Yes, I did send the rough stones off - I went to a gem show in my local area and quickly found a guy who visits Thailand on gem buying tours. He took the stones over, they were cut and the items were posted back to me. Sometimes the guy will bring them back if they are ready before he returns. The various traders at the gem show were all happy to apraise the rough stones and were excited to see Sri Lankan Sapphires as they are a superior quality to the local Australian varieties.
The stones' cut size determines how much to pay (about $4 per carat) - I didn't have to pay until the stones were cut as there is no real way to determine a stones cut weight until it is done.
I see. I guess there's a reason now to take my wife to a gemstone exhibit here. Altho this might turn out to be a costly decision.
So, how much are those sapphires now worth? I'd expect a cut sapphire is much more valuable than an uncut one?