Aquamarine stones...looking to buy a cocktail ring

[calisnoopy]

I saw another recent thread about locating an aquamarine ring but I didnt want to hijack her thread...

Aquamarine is my birthstone and I would love to get a ring but know very little about the stone itself.

I have just been told that really quality nice colored aquamarines can run into the 20-30K range for about 3-5 ctw cocktail sized ring...but most aquamarines you see are at mall jewelers I think and they run around less than 500-1000 USD at most.

Just curious since I saw a nice pear shaped about 5 ctw aquamarine ring on 18K WG with 0.21 ctw diamonds (g/h color SI clarity) at Bailey Banks and Biddle, it was an in-house design piece. This retailed for 1300 USD and is now 30% off with an extra 15% off...

I have no idea the quality, the price...as I dont have much to compare with.

I definitely dont want to spend a whole lot since I wanted this to be a fun ring but didnt want something that looked like costume jewelry from Kays jeweler etc (no offense to those stores)....

Oh yes, the color was not too icy which was nice...it had some blue to it but definitely not to the degree of blue topaz...i wish aquamarine stones looked deeper and more saturated like blue topaz but alas that is not my birthstone so...BTW, if aquamarines are very saturated and deeper in color...would they look LIKE blue topaz or is it something different altogether?

Any input would be wonderful!!! THanks!!

 

[HauteMama]

I am no expert in jewelry, so I am sure that other members know more than I. An aquamarine is valued on the intensity of its color and being clear of inclusions. A naturally vibrant blue stone is valued over a pale or greenish stone. Many, many aquamarines carried by mall jewelers are heat treated to eliminate the yellow or green tones in the stone. Such a treatment is permanent and considered standard for many jewelers. It is likely that lower-priced stones that are clearly blue (without yellow or green tones) are heat treated, as it is quite rare to find a natural stone with such a color and fine jewelers charge accordingly.

Aquamarines also usually must be slightly larger to properly show off their color. It is difficult to discern the color of a smaller stone, and a larger stone shows it much better. So most people are seeking an aquamarine of at least a carat and half or larger.

Personally, I am looking for a pale blue, slightly greenish stone. I actually like the natural color, but they are hard to find because most people want them blue.

 

[dmitchell15]

Check out this site for more information on aquamarine and other gemstones.

www.gemstone.org

Also, what kind of setting are you looking for? What price range? Also, white gold or yellow gold? Let us know and maybe we can find something that qualifies.

 

[forever21]

I checked out some rings this weekend and came across the Legacy Aquamarine ring at Tiffany. It was gooooorgeous but oh so expensive for a fun cocktail ring. The different rings I tried on, with different carat weights (smallest being a little more than 2 carats), varied from 50,000HKD on up. (Which is more than 6,000USD!!) I could not compare side by side, but the colors of the ones I saw were quite saturated, like that of blue topaz. If I remember correctly, I think I read aquamarine is more expensive than blue topaz because it is more rare to find it with the same blue color.

http://www.tiffany.com/shopping/Ite...+2-c+-r+101323354-x+-n+6-ri+-ni+0-t+&search=1

What is the style of the Baily Banks Biddle one you are looking at? I love blue colored stones!!!

 

[one fifty]

Aquamarine is often a pale blue in a lot of cheaper mass produced jewelry. Santa Maria blue is suppose to be one of the prized colors. In person you can tell an aquamarine from blue topaz because it looks "wet" and topaz doesn't I can't remember the geo term for this effect.

http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/aquamarine.html

blue topaz is irradiated and often looks more sky blue or teal. I personally like cabbed aquamarines because they have that green blue Caribbean ocean color!

 

[calisnoopy]

thanks everyone for your input!!!

here is a pic of the one i was looking at on eBay, its an estate 1950s piece so it has no papers and the eBay seller (reputable with 8000+ positive feedback) said they dont know the origin of the aquamarine and doesnt appear to have any appraisal papers for it besides the fact that it IS an aquamarine stone...(i know the Santa Maria aquamarines are the most rare and valuable since they have the most sought after shade of blue and are from Brazil...)

im trying to see if they will be able to get more info for me...

what do you girls think? this one is MUCH deeper of a blue and more saturated than the Bailey Banks & Biddle one I found for 1300 USD retail at 30% off plus 15% off...

i think id like to spend under 3K for one right now and have it a nice cocktail ring size where the stone is the main centerpiece...

 

[Pippi]

OOOH! That estate ring is gorgeous! I always like buying vintage rings, as many of the settings and stones are much nicer than what you can find new, and the prices are usually better, too. Good luck! Let us know what you end up getting!

