Please advise in buying pink sapphire ering!!!

[vhshopper]

Hi, I have been looking for an e-ring for a month, but wanted it to be different than the more widely used colourless diamond engagement ring. At first was looking for a pink diamond ring with a rose gold setting, but pink diamond availability and price became a problem as the highest I could go was a 1.2 Ct lightly pink diamond, which went from like $15K to $25K. Which is why now im considering a larger pink sapphire stone to go with the rose gold setting (I am just looking for the sapphire as I have trusted jewellers here that can make the setting for me).
I found whats seems to be a perfect 6.11 ct cushion cut Natural Certified Untreated Light Pink Sapphire at the NSC webpage, that looks amazing but am wondering if the price is right at $18,300.
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/sapphires/c-6-pink-sapphires/p-32955-natural-certified-untreated-light-pink-sapphire-p102/

This is my first ever gem purchase and its probably the most important ever which is why I'm nervous about getting played, I would gretly appreciate any advise in regard to the price and how to know if what they are telling me is in fact what I am getting. Please help!!


PD: Also, I am going to be in new york in a couple of weeks which is where they are supposed to be located so im trying to set up an appointment so that I can see the sapphire in person, but even in person I would like to know what to look out for.

 

[chrono]

A sapphire will never look like a diamond, no matter how well cut or how close the colour is. A pink diamond will sparkle many different colours while a pink sapphire sparkles mostly pink.

NSC pink sapphire
Are you comfortable wearing a stone that measures 12 x 9 mm on a daily basis? That is fairly large.
The stone shows colour zoning. There is a small strip of orange down one side of the sapphire.
NSC is generally one of the more expensive vendors but they also carry the largest sapphire inventory.
There has been customer service issues which you can read about by doing a simple search on NSC on Pricescope.

 

[vhshopper]

Thanks for your reply, it has really helped see the difference in perspective as I have never held a pink diamond. I'm stil juggling with the decision as I dont know if 1ct is too small. Although I guess a pink diamond is special all by itself and can stand apart from the rest.

These are the ones I am considering, they are about the same size (1ct - 1.06ct) but vary in price from $10k to $20k. I am wondering if there is something I am not taking into consideration that makes the price jump so much.

http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/13504.htm
http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/11254.htm
http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/12666.htm
http://www.fancydiamonds.net/view_diamonds/12718.htm

Also do you have any comments as to the seller Leibish Co.?? Buying a diamond in the internet still worries me a little

 

[chrono]

To me, a coloured diamond is more special than a pink sapphire. The slight nuances of colour is what sets the price. Even though two FCDs might have the same fancy light grading from GIA, one might show more brown whilst the other is closer to the next step up grade of fancy. I also noticed that they have different clarity grading from SI1 up to IF, which affects pricing too.

Leibish is very reputable. I've purchased a smallish fancy intense purplish pink and am very happy with the FCD and transaction. PinkJewel, Kenny and many other PSers have also had great experiences with Leibish.

 

[pinkjewel]

I can't help you about the sapphire( others on this board know a lot more about sapphires than I do), but can comment on the pink diamonds. I agree with Chrono- a pink sapphire is not going to give you the dazzle of a pink diamond. As I'm sure you're aware FCD's are all about color. The four diamonds you've linked are all very,very pale pink. Although Leibish generally has very good photos, I am having a hard time grasping quite how "pink" these will look IRL. I actually trust Leibish's opinion, so I would either email today or call or live chat with them early Sunday when they are open and ask them if they would shoot a picture with all four diamonds together and also ask them which shows the most pink IRL. Even though GIA may give the same color grade to diamonds they can look dramatically different!! In the photos a couple of them look more brownish pink, but since GIA didn't give any of them that modifier it may be just the photos.

Alternatively, since you are going to New York, they used to be able to set up a viewing of a few diamonds at a company up there. I'm not sure what the relationship is, but I know of at least one person on Pricescope that was able to select 4 diamonds that Leibish sent over for him to view in person- so you could ask about this,too.

