Sapphire ering advice

[westskc]

I''ve been surfing through these forums for the better part of this week, scrapping together the information I would need to order and purchase a truly unique ering. Thanks so much for everyone''s contribution, without which, I would probably have had to "settle" for whatever was available at the local stores.

So far here''s what I''ve decided on so far.

- A simple solitaire type setting which a bit of a "nature" theme. eg. [curved leaf setting] on this page:
http://www.krikawa.com/rings/engagement-rings/sculptural-unique-engagement-rings.htm
- A purple sapphire 1-2 carats. The one I like most so far is:
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/nscnet/expandedstones.aspx?stoneid=U2397
There''s a bit of the window in the center, and as I understand, the cut is still not quite perfect. However, the color is what I''m shooting for.

1. What are people''s thoughts on the stone I''ve picked out? Will this be suitable for an ering? Any obvious flaws that people are seeing with this stone?
2. How will the proposed setting match the sapphire? Will it cover too much of a sapphire? Will it dominate the relatively small stone?

Thank you all so much in advance! I would appreciate any help and/or suggestions that people may have with this.

 

[Selkie]

I love the color on that stone, and I don''t think there''s much of a window really. I also think it would look lovely in that setting. It''s the same diameter as a 1 carat diamond, so I don''t think it would be overwhelmed by the setting at all. I like the triple prongs and the little curl on the shank. Very unique!

 

[marcy]

I think you''ll be quite pleased with that sapphire and it will look lovely in that setting.

 

[ahappygirl]

I''m no expert on the stone, but I think it''s a beautiful color, great size, and would look stunning in the setting you picked out.

 

[Pandora II]

I think the colour is lovely, but I''m not keen on the cut.

If you look at the blown up page where it shows all the facets, the ones surrounding the table are all different sizes and very unsymmetrical. If they were a bit off it wouldn''t worry me, but the extent they are would.

However, that depends on how picky your girlfriend is and how likely she is to notice something like that.

 

[pjean]

I love the Krikawa rings. I thought I wanted the carved curls setting for quite a while. Lovely choice!

I have a sapphire from NSC (a pad) that is poorly cut in my ering. I think it would drive Pandora nuts! In particular, the pavilion is visibly off center. Even with the stone set, you can see when you look down into it where the culet should be (and where it actually is). It''s also a little shallow.

You know what? I love it. I''m not a gem expert, so to me it is a characteristic of my stone, which I love. Probably if I were as knowledgeable as many of the people on this forum, it would bother me, but it doesn''t at all. Now, inclusions drive me nuts, and unfortunately I have a very good eye for them, so "eye clean" to me often isn''t.

My point is that it''s going to depend a bit on your girlfriend (soon to be fiancee! How exciting!) and what she''s particular about. I think it''s a lovely stone, but if she''s fanatical about symmetry, she might hate it. I wasn''t sure when we requested the stone from NSC whether it would bother me, but when I saw it in person, I was so in love with the colour I didn''t care about anything else. NSC will let you get the stone to see it in person, and send it back if the cut bothers you.

I should also tell you that many people have looked at my ring and said "...oh. It''s pink!" So you might want to be absolutely sure that your girlfriend will be happy having (and defending) a non-diamond engagement ring. I love mine, so it amuses me, but then I picked the stone. (My poor boyfriend - a woman at the jeweler''s thought he was just too cheap to get me a diamond, and told him he could always tell me it was a pink diamond. ''Cause you know, lying is a great way to start a marriage.)

 

[westskc]

I really do appreciate everyone spending a time to help me choose a ring. So far it seems the consensus is that setting is appropriate, the color of the stone is okay, but the cut of the stone maybe a bit off-center. That was something I didn''t see at first, I thought the color was so right that I didn''t think of taking a closer look. Knowing me and my girlfriend, this is probably something I would grow neurotic over as opposed to my girlfriend.

The point about my girlfriend choosing the gem for herself is a good one though. But this brings up the next question; how does one propose without a ring to then go into the step of gem negotiations? Would anyone mind sharing their experiences with this one?

Much Thanks!

