Begonia
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2011
- Messages
- 3,617
Would you consider purchasing one? If so, under what conditions?
If you are concerned, you should buy a certified sapphire and from a vendor who has a return policy. However you’ll pay a price commensurate with having those options available.
@Begonia - you're using PS in the best way! Learning more is how you'll find what you're comfortable with. Some people want and need top shelf, some don't; some people want certs, some don't. I'm thankful for all of those on PS who are willing to share their expertise and experiences.
Expensive sapphire, ruby, emerald, alexandrite, spinel, or other very expensive highly synthesized and/or treated gems, no way. It must have a reputable lab report. Labs don’t “certify” by the way. They provide an unbiased gemological report.
As for garnets, tourmaline, and regular chrysoberyl, and other inexpensive gems, I don’t need a lab report if they’re from a reputable vendor.
Mostly this but it also depends on who - if it’s a vendor I’ve bought several stones from that had all tested ok, I may buy without a cert first. But I still prefer to recert my stones locally unless there is already a cert from a really well regarded lab. Plus I don’t like how loose some labs are around giving trade preferred color names.
I also go to jewellery shows so I may also buy uncerted stones if it’s a really good deal.
Actually I almost never bother to certify stuff like tourmalines, no matter the price. Is that really bad? Oops.
Tourmaline thus far has not been synthesized in the lab, and most treatment is not detectable. The only time I will bother to get a lab report for a tourmaline is if it were a very e expensive paraiba and you needed to know if it was from Brazil and or if it was clarity enhanced.
Gem and jewelry shows are a huge consumer traps, and I personally never ever buy expensive risky gems at a gem show without a reputable lab report, no matter the deal. I learned this the hard way.
Twice I have had vendors assure me that sapphires were heat only, and each time GIA confirmed more invasive treatments - i.e., Be treated. It appears the two colors most often diffused are the bright, intensely saturated blue, and bright orange and padparadscha. Since value drops steeply from heat only to those more invasively treated, this is where I would be most concerned: unless I have a lab report stating heat only, I won't buy (unless it's someone like Roger Dery, who has sourced and cut the rough himself).
Twice I have had vendors assure me that sapphires were heat only, and each time GIA confirmed more invasive treatments - i.e., Be treated. It appears the two colors most often diffused are the bright, intensely saturated blue, and bright orange and padparadscha. Since value drops steeply from heat only to those more invasively treated, this is where I would be most concerned: unless I have a lab report stating heat only, I won't buy (unless it's someone like Roger Dery, who has sourced and cut the rough himself).