Received Sapphire - thoughts

[lmyracle]

These photos are darker than what i see with my naked eye. After set, if I keep it, will it appear richer/darker?

Of concern to me is an inclusion and I’m not versed enough to know if it’s something I should just accept at my price range or keep searching or what. For a heated stone, I expect it to not have inclusions noticeable with the naked eye. Looks to be a small line or scratch near or at the surface on one of the side facets (not sure of terminology) I attempted to capture it in pics.

Overall my gut says this isn’t the one. I have emailed DK to see what he says but I’m pretty sure I’ll be returning the sapphire. I’m so discouraged. (Excuse my gnarly nails and fingers - well overdue for a manicure with this nasty winter weather that won’t stop!)

 

[chrono]

If the inclusion bothers you, then it’s not the right one for you. I, too, prefer an eye clean sapphire and they are easy enough to find eye clean.

 

[2Neesers]

It’s a pretty sapphire, but if the inclusions bother you now, they will probably become even more noticeable to you over time. With your budget, you definitely shouldn’t have to settle. It might just take a little longer to find the right one.
I’m not sure if you have seen this yet, but here is the link to blue Sapphire cushions that the supplier Gem2000 has available right now. They supply the vendors Africa Gems and Pearlman’s. Pearlman’s has better pricing than Africa Gems, but they do charge a restock fee on returns if you use a credit card, Africa Gems does not.
https://www.gem2000.com/gsresult.ph...e=CUSHION&minprice=&maxprice=&gempic=&itemno=

 

[lmyracle]

If the inclusion bothers you, then it’s not the right one for you. I, too, prefer an eye clean sapphire and they are easy enough to find eye clean.

Where would you suggest, Chrono?

 

[lmyracle]

It’s a pretty sapphire, but if the inclusions bother you now, they will probably become even more noticeable to you over time. With your budget, you definitely shouldn’t have to settle. It might just take a little longer to find the right one.
I’m not sure if you have seen this yet, but here is the link to blue Sapphire cushions that the supplier Gem2000 has available right now. They supply the vendors Africa Gems and Pearlman’s. Pearlman’s has better pricing than Africa Gems, but they do charge a restock fee on returns if you use a credit card, Africa Gems does not.
https://www.gem2000.com/gsresult.ph...e=CUSHION&minprice=&maxprice=&gempic=&itemno=

Thank you; I'll look again. I looked a little while back and for whatever reason didn't see what I was looking for but perhaps the stock has been updated. Thank you for taking the time to reply!

 

[daneshpastry]

As others have said, if it bothers you, send it back.

That being said - I love the shape and colour.

 

[lmyracle]

As others have said, if it bothers you, send it back.

That being said - I love the shape and colour.

It's so much lighter in person - very much NOT what my photos show.

 

[daneshpastry]

It's so much lighter in person - very much NOT what my photos show.

Well it sounds like maybe you've made up your mind(?) Remember, this stone is yours for life, get exactly what you want!

 

[lmyracle]

Just shipped it back. My husband said if there was any doubt at all, that it wasn’t the one. I agree so I will take all of the advice here and keep searching.

 

[lmyracle]

This is what i was talking about. There were a few others visible to my naked eye but that line stood out to me and again the color was light periwinkle vs a richer hue that I’m looking for, despite photo showing darker.

Didn’t see anything on Pearlmans. For Gem2000, they don’t sell directly to consumers, is that right? I would have to get another jeweler to get a price from them? Looking at africagems too.

 

[2Neesers]

This is what i was talking about. There were a few others visible to my naked eye but that line stood out to me and again the color was light periwinkle vs a richer hue that I’m looking for, despite photo showing darker.

Didn’t see anything on Pearlmans. For Gem2000, they don’t sell directly to consumers, is that right? I would have to get another jeweler to get a price from them? Looking at africagems too.

Gosh, I would have sent that one back too! I'm also currently looking for a blue sapphire right now, although with a smaller budget, and I totally understand your discouragement. There seems to be a shortage of the color and clarity I am looking for as well.
Gem2000 doesn't sell direct to consumers, but they are a supplier of both Pearlman's and Africa Gems. If you find something on the Gem2000 site that you like, you can contact either of those vendors for additional info and pricing. David Klass might even be able to get stones from Gem2000, I'm not sure, but I would ask him first since he is who you would like to work with on the ring.