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 6/2/2008 12:50:54 PM
Author: westskc
I really do appreciate everyone spending a time to help me choose a ring. So far it seems the consensus is that setting is appropriate, the color of the stone is okay, but the cut of the stone maybe a bit off-center. That was something I didn't see at first, I thought the color was so right that I didn't think of taking a closer look. Knowing me and my girlfriend, this is probably something I would grow neurotic over as opposed to my girlfriend.

The point about my girlfriend choosing the gem for herself is a good one though. But this brings up the next question; how does one propose without a ring to then go into the step of gem negotiations? Would anyone mind sharing their experiences with this one?

Much Thanks!

My FI proposed without a ring - he knew how much I would enjoy designing the ring and looking for the perfect stone myself. Seriously it was a wonderful experience and he got equally involved with the details. He shows it off to everyone and is so proud that we did it together...

The proposal was a complete suprise as there had been no sneaking around trying to find out my ring size or asking leading questions etc. It also meant that the proposal was totally about us as a couple and not about the bling!

My proposal story is in the Proposal section, but for a quick recap..

He bought me a Scandinavian wooden advent calendar with chocolate truffles hidden in the little drawers. Underneath the truffle for the 24th December, was a little gold ingot with a W on it.

Inside the other drawers were other ingots with the letters spelling out WILL YOU MARRY ME - then he produced a limited edition wood and gold scrabble set with all the other letters arranged in the form of a ring. We play a lot of board games.

We held an engagement party on February 14th (which also marked exactly 2.5 years together) and he gave me an antique sapphire and diamond eternity band (a lucky ebay find - they spelt sapphire as saphire!) as a placeholder.

So now I have an e-ring, a beautiful scrabble board as a memento and a placeholder ring which I wear when I'm travelling and don't want to risk taking my e-ring.

I know lots of people who had 'ringless' proposals and not one of them regrets it. In the UK I would guess that more than 50% of couples choose the ring together after the engagement.

If you don't want to discuss budget with her, then you can prime various vendor with your budget and they can show you things that come within your parameters.

I've never found that I've been charged more because I disclosed my budget at the start if that worries you - but I also use PS vendor so I have total confidence.

I've used Wink at www.winkjones.com, and Richard Homer has also sourced some stones for me. Take a look at Palagems as well for some more pictures of beautiful stones (their prices aren't exactly cheap, but the more stones you look at the more you will see the differences). Other sites to look at for inspiration are www.multicolour.com (not all their stones are that good), ajsgems and you'll find other recommendations on the site.

You can also go the custom cut route - Dan Stair and Jeff White are popular on this board.

ETA: Just to add that I have never bought a stone that I have actually seen advertised on line except one (from Pala), all my others have been sourced through the vendor. They have many more sources than we have access to, and most dealers don't put all their stock online.

 

[melissacyruseid]

Date: 6/2/2008 12:50:54 PM
Author: westskc
I really do appreciate everyone spending a time to help me choose a ring. So far it seems the consensus is that setting is appropriate, the color of the stone is okay, but the cut of the stone maybe a bit off-center. That was something I didn''t see at first, I thought the color was so right that I didn''t think of taking a closer look. Knowing me and my girlfriend, this is probably something I would grow neurotic over as opposed to my girlfriend.


The point about my girlfriend choosing the gem for herself is a good one though. But this brings up the next question; how does one propose without a ring to then go into the step of gem negotiations? Would anyone mind sharing their experiences with this one?


Much Thanks!

Hello there.

I recently got engaged without a ring..He wanted to give me the opportunity to pick the perfect ring...I have agonized over every detail, learned as much as one can about sapphires, and not really enjoyed the process, too many choices, and too much info to sift through...I almost wish Rob had chosen for me. Whatever he would have chosen for me, I would have loved because he picked it. (I''m sentimental like that)

So I think it might be a good idea to do all of the research for her, and get her something you know she will like.

I do suggest however that you find a setting that has SOME diamonds. Maybe a diamond pave setting, or one with small side stones. I think a little white bling makes an engagement ring LOOK like an engagement ring, even if the center is a colored stone. (I knew I wanted a sapphire center but wanted a diamond accented setting for that reason)That is just my opinion other people here may feel otherwise...Also, I think the price of the setting you chose is through the roof! 1200.00 for a setting with no stones is A LOT of money! You could find a nice setting garnished with diamonds for around that price. Also, if you get the stone and you love it, keep it. If you do not notice that the stone is cut a little off center, she probably wont notice either. The color of that stone is beautiful!

