Jewelry

[depglass]

I'm a TV jewelry buyer, our local stores carry small stones at huge prices.  So I've been looking for a true blue sapphire for years.  I don't care what color it shows on the screen, when it arrives it is always black.  Any suggestions?

[SANNA]

Sorry to disappoint you but for an affordable price you just cannot buy real nice blue ( on my books nice) sapphire unless it will be synthetic or heavily altered.

[Fressa]

You sound like me! I absolutely LOVE blue saphires and it happens to be my birhtstone. It's been an on going quest to find them and set in gold. I've had good luck with the QVC saphires. My jeweler (retired now) said that the saphires from Thailand are very nice in color and qaulity and highly underrated.  I had purchased a band ring and a solitare both from QVC and were having them sized. They just recently had a gem show and had a few saphries. The ceylon saphires were an excellent color but the Premier line always calls my name. I've had very good luck with those.The solitare that I purchased is no longer offered but check the inventory. They have a few that are over 1 ct. I prefer a single stone but I have purchased a multi band ring (no longer available) and am pleased with it as well.

[millieshops]

@depglassNo good suggestions -   I have a sapphire and diamond ring set in gold which I had made for me in the mid-sixties. The diamonds came from my mother and her mother, but I bought the blues.  No idea what that ring would cost today, but I do know I wouldn't pay what they would ask.

As you have seen, I'm amazed at the prices for small rings with small gems.  One of my local jewelers displays a large tray of rings they consider inexpensive enough that they don't put them in locked cases -- when I was there last summer, every ring I tried on was over $500, and every one of the 5 stones in my ring was larger than any of those.

Have you tried ebay?

[Dallas-Dame]

Unfortunately, I have no good suggestions, as well.  When my husband and I were engaged a few decades ago, I requested that my engagement ring be a blue sapphire rather than a diamond (which wasn't "fashionable" at the time).  With the help of a superb family jeweler, we were able to source a sizeable Kashmir sapphire which we set in 18k gold with diamonds.  Since that time, Kashmir sapphires are nearly unattainable...both from an availability and cost perspective.  In my opinion, Ceylon sapphires are lovely but don't hold a candle to the brilliant color of Kashmir.  Needless to say, my sapphire collection is very small and highly treasured.  

[esmeraldagooch]

Easy.  Look at ColumbiaGemHouse and find out where the closest store in your area is.  Have them bring in loose gems or ready made peices from their TriGems Designs.  They have fair trade gems and you could buy a Montana sapphire from them along with others from all part of the earth.

[Dorothy11]

I think you have somewhat answered your own question. The sapphire jewelry sold on shopping channels is usually on the lower price end, hence the very dark stones which are less expensive. I wanted a sapphire for my engagement ring. We ended up at a locally owned jewelry store where I found a beautiful white gold band. I got to choose from several loose sapphires. I chose a 2.5 carat oval that is a medium blue with lots of sparkle. The ring cost over $3000. You get what you pay for. 

[Shelbelle]

Back in the good old days HSN used to carry sapphires from Kanchanaburi, Thailand, I have one ,it is beautiful, large and very blue.  Have you tried looking at JTV??

[Kachina624]

I remember everytime I turned HSN on in the mid-80's, they were showing the "dream bracelet" which had sapphires from Kanchanaburi as black as onyx.  They tried their best to get some blue glimmer out of them but even under the studio lights they were black.  I wonder how many of those bracelets are still floating around?

[sunshine 919]

Blue Sapphires are my birthstone as well.  I have a silver ring with small blue sapphires and white topaz that is a very pretty ring from Chuck on Evine.  The stones are a beautiful blue but small.  I have a nice size natural pink sapphire that I purchased from Michael V. on Evine over a year ago that is lovely.  I did purchase Michale V's Sapphire ring a few weeks ago although a pretty ring I decided to send it back it just did not look good on my finger.  First ring of Michael's I had to return.  Still looking for a nice blue sapphire ring.  Good luck with your search.