 

[arkieb1]

Windows and inclusions for me personally are O.K if the colour is there, if the colour isn't a top perfect or a really decent colour then I'd want a cleaner stone. This one is far from an ideal colour. These are some of my stones I haven't worked out which ones I'm keeping for myself and which ones I am not. If you like I can talk to David for you, pics taken with an ordinary Iphone and have not been messed with in any way, the two rounds are heat only and the two cushions are unheated and untreated and are clean stones;

 

[lmyracle]

So did you buy 4 from him while trying to decide? Holy moly. Lol. I like the cushion cut one (2 down) and was hoping for around 4cts. I realize that inclusions are normal but with it being heated, I should see minimal of them, right?

Looking for a rich bluey-blue or even a violetish-blue but with good color saturation. I’m not sure what kind of relationship you have with David, but he didn’t seem all too inclined to try and send me other possible stones just yet...but maybe he’s waiting to get the one I returned first? I’m still looking but if he shares anything with you that may fit what I’m looking for, let me know!

 

[arkieb1]

So did you buy 4 from him while trying to decide? Holy moly. Lol. I like the cushion cut one (2 down) and was hoping for around 4cts. I realize that inclusions are normal but with it being heated, I should see minimal of them, right?

Looking for a rich bluey-blue or even a violetish-blue but with good color saturation. I’m not sure what kind of relationship you have with David, but he didn’t seem all too inclined to try and send me other possible stones just yet...but maybe he’s waiting to get the one I returned first? I’m still looking but if he shares anything with you that may fit what I’m looking for, let me know!

My husband's family work in the trade so these are my own personal stones, handpicked by me or by a dealer who is a good friend. But I've just gotten two newish ones of them so every now and then I have a purge, these are all just over two carats but under 3 and what I would class as fairly affordable. David isn't a coloured stone dealer he might well be waiting on stones being sent to him from stone vendors to show you.

No heat does not get rid of all inclusions, both heated and unheated stones can be included.

 

[lmyracle]

My husband's family work in the trade so these are my own personal stones, handpicked by me or by a dealer who is a good friend. But I've just gotten two newish ones of them so every now and then I have a purge, these are all just over two carats but under 3 and what I would class as fairly affordable. David isn't a coloured stone dealer he might well be waiting on stones being sent to him from stone vendors to show you.

No heat does not get rid of all inclusions, both heated and unheated stones can be included.

Ah, I see! Lucky you! I’d want all the baubles!

 

[2Neesers]

Windows and inclusions for me personally are O.K if the colour is there, if the colour isn't a top perfect or a really decent colour then I'd want a cleaner stone. This one is far from an ideal colour. These are some of my stones I haven't worked out which ones I'm keeping for myself and which ones I am not. If you like I can talk to David for you, pics taken with an ordinary Iphone and have not been messed with in any way, the two rounds are heat only and the two cushions are unheated and untreated and are clean stones;

Wow! Amazing sapphires @arkieb1 . It sounds like they are smaller than what @lmyracle is looking for, but I see a couple that would be right up my alley size and color wise .
I am a little surprised to see how hard it is to find something in the size lmyracle is looking for. Do you know of any other cs vendors that might have something in that size?

 

[arkieb1]

Wow! Amazing sapphires @arkieb1 . It sounds like they are smaller than what @lmyracle is looking for, but I see a couple that would be right up my alley size and color wise .
I am a little surprised to see how hard it is to find something in the size lmyracle is looking for. Do you know of any other cs vendors that might have something in that size?

Yes they probably are smaller but they are all decently coloured. David should have access to lots of gem dealers in the US, so honestly it should not be that difficult, (I'd probably argue it's easier to find something over 4 carats provided you are willing to pay suitable $$$$s for a stone that size) otherwise yes go to gemshows where you can view stones for yourself, and make sure the vendor has a FULL return/refund policy so you don't get caught out with something that is not as described.

 

[Bron357]

Sapphires are tricky. I have a few and what I see with my eye isn’t quite how they photograph.
As for heated stones, they do it to dissolve the silk (fine rutile needles) these can make a stone look hazy. Heating doesn’t get rid of other types of crystal flaws so heated doesn’t make the sapphire “flawless to the eye”.
Unless you pay top dollar you can assume some crystal inclusion and even some colour zoning.
I agree with sending that one back, colour seems a bit “meh” and the inclusion a bit in your face. Most important though if it doesn’t “sing to you” when you first see it, it isn’t the right one.
Keep looking, it’s out there.
And my pair are also just under 3 carats each.

 

[Jbows]

What about these? They have a rich color that you seem to be after? They are the first three on Roger Dery’s blue sapphire page.
https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-rectangular-cushion-1802011/

https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-cushion-1801103/

https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-round-1801051/

 

[Bron357]

What about these? They have a rich color that you seem to be after? They are the first three on Roger Dery’s blue sapphire page.
https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-rectangular-cushion-1802011/

https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-cushion-1801103/

https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-round-1801051/

I really like the colour of the bottom round one.
I

 

[Jbows]

I really like the colour of the bottom round one.
I

Oh plus Roger will send you the stones to preview for the cost of shipping without paying for the stones you want to see upfront. Love his customer service!

