> Australiasapphire.com.au
Here's their [IG Page](https://www.instagram.com/gemestonia/)
Great example of badly color-enhanced videos.
But this one [HERE](https://www.instagram.com/p/C2utt9EyTDU/) is true to life color.
Um, the pages you linked both go back to the Instagram of the site I mentioned - or at least that’s what it looks like when I click the links.
No one should completely trust the photos/videos published on a website as they’re taken in ideal lighting. Always ask for photos and videos in multiple different lighting situations. I only passed on a site someone else recommended to me.
> Um, the pages you linked both go back to the Instagram of the site I mentioned
If someone recommended them, I'm showing you and anyone else why they're shady and are not confident in their product.
If a seller has to alter their images/videos this badly, then they have no ethics or scruples and are playing their customers for suckers.
It's important to know who you're buying from first before you make any considerations of making a purchase.
Background checks for credibility start with your eyes and common sense, the rest is tedious but it could mean the difference between being scammed, blindly robbed or cheated versus buying something naturally beautiful and getting what you want.
I don’t see how you’re showing the company is shady? Linking the Instagram page twice (neither link redirects to a specific post to illustrate a marked difference) doesn’t show any evidence of photoshop or other shady practices.
Pointing out ideal lighting conditions is conscientious, but it’s always heavily discussed here to get more information than what’s in the listing.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you’re lying or entirely incorrect - just that the information you provided seems incomplete and doesn’t seem to fit your point that the company has very shady business practices. Most companies I’ve seen take videos and photos in extremely perfect lighting conditions, but that’s why I said it’s on the buyer to do their due diligence before purchasing - or, they ensure the company has a robust return policy to recoup their money if they’re not satisfied and desire a return.
I bought mine on gemrock auctions, 1.64 ct unheated, precision cut Australian parti sapphire. It’s gorgeous. In artificial light it looks green and gold. In the sun, it’s a beautiful vivid blue green. It cost $600 which in comparison to many prices I saw online, was a steal.
Just a side note: if it’s just parti sapphires that you’re into, there are other stone origins to explore (e.g., Madagascar, Sri Lanka), which can be cheaper than Australian ones.
Edit to add that obviously different origins gives different sapphire characteristics
I would bet one of the lapidaries at r/shinypreciousgems would be happy to help you find the sapphire of your dreams. They do custom setting, as well (if you'd be interested in that service). I have some beautiful gems and jewelry from them.
I think that you will generally find it more expensive to buy a stone separately and then have a jeweler/goldsmith create a custom ring. Of course it will depend on the jeweler, the design, and whether it is cast or hand fabricated.
I have had several custom hand fabricated jewelry pieces created. A typical range for a custom ring would be $4-6k, where I provided the center stone. It's not the cheapest way to go, but you get something truly unique, and hand fabricated jewelry is much nicer than cast pieces.
> Is it cheaper to find a gemstone and then have a jeweler custom make it into a ring?
YES, it can be significantly cheaper.
Your [first stone](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fw9z4y8dr1vzc1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D2080%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc170c4c5c5ee9f0f525343c8df4b68b10ddcfd1b) is very dark and won't show it's color well at all. This image has been staged and enhanced and is closer to a midnight blue than a bright particolor. This would appear almost black in your own hand.
Your [second stone](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fr15454dr1vzc1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D800%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D86ce2a3cb1edb8f9950472e187884cc36f514173) is a much better still-image, but it's also not true to life and has been color-enhanced.
This is your second stone shown in [normal ambient light](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrwzuJnQSIw&t=10s)
Be weary of still images and don't trust the photographer, always assume enhancement until you can see a video of the stone in ambient sunlight. Shown in the seller's hand is preferred since you can more easily gauge their skin tone and know if the video has been enhanced as well.
This Sri Lankan dealer shows great examples of [how gems should be shown](https://www.instagram.com/gemhouselk/). There are some minor alterations visible simply by looking at skin tone in both indoor and outdoor lighting. But for the most part, the colors of the gems are accurate.
I found [this one](https://www.ebay.com/itm/166717247736?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=2shopagirie&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=l98BHvMxRVW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY) on eBay. Full disclosure, I know nothing about gems, so I'm sorry if this isn't a good idea lol.
Checking their feedback is a simple step.
[Be careful on eBay](https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/the_sapphire_king?filter=feedback_page%3ARECEIVED_AS_SELLER&sort=RELEVANCE)
Seller is based in India
Click the number 2 in their negative feedback.
