Poll-which one to choose?

[Timor]

Hi fellow PSers, please lend your opinions on a purchase decision I’m making

So I was eyeing a jade ring a few days ago, and decided to see it in person. But in the meantime, my eyes also strayed to star sapphires (no thanks to the delicious thread here on PS!)
I am strictly limiting myself to one purchase at this time, so would love some second opinions to help me make the decision.

1. Jade ring
I asked for a certificate proving it to be untreated jade. What first drew me was the design of the ring. I think the stone looked lovely in sunlight (probably facilitated by the WG setting). It dulls a bit indoors, but i guess so does everything else.




2. 1.84ct star sapphire
Purplish-pink, heated.


3. 2.82ct star sapphire
A bit more translucent than the first one, has a few small black inclusions if you look closely.


4. 3.87ct star sapphire
Lavender, a little silvery. From a particular angle you can see a white feather inclusion.


And finally some group photos for comparison! Note: the star sapphires are all low-dome (in fact almost flat), which I guess allows bigger face-up but should I look for something g a little rounder? Does it make the star perform better?


Advice appreciated, thanks in advance!

 

[dk168]

I voted for the jade ring as I really like it.

The star Sapphires do not do anything for me, sorry!

Personal preferences and all that.

DK

 

[Catmom]

Hi fellow PSers, please lend your opinions on a purchase decision I’m making

So I was eyeing a jade ring a few days ago, and decided to see it in person. But in the meantime, my eyes also strayed to star sapphires (no thanks to the delicious thread here on PS!)
I am strictly limiting myself to one purchase at this time, so would love some second opinions to help me make the decision.

1. Jade ring
I asked for a certificate proving it to be untreated jade. What first drew me was the design of the ring. I think the stone looked lovely in sunlight (probably facilitated by the WG setting). It dulls a bit indoors, but i guess so does everything else.




2. 1.84ct star sapphire
Purplish-pink, heated.


3. 2.82ct star sapphire
A bit more translucent than the first one, has a few small black inclusions if you look closely.


4. 3.87ct star sapphire
Lavender, a little silvery. From a particular angle you can see a white feather inclusion.


And finally some group photos for comparison! Note: the star sapphires are all low-dome (in fact almost flat), which I guess allows bigger face-up but should I look for something g a little rounder? Does it make the star perform better?


Advice appreciated, thanks in advance!

Well I'm liking the star sapphires but I could just be a bit biased, lol. My black star sapphire is a lower domed stone and it has a pretty bright star/stars. I really like the color of the lavender ones. The color draws my eye more than the pinkish one but it is all about what color you like the most if you were to get one.

 

[Avondale]

One blindly thrown opinion coming right up!

Of the three star sapphires, I prefer the pink one to the rest. It has wonderful colour saturation and I like its star most. The other two are also very beautiful, and I'm particularly partial to the lavender one - this colour just does things for me. It only goes to show that colour preference is what should matter most here. Whatever you choose, you'll be the one to wear it, not me.

The jade ring has the benefit of being a finished piece you can walk out with on your finger. It's a very sleek design, no two minds about that. But while I appreciate the design, I care not for the lack of colour. It's elegant and beautiful in its own way, just boring to my eyes. But then again, I also find diamonds boring for that very same reason and I'm in the minority in that regard. So take my opinion with a pinch of salt.

 

[marymm]

I really like the style and quality of the finished jade ring -- but like others I am not crazy about the color of the jade -- I love icy white jade but not when it has (to my eyes) a faint greenish tone.

I am very fond of star sapphires, and the 3 you have posted here have lovely color and nice asterisms -- but to my eyes each of them have a detraction that would make me keep looking -- caveat is if the pricing is crazy low and/or if you can get a deal for buying all 3 and doing multi-stone project

 

[seaurchin]

To me, they're all nice but none of them wowed me. I wonder if that's how you feel too, because asking for help in choosing among four seems like none of them stand out among the others much to you, either. My "vote" would be to keep looking until you find something that does jump out at you more than belonging in a group of four "maybes."

 

[LilAlex]

I already said that I loved that jadeite, assuming that you can get a clean report.

I am a huge star sapphire fan and, for context, I wear a "man-sized" terrible (opaque) gray one that is still fun and a tiny transparent vivid blue one with a barely-there star (but GIA still calls it!). All of those petite stars look lovely with good translucency and even bordering on transparency. I like the body color of the vivid pink the best, but it is almost too tiny to appreciate.

I would buy the modern jadeite ring. Would everyone not on this forum appreciate it? Maybe not as the desirable gem-quality jade that it is but certainly as a "cool ring"!

EDIT: It reminds me of this Cartier Chalcedony Tank ring at Lang that I wish I would have pounced on -- and your stone is much more desirable.

 

[Starstruck8]

I'll mostly repeat what others have said.

I love the design of the jadeite ring, and I'd wear it. Even though, by conventional standards, the jade is not top quality. But might that come to worry you?

