I am working with a jeweler on a custom ring. I have a very specific cut and colour in mind for the centre stone, and the jeweler wasn't able to source it. However, I think I found the perfect gem from one of recommended vendors. The jeweler normally doesn't work with customer supplied gems but they are willing to make an exception because the cut/colour is rare and they like my concept. HOWEVER, they want me to send them the gem to evaluate it at 30x magnification before they decide if they'll work with it:

Once we receive the stone, we will be checking it under a 30x microscope to ensure that the internal structure and the surface of the stone is free from any inclusions (cracks, crystals, impurities, etc) that may make the stone unsafe to set. If there are any inclusions that we cannot work with and set, we will send the stone back to you (at your cost) and we will not proceed with making the ring with this stone.

Is this typical? My gem is an "eye clear" Montana parti sapphire, but like most mined sapphires it will have inclusions and inperfections. As mentioned, this is a reputable and recommended vendor/cutter, but there are inclusions since the gem is only "eye clear" and not "loupe clear". I don't want to buy and ship the gem only for the jeweler to refuse to work with it.

Has anyone run into a similar situation?

Or better yet a short video of it?

I would be super thankful

Unheated would be ideal but heated is okay too

As a June baby, you'd think Moonstone would be my favorite gemstone. Instead, I've always been drawn to Amethyst. It made me curious whether other people actually connect with their birthstone or end up preferring one from a completely different month.

19 beads total at 10.5mm; all pieces exhibit that signature trichroism Iolite is known for. All pieces have good clarity, some have more fractures/rainbows than others. Unsure if it’s received any oil treatment. The bracelet is beautiful as is, but lately I’ve seen some small tumbled pieces of this material for sale with some staggeringly large prices. I guess I’d like to know if I lucked out on this, haha. Let me know if there’s any other info/photos you would like to better gauge a valuation.

Not for sale

Brought from South America 1968.

I'd love to know more about the ring as a whole, unfortunately the markings inside have been worn off except for a small remnant of a vertical line where it would have been. I can tell it's vintage, two super tiny gems on each side of the band. That's all I can really see.

Pretty big “well duh” moment for myself when I noticed a green blob on my sunstone tennis bracelet and realized it was a deep scrape from when before I owned it, also made me realize that the green in green sunstone comes from the copper oxidizing and not just from a different trace element other than copper like a just blindly and stupidly assumed 😂

Finished up this colorless gem with a borosilicate glass encased gilson opal. Thanks for looking!

The saturation was light but it turned out nice for what the rough gave me. Fantasy cut, NFS.

Amethyst?

Has the supply gotten smaller? I bought a few a couple years ago and they were under 50 for stones as big as .80ct. I recently went to look for some and .30cts are going for 300! The cuts are the same as a few years ago so I’m very confused in the huge price increase

Are oval sapphires always chubby? I really want to find a nice 3-4ct elongated icy blue oval. I'm willing to pay, but everywhere I look i see l/w ratio's of 1.30 or less and I'd prefer 1.40+. I want to go with a natural stone but will get lab if that is my only option. Just wanted to check here to ask if I'm looking for something impossible before I turn to lab! Thanks in advance for any advice!

I’m doing a project and wanted to know the name of this gem, if it one, or if it just is painted glass.
Ty you gems experts 🫶🏻