Sapphire for comment

[kaehl28]

Most knowledgeable PSers,

I've been scouring and emailing and searching and seeking and have found something that she likes very much. So now I need the experts here to pass judgement on said stone to make sure I'm not missing anything. I know I know, I'm all take and no give. If any of you ever have need for any software development knowledge, I'll start up www.softwaredeveloperscope.com

Anyway, it's 6.4mm square, 1.64 carats and I plan to use it as the center stone in an e-ring. I'll let the picture speak to the rest of it. What is the going price per carat on a stone like this? Is it perhaps too small for a center stone? And please feel free to be blunt on any feedback.

Thanks!

 

[Kitten35]

I'm still fairly new at all this but I would say for size, that sounds ok to me. 6.4 would be a good size. How big is the hand size?

 

[kaehl28]

Ring will be a 6.25 and with this one the center of five stones (sapphire, diamond, this sapphire, diamond, sapphire).

Thanks!

 

[Kitten35]

I wear a size 6 so not too different. That would definitely be big enough for me, especially with the other stones. I think it will have a good presence. Does she like bigger than that, or not? I actually have a point at which things look too big on my hand because my fingers are thin.

 

[T L]

The price also depends on the treatment. If it's unheated, it can be 30 to 50% more than an unheated stone, and if it's diffused, the stone is perhaps $200. I'm assuming you have a reputable lab report with this stone that delineates all possible treatment (heat treatment is not enough information, as diffused stones are also heated). One must also judge zoning and color shift to determine price points as well.

 

[chrono]

Is the stone heated?
How is the colour shift (indoors versus outdoors)?

 

[kaehl28]

It is heated.

No lab report yet, I just emailed them for it recently so hopefully something soon.

Thanks!

 

[T L]

It is heated.

No lab report yet, I just emailed them for it recently so hopefully something soon.

Thanks!

FYI: I would only accept a lab report for corundum from AGL, GIA, GRS, Geublin, SSEF. I would never accept an in-house lab report.

 

[Pandora II]

Looks lovely in the picture!

I wear a 6.25 and my centre stone is 7.25 x 5.75 and 1.42ct, so I think the size sounds great!

 

[Michael_E]

I'll let the picture speak to the rest of it.

I wouldn't let that picture "speak" for anything. When an image has a totally white background you get two options for how it was made.

One is that the pure white comes from photoshopping the image by removing the background and taking away any clues about what is really going on with the stone. I think that this is what is going on since the reflected image of the stone shows no color and so was probably added after the fact.

The second option for manipulation is that the background really is that bright, which makes one wonder just how dark the stone would be IRL. I just don't think that this image can possibly be accurate and you should definitely ask the seller for some more images on realistic backgrounds, (or maybe even a video clip), before you make any decisions about it.

This note is not designed to critique the seller, but IS intended to have you think more about basing any decisions on pictures which show obvious signs of strong manipulation.

 

[minousbijoux]

Michael E: thanks for that post. I know we have a tendency to scrutinize photos for clues and to make conclusions of how the stone will look IRL as a result. Your knowledge and posts are extremely helpful in having us understand photos and gem color. Now that I take more photos of my stones, I try to be consistent in background color, lighting, posing and so on, and yet I am often shocked at how different my stones look in photos - it would be easy to make them look even more saturated and intense in color than they actually are...

 

[kaehl28]

I'll let the picture speak to the rest of it.

This note is not designed to critique the seller, but IS intended to have you think more about basing any decisions on pictures which show obvious signs of strong manipulation.

I've read this same advice on this forum a dozen times and still forgot it when I got all excited and saw something that's close to what we're looking for. Thanks for reminding me!

 

[kaehl28]

This note is not designed to critique the seller, but IS intended to have you think more about basing any decisions on pictures which show obvious signs of strong manipulation.

Response from vendor is that a lab report can be acquired for $$$ depending on the lab I'd like to have analyze it. He comes highly recommended by this very forum and I'm trying to balance that out with not being too much of a newbie and asking for the moon and stars on what I am sure is not an overly large sale for a vendor (3-5k).

Thoughts?

 

[LoveLifeConfusion]

per the picture it is a beautiful stone Is it from NSC? It does look manipulated though...

 

[LD]

My gut reaction when I looked at the photo was "that's a highly manipulated image". It of course looks beautiful but there's just something about the photo that stops me in my tracks. Before buying, please ask for the Vendor for hand shots. That way you can evaluate the colour of the skin and see how the photo looks against it.

 

[Michael_E]

Response from vendor is that a lab report can be acquired for $$$ depending on the lab I'd like to have analyze it. He comes highly recommended by this very forum and I'm trying to balance that out with not being too much of a newbie and asking for the moon and stars on what I am sure is not an overly large sale for a vendor (3-5k).

A lab report will not give you any indication of what the stone will look like once it's set and being worn in the sorts of places that the wearer will be frequenting. You should get a lab report, but for different reasons. This image, for instance, shows no signs of having a dark cross of head reflection, which invariably shows up in squarish stones, (depending on how close you are to it). Because of this you really need to see the stone to get a good feel for how it looks.

Your comment about not asking for the moon and stars is really funny. While that may not be considered a huge sale it is still significant and you should be able to get as much information as you need to make a comfortable decision about the stone. Getting information does not always mean more pictures. If a vendor has a good reputation and will allow returns easily, then you are often better off just getting the stone and looking at it in various lighting environments, returning it if it doesn't float your boat. On the other hand the stone may look as good or even much better than it does in the picture, (nice sapphires often look a LOT better in hand than in pictures). If you do get it for inspection, please take some pictures and post your impressions, as it's always nice to get a real life perspective.

 

[Justin_Cutter]

You have already been given a lot of great advice! As Michael_E said if you can buy and have the option to return then that is your best bet.
If the sapphire actually looks like the picture then it is very nice. From my screen I see a nice blue tone with a strong secondary modifier of velvet. Moderate Zoning. Excellent saturation.
That picture has definitely been modified so its anyone's guess.
~Justin

 

[gsellis]

My gut reaction when I looked at the photo was "that's a highly manipulated image". It of course looks beautiful but there's just something about the photo that stops me in my tracks. Before buying, please ask for the Vendor for hand shots. That way you can evaluate the colour of the skin and see how the photo looks against it.

Yes it is. That shadow should not be that sharp in a diffuser box. I think a hand shot is in order too. My first gut reaction was CGI.