I like all star sapphires, and I like these - they are better quality than most of mine. They all have sharp bright stars and good translucency. My favourite is #2, the 2.82ct. It shows the 'silver curtain' effect - the star seems to cut into the stone. I'd buy it. But they all have faults - spots, zoning, uneven brightness. If you bought one, would be happy with it long-term, or would you eventually go looking for a better one? If you would, well ..., I'll quote myself from the 'regrets' thread:

I should have listened to what my old mother said - the way to save money is to buy top quality first time.

If you decide to look for others, don't worry about the height of the dome.
For the same material, a higher dome gives a sharper star. It also gives greater depth, which helps the stone show its colour. But the material never is the same. Judge by what you see. With a higher dome, the star will move less as you turn the stone, and the rays may not reach right to the edges. Again, judge by what you see.

 

[Timor]

I voted for the jade ring as I really like it.

The star Sapphires do not do anything for me, sorry!

Personal preferences and all that.

DK

Well I'm liking the star sapphires but I could just be a bit biased, lol. My black star sapphire is a lower domed stone and it has a pretty bright star/stars. I really like the color of the lavender ones. The color draws my eye more than the pinkish one but it is all about what color you like the most if you were to get one.

One blindly thrown opinion coming right up!

Of the three star sapphires, I prefer the pink one to the rest. It has wonderful colour saturation and I like its star most. The other two are also very beautiful, and I'm particularly partial to the lavender one - this colour just does things for me. It only goes to show that colour preference is what should matter most here. Whatever you choose, you'll be the one to wear it, not me.

The jade ring has the benefit of being a finished piece you can walk out with on your finger. It's a very sleek design, no two minds about that. But while I appreciate the design, I care not for the lack of colour. It's elegant and beautiful in its own way, just boring to my eyes. But then again, I also find diamonds boring for that very same reason and I'm in the minority in that regard. So take my opinion with a pinch of salt.

I really like the style and quality of the finished jade ring -- but like others I am not crazy about the color of the jade -- I love icy white jade but not when it has (to my eyes) a faint greenish tone.

I am very fond of star sapphires, and the 3 you have posted here have lovely color and nice asterisms -- but to my eyes each of them have a detraction that would make me keep looking -- caveat is if the pricing is crazy low and/or if you can get a deal for buying all 3 and doing multi-stone project

To me, they're all nice but none of them wowed me. I wonder if that's how you feel too, because asking for help in choosing among four seems like none of them stand out among the others much to you, either. My "vote" would be to keep looking until you find something that does jump out at you more than belonging in a group of four "maybes."

I already said that I loved that jadeite, assuming that you can get a clean report.

I am a huge star sapphire fan and, for context, I wear a "man-sized" terrible (opaque) gray one that is still fun and a tiny transparent vivid blue one with a barely-there star (but GIA still calls it!). All of those petite stars look lovely with good translucency and even bordering on transparency. I like the body color of the vivid pink the best, but it is almost too tiny to appreciate.

I would buy the modern jadeite ring. Would everyone not on this forum appreciate it? Maybe not as the desirable gem-quality jade that it is but certainly as a "cool ring"!

EDIT: It reminds me of this Cartier Chalcedony Tank ring at Lang that I wish I would have pounced on -- and your stone is much more desirable.

I'll mostly repeat what others have said.

I love the design of the jadeite ring, and I'd wear it. Even though, by conventional standards, the jade is not top quality. But might that come to worry you?

I like all star sapphires, and I like these - they are better quality than most of mine. They all have sharp bright stars and good translucency. My favourite is #2, the 2.82ct. It shows the 'silver curtain' effect - the star seems to cut into the stone. I'd buy it. But they all have faults - spots, zoning, uneven brightness. If you bought one, would be happy with it long-term, or would you eventually go looking for a better one? If you would, well ..., I'll quote myself from the 'regrets' thread:


If you decide to look for others, don't worry about the height of the dome.
For the same material, a higher dome gives a sharper star. It also gives greater depth, which helps the stone show its colour. But the material never is the same. Judge by what you see. With a higher dome, the star will move less as you turn the stone, and the rays may not reach right to the edges. Again, judge by what you see.

Huge thanks to everyone who voted and offered advice, I really appreciate them! I have decided to keep looking.
For the star sapphires, it's true that for each there's a fault, some I mind less than others. But I have decided to pass star sapphires in general (at least for now) because in the 48 hours I had the stones I saw stars for maybe 2 hours, and not strong lines either (not saying that they are not good stones, the lines are strong when I purposefully shine my phone light on them). Whereas my chryso cat's eye had very visible line in the same light. I decided that is not enough time for me.
For the jade ring, it was a painful choice as I really did love the design and the stone is not "bad". I do not find colorless jade boring because the texture also appeals to me, but I feel part of the glow is facilitated by the white metal and the stone itself does not warrant the price. If my wallet is deeper or if I don't have more projects (setting my current stones) ahead, I probably wouldn't have minded, but as it is it would still bother me if I'm overpaying
Again, thanks a lot for the input. Hopefully something better will come along, and I will try to set more of my stones in the meantime.