Sapphire for an engagement ring - Need some help

[ika411]

These pics were taken outside in the shade.

 

[minousbijoux]

Talk about a quixotic temperment! That stone is like Sybil!

 

[ika411]

Well, there appears to be no end to our encountering issues. We already had a ring being rendered before we found this stone (see picture) with a jeweler we're not planning to use to set the stone. It's a long story due to a series of mistakes...

So we have to tell him what head to use. We thought a 6-prong die-struck head would work, but he seems hesitant so we need to provide more specific guidance. Does anyone have a suggestion for a 6-prong head for this stone and design? The stone is 7.33mm in diameter; 5.6mm in depth.

 

[SapphireSun]

I'm not an expert, but I hope I can chime in here! I read your thread and in the beginning you mentioned you wanted a "medium" blue, but probably didn't really know what that meant as there are so many different hues of blue (from my experience). What it seems like you're really after is more the "specs" than the color and I wish you would rethink that and go with finding a lovely shade of blue that your fiancee would love. Your last photos of the sapphire, to me, really doesn't show a beautiful blue sapphire. I have a medium blue (cornflower) sapphire which is unheated/untreated and when I'm outside in the sun it is a brilliant blue with no hint of violet. Even in darker settings it rarely shows violet (my iPhone pics are slightly darker casting a violet tint when in certain lighting), but the stone is always blue to my eyes. As for your question: how rare are untreated sapphires? I've been told they make up only 5% of the market, so they are very very rare.

 

[michellechan2211]

@SapphireSun: To be fair, photographing stones can be quite a pain so the stone might be more beautiful in reality than what is being shown here as the photographs might be inaccurate Personally, I do like the color of this stone even though it does not appear to me from the photographs, as the trade ideal. I think in the end its up to what OP likes- if this is acceptable to OP then its acceptable!

 

[minousbijoux]

SS, it seems that the OP is well beyond the search for a stone, having found "the one" and having moved on to CADs. At this point, the OP is seeking assistance in the ring design and not in the stone itself.

ika411: unfortunately, I am not a design person. Hopefully, folks with design experience will be along shortly to lend you a hand.

 

[chrono]

How accurately do your outdoor pictures reflect what you see? Are you set on keeping this sapphire or is hit under consideration?

Design wise, the stone is set very high. Is this what you are after? 4 or 6 prongs is a personal issue with 6 prongs being more secure although I'm not sure if it flows well with this design.

 

[ika411]

Unfortunately we didn't get the sun directly overhead when we took the outdoor pictures. It was at 4pm so the sun was hitting at an angle and the pictures (taken with an iPhone) look considerably darker. I would say Jeff White's pictures are much better representations of the stone. We're planning to keep the stone as we really like the fact that it's a color changer. It's definitely very blue in natural light and turns purple-ish in incandescent lighting. My favorite color is blue; hers purple; so we think it's a great stone that represents both of us.

We're fine with the stone set high and would like a 6-prong over a 4-prong. Just don't know which exact style would fit the stone. Any advice would be welcome.

 

[SapphireSun]

My apologies Ika411!!

 

[chrono]

What do you mean by "style"? As is basket design? I don't think there are too many for 6 prongs. Considering the tone of the stone is a medium dark and it is a colour changer, I would opt for something simple and open so as not to further darken it, plus allow light to enter from as many angles as possible to let it shift easily and often.

 

[minousbijoux]

What is your thinking for 6 prongs instead of 4? It seems to me that the stone is small enough that it might appear overly cluttered with 6 prongs? If you like the detail that 6 prongs provide, is there a way you can use 4 prongs but add some detail in the shank and head leading up the prongs to make it look a bit more sophisticated? I have no idea if I'm making sense to anyone or just yammering on here! Let me know if you need more explanation

 

[ika411]

@Chrono: we want a simple 6-prong head that'll fit the stone. Given that it's deep, I guess we were just wondering if we can go with something like these or would they be too small? http://www.stuller.com/products/20607/?groupId=11027 and http://www.stuller.com/products/309/?groupId=17182

@Minousbijoux: We like the 6-prong over 4-prong for security reasons and the symmetry of its look. The 6-prong seems to make any round stone look even rounder and attractive to us. The shank is going to have an engraved design from the top view so we're all about keeping the head simple. For my own edification, what's the min size you would recommend for a 6-prong?

At this point, I'm thinking that we should just ask the jeweler to make it with a head like one of the two linked above and have it changed if needed when we are getting the stone set. This should be do-able, right?

 

[chrono]

The first basket is more elegant but the second basket is slightly more open. Your jeweller can present other options as well that is simple yet elegant.

 

[minousbijoux]

@Chrono: we want a simple 6-prong head that'll fit the stone. Given that it's deep, I guess we were just wondering if we can go with something like these or would they be too small? http://www.stuller.com/products/20607/?groupId=11027 and http://www.stuller.com/products/309/?groupId=17182

@Minousbijoux: We like the 6-prong over 4-prong for security reasons and the symmetry of its look. The 6-prong seems to make any round stone look even rounder and attractive to us. The shank is going to have an engraved design from the top view so we're all about keeping the head simple. For my own edification, what's the min size you would recommend for a 6-prong?

At this point, I'm thinking that we should just ask the jeweler to make it with a head like one of the two linked above and have it changed if needed when we are getting the stone set. This should be do-able, right?

You know, I'm sorry, to be honest, I don't really know what I'm talking about; its more a feeling than a confident statement. My point is that you don't want the setting to unnecessarily obstruct the stone, since its the star. You'll probably have to play around with settings to make sure it works for you. I agree regarding the symmetry of the 6 prong, but in that case, IMO, the prongs will need to be far more delicate than in the CAD you showed. And if the prongs are more delicate, the ring shank will need to be consistent design-wise with the prongs.

I love the settings that Chrono just posted, particularly Whiteflash's interpretation of the Tiffany setting. Its elegant and delicate enough to be beautiful, but its understated enough to let the stone be the star. What kind of engraving do you plan on for the shank, and are there other design details you will incorporate into the ring?

 

[ika411]

Hi everyone! After taking quite a while to have the stone set, get engaged and get an appraisal, we've got some pictures to share. We got engaged at Polihale Beach on Kauai. You'll see a couple of the pictures has the Na Pali Coast in the background. We haven't gotten married yet but we had the matching wedding rings made already so you'll see them in one of the pictures.

The AGL report came back exactly as Jeff White promised: no enhancements, most likely from Sri Lanka, very good color grade, moderately included and excellent cutting grade.

We just visited Martin Fuller in McLean, Virginia this past weekend to get an insurance appraisal. Both he and his staff were such a pleasure and he was very knowledgeable. We would definitely go back to him. We are also very pleased with the results of the appraisal. Looks like Jeff White gave us a fantastic deal!

 

[ika411]

Here's a picture with the matching wedding rings.

 

[SB621]

Congratulations on your engagement/ wedding!!!!! The sapphire ring is beautiful!

 

[peacechick]

Congrats! I love how that sapphire changes colors even in the sun could we get close up views of the rings to admire the lovely engraving?

 

[ika411]

Thanks SB and Peacechick! And a BIG THANK YOU to everyone here for all your sage advice and suggestion to get in touch with Jeff White. If it weren't for you, we would have given up long ago and overpaid for a lower quality sapphire!

Here's a close up of the rings.

 

[Scarlett1]

Congratulations. The rings are beautiful, love the engravings on the shank.

 

[chloeishere]

The sapphire and rings are absolutely beautiful! Congratulations to you both!

 

[minousbijoux]

Ditto to the above - and amazing color change!

 

[chrono]

Gorgeous! And congrats on the engagement too.