Alright folks, today was all about diving deep into pink sapphire tennis necklaces. Wanted to share the whole messy process I went through trying to spot the real deal, because honestly, it got confusing quick.
Started simple enough. Saw a pretty pink sapphire tennis necklace on some random insta ad. Thought, “Hey, that looks nice.” Clicked through, price seemed kinda suspiciously low? Made me wonder. So I figured, time to dig in, figure out how you really tell if these things are good quality or just trash.
Just Looking Around
First stop, some big shiny mall jewelry stores downtown. Walked in, feeling kinda fancy, asking specifically about their pink sapphire tennis chains. The sales lady showed me one. It was pink alright, but… the color? It was weak. Sorta washed out pink, almost like it was tired, you know? Held it near the window. Barely sparkled. Like a dull pebble. Price tag? Huge! They kept talking about the famous brand name guaranteeing quality. Didn’t feel right. Decided not to touch that one.
Getting My Hands Dirty
Next day, hit up a smaller, local jeweler that an artist friend mentioned. Much different vibe. Guy behind the counter was old school, no flashy displays. Told him straight up: “Trying to learn how to spot a decent pink sapphire tennis necklace without getting ripped off.” He grinned, pulled out a tray with like three or four different chains. Said “Look close at the pink”. And man, he was right. One was bubblegum pink and super bright (natural, he said), another was kinda hot pink but too perfect (lab-made), and one was pale and uneven (cheap junk). Then he made me look at how the stones were set. One chain, you could actually see rough edges on the gems from the side? Another had scratches on the backs of the settings. Felt like I was finally seeing stuff I’d missed before.
Learned a few hands-on tricks that actually worked:
- Rub Test: This seems dumb but works! Took a slightly damp soft cloth (used my glasses cleaner!), rubbed a small sapphire stone hard. On the cheaper, paler ones, saw a faint pinkish tint come off on the cloth? The good, vibrant pink stones? Nothing. Dead giveaway dye job.
- Clunk vs. Click: Listened when he gently jiggled each chain. The well-made ones with tighter settings made a quick, soft ‘click-click’ sound. The looser, sketchy ones? This heavier ‘clunk-clunk’. Easy to hear the difference once pointed out.
- Weight Check: He let me hold two similar-looking chains. One was way lighter than the other? The light one felt insubstantial, like cheap metal plating. Good quality gold or platinum needs some weight behind it.
Putting it All Together
After that lesson, felt a bit more confident. Spent the next week just popping into different shops – some really high-end, some pawn shops, even checked out a friend of a friend who supposedly dealt gems. Applied the look, rub, listen, feel routine every single time.
Found a ton of crap. Fakes everywhere. Pale stones, stones rubbing off color, chains sounding like loose change in your pocket. Saw one “white gold” chain already peeling green at the clasp! Scary stuff. Also realized those super cheap ones online are mostly garbage. Seriously, dime a dozen.
Finally, at this little vintage spot tucked away, found one. Right color – a nice vivid raspberry pink, no fading crap. Rubbed it: nothing came off. Heard that satisfying tight ‘click-click’. Had decent heft. Settings looked clean, stones all lined up nicely under the loupe. Didn’t break the bank either, which was a win. Bought it. Felt way better knowing I wasn’t just getting lucky, I kinda knew what I was looking for this time. Still love it months later!
Point is, you gotta get hands-on. Look at lots, touch them, listen to them, ask annoying questions, and trust your gut more than the flashy brand name or the sales pitch. Ended up way more fun than I expected, like a treasure hunt!