Vendor

• Buyers should seek a trustworthy dealer with professional training and experience in gemology. Look for credentials from nationally recognized gem and jewelry associations. A reputable seller should be willing to have a valuable stone independently evaluated by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and open about treatments and enhancements to the stone.
  
  

Considerations

• Like diamonds, sapphires are distinguished by the "4Cs": color, clarity, cut and carat weight. It's a misconception that the darker blues are always finest, says Linda Stewart, a jewelry shop partner. More important than hue is that sapphires "sing and dance." If budget considerations limit stone choices, buyers can examine smaller stones, alternative colors, synthetics or lab crystals.
  
  

Purpose

• The buyer's expectations for the gem also shape the buying process. Stewart discourages buying jewelry as investment pieces. Volatility of metals markets, price of labor and changes in jewelry styles--including gem cuts themselves--render investment hopes risky for the buyer's generation, or ever.