Price of pink diamonds jump dramatically once you hit the "Fancy" catagory, especially one carat and over.The pink diamonds you've linked are not at the "Fancy" catagory yet. If you want more intense color you could look at some Fancy brownish pinks which will bring down the price from a straight "Fancy" pink or purplish pink. Some of my favorites have been "Fancy light brownish pinks" as some of them are quite lovely and can look very, very pink when set. You did mention putting it in a rose gold setting which will help amp up your pink color. Also, if you have your jeweler put a rose gold cup under the diamond (leaving a large enough hole for cleaning) it will also help to deepen the pink. Something else you may consider since it sounds like size is important to you is putting a small pink diamond halo around the diamond and then a white diamond halo around the outside of that. Or at least putting a white diamond halo (set in white gold or platinum) around the pale pink diamond which would still be set in the rose gold. The contrast will help make the pink color pop.

Since Leibish is having one of their sales- diamonds tend to disappear during that time fairly quickly. You could check with them on which one looks most pink, buy it, and if you end up not liking it in person you could return it to the New York office when you go in a couple of weeks. they have a very generous 30 day return policy- no questions asked.

 

[pinkjewel]

If you are not totally opposed to an oval I would ask about this one that Leibish has. At about 8.5 x 5.6 it will make a statement and I think the color will look gorgeous when set in rose gold! Maybe half moons or triangles on either side in a high white color for contrast!!

 

[vhshopper]

That one looks amazing. I was actually looking for an oval pink diamond at first like crazy but there wasn't as much inventory as with the round, which is why I then started to consider round. The ring I was going for is something like blake lively's engagement ring (obviously not as big, hers is supposedly a $1.5-$2M dollar one),

http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2012/09/17/blake-lively-engagement-ring-wedding/
http://nymag.com/thecut/2012/10/livelys-ring-flaunting-sparkle-fest-analyzed.html

The one I linked looks like a very light pink (very shiny) from looked at from above but as soon as you get it a little but sideways, the pink really pops out. What color do you think that kind of pink is?? And I think I might get a little more surface area with the oval dont you think??

Thanks for all your help, both pinkjewel and chrono, you guys have really helped me out. I feel like i'm almost there, and I feel much better than with the sapphire.

 

[chrono]

Good choice, Pink Jewel. I can actually see the pink in the oval and I like the fact that ovals look bigger.

 

[minousbijoux]

PJ: you are a veritable wealth of good info - thanks for all of it!

OP: the one thing that has me curious is how you can go from considering a 1 ct diamond to a 6+ ct sapphire?! Keep in mind, as others have pointed out, that sapphires are completely different than diamonds. People typically get FCDs for scintillation and color, whereas people get corundum for color, as it just doesn't have the same dispersion that a diamond has. So that said, I would decide what size ring feels right to you with respect to finger coverage and then go from there. I say that because looking at a 6 carat sapph after considering a 1 carat diamond is like comparing apples to oranges, if you KWIM.

 

[minousbijoux]

Oh, and I too, love that diamond that PJ posted.

 

[pinkjewel]

That one looks amazing. I was actually looking for an oval pink diamond at first like crazy but there wasn't as much inventory as with the round, which is why I then started to consider round. The ring I was going for is something like blake lively's engagement ring (obviously not as big, hers is supposedly a $1.5-$2M dollar one),

http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2012/09/17/blake-lively-engagement-ring-wedding/
http://nymag.com/thecut/2012/10/livelys-ring-flaunting-sparkle-fest-analyzed.html

The one I linked looks like a very light pink (very shiny) from looked at from above but as soon as you get it a little but sideways, the pink really pops out. What color do you think that kind of pink is?? And I think I might get a little more surface area with the oval dont you think??

Thanks for all your help, both pinkjewel and chrono, you guys have really helped me out. I feel like i'm almost there, and I feel much better than with the sapphire.

Blake Lively's ring looks quite different in those 2 photo spreads- but that's pretty typical of pink diamonds!! Although the one article describes it as "light pink" I'm guessing it is either "Fancy light pink" or possibly even "Fancy pink".

I'm glad you liked the pink diamond I linked-I think it looks gorgeous!! If you're really interested-I would email immediately to reserve it!

 

[vhshopper]

PJ: you are a veritable wealth of good info - thanks for all of it!

