SAPPHIRES
SaPPHires
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Introduction
Sapphires: Composition, Formation, and Origin
Where Are Sapphires Found?
Different Colors of Sapphire
Color Intensity Grades
Impact of Color on Sapphire Value
Clarity
Weight and Durability
Treatments
How Different Cuts Enhance Sapphire Color and Brilliance
Understanding Sapphire Value: Natural, Treated, and Synthetic Comparisons
Key Questions to Consider Before Buying a Sapphire
INTRODUCTION
Sapphires are one of the three precious colored gemstones. The others being Rubies and Emeralds. It is a variety of the mineral Corundum which is a mineral that includes both sapphires and rubies. Red corundum is known as ruby and all other colored corundum are known as sapphires with blue being the most common. Sapphires that are not blue are known as fancy sapphires and can occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors; “parti sapphires” show two or more colors. Sapphires are the single most versatile stone with so many color choices and a hardness only beaten by diamonds.
SAPPHIRES: COMPOSITION, FORMATION, AND ORIGINS
Chemically, sapphires are composed of aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃). What gives sapphires their stunning colors are trace elements that become incorporated into the crystal structure during formation. For example:
Blue sapphires owe their color to the presence of iron and titanium.
Pink sapphires contain traces of chromium.
Yellow and green sapphires are influenced by a combination of iron and other elements.
Sapphires have a trigonal crystal system, forming hexagonal prismatic crystals. They are exceptionally hard, ranking 9 on the Mohs scale—just below diamonds—making them suitable for daily wear in all types of jewelry.
FORMATION OF SAPPHIRES
Sapphires form under intense pressure and high temperatures deep within the Earth’s crust, typically in areas with significant geological activity. The process begins with the cooling and solidification of magma, which allows aluminum and oxygen to bond and create the crystalline structure of corundum. When trace elements like iron or chromium are present during this process, they influence the resulting color of the sapphire.
Over millions of years, geological forces such as erosion and tectonic movement can bring these gems closer to the Earth’s surface, where they can be mined.
Sri Lanka (Ceylon): Sri Lanka has a long history of producing some of the world’s most beautiful sapphires. Ceylon sapphires are often lighter and more vibrant in color, ranging from cornflower blue to sky blue. The island also produces a wide variety of fancy-colored sapphires.
Myanmar (Burma): Myanmar is renowned for its deep, rich blue sapphires, often referred to as “Burmese sapphires.” These stones are known for their intense saturation and silk-like luster.
Kashmir (India): Kashmir sapphires are among the most valuable and rare, prized for their velvety texture and deep blue color. Mining in this region is extremely limited, making these sapphires exceptionally rare and highly sought after by collectors.
Madagascar: In recent years, Madagascar has emerged as one of the leading sources of high-quality sapphires. Sapphires from Madagascar can display a range of colors, with blue, pink, and yellow being the most common.
Other notable sources include Australia, Thailand, and Cambodia, each producing sapphires with unique color characteristics and qualities.
DIFFERENT COLORS OF SAPPHIRES
Color has the greatest influence on a sapphire’s value, and preferred sapphires have strong to vivid blue color saturation. The most valued blue sapphires are velvety blue to violet blue, in medium to medium-dark tones. Sapphires with these qualities command the highest prices per carat. Less valuable blue sapphires might also be grayish, too light, or too dark.
While the classic deep blue sapphire is perhaps the most iconic, sapphires come in a breathtaking array of colors, each with its own unique allure and value. These variations in color are due to the presence of different trace elements and the influence of various factors during the gemstone’s formation.
BLUE SAPPHIRES
Hue and Quality: The deep blue sapphire is renowned for its rich, intense color, which can range from vibrant cornflower blue to royal blue. The most prized blue sapphires exhibit a pure blue hue with minimal secondary color tones. The depth and saturation of the blue color are key factors in determining the value of these stones.
Sources: Famous blue sapphires are sourced from regions like Kashmir, Myanmar (Burma), Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. Each location imparts distinct qualities to the sapphires, contributing to their unique appearances.
PINK SAPPHIRES
Hue and Quality: Pink sapphires exhibit a range of hues from light pastel pink to vivid, deep pink. The most valuable pink sapphires are those with a strong, vibrant pink color and high saturation, resembling the color of a pink diamond.
