Talk to me about color zoning in sapphires

[whitewave]

Does color zoning move? Say I’m looking at an oval sapphire and it is moody and there is a darker spot, but the darker spot moves as I move the stone around (it’s on one end then it’s on the other end then it’s in the middle)….. is that color zoning?

Can anything be done about color zoning (like a recut)?

I’m about to research this. Thanks.

 

[dk168]

I am not an expert, however, it is my understanding that colour zoning is in the stone itself, as in varying in colour from one region to another due to differences in the amount of minerals incorporated into the crystalline structure when the stone was being formed, and no amount of cutting can alter that.

Hopefully the experts will be here soon to advise.

Edited to say I believe what you were seeing is extinction (I needed to check the pinned thread in CS section first to be certain).

DK

 

[chrono]

Colour zoning is permanent and does not move/travel.

Colour zoning is usually not something one can cut out because in sapphires, sometimes the stone is basically colourless and there's one tiny area with colour and the lapidary has cut the stone in such a way that the colour bounces all around and gives the face up illusion of the sapphire having colour throughout.

The description you gave sounds like possibly extinction or shadowing. Depending on the material itself, it might be recut to be more evenly distributed or it might not be possible. Weight loss can also be great or minimal, depending on where the issue stems from.

 

[whitewave]

Colour zoning is permanent and does not move/travel.

Colour zoning is usually not something one can cut out because in sapphires, sometimes the stone is basically colourless and there's one tiny area with colour and the lapidary has cut the stone in such a way that the colour bounces all around and gives the face up illusion of the sapphire having colour throughout.

The description you gave sounds like possibly extinction or shadowing. Depending on the material itself, it might be recut to be more evenly distributed or it might not be possible. Weight loss can also be great or minimal, depending on where the issue stems from.

Ok, thanks to you both. I agree it’s probably extinction, so I’m going to read up on it.

 

[whitewave]

Ok, thanks to you both. I agree it’s probably extinction, so I’m going to read up on it.

Ok in looking around the internet, I would say because it’s an elongated oval (nearly 4 carats and hits over 10mm) that it’s the half and half shadowing. It doesn’t necessarily bother me. I hadn’t seen it before and I was wondering what it is. The stone has a very attractive price point for the size, so now it makes more sense to me. This would be for a pendant, so since the effect disappears at E-W, I’m now wondering if I would set it with a halo and e-w on a dedicated chain.

Thanks.

 

[whitewave]

I don’t call it extinction because it’s not black at all. It’s more like color play within the elongated oval. I’ll call it shadowing for lack of a better term, but it’s not static and it disappears entirely when holding it in certain ways.

I don’t think it’s “bad”. I think it is “different” than what I am used to with my chubby oval under 2 carats and my round studs.

oh, also, half and half doesn’t really fit either because as I said, it’s only half and half when I hold it a certain way to look for that.

Thanks for reading, I’m going out of town and have no time for pics, Sorry.

 

[chrono]

This would be for a pendant, so since the effect disappears at E-W, I’m now wondering if I would set it with a halo and e-w on a dedicated chain.

This sounds like the way to go with this particular stone.

 

[whitewave]

This sounds like the way to go with this particular stone.

I agree. I’m waiting for a sunny day to play with it some more (just got it yesterday evening).

I also don’t think it’s enough of anything to consider a recut (maybe it has a keel pavilion and not sure that can be changed).

 

[Rfisher]

Are you looking at it on your hand or relative how you would see it in a pendant - even N/S orientation it may not show that in the pendant viewing position?
Not that I wouldn’t enjoy seeing an oval pendant E/W

 

[whitewave]

Ok the Sun came out for a second, so I cleaned it and ran outside with it. Let me say on the front end that I love it and I’m keeping it, so I don’t want criticisms of it.

I simply hadn’t seen this effect before in a sapphire and so was wondering what it was.

It has papers from GIA which describes it as heated and “blue” from Sri Lanka.

here are some photos in all lighting conditions: the first few are from very poor evening light inside the house. Some are in the light box and then diffused outside light (overcast day) and then sunshine and sunshine under a tree canopy.

you will be able to see the violet modifier in the first few pics:

 

[whitewave]

 

[whitewave]

 

[whitewave]

Are you looking at it on your hand or relative how you would see it in a pendant - even N/S orientation it may not show that in the pendant viewing position?
Not that I wouldn’t enjoy seeing an oval pendant E/W

You are absolutely right. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[whitewave]

Oh! I forgot to disclaim that my nails are AWFUL to the point that I think I’m going to get some acrylics soon. Lol


also, I would want a chunkier halo… what size melee do you all think?


and…. The stone was basically, IMO, a steal, which is also why I’m keeping it. Excellent price. I find IRL it is interesting and has a curiosity about it that isn’t reflected in photos.

 

[ringo865]

Super pretty color and wow, that size! Shadowing doesn’t bother me any. Looks great!!

