One for the Portfolio
September 18th, 2008 by James L. Sweaney, CGA, FGA. GG
Recently we created this beautiful sapphire and diamonds engagement ring for a young couple. Several things are noteworthy about the ring. First, it’s a classic 3 stone design that has been enhanced with additional micro-pave’ diamonds down the shank, as well as the delicate leaf and vine decoration on the sides—the customer’s idea. Jenny and Jim collaborated in developing and executing the design via our CAD/CAM system, and Scott beautifully finished and set the ring, while the client cheered us on!
Secondly, our client came to us looking for a squareish ruby or sapphire of quality, in about the one to two carat range. As is so often is the case, we had inventory on both sides of the request but nothing exactly right for the client, so we worked with several of our AGS colored stone suppliers to find the perfect stone.
We took this opportunity to really compare goods and prices from various gem dealers, all of who were top echelon folks. Our client got the added bonus of getting to choose from many suitable stones, rather than from just a few. This table shows how much variation in price there can be between stones of similar quality.
The 2.21 ct. sapphire from Vendor #1 was the most beautiful in the eyes of the client, and certainly would have been our choice of the sapphires, both for beauty and value. Not the most expensive (by far), and overall the best combination of color, clarity, and cut. An additional bonus is that the stone chosen is natural color, not heat treated. The 2.19 ct. from vendor 3 compared vary favorably in all respects but was 50% more. The 1.97 from vendor #2 was also a great stone but heat treated.
Just goes to show what your friendly neighborhood gemologist can do for you!
