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Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose stone

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Prockman

Rough_Rock
Joined
Dec 12, 2014
Messages
14
Ok so I purchased a sapphire (on a ring) from a dept. store and then after researching a bit more I found out that it was not was I was looking for, enough said.

I did some online research (thank you PriceScope) and found a reputable Jeweler in the area who sold me .97ct sapphire loose stone. He spent some time showing me different stones and gave his opinion on which ones where the best for my price point and the general size I was looking for.

After getting the stone home and being able to examine it more closely on my own I noticed that the color in it seems to be concentrated in parallel "lines" through the stone rather than a solid tint throughout.

Is this normal? It was represented as a heat treated natural stone (not diffused or manufactured). The return window is short so I would love to get any input I can. This is not something I came across from any of the research that I did, nor did notice it in the store, but it is noticeable in sunlight upon close inspection.

I'd be glad to share price info, if that is not against the rules of the forum.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Can you see these lines with the naked eye or with a loupe?
If with the naked eye, at what point are the lines visible (6 inches or 12 inches away)?
Are the lines visible from the top (crown) or only from the bottom (pavilion or upside down) of the sapphire?

My initial thought is colour zoning. If it isn't visible from the top, that's fine.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Pictures would help.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

prockman_saph.jpg

Here is an image - that was a tricky shot to get!
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Can you see these lines with the naked eye or with a loupe?
Naked Eye

If with the naked eye, at what point are the lines visible (6 inches or 12 inches away)?
12 inches

Are the lines visible from the top (crown) or only from the bottom (pavilion or upside down) of the sapphire?
Visible from the top

Honestly I don't know how I missed this at the store. This one did have noticeably more "fire" than most of the others (with the exception of one that was priced 2.5x more for a smaller stone).

We are not talking super premium price range here. I am looking for a nice stone about ~1ct in the $300 range if that gives you an idea.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Can you see the lines when straight on (eyes/camera perpendicular to the table)? What I see is colour zoning. More importantly, do you absolutely love this sapphire? I ask because it is extremely dark.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Can you see the lines when straight on (eyes/camera perpendicular to the table)?
Yes, especially because I know to look for it now, I see a 'grain direction' more than individual lines when viewed directly from the top.

What I see is colour zoning. More importantly, do you absolutely love this sapphire? I ask because it is extremely dark.
I realize at my price point (~300 USD) I would have to compromise somewhere so I thought the darkness was ok. Short answer, no I don't love the stone. It did have more 'fire' than most of the others in this Jeweler's collection. Almost all of the sapphires I've seen in person are this dark or darker so maybe I don't have a good real world comparison. The ultimate use would be for a setting in a ring.

I think at this point it's probably going back...
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

I'd have to think about if I wanted one that was particularly that light in color. Beautiful looking stone. It says no enhancements - so I guess that one was not even heated? I'd be open to taking this discussion off the forum if you like.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Sorry I assumed you were affiliated with the first link! Thanks for the suggestions! Those Montana sapphires are beautiful but I would like to stay in a size between 7x5 and 8x6.5 ish for the final ring design to work.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

For your budget, it either has to be very dark or very light. In this case, I'd rather err on the light side than dark because once set, a dark sapphire is more likely to look black instead of dark blue. Yes, no enhancements means unheated, no clarity enhancement, etc. There is no PM function on PS so all discussions are in the open, which I do not mind.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Prockman|1418416427|3800218 said:
Sorry I assumed you were affiliated with the first link! Thanks for the suggestions! Those Montana sapphires are beautiful but I would like to stay in a size between 7x5 and 8x6.5 ish for the final ring design to work.
Click to expand...

Not a problem. Vendors are not allow to shill or advertise their goods on Pricescope. Hmmm...getting that size will be a challenge but I will look around. 7x5 mm might be doable.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

I really appreciate you looking around for me! That first one is very pretty and since I know nothing any direction as far as color goes is good!

Here is one I was looking at online before I got scared of the internet and bought in person, any thoughts?
http://www.ajsgem.com/sapphire/blue-sapphire/blue-sapphire-1.3-carats.html-1

I am a little worried buying sight unseen, but I guess i just proved that even with seeing the stone in person is tricky!
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Cut looks nice but it is really really dark. Do you like very dark stones or are you looking at them due to budget constraints?
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

I think this is a case of budget impacting color, I definitely don't like the very dark ones but the darker side of blue is ok to me as long as there is some fire inside.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Yeah that window looks a little strange to me - I like the price though! :bigsmile:
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

I should say I would be willing to up my price for a nice balance of quality and the size I am looking for.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

And it must be natural?

I know we can't talk about the alternative here, but I think you might be able to get something much prettier if you go with the type of stone that we can't talk about here. :p

That said, the etsy vendor with the montana sapphire - she's really great to deal with so you may want to contact her even if that particular stone isn't your thing. She may be able to help you out. (you could also try Blaze at blazengems.com, he's great too. If you're open to more treated stones, he has had some beryllium diffused sapphires in the past and prices them accordingly. Not sure how much that matters to you but it is a way to get a lot of color on a budget)
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

What about this Dana recut? It is lighter, but looks like it would be quite bright. How do you plan to set it? That can also make a difference in how dark you want to go (see the recent thread on the "killer" bezel).

http://www.mastercutgems.com/preview.php?cat=251&id=7744

ETA: other options from Dana

http://www.mastercutgems.com/preview.php?cat=251&id=7682 (ETA: whoops this one is sold!)

http://www.mastercutgems.com/preview.php?cat=251&id=7778 (has zoning)
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Thank you everyone! What a helpful board! The original stone is returned and it looks like I have more research to do! I am actually starting to love the Montana stones so that was a good tip. I don't quite understand the description on the first Dana link above - "what I see under magnification tells me otherwise ". The stones on that site seem very reasonable. Is there something I should know about a recut?

I definitely want natural with possible heat treated only. I know it's a little picky but I just don't like the idea of diffusion at all.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Prockman said:
I don't quite understand the description on the first Dana link above - "what I see under magnification tells me otherwise ". The stones on that site seem very reasonable. Is there something I should know about a recut?
Click to expand...

If I'm reading Dana's description correctly, he's saying that he's selling/pricing it as being heated, but he sees natural features under strong magnification that make him think it's actually unheated.

He tends to buy poorly cut gems and recut them (to eliminate windows, help them reflect more light, etc.). Many of his products are very competitively priced, sometimes because he has bought a lot of the items long enough ago that it was before the prices have climbed to their current levels, and he's passing on the savings to the buyer.
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Oh, and sorry if this is a silly question, but how do you feel about other colors (green, pastel orange, pink, yellow...)? If you're open to those, The Gem Trader has some nice looking ones within budget: http://www.thegemtrader.com/Gems%20SR%20Page%201.htm
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

Due to all the helpful comments and input I received from this board I made a decision to go with the Dana recut stone mentioned above. Ordered! :bigsmile:

Thanks all!
 
Re: Q's on first purchase of Sapphire - purchased loose ston

The Montana stones really caught my eye but I decided to hold off on one of those until I can justify the $ for a really special one or perhaps a smaller stone for a future necklace project. So, I have something to look forward to...
 
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