Sources: Pink sapphires are found in various locations, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Madagascar. These sapphires can sometimes have a slight orange or purple undertone, adding to their complexity and beauty.
YELLOW SAPPHIRES
Hue and Quality: Yellow sapphires vary from pale, lemon-yellow to a rich, golden hue. The most valuable yellow sapphires have a deep, bright yellow color with high saturation. These stones are often compared to fancy yellow diamonds due to their striking appearance.
Sources: Major sources of yellow sapphires include Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and Thailand. Each region produces sapphires with distinct shades of yellow, influenced by the specific trace elements present.
GREEN SAPPHIRES
Hue and Quality: Green sapphires come in a spectrum from light green to a more intense, forest green. The most valuable green sapphires have a deep, rich green color with good saturation. They often display a pleasing balance of brightness and depth.
Sources: Significant sources of green sapphires are Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and Australia. The green color in these sapphires is due to the presence of trace elements such as iron.
ORANGE SAPPHIRES
Hue and Quality: Orange sapphires can range from a pale, pastel orange to a vivid, intense tangerine color. The most valuable orange sapphires are those with a bright, lively orange hue and high saturation, often referred to as “padparadscha” sapphires.
Sources: Notable sources include Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Padparadscha sapphires, which are a unique blend of orange and pink, are particularly rare and valuable.
PURPLE SAPPHIRES
Hue and Quality: Purple sapphires range from light lavender to deep, rich purple. The most prized purple sapphires have a strong, vivid purple hue with good saturation. These stones are valued for their deep, royal appearance.
Sources: Purple sapphires are found in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Madagascar. The presence of trace elements like chromium and iron gives these sapphires their distinctive color.
COLORLESS SAPPHIRES
Hue and Quality: Colorless sapphires, often called “white sapphires,” can be a beautiful alternative to diamonds. They are valued for their clarity and brilliance, with a transparent appearance that allows for a sparkle similar to that of diamonds.
Sources: Colorless sapphires can be sourced from several locations, including Sri Lanka and Madagascar. They are often used in jewelry as a more affordable option to diamonds.
COLOR INTENSITY GRADES
When it comes to evaluating the quality of a colored sapphire, color typically takes center stage. The intensity scale measures how saturated the hue appears in the gem, as well as its overall lightness or darkness. Among the various levels of intensity, “Vivid” is usually regarded as the most premium. That said, color perception is highly personal—what one person sees as perfect may differ from another’s preference. Beauty, after all, is in the eye of the beholder.
Vivid
This is the highest grade on the color intensity scale. “Vivid” indicates a gemstone with outstanding saturation—rich in color without tipping into overly dark tones.
Intense
Just a step below Vivid, this grade still reflects an exceptional depth of color. It’s a highly desirable intensity, especially in premium-quality sapphires.
Medium Intense
Stones in this category show beautiful color but may appear slightly less saturated, particularly under strong lighting. It strikes a fine balance between richness and brightness.
Medium
With around 50% color saturation, Medium intensity offers a balanced appearance—neither too strong nor too faint—ideal for those who prefer a classic, even-toned look.
Medium Light
This grade represents stones that reflect 25–45% of their color, often with more than half of the light returned as white. The result is a lighter, softer impression.
Light
Light intensity stones display a delicate hue, often appearing pastel or washed-out due to the high proportion of white light reflection.
Very Light
These gemstones have only a trace of color. The hue is barely perceptible and gives the stone a near-transparent appearance.
Near Colorless / Faint
These stones are almost completely clear, with only the slightest whisper of color visible under close inspection.
Colorless
Completely void of color, these gems are sometimes called “white” stones. They are prized for their pure, crystal-clear appearance.
Dark
This classification is given to stones with extremely deep saturation, where very little light passes through. The result is a nearly opaque and shadowy tone
VALUE AND COLOR
The value of a sapphire is significantly influenced by its color, with deep blue sapphires generally commanding the highest prices. Several factors contribute to how color impacts the value of a sapphire:
Hue: The term “hue” to the sapphire’s dominant color. For blue sapphires, the ideal hue is a pure blue. However, many sapphires have secondary hues, such as violet, purple, or green. A slight violet secondary hue is generally acceptable, and even desirable in some cases, as it can enhance the stone’s overall vibrancy. Greenish-blue or grayish -blue sapphires, on the other hand, are typically less valued.
