I am new here and hoping you wonderfully knowledgeable folks could help me with my current dilemma.

I am wanting to buy an Avarra sapphire to have set. Not a really large one. (under 2 carats) I am not decided on cut (I think cushion?) but I want a very blue blue stone. I have a sapphire that blacks out on me, and I really would like to avoid that.

Opinions? TIA!

Welcome Chellesy!

I have an 8MM kashmir cushion, and couldn't be happier with the color. It's one of the prettiest blue sapphires that I have ever seen. I haven't had any issues with the color "blacking" out that was something that I was afraid would happen.

I have a few pictures on this thread, but they do not even do the color justice of what it looks like in real life.
http://betterthandiamond.com/discussion/..._Soo#Post729215

I don't have a Ceylon, but I know a few ladies here do! Looking forward to see what you choose

http://betterthandiamond.wordpress.com/page/5/ cushion there and here http://betterthandiamond.com/discussion/ubbthreads.php/topics/731053/4_Amazing_Sparklies_Coming_Soo



I have a 6.5mm and 7mm Kashmir Asscher, never set. These pics are in bright sunlight. The Asschers in kashmir color are quite dark but not "black" o opaque looking.

ceylon (light?) Asscher here http://betterthandiamond.com/discussion/ubbthreads.php/topics/534069/5


not sure what stone this is http://www.pricescope.com/forum/colored-stones/sapphire-in-mark-morrell-t69920.html

10mm dark ceylon cushion in a ring here http://betterthandiamond.wordpress.com/2...rk-ceylon-blue/

Honestly, I would order both and compare. You just cannot appreciate the color unless you do. If you like rich, velvety color that glows from the inside out, go kashmir. If you want more translucency and sparkle, go ceylon. The kashmirs aren't inky in the least and do not black out. They are blue, not navy. The faceting can be fully seen with decent lighting and the glow of the kashmir color is just so stunning.

I can tell you this, however: the color on the kashmir is so incredible that my original plan to use this for a bit and buy a natural sapphire in a year or so is down the tubes. I can't imagine I would find anything as nice as this in a untreated natural and I wouldn't want to give this up anyway. Yes, it's that good.

I believe I received a ceylon by mistake (you can see that post with pics in this forum) and just wasn't impressed; however, that wasn't because it wasn't pretty (it was!), but it was just blah compared to the kashmir.

Ok, now that you know my dislike for kashmirs HA, have fun deciding! I'm sure you'll love whichever you get!

This is what it looks like under a tree (it's in a stone holder lol). That's the glow that you see in any lighting. It's like it's lit up from the inside.


With what I believe is a ceylon (maybe a light ceylon), but it hasn't been verified yet. The smaller, more saturated stone is the kashmir.

I'm surprised that everybody says their Kashmir does not "black out." I have a 8mm round Kashmir. In daylight or under bright florescent lights it does look gorgeous, but in poorer lighting I can't see the facets and it is navy. For example, it blacks out when I'm home in the evenings (we have incandescent lighting). Is it just my stone?

This is as bad as mine ever gets.



But this was in my unlit kitchen on a dreary day.

Hmmm jcent, mine definitely goes darker than yours. Mine gets uniformly dark, not like the layers of colours I can still see in your photo. I'm starting to feel a bit sad LOL. Maybe this is an excuse for me to get the upcoming H&A Kashmir sapphire just to compare.

Jcent you have such pretty hands!!!!

The lightness through the center is a bit if a window, blacksharpie. But it only shows up in pics, lo. I don't have that stone with me at the moment, it is waiting to be set, but in real life, without flash, I bet is was all the dark navy-ish colour. Try not to be sad!! Is youe stone set yet? They look so much better once set; the light can really play around in them better and they get more glowy. It is like every stone though. They all need some light to perform well.

see, this pic was the same day, but I opened the curtain and put it in a stone holder. Just a bit more light makes all the difference. I bet yours is the same as mine...you are just more sensitive to it.



Thanks Joolsie!! So do you!