OP: the one thing that has me curious is how you can go from considering a 1 ct diamond to a 6+ ct sapphire?! Keep in mind, as others have pointed out, that sapphires are completely different than diamonds. People typically get FCDs for scintillation and color, whereas people get corundum for color, as it just doesn't have the same dispersion that a diamond has. So that said, I would decide what size ring feels right to you with respect to finger coverage and then go from there. I say that because looking at a 6 carat sapph after considering a 1 carat diamond is like comparing apples to oranges, if you KWIM.

minousbijoux: The only reason I considered both was that I was worried about the size, in fact I am still worried that the 1ct FCD will look too small. I mean with $25-30K, which is my budget, I could probably get a pretty amazing big 3+ct colourless diamond but it wouldn't make a statement which is what I'm going for. I live in a town where people are very materialistic and they are always comparing who got what, and who has what, and who got the biggest e-ring out of the pack, so taking that into account I knew that there was always someone that is going to have a bigger diamond, so I thought about going a different way about it and getting something different and unique.
So I started looking at rings with rose gold and pink stones (blake lively's e-ring as inspiration) and i found quite a few that were made with sapphires rather than FCD, I actually couldn't find many that were made with pink diamonds, which got me curious. So I started looking around and decided that if I was going to give my gf anything other than a diamond (which is the norm for e-rings) it would have to be something even more pretty amazing and unique. hence the 6+ carat pink sapphire with the rose gold setting that I was looking at.

PJ: thanks and as a matter of fact I already emailed them to try to reserve it so that I could pick it up in NY, I'm waiting to hear back from them. Lets hope I can work something out

 

[pinkjewel]

Well, I saw this morning that it is reserved- so hope you got it!

 

[Niel]

I hope you did get that its a beautiful shape! almost like a marquise! it could be made into a stunning three stone or 5 stone, something like this, but with a bezel or cup or something to bring out the pink?



however set im sure it would be pretty!

 

[vhshopper]

Well, I saw this morning that it is reserved- so hope you got it!

Yes it was reserved for me thank god, I'm going to send them a down payment and pick it up like i wanted in NY. Now for the other hard part, picking out the setting.

Neil: The pic of the ring that you posted is really something and makes the pink really pop out with the platinum or white gold and the 2 colourless side stones for contrast. Now I'm confused again!!! A really nice gentleman from Leibish named Ari send me a pick of a setting like the one I wanted but I didn't really like it, it all looks the same color. I'm going to attach the pic.

It doesn't really look like what I was going for at first.

 

[vhshopper]

Here is my initial inspiration

 

[pinkjewel]

Blake's ring looks like the diamond itself is in rose gold, but the band is probably platinum with white diamonds- this gives more contrast and IMO brings out the pink of the diamond. Pink diamonds unless quite vivid can easily blend with your skin-Blake's is so huge it would never blend in-lol. I like high white diamonds somewhere around the pink to show it's really pink. So you could do a very thin halo of white diamonds a la Victor Canera, Stephen Kirsch, Leon Mege type, or you could put triangles of white diamonds on either side (can pick other shapes,too) and also put a few white diamond melee in the band on either side, or you could do one exactly like Blake's. It looked in one picture I saw of it that it also has melee diamonds running around the basket on the diamond,too which may be white diamonds in rose gold or could even be fancy light pink diamonds in rose gold. Her wedding bands look to be rose gold with either light pink or white diamonds. What I definitely would do is put a rose gold cup below the diamond since it is a shallow diamond to bring out the pink.

ETA- I don't care for the all one color mock up Ari sent either.

 

[chrono]

I would want to accentuate the contrast by using white diamond melees on the shank.

 

[Niel]

yeah i think id pair it with the whitest diamonds i could find. Blake lively's ring is lovely! but honestly before this thread i didnt even know it was pink! Ive seen it lots of times, and it always looks white . If you pair it with larger side stones, id get D's to really bring out the contrast.

heres one sarahbear always posts (i think shes replicating it) an its does a good job of emphasizing the slight color it has by haloing and having side stones, plus, the bezel.

 

[pinkjewel]

Here is the ring Katie Holmes had- pink diamond in halo. I always thought it was a beautiful setting,too.