These 2 sapphires? Need advice!

[K8tlynS]

You guys are all probably sick of hearing from me, but I got a hand shot of two oval stones from Pristine Gemstones. (By the way, does anyone have anything to say, good or bad, about this vendor? I found them on Etsy.) Both stones are over 2 carats and are slightly over 8x6mm. Are either of these stones worth considering? How bad is the zoning on the 2.11 carat stone (right in hand shot)?

Left:
weight: 2.21 cts
size: 8.9 x 6.7 mm ( close to 9x 7mm )
color: medium velvet dark blue
clarity: very good
origin: Ceylon

Right:
carats: 2.11 cts
size: 8.2mm x 6.3mm
color: medium blue with minor zoning
clarity: very good
origin: Ceylon

 

[K8tlynS]

Also, I got hand shots of two Gem 2000 stones that meet my criteria and also fall within my budget. I really, really like the color on both of these stones, but I am not as good as you experts at determining things like zoning and extinction. How do they look? I also am worried that the color on the cushion will be too dark once set in a bezel setting (even though I love it unset...).

- Oval specs:
SAPPHIRE
BLUE
8.6 x 6.7 mm
1.74 ct
OVAL
CEYLON
HEATED

-Cushion specs:
SAPPHIRE
BLUE
7.2 x 6.3 mm
1.96 ct
CUSHION
SRI LANKA
HEATED

 

[chroman]

Its a little tricky since they are in different lighting situations.. But the last 2 stones do look very dark. Probably my favorite of the 4 from these pics is the rigjt stone from Pristine (the deeper blue one).

Both Pristine stones look much more "open" than the Gem 2000's.

I'm not familiar with either vendor - do they provide lab reports?

 

[K8tlynS]

Thanks for the input chroman! What do you mean by "open"? Should I be worried about the "minor zoning" the vendor discloses with the 2.11 carat stone (on the right). I believe that none of these stones from either vendor come with certification. Do I need to be worried about that?

 

[chroman]

Sorry, I meant that the last two stones have lots of "black regions" of extinction, whereas the first two have lighter tone and don't look sk dark.

But, they're also not as saturated as the bottom gem 2k stone. However, evn though its more saturated, I'd be concerned that it would look black most of the time, unless you were in bright daylight.

The hand picis are a little too wide to tell much about the zoning. I was mostly looking at the saturation in the first pic.

 

[chroman]

Just in case the mastercut stone is still on your list, it looks like they are going to be starting a sale on the 23rd (there's a note on their home page).

 

[minousbijoux]

For those of us who have not been following your threads super closely (likely the majority of us), would you mind posting all the stones you are considering in this thread so we can compare? I see that you are referring to others, but am not sure which others are still in the running.

These two stones do appear to have lovely saturation but the tone appears too dark, given how dark they appear in such a well lit photo.

Look forward to seeing the others you are considering.

 

[chroman]

And if an oval would still be of interest, check out this listing;
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loose-stones-colored-gemstone/80s-sapphire-diamond-ring-feelers

 

[K8tlynS]

Thanks everyone for the last round of input! I, too, was worried that the two royal blue stones from Gem 2000 might become way too dark once set in a bezel...although I do love their saturation...

Anyway, I just ordered this 8x6mm standard heat, cushion shaped sapphire. It's supposed to be here Thursday, so we will see if I love it as much in person as I love the pictures!

And thanks chroman, if this stone doesn't work out I will definitely keep that Loupe Troupe ring you linked to in mind. That stone looks like it has the ideal color I'm looking for, and I haven't completely ruled oval out. For that price, I wish I had seen your posting yesterday before I ordered this stone...

 

[K8tlynS]

The vendor sent me a good video too, but I'm not sure how to post that on Pricescope...

 

[K8tlynS]

So, I never got a single comment on the other thread I started last Friday asking if I purchased a good sapphire... I know this is a very subjective thing, what one person finds desirable in a colored gemstone may be very different than the next. However, I really was hoping to get some good opinions and advice from people on here more knowledgeable than me.

Oh well, I guess! I've decided it's too hard and stressful for me to try and purchase a colored stone over the internet, so I went to look at a couple sapphires in person today. I have basically decided I want to buy one of these two stones, mostly because they are exact color I am looking for and also because of the ease and convenience factor. I was wondering if you all could weigh in as to which you like better or think would be a better fit for my inspiration setting below.

Both stones are heat treated and neither come with a certificate.

