Sapphire help

[le chateau]

Hi everyone,

I have been lurking on this site for a while. I am looking to create a sapphire engagement ring (I lost my original) . I will be getting a setting from antiqueengagementrings.com. And then DH and I want to pick out a beautiful royal blue sapphire to place in the setting.

The problem is, I''ve never done this before. I went to AJSgems.com to look at their selection and I love them ALL! How do I chose and what am I looking for. I assume I want "almost loop clean" I don''t mind "heated" but beyond that they all look the same to me: GORGEOUS. There is something about the blue sapphire that puts me in a trance when I see them. They are so calming.

I love all the shapes too: Emerald cut, cushion, roundish oval.

What am I looking for in terms of windows, dead stones, etc? And how can I tell if the color is going to be too dark or too light. I want that medium royal blue.


I can see why this gem thing is so addicting. When you see the loose stones you start dreaming of all the possibilities. I''m already dreaming of a garnet ring for my right hand LOL!

Here are some stones that caught my eye. Can you tell me if they''re a good choice. TIA

(I will try to link)

 

[le chateau]

I like these: it won''t let me link--sorry

http://www.ajsgems.com/SAP/SAP-00817.htm

http://www.ajsgems.com/SAP/SAP-00799.htm

http://www.ajsgems.com/SAP/SAP-00763.htm

 

[chrono]

When it comes to gemstones, I would not rely on the pictures. If the photographer is good, he can accurately capture the essence and colour of the stone, and most people can''t. Plus, other sometimes photoshop the pictures or play around with the lighting to make the gemstone look better than it really is. That said, AJS is a reputable and honest vendor so no trickery from them. The best thing is to email (or call but watch the long distance time and $) about the stones.

Extinction
You want to avoid this. There will be some exinction when you view the stone up close but you don''t want it when viewed further away. This is the dark areas on the stone where you will not see its natural colour.

Zoning
Uneven colouring of the stone. The gemstone must have an even tone thorough out the stone. You don''t want a light patch here or a dark patch there.

Window
A well cut stone will not have this. When faced straight down, you must not be able to see right through the stone and be able to read any printed words (if placed over a book or newspaper). If you can, the stone is cut too shallow and I''d advise you to keep looking for a better cut gemstone.

 

[twodoor2]

I like the naturalsapphirecompany for one thing, they have video clips of most of their gems so you can see them in a more realistic way. I really like when dealers show video clips of the the stones they sell. It's very professional.

I'm not sure that the photos on ajs always come out exactly like the stone really looks. You have to be very careful to ask the dealer a lot of questions about saturation, color, tone, cutting, etc. . . They're a very reputable company, but like Chrono states, it's hard to tell from a picture since the camera cannot capture the true essence of a stone. It's just a two dimensional picture.

BTW, love those antique mountings on that site you mention. I bet your ring is going to look like something from the 1920's when you're done with it, gorgeous!!!

 

[Catmom]

I agree with Chrono, pictures of colored stones can be very misleading. It''s very difficult to get a picture that shows the true color, etc. If you can''t get to see the stone in person then make sure that there is a good return policy in place in case you don''t like it.