What cuts do you think are best for blue sapphires?

[Icy Melona]

Curious to know what cuts people think are the best for blue sapphires in terms of scintillation and fire. I love emerald cuts but the cut doesn''t seem to generate much sparkle.

Thanks!

 

[Kaleigh]

I have a cushion cut sapphire, and love it to pieces. But also love rounds and ovals. Depends on what YOU like....

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I agree with the above. A well cut sapphire is cut for color. Everything else comes second. Most sapphires come in oval or cushion shapes because, from what I understand, the rough is long, and those are the cuts that give the most ct weight. Rounds are more rare, and the price of the stone can be higher for those cuts.

When I was looking I knew I wanted a brilliant cut, so I looked at rounds, ovals and cushions. Keeping an open mind made it easier for me to find the perfect stone (which happened to be a cushion, my favorite cut of the three). I didn''t look at the step cuts, because I knew I would not be happy with one, no matter how nice the color was. Step cuts do not show much sparkle, but they are beautiful in there own way. IMHO, A step cuts shows off a sapphire with a nice even color, and good clarity.

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 7/3/2008 12:47:05 AM
Author: LtlFirecracker
I agree with the above. A well cut sapphire is cut for color. Everything else comes second. Most sapphires come in oval or cushion shapes because, from what I understand, the rough is long, and those are the cuts that give the most ct weight. Rounds are more rare, and the price of the stone can be higher for those cuts.

When I was looking I knew I wanted a brilliant cut, so I looked at rounds, ovals and cushions. Keeping an open mind made it easier for me to find the perfect stone (which happened to be a cushion, my favorite cut of the three). I didn't look at the step cuts, because I knew I would not be happy with one, no matter how nice the color was. Step cuts do not show much sparkle, but they are beautiful in there own way. IMHO, A step cuts shows off a sapphire with a nice even color, and good clarity.

That is very sage advice, LtlFirecracker. May I add one more thing that Jeff White told me? He reminded me that even though we need to look up/down/through the stone, with many different light levels and from differing sources, it was important to remember that once the stone is set, all of the sparkle comes from the front and sides. So it often looks darker than when it is loose. He would send me pics of a stone on top of his hand, so I got a bit of a sense of how it would look as a ring. But those pics always came with a proviso that it would be darker once set.

ETA: he also warned me that many photos on the internet are backlit, which makes the sapphire look electric blue. But once they are set, no light actually travels through the stone from the back. And that is where the quality of the cut plays an important role.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Lost Sapphire,

I think you added some great points.

I didn't add this next piece in my last post because I thought it would be to much, but I agree that cut quality is just as important as shape. Too many stones are cut for weight. This results in things like windows, that in the end, take away from the color and sparkle of the stone.

 

[LostSapphire]

Date: 7/3/2008 1:29:20 AM
Author: LtlFirecracker


I didn''t say it in my last post because I thought it would be to much, but cut quality is just as important as shape. Too many stones are cut for weight. The result is often windows and other stuff that in the end, take away from the color and sparkle of the stone.

DITTO

 

[Pandora II]

I'm a cushion fan personally.

Stones that will give you a lot of sparkle - trillions, ovals, rounds.

I have seen some step-cuts that perform very well, but it's a different look.

Also depends on the setting you choose.

 

[Catmom]

I''m another cushion fan but I''ve also seen some very firey ovals and rounds of course.

 

[neatfreak]

Asschers

No really, I agree with the other posters...rounds, ovals, and cushions. Anything without a step cut usually has more facets and more sparkle. As long as it''s cut well, that is the most important thing for sparkle even in colored stones. And lighter colors will sparkle more too.

And just so you know, most colored stones will not show "fire" like a diamond will. They will show tons of sparkle and colored sparkle from the stone, but rarely have the rainbow fire of a diamond.

 

[pamplemousse]

Count me in as another cushion lover... but I wanted also to chime in and second LtlFirecracker''s comment.

I love love love cushions and thought I wanted something kind of square-ish. That said, when we were looking we looked more for color than shape, figuring we could always have something re-cut. Of course, once we got the stone we loved (an oval) I decided I actually really liked the way the oval looked on my hand. I hadn''t really considered ovals at all as far as my "choice" in shape, but it turned out to be perfect for me. I really can''t emphasize enough the importance of trying things on (or letting things rest on your fingers to get an idea of it, if you''re looking at loose stones and you don''t have one of those pincher things).

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I have 2 cushion cuts and one hexagonal step-cut blue sapphire. The cushions have much more life and fire. If you decide on an emerald-cut sapphire, you might want to have it set fairly high so that it catches as much light as possible.