Sapphire hunt contd: NSC cushion cut on the way!

[mrsinaugust]

Hello, Gemstone lovers!

So, my sapphire hunt continues... I decided to preview a sapphire that I''ve been eyeing for a while on NSC.

Some background info:
It''s for my engagement ring- I want a cushion cut ~8mm
I''m going to ask Leon Mege to create a derivation of this setting for me (without the pave on the outer edges and more of an Edwardian-style filigree below the halo)
I love the bright "french-blue" sapphires, but my fiance prefers the deep blue stones (I really want to choose a stone that he loves, too), so I''m looking at sapphires somewhere within the range of bright blue to med-deep blue.

Here is the sapphire I''ve ordered (should arrive on Monday!): Opinions?
http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Blue/B3113/Cushion/stoneid=B3113

I decided to order a second stone for comparison. These are the three I''m trying to decide amongst (I don''t want to order more than two at a time)... I''d love any opinions out there-- which one do you think is the best contender?

1: http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Blue/B3183/Cushion/stoneid=B3183

2. http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Blue/B137/Cushion/stoneid=B137

3. http://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/Sapphires/Blue/B3143/Cushion/stoneid=B3143 (it''s marked "on hold" but they said it just being set and could be recalled)

Thank you for all the help!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Wow, your ring is just going to be spectacular!

I love the one you''ve chosen, but the colour of #1 is speaking to me. If you want a sample of a deeper blue for your FI, I''d say go for #2.

 

[Arcadian]

I agree with Lauren, thats going to be a knockout of a ring! I tend to like deeper color stones and like number 2 a lot.


-A

 

[cushioncutnut]

I like the stone you chose and the first stone...all though I wouldn''t sneeze at any. The second stone appears to have a window.......but it also looks like it has a bit of antique faceting which may look gorgeous set in that Leon setting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[stepcutgirl]

I like your style! I want a very similar ering for myself so I''m going to be following the development of this! Yay!

 

[T L]

That is going to be a gorgeous ring!!

 

[icekid]

I really like the first stone. Hope you love it! It will be incredible in that Leon

 

[BWise]

That is going to be a ring TDF! I think #1 will be the best contender among the three.

 

[chrono]

Ordered stone: Nice colour and looks a little sleepy
Stone 1: Good brilliance but may have a window
Stone 2: Probably will end up being too dark. Small window can be closed in the right setting but will end up even darker.
Stone 3: Sleepy and the outline is a little off. The cutting looks too lopsided for me.

Based solely on the pictures, I have a slight preference for Stone 1 over all 4 stones (inlcuding your original pick). You are doing the right thing to have 2 shipped to you for comparison in person.

 

[FrekeChild]

I''m really liking #1!

 

[mrsinaugust]

Thank you, everyone!

As always, your opinions are a tremendous help. It's taken me about four months, but I finally feel comfortable making concrete decisions about my ring. It was so effortless to commit the rest of my life to my wonderful man, but committing to a split shank??? Traumatic. I lost some sleep over that one.

I wish I could order all four stones, but having the financial equivalent of my grad school education in the palm of my hand makes me a little nervous. I think I'm going to go with consensus and order #1. I was leaning towards #3 because I love stones that look sleepy, but would like to compare two stones with different qualities. I would feel more comfortable with #2 if I wasn't getting a bezel setting.

Slightly off topic, but I've always been curious... For all the gemologists, jewelry makers, custom cutters, and other jewelry professionals who post here frequently... what do their spouses' rings look like?? Does such a forum exist?

Thank you!

 

[Linda W]

I really like number 1 also. The setting you chose, is going to be gorgeous. Please post pictures of the stones, when you receive them.

 

[FrekeChild]

Date: 5/8/2009 12:52:29 AM
Author: mrsinaugust
Slightly off topic, but I''ve always been curious... For all the gemologists, jewelry makers, custom cutters, and other jewelry professionals who post here frequently... what do their spouses'' rings look like?? Does such a forum exist?

Thank you!

Cindi Stair (wife of Dan Stair) has a native cut pink oval sapphire in a platinum halo. I can''t remember exactly how big it is, but I think it''s over 3cts...Just gorgeous though!

 

[ma re]

I''d check #1, mostly for the same reasons that Chrono listed, but I''ll add a few thoughts. We''ve established that any setting slightly darkens any stone, but setting that deep blue #2 into a white metal would make that even more obvious. #3 may have a very good clarity, but it doesen''t have a good transparency, and those are two very different things. And transparency is one of the reasons why I''d choose #1, since it looks almost "watery" and I think this quality would compliment your setting very nicely.

Hope this helps.

 

[babysteps]

I have to defer to the CS experts on cut, I like #1 best for color, #2 looks a bit darker to me, and #3 just seems kind of lopsided (and too deep) - I think you are going to have a jaw-droppingly gorgeous engagement ring, that Leon setting is one of my favorites, I think it will be stunning.

 

[stepcutgirl]

I hope this isn''t considered a thread jack but what does a sleepy stone mean?

