Simply Sapphires was formed by people who love and admire gemstones. We've been online selling only natural stones since July of 1998.  Here we try to answer some of the more common questions we receive.

Are your stones natural?

All of the stones in our inventory and on our site are natural. NOT one stone is man-made, lab created, or artificial. Our sapphires are not irradiated, diffused, glass filled, oiled, synthetic - and some are not even heat treated (about 95% of sapphires in the markeplace are heat treated to enhance color and/or clarity).

How do I know you're a real company?

Read our independent reviews. We think its very important to have unedited reviews of our business practices from our clients. All of these reviews are collected by outside organizations and we NO have input or editing capability of their content.

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Are the photos I see of the actual stone I'm interested in purchasing?

Yes. We buy in small quantities, and the stone you see is the one you are purchasing. Sometimes it takes us 30+ photos to capture a stone as it appears naturally. We never substitute photos of similar stones!

What is heat treatment and how does it affect the value of a stone?

Since about the Roman times, gemstones have been treated with heat to improve the color or appearance of the finished stone. For example, heating greenish brown Zoisite to 600 degrees Celsius produces the currently popular vibrant violet-blue Tanzanite. High quality unheated Rubies and Sapphires are extremely rare (only about <5% go untreated) and command a much higher market price. When purchasing high quality Rubies and Sapphires, ensure it's certified by a reputable lab, without that certification most insurers will not accept it as an untreated stone. Gems demonstrating natural phenomena such as star sapphires and star rubies will not have been heat treated since the heating process will alter the microscopic needle-like inclusions that create their star effect.

What are AGTA certified stones?

The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) is the natural colored gemstone industry's premier independent laboratory providing the industry with gemstone identification. The laboratory is equipped with the latest, technologically advanced, investigative equipment. The AGTA is recognized within the jewelry trade as the authoritative source on natural colored gemstones. AGTA certified stones are stones that are sent to a laboratory for analysis by two independent graduate gemologists, a unique traceable report is issued for every stone. (Example).

Why aren't all stones certified?

Plain and simple. Cost. The minimum price for certifying a stone is about $130. There are many other places that can do it for less than the AGTA, but has been our experience that the ones that do are either not recognized by jewelers/insurers, or issue certifications that are self serving and geared more for marketing than a truly unbiased certification.

         A good rule of thumb for any jewelry purchase is that any certification/appraisal should always be done by someone independent of who you purchased it from. If you wish to have your stone/jewelry appraised, be careful to find a qualified independent appraiser, one who is not affiliated with any jewelry seller. You may be surprised to know that there are no laws governing who can appraise/certify jewelry & gemstones. We're happy to provide you a list of indendent labs or appraisers in your area.

An honest and accurate appraisal/certification  of your stone should be an independent one. Don't be afraid to ask.

As Simply Sapphires is a member of the AGTA, the AGTA prohibits its members from certifying/appraising internally, because of the obvious confict of interest issues that could occur.

What if I don't like it once I receive it?

Return it to us. We guarantee complete customer satisfaction with every purchase. If you order an item from us and are not completely satisfied, you may return your order within 10 days of receipt for any reason. Shipping and insurance fees are non refundable. Items returned must be in the same condition as sent. To return or exchange merchandise, please send it fully insured and properly packaged by USPS, UPS or FEDEX with your instructions for exchange or refund.

Do you have a showroom?

No. One of the ways we keep our costs low is by minimizing the extras so we can remain focused on the stones. So mainly our stones are just kept in safety deposit boxes. A good alarm system and some smart alert dobermans keep an eye on things while stones are in the office.

Do we sell settings?

We don't normally sell settings because it gets us away from our main love, the gemstones. We're happy to suggest suppliers for you by request. It seems most of our customers (both consumers and dealers) like to have the stones set themselves to create an original piece of gemstone art.

How To Contact Us

Should you have any questions or concerns, please call us at (845) 297-9547 or (845) 297-2254 or toll free 1-877-711-GEMS or send email to info@simplysapphires.com . or just write to:

Simply Sapphires

P.O. Box 1281

Wappingers Falls, NY 12590