Please help me find my gorgeous "OMG" blue sapphire

[icy_jade]

prefer the color on the cushion but pls post side by side for us?

 

[SparkleC]

How can one person take so many pictures!?!?! Let me introduce the two lovelies I've been getting to know. First the round.

1.79 ct​

6.90 mm x 4.50 mm​

not yet carted but can be through GIA or AGL​

heat only​

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PICTURES FROM VENDOR:​

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TAKEN AROUND 6:00 UNDER AN OVERCAST SKY​

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TAKEN IN MY BATHROOM HARSH OVERHEAD LIGHTING​

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TAKEN IN MY BEDROOM DIM OVERHEAD LIGHTING​

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TAKEN IN THE KITCHEN DIRECT OVERHEAD LIGHT​

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I'm at my 10 picture limit. I'll load up another batch.​

 

[SparkleC]

A few more of the round.

TAKEN IN MY BEDROOM



TAKEN INSIDE BESIDE A WINDOW

 

[SparkleC]

Now I'd like you to meet Miss Cushion. She is very hard to accurately photograph.

1.53 ct​

6.40mm x 6.10mm x 3.75mm​

GIA report​

unheated​

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VENDOR PICTURES​

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TAKEN OUTSIDE UNDER OVERCAST SKY AROUND 6 PM​

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TAKEN IN FRONT OF A WINDOW​

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TAKEN IN MY BEDROOM​

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TAKEN IN THE BATHROOM​

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reached my limit. I'll load up a few more of her.​

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[SparkleC]

Just a few more of the elusive Miss Cushion:

IN THE KITCHEN

 

[SparkleC]

prefer the color on the cushion but pls post side by side for us?

Of course. What do you think? I'm going to show two outdoor shots so they are in the same light.

 

[Lilith112]

I prefer the cushion, but would personally continue to look around a bit more for a tad more saturation and a bit more even-ness in terms of coloration. Based on your pics and my screen's monitor, it looks like it loses quite a bit of color in less than ideal lighting which would be a deal breaker for me.

To find your ideal sapphire, I think it's better to take your time and slowly shop around. I only bought my sapphire after looking at upwards of 20 sapphires that came with various designations-- from vivid blue to cornflower blue.

 

[pwsg07]

Round. More brilliance is shown.

 

[icy_jade]

I don’t find the pics comparable as your hand color looks quite different.

Anyway irl which one looks better to you?

 

[Rfisher]

Is your outdoor photo of the cushion taken at the same time as the round or like much later with sun noticeable lower? Like then below the trees?
The cushion obviously has a bigger window than the round. But I can’t tell from your photos if the cushion is just pancaked out with no brilliance or faceting is just obscured by silk/fuzzy photos.

 

[SparkleC]

I don’t find the pics comparable as your hand color looks quite different.

Anyway irl which one looks better to you?

I know, I'm sorry. I've never tried to take pictures like this. Clearly not my forte!

They both seem to black out in low light but I don't think that's too unusual. Is it? In certain lights the cushion appears to have lighter color on the edges.

A round seems to be more complementary to the ring design I have in mind. This round has the electric blue I'm drawn to but not consistently. Am I expecting too much?

 

[SparkleC]

Is your outdoor photo of the cushion taken at the same time as the round or like much later with sun noticeable lower? Like then below the trees?
The cushion obviously has a bigger window than the round. But I can’t tell from your photos if the cushion is just pancaked out with no brilliance or faceting is just obscured by silk/fuzzy photos.

The two outdoor photos were taken on my patio around 5:30 today within a few minutes of each other. We are about to get our first major storm of the winter so it was an overcast snow sky.

I'm sorry the cushion photos are not as clear. I'm really having a hard time capturing that stone for some reason. From the photos, both mind and vendor's do you have any thoughts on the table of the cushion? Does it look proportionate to the stone?



Does this shot of the cushion help at all? Also taken outside with the other shots around 5:30 today. In this one it's sitting on a little ledge on the side of my house.

 

[Rfisher]

I think the cushion’s crown is pretty. It’s the pavilion that might be the issue along with the window that’s causing lack of brilliance. If brilliance is of high importance.
I have a pancake stone too! It’s windowed, and the saturation it does have makes up for it enough for me. It’s ok for me and I know it’s not others cup o tea. That’s ok.
Taking photos is difficult! I forgot you already stated it was an overcast day - my apologies.
I think your pictures show them going dark - but not absolutely blacking out.
The round shape appealing for your ring design in mind speaks volumes.
The big crux here is the trade offs of color /performance in relationship to your budget is what you have to decide. If what you expect is outside of your budget, that’s when you are expecting too much. Not everyone here has access to some of the sources seen on PS. It’s a hard call on when to wait for something better, that needle in a haystack, at a do-able price.