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/8/2009 9:35:49 AM
Author: stepcutgirl
I hope this isn''t considered a thread jack but what does a sleepy stone mean?

A sleepy stone generally doesn’t have a lot of sparkle but the trade off is a very soft look that usually intensifies the colour of the gemstone if the saturation is vivid to begin with. There’s a fine between how sleepy it should appear. A good sleepy stone will look velvety and a not so good sleepy will appear dull.

 

[ma re]

Date: 5/8/2009 9:35:49 AM
Author: stepcutgirl
I hope this isn''t considered a thread jack but what does a sleepy stone mean?

Well, by that term I usually think of stones that seem "fogy" or "cloudy" i.e. lack crystal transparency. But sometimes by that, people refer to stones with poor cutting, which don''t show much of a scintillation or "life". Think of a typical fire opal and compare it to a typical diamond - that should be enough to understand. It could also mean a stone that is too dark (like some pyrope garnets or indicolite tourmalines) to show a lot of brilliance or even color.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Thanks Chrono and Ma.

 

[mrsinaugust]

Actually, I''m really happy you asked about sleepiness because I had the same question. I love the look of velvety soft sapphires-- more so than sparkly, super transparent gems. I''m hoping the one I ordered will have a bit of that quality without looking lifeless.

I ended up ordering three sapphires! In addition to the original stone, #1 and #2 are on the way. I want to look at #2 because it''s my fiance''s favorite...Does anyone know of a technique to estimate the darkening effect of a bezel? I''m thinking of making a little nested coil of thin-gauge sterling silver wire, placing the stone in it, and then wrapping it around the girdle... do you think that would give me a good dea of the color in a bezel setting?

#1 is actually set in a ring-- they''re sending me the ring, and if I decide to go with the stone, they will unset it for me. Here''s the ring: (very different from the style I''ve decided on, but I''m sure I''ll have fun trying it on!).

Stay tuned... I''ll post lots of pictures on Monday!

 

[stepcutgirl]

I can''t wait for pictures! I have two ideas in mind and while both are bezels one has a diamond halo and the other is a James Meyer bezel with no diamonds.

 

[chrono]

It''s pretty but the window looks very apparent in that picture. I''m not sure if it will bother you.

 

[stepcutgirl]

Sigh...what is a window? From the sound of it it should be obvious and I saw where someone posted a thread showing how they could read through it and called that a window, but how are you seeing that in the set stone and where?

 

[Stone Hunter]

Oh I like the color of that one that''s set in a ring. Hope you love one of them when you get them!!

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/8/2009 2:55:31 PM
Author: stepcutgirl
Sigh...what is a window? From the sound of it it should be obvious and I saw where someone posted a thread showing how they could read through it and called that a window, but how are you seeing that in the set stone and where?

Smack dab in the middle of the sapphire where it looks different and has no sparkle. You can see through the stone all the way down the pavilion.

 

[stepcutgirl]

So you should see facets there?

 

[mrsinaugust]

Stepcutgirl,
We have similar tastes! I love Caleb and James Meyer''s rings, especially their millegrain bezels. Trying to choose between a Meyer & a Mege is what took me so long to decide. But, ultimately, the Mege is the ring that took my breath away-- just like my fiance-- so I figured it was the best symbol of our union!

However, I think the all-metal Meyer bezels would be more durable over a lifetime than a diamond halo. This was the advice given to me on this forum a while back.

Windows are really hard for me to evaluate online. I could read a book through the last stone I previewed, but only when I had the stone in front of me. I could not detect it on screen. The window on the sapphire above doesn''t bother me onscreen (uh... mainly because I didn''t even notice it!), but we''ll see on Monday... It''s an open setting, so hopefully I will be able to get a good idea.

I can''t imagine making these decisions without all the information and advice on this forum. It makes the process so much more fun! Thank you as always.

 

[stepcutgirl]

I love the ring you have chosen! From the side it looks like the James Meyer setting I am thinking of! I don''t see why a platinum bezel would be more durable than a platinum and diamond one though. I almost think the opposite! I''m going to go read all your threads now! I need education on these things!

 

[chrono]

Date: 5/8/2009 4:05:54 PM
Author: stepcutgirl
So you should see facets there?

Correct.

 

[mrsinaugust]

Thank you, StepCutGirl!

Per the counsel of Ma Re: "micro pave (or any kind of pave) is not advisable for something that would be worn daily."

I only want the pave around the split shank and halo (the original design has a full three-sided pave band), and I also want a filigree gallery (the original is pave), similar to the design below. It will still be delicate, but worth the compromise for me. It also depends on how well the pave is set... which was another factor in my decision to go with LM.

I think it's an important consideration if you plan on wearing your ring everyday, but perhaps others with pave engagement rings can advise? Here are some threads on pave durability that you may find helpful:

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/true-durability-of-pave.69349/

https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/differences-in-pave-rings-that-are-handmade-vs-cast.41084/