looking for stones from Myanmar (even though we don''t technically BUY from there right now, Thailand can offer some of these stones, since they cut them there), try Cambodia, or Vietnamese...

Australian sapphires will be dark and less pleasing I think for your "blue" look...

 

[bstraszheim]

Hi JCJD,

I know you are looking for a sapphire, but I *have* to put in a good word for spinel : ) I bought some loose sapphires (thank you www.simplysapphires.com !) and also bought a blue spinel. I actually had them set as individual rings that I can mix and match as my mood suits me and I couldn''t believe the sparkle that the spinel had! It reflects the light far better than the sapphires do! Now that may be just the cut, but I have about 15 sapphires set into the individual rings and 3 or 4 spinels and I can''t think that ALL the sapphire cuts are bad and ALL the spinel cuts are good. Good luck with your search : )

I wish you well,

Bridget

 

[JCJD]

Date: 2/4/2005 12:23:11 PM
Author: Nicrez
I love sapphires, and totally recommend them, but it just seemed to me you were on a tight budget for the wedding, and this was sort of a lark gift to yourself, and I know how pricey things can get when planning a wedding!!!

Right on!!! You''re exactly right Nicrez!! Especially with the recent news of lead-based costume jewelry at places like Claire''s, I don''t want to go costume for the wedding. So, since I need a "something blue" anyways, I wanted to look for a sapphire or similar blue stone pendant. I''m OK with genuine heat-treated or sim (depending on cost), like I mentioned above, and I''m not as picky about clarity as I would be if it were for a ring that I''d be staring at all day, esp since I''m thinking of going less than .5 ct. So..... I guess I''m leaning more towards genuine, eye-clean, clear blue, not too dark, heat-treated, small sapphire. Hmmmmmmmmm...... any more advice?? Other things I should look out for? I''d like this to be something my sister could borrow for her wedding, my kids to have someday, so I''d like it to last. Thanks again!!!

 

[JCJD]

Thanks Bridget! From Wink''s colored gems tutorial on this site, I think the difference you''re seeing is from the native cuts on the sapphires. This is cutting to preserve a large carat weight, not to maximize the stone''s beauty. If I were to go sim, that wouldn''t be a problem I suspect...

From my casual browsing around, it seems like spinel is more expensive than sapphire! Is that true? Why is that?

 

[bstraszheim]

Hi JCJD,

I know what you are saying about "native cuts", I just find it hard to believe that the spinels didn''t also get a "native cut" to maximize the carat weight. Either all the sapphires are badly cut, and the spinels are well cut, or the spinels have more "brilliance". I''d also try www.gemsuite.com. They have some great stones.

Just my opinion,

I wish you well.

Bridget

 

[lonewoodminer]

style="WIDTH: 96.64%; HEIGHT: 178px">Date: 2/4/2005 12:23:11 PM
Author: Nicrez
I was simply giving JCJD an option of lab created. They do create corundum that is basically a sapphire, without being grown in nature. I have purchased a few as specimens to keep in my collection and possibly make cufflinks out of for fun.

As for getting real sapphires, you can''t go wrong with real ones, but you do pay the price. I just warn that if you do buy natural sapphires, they rarely disclose any treatments and such to the customers, unless they are SPECIFICALLY asked. I say ask. If they lie, then you have recourse.
....
Australian sapphires will be dark and less pleasing I think for your ''blue'' look...

I take issue with the statement that "Australian sapphire will be dark and less pleasing". Australian sapphire producers have for many years been burdened with the generic label of "too dark" while our best sapphire has been relabelled and sold as sapphire from more desirable locations. It is definitely true that Australia has sources of dark sapphire and this is what has been available giving the impression that this is all we produce.There are different sources all with distinctive character - Queensland with dark blue, great parti and green/fancy colours and New England with the top quality blue-on-blue Reddestone sapphire and lighter blue Inverell sapphire. Australian sapphire may not be the best choice for the original poster (something blue for her wedding) but wanted to point out that sapphire of great blue colour is available for those who want to search out for it.

cheers
Andrew
www.aussiesapphire.com.au

 

[JCJD]

Bridget - Ah, I see. That is weird that all the sapphires would be native but all the spinels were recut (or whatever). How does blue spinel compare in price to blue sapphire? Are the blue spinels as gray in person as they seem on screen? Thanks!!

Date: 2/4/2005 4:29:43 PM
Author: lonewoodminer

style="WIDTH: 96.64%; HEIGHT: 178px">Date: 2/4/2005 12:23:11 PM

Author: Nicrez

Australian sapphires will be dark and less pleasing I think for your ''blue'' look...

I take issue with the statement that ''Australian sapphire will be dark and less pleasing''. Australian sapphire producers have for many years been burdened with the generic label of ''too dark'' while our best sapphire has been relabelled and sold as sapphire from more desirable locations. It is definitely true that Australia has sources of dark sapphire and this is what has been available giving the impression that this is all we produce.There are different sources all with distinctive character - Queensland with dark blue, great parti and green/fancy colours and New England with the top quality blue-on-blue Reddestone sapphire and lighter blue Inverell sapphire. Australian sapphire may not be the best choice for the original poster (something blue for her wedding) but wanted to point out that sapphire of great blue colour is available for those who want to search out for it.


cheers

Andrew

www.aussiesapphire.com.au

I think Nicrez''s point is that "typical" Australian sapphire would likely be too dark for my desired blue look, which is also why she suggested simulated stones, and you have also pointed out that some of Australia''s "best sapphire" is relabeled from "more desirable" origins. As I''m a poor graduate student and my fiance is a poor recent graduate with a busted car and our wedding is a little over 4 months away, I can afford neither the time nor the money to search out the best of anything, but thank you for the information concerning this seemingly common misconception.

 

[valeria101]

Date: 2/4/2005 5:15:4 PM
Author: JCJD
That is weird that all the sapphires would be native but all the spinels were recut (or whatever). How does blue spinel compare in price to blue sapphire? Are the blue spinels as gray in person as they seem on screen? Thanks!!

It just happens in the small sample I came up with. Blue spinel is a "cold blue" - at best not graish. But hei, those do not look gray to me... if they do to you, than pass. I don''t think the photos are pesimistic.

Ocasioanlly, blue spinel looks as good as good sapphire - not to dark, not grayish or greenish. At any rate, it would be less expensive than sapphire. Also, blue spinel is not very common and considered collectable. This makes the odds of finding some finely cut better.

I forgot about one online shop you might find useful: All That Glitters

 

[Colored Gemstone Nut]

style="WIDTH: 100.15%; HEIGHT: 128px">Date: 2/4/2005 2:25:18 PM
Author: JCJD
Thanks Bridget! From Wink''s colored gems tutorial on this site, I think the difference you''re seeing is from the native cuts on the sapphires. This is cutting to preserve a large carat weight, not to maximize the stone''s beauty. If I were to go sim, that wouldn''t be a problem I suspect...

From my casual browsing around, it seems like spinel is more expensive than sapphire! Is that true? Why is that?

JCJD:

Gem prices and the premium they bring depend on a large number of variables like size, clarity, location, quality (color & clarity), cut, or whether the stone is a natural or has been enhanced.

Spinel is not more expensive than sapphire. With this in mind, a certain high quality spinel might be priced higher than a lower quality sapphire. I have seen natural high end spinels from Burma ranging from $2000-$3000 per carat. while I have seen some very gorgeous natural burmese sapphires ranging from $4000-$7000 per carat.