 

[SparkleC]

I think the cushion’s crown is pretty. It’s the pavilion that might be the issue along with the window that’s causing lack of brilliance. If brilliance is of high importance.
I have a pancake stone too! It’s windowed, and the saturation it does have makes up for it enough for me. It’s ok for me and I know it’s not others cup o tea. That’s ok.
Taking photos is difficult! I forgot you already stated it was an overcast day - my apologies.
I think your pictures show them going dark - but not absolutely blacking out.
The round shape appealing for your ring design in mind speaks volumes.
The big crux here is the trade offs of color /performance in relationship to your budget is what you have to decide. If what you expect is outside of your budget, that’s when you are expecting too much. Not everyone here has access to some of the sources seen on PS. It’s a hard call on when to wait for something better, that needle in a haystack, at a do-able price.

As this is my first time buying a loose sapphire I confess I'm still learning. I thought "glowy" implied less brilliance. The vendor describes the cushion as glowy. I do like that velvety blue that comes with the glowy stones but I really like sparkles. Here's the vendor's shot of the pavilion:



Your advice is sound. As most of us do have to keep to a budget, we have to prioritize what we want. I'm very pleased with my interactions with this vendor so far. They have been very reassuring that if these do not make my heart sing, we can keep looking. I really have very little to compare real life stones to other than the pictures I see on PS and the internet. And after trying to take these pictures today I truly understand how difficult it is to capture in a picture what you see with your own eyes.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it.

 

[icy_jade]

Put the stones side by side and take the pic at the same time in the same frame

Like this


I usually put them on my hand and then walk carefully around the house in diff lighting. If you have a big house then perhaps use a tray or put back in case each time or whatever. The idea is to see them side by side in exactly the same condition

 

[Hivona]

I don’t have much to contribute just that here is an Instagram account I follow that has nice gems but I’ll be honest I have never made a purchase.

Also, just a few days ago I took a pic of this setting as an idea for an emerald cut gem I have. It is a Stuller setting.

 

[Rad_Fan]

I was so sure that I liked the cushion from vendor's pictures, until seeing the round on your hand outdoor! I like that depth of the hue of the round. Waiting to see if you could take pictures of them together, per @icy_jade 's advice.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Love the cushion. It is gorgeous.

 

[Rfisher]

As this is my first time buying a loose sapphire I confess I'm still learning. I thought "glowy" implied less brilliance. The vendor describes the cushion as glowy. I do like that velvety blue that comes with the glowy stones but I really like sparkles. Here's the vendor's shot of the pavilion:



Your advice is sound. As most of us do have to keep to a budget, we have to prioritize what we want. I'm very pleased with my interactions with this vendor so far. They have been very reassuring that if these do not make my heart sing, we can keep looking. I really have very little to compare real life stones to other than the pictures I see on PS and the internet. And after trying to take these pictures today I truly understand how difficult it is to capture in a picture what you see with your own eyes.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate it.

Glowy/silky yes indeed is ‘opposite’ to brilliance and it’s a trade off. I think super ideally the glowy/silky is dependent on lighting source, and the brilliance is apparent in other lighting sources. Someone please correct me if I’m mistaken?
I brought up the pavilion because I can’t tell if that’s contributing to less brilliance as well.
Holding the stones near each other to view and photo while walking around is great but nerve wracking! Don’t walk near any HVAC vents!
I think both shapes have their redeeming qualities, but would love to smash them together for an even better one.

 

[Rfisher]

I also think if you can state where these two stones lay at, in generic relationship to your budget ( I think you stated 5k?) - top, mid, low - that can also help some here state if they are ‘realistic to your budget’

 

[Mike Chan]

Hello everyone! Such a lovely thread here - always nice to see different jewellery styles and the story behind it. I am a jewellery exhibitor and I love sapphires! What do you think of blue agate? Matching it with it might give you more an inner peace from its natural healing capabilities.

 

[Rfisher]

Ok- I just figured out for sure what cushion this one is.
If I’m right - I thought it sold a while back.
If I’m right - I’m really really curious to know what others think about GIA report for this being covering all bases for “new” treatments, which would be my concern for the asking price it was at.

 

[arkieb1]

Ok- I just figured out for sure what cushion this one is.
If I’m right - I thought it sold a while back.
If I’m right - I’m really really curious to know what others think about GIA report for this being covering all bases for “new” treatments, which would be my concern for the asking price it was at.

Out of curiosity, what "new" treatment are you suggesting? GIA identifies most treatments ie heating, diffusion, synthetics, and doublets in blue sapphires, what else is missing? If it states untreated, then it's untreated.