Cushion- 1.95 carat, 7.0x6.5mm, $2725
Oval- 2.40 carat, 8.5x6.3mm, $2400

 

[K8tlynS]

Both side by side. Try to ignore the current settings...

Both stones are heat treated and neither come with a certificate.
Cushion- 1.95 carat, 7.0x6.5mm, $2725
Oval- 2.40 carat, 8.5x6.3mm, $2400

 

[K8tlynS]

Just the cushion:

 

[K8tlynS]

One more cushion pic and then the only pic of the oval I took by itself.

 

[chroman]

Ack - somehow I missed your last post! But if that stone didn't make your heart swoon when it arrived, you made the right decision to keep looking. When you know, you know

Of these latest two, I like the cushion better both for the color - it seems a little brighter - and shape for your setting choice.

Whats your feeling on getting a lab report to confirm that your choice is actually heat-only?

 

[AndreaVW]

Thanks for the input chroman! What do you mean by "open"? Should I be worried about the "minor zoning" the vendor discloses with the 2.11 carat stone (on the right). I believe that none of these stones from either vendor come with certification. Do I need to be worried about that?

Hi @K8tlynS,

Sorry for the very delayed response. I am just getting on to PriceScope now and realizing there have been missed opportunities for clarification and education for future readers of this post. First of all, this is Andrea with Pristine Gemstone Jewelry (also PristineGemstones and PristineJewelry on Etsy).

I see that you chose 2 lovely rings in the end, but I don't see which one you ultimately went with. Regardless, I have to say that they are both gorgeous, so it would have been a win either way for you. Congratulations!

I just want to clarify the question about appraisals and certification of our gemstones as those were our two sapphires that you initially posted about (that was my wrinkly hand in the photo!). One of the sapphires was already appraised at the time of your inquiry with us. It was appraised by a 3rd party, GIA trained gemologist and licensed appraiser. The appraisal was scanned and posted as one of the listing photos. The other one, if valued over $1800USD and not already appraised, we would have sent to a 3rd party, GIA trained gemologist and licensed appraiser for you as a complimentary service. Basically, anything valued over $1800USD we will send out for appraisal for our customers. An appraisal is a legal document and essentially a certificate, but it also has a retail replacement value attached to it, which is useful for insurance purposes. Any other stones that we carry valued under $1800USD can receive an appraisal for an additional $60USD.

We don't have all of our stones certified/appraised in advance because we carry 1000's of them since Rogerio has been a wholesale supplier and professional gem cutter for 28 years now. Because it is a conflict of interest to use an in-house appraiser/gemologist, we send our stones off to a 3rd party, so you can imagine that it just isn't something that is feasible to do with the amount of stones and inquiries that we have. No supplier has all of their stones certified. It just isn't feasible. Also, since we have decided to offer our stones to our customers at wholesale pricing, we haven't built in the cost of sending them out for appraisal, hence the extra charge if a customer wants an appraisal of a stone valued under $1800USD.

I hope this helps you and any future readers. I am also curious as to which ring you ended up going with.

Thank you!
Andrea Van Wilgenburg
Pristine Gemstone Jewelry
902-350-0025

 

[valeria101]

Not sure what 3K buys if you'd want a sample of the highest saturation in blue; more than nothing ...

Is it normal for the depth measurement to be basically the same as the width on sapphires?

This makes sense for any long stone.

[IHMO - a long cut does function somewhat differently from a line-up of squares ... still, you wouldn't relate depth to length, but a high ratio with the relatively narrow width seems necessary]

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

I'm confused (again, still):
1. Appraisal with a 'market-value' by whom-ever-educated persons are not of much help, right?
2. Appraisals are NOT done by 'good' gem labs. Those labs don't give $$ values, only describe the gem objectively, as far as possible, right?
3. Independent gem labs can only help to negotiate a 'market value', something that does not really exists but is in fact only the one-time-price two people agree upon. Correct?

 

[AndreaVW]

Hi Norman,

We use GIA trained gemologists. We live and operate our business in Canada, so sending to the main lab at the GIA wouldn't make a whole lot of sense when we have GIA trained gemologists here. Plus, we deal with a relatively large volume, so it wouldn't even be feasible when I can courier stones to and from a gemologist in Canada.

Customers do need appraisals for insurance purposes. I cannot comment on why the GIA itself does not do appraisals. Probably best to confirm an answer with the source.

I believe appraisers in jewelry are just like real estate appraisers, except in this case they use the Gem Guide as well as comparables in the market to come up with valuations. Again, probably best to ask the source?

Thank you!
Andrea