Sourcing a sapphire for jewellery

[mlcamb330]

I wondered if anyone here has any experience of buying precious stones, specifically sapphires, for bespoke jewellery. My wife is approaching her 50th birthday next year, and has expressed an interest in a hand-made ring, the main stone being a blue sapphire. We visited a local workshop, and while we were impressed with the metal work the proprietor produced, I was a little underwhelmed by her knowledge of the stones she employed. Apparently she asks her gem source for a variety of stones of a particular size (but wildly differing prices) and receives a selection on a sale or return basis, but she didn't know too much about the stones themselves other than "that's a nice one".

A brief Google suggests it's a bit more complex than this, with colour, clarity, where the stone came from, and even whether it had received heat or chemical enhancement, all of which can affect the value substantially. I know at the end of the day it comes down to if the stone looks nice in its setting, but it's potentially a decent amount of money and I feel I should at least perform some due diligence / talk to a more knowledgeable source.

I tried to get the wife to think about another watch, but she's too enamored with her Constellation to consider something else unfortunately.

[smokey99]

I know a good man. I'll PM you.

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[trident-7]

I'd be interested in this too for Mrs T-7's 50th. Not necessarily a sapphire.

[mk1974]

There’s a couple of jewellers on here ,alexf seems to deal in this type of thing


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[mlcamb330]

Many thanks Smokey. Your inbox is full btw.

[smokey99]

Should be cleared now.

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[mikeveal]

Try Eddie Cain. He has premises in Ringwood, is a stand up guy and talented. Head over to the PH watch forum and look for the "Interesting job on the bench today" thread. Even if you decide Ringwood is too far, or that you don't like his style of workmanship the thread is an excellent read.

[James_Poole]

Might be a bit far from you but John Bradley in Saltaire has made rings for me including one with a sapphire, he really knows his stuff and the jewellery is excellent.

[Andyg]

You are right about it being a minefield, especially with all the new techniques involved in creating, colouring, etc.

Hence i suggest you find a stone which is certified from someone like https://www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com/sapphires/

Find someone you can really trust

Or (which is my preference these days) find a old/antique piece (with provenance) and have it re-purposed. The downside of this might be cut of the stone, but at least its likely to be genuine.

[mlcamb330]

Thanks all for your input - much appreciated. Having virtually zero knowledge of precious stones before, I feel slightly better equipped to have a sensible conversation with a jeweller now, and I'll certainly check out the jewellery workshops that have been recommended - they produce some amazing stuff. I'll post an update when we've made some progress.
Regards, Martin

[GOAT]

JFW of this parish
Absolute gent and a very knowledgeable gemstone expert/dealer
All you need to know really!