 

[Rfisher]

Out of curiosity, what "new" treatment are you suggesting? GIA identifies most treatments ie heating, diffusion, synthetics, and doublets in blue sapphires, what else is missing? If it states untreated, then it's untreated.

Thanks arkie, I was going to tag you.
I thought there’s been discussion about GIA and some locations of other labs not being able to test for certain treatments - ‘newer’ BE I think it was- to the same degree that other labs were. Even to the point of questioning the unheated status that would make further testing moot.
I hope I’m wrong. I’ll try and find what I read that’s making me think this. If I can’t - I’ll still come back and state it’s my faulty memory.

 

[Rfisher]

I can’t find what I was looking for. It was a couple of years ago when I purchased my (unheated GIA) ruby, but thought it encompassed blues as well. It wasn’t just thoughts of a PS prosumer, it was something I saw on a respected lab’s site as well. Oh well.
@SparkleC I’ll ask the mods to remove my posts if you deem them distracting as I can’t find the backup I was looking for.

And FWIW I’m team cushion. I think the asking price was appropriate, and wanting more performance (no window, more brilliance, and more vividness in low light) from it at that price is where it’s an unrealistic expectation - unless it totally goes grey/desaturates in some lighting to a major degree.

 

[PieAreSquared]

Thanks arkie, I was going to tag you.
I thought there’s been discussion about GIA and some locations of other labs not being able to test for certain treatments - ‘newer’ BE I think it was- to the same degree that other labs were. Even to the point of questioning the unheated status that would make further testing moot.
I hope I’m wrong. I’ll try and find what I read that’s making me think this. If I can’t - I’ll still come back and state it’s my faulty memory.

Hopefully I wasn't the one who confused you. I mentioned in a recent thread that 3-4 years ago I sent a blue sapphire to AGL who was unable to detect BE treatment and had to send it to "another lab" which I have since decided was GIA. GIA is still the only one who can detect BE treatment, as they are the only one with the equipment.
I think @scouty mentioned that AGL told her they still can't do it themselves, but GIA can.

 

[PieAreSquared]

The thread I was talking about:

Help please with pricing sapphire ring on LT! - by scouty

I have a sapphire ring that I would like to post on LT but wanted to see if I could get any recommendations on what the price range would be. I picked out the sapphire myself in person from Brilliant Earth (before I heard about PS!) and it is ~6.5mm round Ceylon origin sapphire with heat...

www.pricescope.com

 

[Rfisher]

Hopefully I wasn't the one who confused you. I mentioned in a recent thread that 3-4 years ago I sent a blue sapphire to AGL who was unable to detect BE treatment and had to send it to "another lab" which I have since decided was GIA. GIA is still the only one who can detect BE treatment, as they are the only one with the equipment.
I think @scouty mentioned that AGL told her they still can't do it themselves, but GIA can.

Thank you, but no. That thread would be too recent.

 

[arkieb1]

Yes a few people on here argue that certain labs don't have the correct equipment to test BE treated and diffused stones correctly. I've talked to Richard Hughes via email years ago about that (the owner of Lotus Lab in Thailand) which I think does one of the best identifications of origin on any sapphire or ruby and his staff generally all can tell even without the uber expensive machines it is claimed needed for such identification.

You put a BE or diffused, or coated blue sapphire under a scope and most experienced lab staff that look at a lot of sapphires can tell. The argument is that as the treatments on the stones is becoming more advanced, the equipment needed to identify such treatments also needs to be more advanced. (No I have not as yet asked Lotus if they have a mass spectrometer).

Generally when something comes back from a lab like GIA as unheated and untreated having said that it is rarely ever to NEVER going to be BE treated (you have to heat the stones in order to do most of the nasty treatments people worry about).

I find it curious (and this is not aimed specifically at anyone it's just a general observation), that people on here are about 10000+ more likely to buy a heavily treated paraiba that has been oiled and filled with Opticon or other fillers than they will ever get a BE treated blue sapphire. So why on earth are people freaking out about blue sapphires and yet not flipping out more about the pariabas I see them paying substantial $$$$$$s for......

 

[Lilith112]

Glowy/silky yes indeed is ‘opposite’ to brilliance and it’s a trade off. I think super ideally the glowy/silky is dependent on lighting source, and the brilliance is apparent in other lighting sources. Someone please correct me if I’m mistaken?
I brought up the pavilion because I can’t tell if that’s contributing to less brilliance as well.
Holding the stones near each other to view and photo while walking around is great but nerve wracking! Don’t walk near any HVAC vents!
I think both shapes have their redeeming qualities, but would love to smash them together for an even better one.

Silky/brilliance definitely depends on lighting! My sapphire looks more sparkly in artificial indoor lighting e.g office lighting, but very glowy in sunlight. There's also some lightings where it looks partially glowy and sparkly! Ideally, I like a bit of both for max performance.