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What do you think of this sapphire?

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rahulus

Rough_Rock
Joined
Jun 21, 2018
Messages
13
Hi, very much new to all of this, and trying to read as voraciously as I can on the topic!!

I am in the process of choosing a sapphire for an engagement ring. I really would like an opinion on the stone attached - the colour / cut / clarity of the stone all look great to me (it really does sparkle and look stunning) but admittedly I have all of the knowledge of two weeks' worth of forum reading!

One thing that I keep noticing is the diagonal 'streak' that shows within the stone, even top down - it's less visible once in the setting but should this be considered a significant flaw, or particularly undesirable? should I expect the stone to be priced much lower as a result?

The stone itself is a 4.1ct radiant cut, 9.5mm x 7.8mm, heated only. Link to 2x back to back videos below, as well as photos:


Appreciate all and any feedback, looking to decide quickly and want to make sure I'm not overlooking something of importance when it comes to value/appearance.

Thanks

20180621_182115.jpg 20180621_182232.jpg
 
It’s a natural characteristic of blue sapphire (most noticeably) and it’s called colour zoning. In this sapphire it is very pronounced.
It doesn’t affect the integrity of the gem but it is considered a “negative” in so much as it isn’t desirable and therefore it’s presence reduces the value of the gem. It will still be noticable after setting. It also looks to have a window, that a “see through” part on the bottom of the gem. That is also undesirable.
Not knowing how much the cost is I can’t comment on whether it’s a fair price.
Pricing sapphires is difficult, especially as over 4 carats is rarer. Though seeing as GemPundit has “comparable” blue sapphires with significant zoning at around $1000 a carat, that would be around $5,000?
A great, even colour, well cut sapphire of 4 carats could be also be over $20,000!
I wouldn’t buy a sapphire with that degree of colour zoning as I would find it very distracting.
 
Thanks for the swift reply @Bron357, and yeah I had noticed that window effect - I wasn't sure how bad that would appear in the ring though.

I am being quoted ~$11k for the sapphire, hence why I wanted an opinion on here... finding it tricky to find something that matches my requirements at the right price at the moment. This one seemed to tick all the boxes bar the two issues you've mentioned (and pretty important ones it seems!)

The jeweler I am using thinks it's a great price for a stone of this cut/colour and size.... (I know...)
 
Way too much for that sapphire.
Have a look on the James Allen website, there’s a blue sapphire there (SKU18399) 4.70 carats, nice colour, good cut for $9,890. James Allen is on the pricey side so your jeweller is kidding himself if he thinks his sapphire is a good buy at $11k.
The other benefit with James Allen, if you’re a little unsure about setting and everything, is they have a lovely selection of ring settings as well so you can choose a setting and they will set the sapphire and send you the completed ring. They have for eg, a lovely elegant diamond halo plus shoulders for around $1400. So that’s basically a much better sapphire, set in a beautiful setting for just over $11000.
There are heaps of other vendors for both sapphires and settings, so don’t just rush into the first sapphire you see and dont be bamboozled by jewellers who have a vested interest. Seriously, the jeweller is just praying some schmuck comes along who he can palm that substandard sapphire onto. Don’t be that schmuck!
 
I second that. The Jeff White stone seems to be a great value alternative. And it is unheated and AGL certified. Clear pass on the OP sapphire because of the color zoning and the price.
 
Ok then, seems there's a clear concensus!! Thanks very much for everyone's comments!

On the hunt for my radiant, have reached out to the ones suggested already.
 
The price is up, but some people like color-zoning, for such it may be a blessing, not a flaw, but it gives you a reason to negotiate.
 
Pet Peeve. Colored stones have reports. They are not "certified".

Jeff White's stone is gorgeous.
 
rahulus said:
I just came across this listing which could be a perfect match - it looks great from the video that's been posted:

https://www.gemrite.com/index.php?i...rite=blue-sapphire-264-cts&controller=product

Any thoughts here?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Colour looks nice and saturated in the first pic. But it looks more ‘flat’ in the second pic and video and I see a hint of purple. But it could be my iPhone. Based on what I see on my telephone screen, I am not impressed.
It’s really hard to photograph and interpret sapphires by photo. Sigh...
 
rahulus said:
I just came across this listing which could be a perfect match - it looks great from the video that's been posted:

https://www.gemrite.com/index.php?i...rite=blue-sapphire-264-cts&controller=product

Any thoughts here?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I don’t know if it’s me or the color doesn’t look even? There seems a corner that is a lighter blue and a corner that is purplish—I was watching them as the gem was spinning. But other than that, I don’t see any issues. If you think that it’s beautiful, that’s what matters. I think it is much superior to your jeweller’s stone, which was too dark.
 
I think it is going to face up small, since you were looking in the 4 carat range, but I do think it is better than the first one you posted.
 
After some comparisons I think the dimensions of the larger stones could be a little large for the ring (particularly in height) so I've widened the range to smaller ones. Feedback is always appreciated, so thank you.

The stone has a SGL (Stone Group Labs) certificate, not sure I've come across that before.
 
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