 

[forever21]

calisnoopy - love that ring!! It's really a beautiful classic design, and I think the step cut really suits such a large stone. It actually really reminds me of some Dior Haute Joallerie rings - which makes me just about DIE from happiness!!!

 

[calisnoopy]

That ring is beautiful!

I recently got myself a cocktail ring, I looked everywhere for it. I finally
came across it on JIC, with the help of their gift finder I was able to find
an amazing ring. I got an aquamarine ring because my mothers birthday is in March and I wanted to wear something that would remind me of her.

The stone in my ring is a little lighter than what I think you would like, but the setting looks very similar to yours.

Their website is very useful, and while I was on it, I came across a great section where users submit their own personal stories of jewelry and its meaning to them.

It was fun to read other peoples stories about what they achieved or celebrated for their various pieces of jewelry. There's everything from graduations, to birthdays, to wedding proposals... I'll be submitting my own story soon enough!

Here's the link to my ring
http://jic.org/php_jic/ajindex.php?a...&jewelryId=252

Can't wait to see what you get!
-Kathy

wow kathy...LOVE the color of your aquamarine too...the link wouldnt work but thanks for posting the image in your post too...

the Bailey Banks and Biddle one I have seen and considering in real life is a lot lighter in color than yours...more icy blue but not transparent...but still very much what you would think of when you think of aquamarine...and definitely im not expecting it to be an amazing stone since its 1300 USD retail and the manager looked at it and told me that for 1300 retail...its probably a 400 USD worth aquamarine stone on there and the rest goes into the 18K WG and the 0.21 carats of little diamonds on it...

may i ask how much you paid for yours and any modeling pix and size of the stone?

im hesitant to still buy on eBay or online since im always worried that what i get will look a lot different in lighting or the color shades will be off since everyones computer screen is different too and the photo they take may make the item more bright and shiny or lighter or darker than in real life...

thanks!!!

 

[willshopforfood]

If this helps at all-I sell jewelry on ebay....well, used to...not really into all the fees and bs, but anyway.......

I can take one hundred pics to the sun and still not get the one pic you need. As a seller, I understand this. I always always offered to send more pics, from more angles, and in more lighting. I typically sold alex, which is very rare, and very hard to photograph. I've done opal, watermelon tourmaline, and then many sapphires from my own private stock.......my point is this: IF you take this business seriously (gemstones), you will bend over backward to please your client. You want them to see the "BLING" you see, in any lighting. Your feedback speaks for you too (I'm 100 percent since like early 2000 or maybe 2001).

So anyway, I just rambled a considerable clip to say that most ebay jewelers try. Most simply do not know what they have and at their prices, you still got a deal.

Aqua isn't hardcore, so you probably aren't going to get ripped on ebay buying it. AT worst, you'll end up w/a topaz ring, if it is too blue. Ask the hard q's and ask for more pics. If they can't deliver then they simply do not know for sure (but are ok as slinging stones) or are out to make a deal (and then again, you didn't buy a russian diamond, you bought a blue stone, no harm no foul).

Always ask for a return or inspection time frame. If they won't give it, then move on. The price is usually cheap on ebay for a reason, w/jewelry. Very rare is the seller w/something GOOD and they don't know it.

 

[Aimee3]

I just wanted to chime in and say that for colored stones (well, diamonds too, LOL) you really need to see them in person because it's all about the color. Most likely if you were to see 2 of the same ring from the Bailey Banks and Biddle place, the aquamarines would be different. Also, when you see the stone in person, you'll be able to tell if it has a large "window" in the middle which is not good. I love aquamarines too. Please post pictures when you get your ring. I guess you want it now for your
birthday?

 

[calisnoopy]

thanks everyone for the feedback so far...so what does everyone think so far of the one i posted pix of above from eBay?

im not sure i know what a large "window" means...does the one above have a large window?

 

[Aimee3]

I can't really tell from those pictures. That first picture *might* have one though. A window is when the middle (or sometimes most of the stone) is cut too shallow or not correctly, so that the light doesn't reflect well and you can see right through the stone. If you were to place a stone with a window on a newspaper, you would be able to read the words without any distortion that are right underneath the stone! With that first photo, I'm not sure, but I think the color of the grey felt ring holder is visible, and thus making the stone appear slightly grey in the middle. If you could have the seller send you a photo with the ring just placed on a newspaper that might give you a better idea if the stone has a window. I've found that colored stones with a more textured surface, (what I call a checkerboard type surface, although I'm not sure what the real term is for that cut) will make the window less obvious and the stone will still appear to be saturated with color. If there's a big window on the ring, once you put it on your finger, your skin color could change the way the ring looks.
I hope that helps explain what I meant?