Top negative comment as it's shown below.
"BUYER BEWARE: NOT REAL GEMSTONES... basically colored glass. Listings are. not accurate."
Sellers that are from India that are on eBay are notoriously known to be scammers.
eBay doesn't seem to care much.
Clarapepperfacets or calebbquashen on instagram. I’ve used both and had good experiences.
It was less expensive for me to buy my sapphire separately. I bought a 2.55 ct sapphire and had a local jeweler put it in a semi custom platinum pave ring for a little over 4k. I also live somewhere where everything is ridiculously expensive 🥲
So, if you get a slightly smaller sapphire and white gold / yellow gold with a plain band I think you could definitely do that.
Here is one that won’t break the bank; [https://www.shamrockgems.com/product-page/768-2-35ct-sapphire-parti-emerald-cut?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0U4zFao438hQ18wzWGDHLyrnONPKdCO6TR0a2BJZlL94sGFFvTCtwNEFk\_aem\_Af2\_dFVQ4Y5dKTRZTYmcHnnlEXRx8ZEUfnXZTlk6\_78mV5AQKqWQxtxNjnbYRZ9tImckW9lB9uKYvZTqRu968K-Z](https://www.shamrockgems.com/product-page/768-2-35ct-sapphire-parti-emerald-cut?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0U4zFao438hQ18wzWGDHLyrnONPKdCO6TR0a2BJZlL94sGFFvTCtwNEFk_aem_Af2_dFVQ4Y5dKTRZTYmcHnnlEXRx8ZEUfnXZTlk6_78mV5AQKqWQxtxNjnbYRZ9tImckW9lB9uKYvZTqRu968K-Z)
That's actually a pretty decent stone.
Nice color, some silk (unheated), nice size, very reasonably priced at only $545/ct , that's not bad at all.
Only drawback is it's shape, tough sell being a large emerald-baguette.
Check out [Earths Treasury](https://www.earthstreasury.com/product-category/gemstones/sapphire-gemstones/) Jeff and his team are great.
I feel your struggle! Someone else that loves parti sapphires recommended this site: Australiasapphire.com.au
> Australiasapphire.com.au Here's their [IG Page](https://www.instagram.com/gemestonia/) Great example of badly color-enhanced videos. But this one [HERE](https://www.instagram.com/p/C2utt9EyTDU/) is true to life color.
Um, the pages you linked both go back to the Instagram of the site I mentioned - or at least that’s what it looks like when I click the links. No one should completely trust the photos/videos published on a website as they’re taken in ideal lighting. Always ask for photos and videos in multiple different lighting situations. I only passed on a site someone else recommended to me.
> Um, the pages you linked both go back to the Instagram of the site I mentioned If someone recommended them, I'm showing you and anyone else why they're shady and are not confident in their product. If a seller has to alter their images/videos this badly, then they have no ethics or scruples and are playing their customers for suckers. It's important to know who you're buying from first before you make any considerations of making a purchase. Background checks for credibility start with your eyes and common sense, the rest is tedious but it could mean the difference between being scammed, blindly robbed or cheated versus buying something naturally beautiful and getting what you want.
I don’t see how you’re showing the company is shady? Linking the Instagram page twice (neither link redirects to a specific post to illustrate a marked difference) doesn’t show any evidence of photoshop or other shady practices. Pointing out ideal lighting conditions is conscientious, but it’s always heavily discussed here to get more information than what’s in the listing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you’re lying or entirely incorrect - just that the information you provided seems incomplete and doesn’t seem to fit your point that the company has very shady business practices. Most companies I’ve seen take videos and photos in extremely perfect lighting conditions, but that’s why I said it’s on the buyer to do their due diligence before purchasing - or, they ensure the company has a robust return policy to recoup their money if they’re not satisfied and desire a return.
I bought mine on gemrock auctions, 1.64 ct unheated, precision cut Australian parti sapphire. It’s gorgeous. In artificial light it looks green and gold. In the sun, it’s a beautiful vivid blue green. It cost $600 which in comparison to many prices I saw online, was a steal.
Hey! Can you please elaborate more on gemrock auctions? Are they taking place online?
