GRADING REPORT BCS395
- Identification: Natural Unheated & Untreated Sapphire
- Carat: 3.95
- Shape: Dragon Shield (see comment)
- Measures: 10.05x9.12x5.51 (millimeter)
- Color Grade: Good
- Tone: Medium Dark 40-75 (overall M50)
- Color Zoning: Visible
- Clarity: Moderately Included (see comment)
- Cutting Grade: Excellent (precision cut)
> Brilliancy: 60%
> Depth: 60%
- Origin: World's End, Sri Lanka
- Treatment: None
Certificate No: To-be-delivered / On request / Prices excl. lab reports
Overall Grade: Good
Comment: Not exactly your every-day sapphire, right? Lovingly precision-cut in a solid straightforward shield; or a dragon, which I can see in the 3rd image below, combining outer and inner shapes with inclusions featuring as white (!) eyes. Cut from a piece of original rough mined and bought in our earliest times. Only 2*NOS (unheated to our knowledge, no window) but we came back to it in these strange days. First in doubt, I'm now happy to have given it a chance to become a loved center piece, despite its, or because of for the experienced gem lover visible inclusions. One may consider it statistically above average included, which would be true if you took the next one hundred random roughs mined anywhere/anytime. From those 100 our 3*NOS rule would exclude half right away because they need extra treatment. Forty-eight must be axed for other flaws which would forbid a window-less cut, flaws of which there are legions: too flat, too long, too thin, or heavily included. The 99th we didn't get to see, because it was sold behind our back or hidden by the miner for a rainy day :-) which is within his/her rights. The remaining number, our one hundredth, an over-all sky blue, a tat lighter than in many images, but varying in tone due to color zoning. A quick distanced view from arms' length is best taken from the FIRST hand-shot below, where, no surprise, the inclusions start to fade from view as well and vanish in the normal distance handshot, 2nd below. If you enjoy wild sapphires, even if budgets are waaaay too low, be our guest and study this gem from all sides, especially from the back. Outstandingly unique even in our own not too mundane stock. Allow yourself the same time it took to shoot the MANY images (always a sign of sheer fun photographing). As types of blue are legion in this gem, so are the ideas for jewelry; although NOT for an US-size-4 ladies' ring. Let us work on designs with you, using the dragon position or the more peaceful house-shape or, in between, the shield or kite vision, all shown below, as well as the strong change in tone (all sky blue). Obviously, so far from the ideal path of a perfect cornflower blue all-saturated clean gem, you can get almost four carats for the price that some super-duper one-carat no-heat sapphire may demand in retail, or $15k for Ceylon, or $50k for Kashmir, with Sri Lanka, the old 'Ceylon' being a fine origin to stand up with, just behind Burma in regards to blue sapphires.
P.S. The unusual circumstances of this year, personal and in general, have so far hindered us from getting lab reports done, although I dare hope this will change in May when I have the opportunity to visit Antwerp in person. The price here quoted is EXCLUDING our usual certificate. If you like to have a lab report, we need to add between $150 (Full IGI report) and $1,500 (the premium AIG report in fast-track 48-h mode) and some extra time (currently over 12 weeks, sigh).
Discuss design options (with a hunted matched pair impossible)