 

[lmyracle]

What about these? They have a rich color that you seem to be after? They are the first three on Roger Dery’s blue sapphire page.
https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-rectangular-cushion-1802011/

https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-cushion-1801103/

https://rogerdery.com/gems/blue-sapphire-round-1801051/

The color on the bottom round is really nice! I think I may just wait until August - there's a jewelry show here. That way I can see everything up front like arkieb said.

 

[Frost]

Thoughts:

The stone in the initial post looks like a medium toned violetish blue. Good saturation but not intense or vivid. Will certainly go violet in incandescent light.

Arkieb1's stones all look like very nice vivid colors but some look very silky (could be the photos) and the bigger round is a bit dark. I'd rank them overall cushion, then the smaller round, then the elongated/rectangular cushion, then the bigger round. One thing to be aware of is that mobile phones oversaturate blue sapphires massively - but even if the photo was desaturated to more accurately reflect them, they'd still look nice.

Out of the last three that Jbows posted, the first one looks similar to the original first stone but bluer and a bit more saturated; the second is really greenish and blackish/inky and the third is a very nice color but windowed, zoned and a bit dark.

 

[Acinom]

Good that you will send the stone back: the colour is not very special (ie not a deep and vivid colour).

I love Arkieb’s collection (and would try to pursuade her to sell the cushion or the saturated round to you). And the round from Roger looks ok too.
If you love the colour, a stone does not have to be large
Happy hunting!

 

[arkieb1]

Thoughts:

The stone in the initial post looks like a medium toned violetish blue. Good saturation but not intense or vivid. Will certainly go violet in incandescent light.

Arkieb1's stones all look like very nice vivid colors but some look very silky (could be the photos) and the bigger round is a bit dark. I'd rank them overall cushion, then the smaller round, then the elongated/rectangular cushion, then the bigger round. One thing to be aware of is that mobile phones oversaturate blue sapphires massively - but even if the photo was desaturated to more accurately reflect them, they'd still look nice.

Actually I had the reverse problem with the camera - it made the smaller round look either washed out or a bit blaah compared to it's real colour and the larger round darker than it is in real life. The stones all look better in photos by themselves than side by side. And lets not forget they all colour change - they look totally different IRL inside to out and under any indoor lighting the larger round is by far the winner. The larger round is like looking at pure velvet in real life so I like that it's a bit silky, the silk doesn't flatter the smaller round that is true. The larger cushion is the "purest" blue by that I mean the cleanest most open blue but the larger round IMHO to my old eyes is the most desirable (it really is a true electric blue) in colour. Which if nothing else probably goes to show you cannot judge a blue sapphire accurately by photos alone, and each one of us probably has totally different colour preferences.

 

[Frost]

Actually I had the reverse problem with the camera - it made the smaller round look either washed out or a bit blaah compared to it's real colour and the larger round darker than it is in real life. The stones all look better in photos by themselves than side by side. And lets not forget they all colour change - they look totally different IRL inside to out and under any indoor lighting the larger round is by far the winner. The larger round is like looking at pure velvet in real life so I like that it's a bit silky, the silk doesn't flatter the smaller round that is true. The larger cushion is the "purest" blue by that I mean the cleanest most open blue but the larger round IMHO to my old eyes is the most desirable (it really is a true electric blue) in colour. Which if nothing else probably goes to show you cannot judge a blue sapphire accurately by photos alone, and each one of us probably has totally different colour preferences.

Interesting to hear, thank you for the notes. I'm surprised you'd say they color change; vividly coloured blues usually stay blue in any light. The less saturated the blue, the more it shifts to violet; but I have yet to see a vivid royal or cornflower blue that'd go violet/purplish under incandescent. Although their apparent saturation and tone changes, as always with sapphire, depending on the light.
About the round looking darker, that's also a common problem with phones. In my experience, mobile photographed blue almost always looks oversaturated if the stone is vivid to begin with and it does also add a tone or so towards darker - so what looks like an open vivid blue ends up looking like royal blue, while royal blue ends up looking like medium-dark tanzanite. That problem is solved by a DSLR + lots and lots of editing for accuracy.

Color preferences also differ, true that. And they all look like nice stones, but when you put them side by side, comparisons are inevitable so even really good stones end up looking like not as good as they actually are if there's anything better next to them (while in fact they're all nice).