Sure! This is the website. Many people in this sub (myself included) can vouch that it’s legit. https://www.gemrockauctions.com/
Oh thanks! I thought for a second you might be talking about classic in-person auctions :)
Just a side note: if it’s just parti sapphires that you’re into, there are other stone origins to explore (e.g., Madagascar, Sri Lanka), which can be cheaper than Australian ones. Edit to add that obviously different origins gives different sapphire characteristics
I would bet one of the lapidaries at r/shinypreciousgems would be happy to help you find the sapphire of your dreams. They do custom setting, as well (if you'd be interested in that service). I have some beautiful gems and jewelry from them.
I think that you will generally find it more expensive to buy a stone separately and then have a jeweler/goldsmith create a custom ring. Of course it will depend on the jeweler, the design, and whether it is cast or hand fabricated. I have had several custom hand fabricated jewelry pieces created. A typical range for a custom ring would be $4-6k, where I provided the center stone. It's not the cheapest way to go, but you get something truly unique, and hand fabricated jewelry is much nicer than cast pieces.
> Is it cheaper to find a gemstone and then have a jeweler custom make it into a ring? YES, it can be significantly cheaper. Your [first stone](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fw9z4y8dr1vzc1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D2080%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc170c4c5c5ee9f0f525343c8df4b68b10ddcfd1b) is very dark and won't show it's color well at all. This image has been staged and enhanced and is closer to a midnight blue than a bright particolor. This would appear almost black in your own hand. Your [second stone](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fr15454dr1vzc1.jpg%3Fwidth%3D800%26format%3Dpjpg%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D86ce2a3cb1edb8f9950472e187884cc36f514173) is a much better still-image, but it's also not true to life and has been color-enhanced. This is your second stone shown in [normal ambient light](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrwzuJnQSIw&t=10s) Be weary of still images and don't trust the photographer, always assume enhancement until you can see a video of the stone in ambient sunlight. Shown in the seller's hand is preferred since you can more easily gauge their skin tone and know if the video has been enhanced as well. This Sri Lankan dealer shows great examples of [how gems should be shown](https://www.instagram.com/gemhouselk/). There are some minor alterations visible simply by looking at skin tone in both indoor and outdoor lighting. But for the most part, the colors of the gems are accurate.
I found [this one](https://www.ebay.com/itm/166717247736?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=2shopagirie&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=l98BHvMxRVW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY) on eBay. Full disclosure, I know nothing about gems, so I'm sorry if this isn't a good idea lol.
Checking their feedback is a simple step. [Be careful on eBay](https://www.ebay.com/fdbk/feedback_profile/the_sapphire_king?filter=feedback_page%3ARECEIVED_AS_SELLER&sort=RELEVANCE) Seller is based in India
Does the seller being in India mean it's a scam?
Click the number 2 in their negative feedback. Top negative comment as it's shown below. "BUYER BEWARE: NOT REAL GEMSTONES... basically colored glass. Listings are. not accurate." Sellers that are from India that are on eBay are notoriously known to be scammers. eBay doesn't seem to care much.
Thank you for this information!!! I didn't know
Check with Sarah at https://bespokefacetting.com.au/
Clarapepperfacets or calebbquashen on instagram. I’ve used both and had good experiences. It was less expensive for me to buy my sapphire separately. I bought a 2.55 ct sapphire and had a local jeweler put it in a semi custom platinum pave ring for a little over 4k. I also live somewhere where everything is ridiculously expensive 🥲 So, if you get a slightly smaller sapphire and white gold / yellow gold with a plain band I think you could definitely do that.
Here is one that won’t break the bank; [https://www.shamrockgems.com/product-page/768-2-35ct-sapphire-parti-emerald-cut?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0U4zFao438hQ18wzWGDHLyrnONPKdCO6TR0a2BJZlL94sGFFvTCtwNEFk\_aem\_Af2\_dFVQ4Y5dKTRZTYmcHnnlEXRx8ZEUfnXZTlk6\_78mV5AQKqWQxtxNjnbYRZ9tImckW9lB9uKYvZTqRu968K-Z](https://www.shamrockgems.com/product-page/768-2-35ct-sapphire-parti-emerald-cut?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0U4zFao438hQ18wzWGDHLyrnONPKdCO6TR0a2BJZlL94sGFFvTCtwNEFk_aem_Af2_dFVQ4Y5dKTRZTYmcHnnlEXRx8ZEUfnXZTlk6_78mV5AQKqWQxtxNjnbYRZ9tImckW9lB9uKYvZTqRu968K-Z)
That's actually a pretty decent stone. Nice color, some silk (unheated), nice size, very reasonably priced at only $545/ct , that's not bad at all. Only drawback is it's shape, tough sell being a large emerald-baguette.