Thanks jcent! All your points are valid. I do love my sapphire, so it's silly to think other people got something better! :-P

Back to chellesy's original question: I personally prefer the deep velvety colour of the Kashmir, even if the stone gets dark in poor lighting. It's an incredible colour, the kind that make you stare and not want to look away.

Blacksharpie, my diamond cut round got dark, but I always saw faceting in the cushion for whatever reason. I found the cushion to be more pleasing overall in all lighting, but the round was nicer in certain lighting, but only in one case. I don't get it, but I compared them constantly for 2 days and this was what I found consistently. Neither got black, but the faceting only disappeared in a dark room. If there was ANY light nearby, I saw faceting and velvety blue.

Any sapphire that is rich and intense in color will get dark with dim lighting. It's just a trade off for having such a nice color. If you want to see faceting with a sapphire in a darkish room, you'll need to go reeeeeally light and it won't be pleasing in the daylight (at least to me). If you like light, check out the light ceylon. I really think that is what is in the picture I posted above. It remained light in dim lighting and had a lot of sparkle. It was way too light in the daylight to me, but it was still a pretty blue, just not the satisfying blue of kashmir. It's just a preference.

Thanks Mamato3blessings! I agree that no matter what, that blue of the Kashmir is just irreplaceable. When I place my stone close to my eye under incandescent lighting at home, I do see a bit of faceting, but hardly any velvety blue. I forgot to mention that my stone is a concave cut. I love how it sparkles in the sun, but perhaps this is why the facets are hard to see when it gets darker.

Anytime!

It could be. I haven't seen the concaves. I sure wish I could by one of everything, so I could compare all at once LOL!

Hi all...here is a thread pertaining to my future DIL's BTD Kashmir ring.....cut concave and it is stunning. Also, my avatar ring is 12mm BTD Kashmir Asscher set into a custom ring by JbEG......enjoy! As far 'blacking out' not much if any, in my 12mm....

http://betterthandiamond.com/discussion/ubbthreads.php/topics/667638/Very_excited_FDIL_s_rings_ship

http://betterthandiamond.com/discussion/ubbthreads.php/topics/640088/My_project_with_JbEG

BTW....wedding is scheduled for this October in Kauai.......!!!!

oh how I love when Wench chimes in about sapphires!

You must be over the moon about the wedding! I can't wait to hear all about it!

Those are the 2 sapphire rings that sold me on the kashmir!!!!