 

[whitewave]

Super pretty color and wow, that size! Shadowing doesn’t bother me any. Looks great!!

Thank you. It’s near/under 4 carats and was in the low 2ks

 

[Rfisher]

also, I would want a chunkier halo… what size melee do you all think?

What’s the melee size on your yellow sapphire ring?
If you picture that ring on your hand next to this stone
I can do a couple mock-ups to guesstimate size you might like?

 

[Bron357]

It’s lovely.
its not colour zoning, it’s just how light is travelling around and not “coming back out” where it looks dark.
Its all based on angles and in an oval shape not all facets can return light at the same orientation . As you move the sapphire you should find that the “darkness shifts” because it’s now different facets not able to reflect.
Colour zoning is common in sapphires. As the gem develops, over millions of years, the trace elements present can change and thus lighter or colourless sapphire bands can appear.
Parti sapphires take it further, different trace elements creating blue or green or yellow bands. A cutter will orient the crystal to reduce the effect of any zoning.
One of my round sapphires has zoning. It’s much more noticable “face down”.

 

[CMN]

I love violet in blue sapphires - enjoy your new stone.

I think @Bron357’s explanation is spot on.

 

[whitewave]

david Klass is making me a pendant! The melee are 3mm which are the same as in my yellow sapphire ring. G/VS

all in white gold

 

[CaseyLouLou]

david Klass is making me a pendant! The melee are 3mm which are the same as in my yellow sapphire ring. G/VS

all in white gold

Awesome! I haven’t had him make a pendant yet. May I ask what he charges for something like that?

 

[whitewave]

Awesome! I haven’t had him make a pendant yet. May I ask what he charges for something like that?

It really all depends. Again, I’m using lab grown diamonds instead of earth mined. The stone is also 10mm and the halo are 3mm stones.

I had a local brick store do my aquamarine pendant and now DK is doing this one…

also, the g/vs is obviously more expensive than say H SI

Both are in the 1800-2000 range. Larger stones, more gold (honestly, the gold is the biggest issue right now, which is why I used 10k for the aqua because the stone is something like 12 carats…

 

[CaseyLouLou]

It really all depends. Again, I’m using lab grown diamonds instead of earth mined. The stone is also 10mm and the halo are 3mm stones.

I had a local brick store do my aquamarine pendant and now DK is doing this one…

also, the g/vs is obviously more expensive than say H SI

Both are in the 1800-2000 range. Larger stones, more gold (honestly, the gold is the biggest issue right now, which is why I used 10k for the aqua because the stone is something like 12 carats…

Thanks for the ballpark estimate. Seems very reasonable for the size pieces I think.

 

[prs]

david Klass is making me a pendant! The melee are 3mm which are the same as in my yellow sapphire ring. G/VS

all in white gold

Twelve prongs on the sapphire?

Might want to consider adjusting how the bale attaches to the setting. Roll over much less likely if the bale is free to rotate up, down, and sideways as the chain moves on your shoulders.

 

[whitewave]

Twelve prongs on the sapphire?

Might want to consider adjusting how the bale attaches to the setting. Roll over much less likely if the bale is free to rotate up, down, and sideways as the chain moves on your shoulders.

I’m not sure I get what you are saying about the bale— though I am interested.

the sapphire originally had 4 prongs and I wasn’t comfortable with that (since my 4
Prong asscher has one prong lifting slightly and I’m completely freaked out about it and need to get it fixed before I wear it again).

6 and 8 prongs looked strange.

im not home so I can’t look at my aqua pendant to see— I think it’s fixed and part of the pendant?

 

[whitewave]

Twelve prongs on the sapphire?

Might want to consider adjusting how the bale attaches to the setting. Roll over much less likely if the bale is free to rotate up, down, and sideways as the chain moves on your shoulders.

so you mean like this for the bail?

 

[whitewave]

It’s already getting cast so we will just have to see how it turns out. I trust DK. Plus, sapphires as you know are very deep

 

[prs]

It’s already getting cast so we will just have to see how it turns out. I trust DK. Plus, sapphires as you know are very deep

Sorry @whitewave I should have kept my big mouth shut!

I'm sure your sapphire will be just fine and absolutely gorgeous. We can talk more in the unlikely event roll over becomes an issue for you.

 

[whitewave]

Sorry @whitewave I should have kept my big mouth shut!

I'm sure your sapphire will be just fine and absolutely gorgeous. We can talk more in the unlikely event roll over becomes an issue for you.

It’s ok. I actually think aesthetically this looks better than the 4 prongs. Cads also show much more metal also so I expect they will be very refined irl

 

[prs]

It’s ok. I actually think aesthetically this looks better than the 4 prongs. Cads also show much more metal also so I expect they will be very refined irl

Yes, good idea to send Amy a photo of the exact type of prongs you prefer. If you ask, they can make prongs so small they are almost invisible!