Good Luck in your search!

Best,

Melissa

 

[Pandora II]

Just wanted to point out the problems I see with the cut. It's far more than the 'stone being cut a little off-centre'.

Can you see where I have added the arrows that there are entire facets missing, others are mis-shapen and the meet points aren't good between a lot of the facets - some are really off and the top half of the stone is not symmetrical with the bottom half. I cannot believe that this won't have a negative impact on the way that the stone performs.

 

[Pandora II]

Here is the plot of a MUCH better cut round.

Can you see the difference in the symmetry and the shapes of the facets and how they meet together so much better?

Hope that helps explain what I mean a bit.

 

[melissacyruseid]

WOW! That is off center! I did not realize how off center it really was!

 

[pjean]

The "off center" thing came from me describing my stone, which I''m sure also has irregular facets. It''s the off-center part that is visible to my eye. It wasn''t intended to describe the OP''s stone.

 

[Selkie]

"I recently got engaged without a ring..He wanted to give me the opportunity to pick the perfect ring...I have agonized over every detail, learned as much as one can about sapphires, and not really enjoyed the process, too many choices, and too much info to sift through...I almost wish Rob had chosen for me. Whatever he would have chosen for me, I would have loved because he picked it. (I''m sentimental like that)"

My husband proposed without a ring as well. We got engaged on New Year''s Eve, but it took us over a month to find the sapphire and the setting. I had already had a sapphire ring in mind, and found PS shortly into the search, so it made life a little easier. My experience was like Melissa''s except that in retrospect, I thoroughly enjoyed the process and would totally do the same thing all over again. Do you think your GF would enjoy the ring search, or would it gradually drive her nuts? I had my moments when I told him he should have just picked for me, but in all, I really appreciate that he let me choose.

 

[Pandora II]

Hi pjean,

Just wanted to say that I wasn''t reponding to the comments about your stone (I realised that they related to your own stone) but wanted to point out to Melissa where the problems lay with the OPs stone.

Just wanted to clear that up in case you thought I was commenting to you.

 

[pjean]

Date: 6/2/2008 5:45:50 PM
Author: Pandora II

Just wanted to clear that up in case you thought I was commenting to you.

Yep, I know. I was just seeing "off center" a whole lot, and I''m pretty sure I''m the only one who''s obsessed with my lovely pad.

 

[westskc]

Pandora, Melissacyuserid, Selkie,
Thanks for sharing your engagement stories, I really appreciate hearing them. It''s made me realize that the ring is doesn''t have to be the most important part of the proposal (as you would think from the movies). I certainly like the idea of choosing a ring together, as it takes off some of the burden from me to guess what the perfect ring would be for her.

Pandora,
The diagrams that you posted are very helpful. I didn''t notice the missing facets until you pointed them out and you may have prevented me from making a costly mistake. I''ll keep on looking for a better stone per your advice.

Will add more as things progress...

 

[Pandora II]

You''re welcome.

Feel free to come back and ask as many questions as you like.

We like to help spend people''s money for them and live vicariously through their purchases!

 

[pamplemousse]

I realize I'm a little late chiming in here, but just to toss in another few cents and another website to check out: Wildfish gems

I know, I know.. I totally seem like a wildfish gems shill or something.. but part of what led me to wildfish and away from NSC was the cut issue. I don't know if the cut on my sapphire is perfect or anything, but our appraiser said it was "very good" and it looks symmetrical and polished and even to me... After looking at some of the sapphires with native cuts and realizing that we were going to have to buy something and then have it re-cut, we started looking really really closely at cut. As far as I know, wildfish will also source gems for you, too.. if you're into that kind of thing. I'm actually thinking about having them source an olive-green sapphire for my DF.

Anywho.. good luck! Gemstone e-rings are the way to go

ETA... you have to love a website that provides gems that are cut like this:
Almandine

Because.. dayum. Next time I have a thousand dollars laying around...