Saturation: Saturation refers to the intensity or vividness of the sapphire’s color. High-quality sapphires have strong saturation, with vivid and vibrant color. Too little saturation makes the stone appear dull or washed out, while excessive saturation can make it look inky or overly dark. The best sapphires have a rich, balanced saturation that enhances their beauty without overpowering the gem’s natural sparkle.
Tone: Tone refers to how light or dark the sapphire appears. The ideal tone is medium to medium-dark, which means the stone has a deep, rich color without being too dark or too light. Sapphires that are too light may look pale, while those that are too dark can appear almost black, losing their brilliance and sparkle.
Color Consistency: Evenness of color across the gemstone also affects its value. A sapphire with a uniform color distribution is more valuable than one with color zoning or unevenness.
Origin: While not directly related to color, the origin of the sapphire can influence its value. Sapphires from renowned sources like Kashmir, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka are often valued higher due to their historical significance and the unique qualities associated with these regions.
The combination of hue, saturation, tone, and color consistency helps to define the worth of a sapphire, with the most prized stones exhibiting a deep, vibrant color that has captivated admirers for centuries.
SAPPHIRE CLARITY
Unlike diamonds, which are assessed using a globally recognized grading system, sapphires and other colored gemstones do not follow an official clarity standard. In the gemstone world, clarity is typically judged with the naked eye, rather than under the 10x magnification standard used for diamonds. Clarity has an impact on sapphires prices and rarity. Sapphires typically have some inclusions and those with extremely high clarity are rare and very valuable.
Type 3 – Sapphires with inclusions visible to the naked eye.
SAPPHIRE DURABILITY
Sapphires score a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making them one of the toughest gemstones available—second only to diamonds, which top the scale at 10. This exceptional hardness makes sapphires an excellent choice for everyday jewelry and a strong alternative to diamonds, especially when compared to softer stones.
However, it’s important to note that “hardness” refers to resistance to scratching, not to breaking or chipping. Even very hard gemstones like sapphires and diamonds can chip if struck against a hard surface or exposed to repeated impact.
SAPPHIRE CARAT WEIGHT
Sapphires can range in size anywhere from a few points to hundreds of carats, and large blue sapphires are more readily available than large rubies. However, most commercial-quality blue sapphires weigh less than 5.00 carats.
SAPPHIRE TREATMENTS
Understanding “Natural” vs. “Untreated” Sapphires
When selecting colored gemstones—especially sapphires—it’s essential to understand the difference between the terms natural and untreated. These are often confused, yet they refer to two distinct aspects of a gemstone’s identity. While the ideal sapphire would be both natural and untreated, such stones are exceptionally rare on today’s market.
A natural sapphire is one that formed naturally within the earth over millions of years—it is not lab-created. An untreated sapphire means that, aside from being cut and polished (standard practices for any gemstone), it has not been subjected to any processes intended to enhance its color or clarity, such as heating or chemical treatment.
Sapphires that are both natural and untreated are highly prized for their rarity and authenticity. Each one is entirely unique, shaped only by nature and minimally refined by the gem cutter’s hand.
The majority of sapphires are treated with heat at extremely high temperatures to intensify their color, remove color-zoning, and improve their clarity. This is a common practice dating back thousand of years. Although “Heat Treated” these sapphires are 100% natural since they are mined from the earth and should not be confused with synthetic sapphires which are artifically grown have very little value.
Non-Treated Sapphires
Untreated sapphires means those that have not had any form of treatment to enhance their colour or clarity. This means these sapphires are in their purest form; they were mined and simply cut and polished to show their inner beauty. Most of the time untreated sapphires are referred to as unheated sapphires as the heat treatment is the most common enhancement.
Heated Sapphires Compared to Unheated Sapphires
With heated sapphires you will get a more vibrant, saturated stone for your budget. Most heated sapphires are eye-clean, with no inclusions visible to the naked eye. Unheated sapphires will have whatever inclusions were naturally created within them. Unheated sapphires are much more scarce and thus significantly more expensive than their heat-treated counterparts.
Heat treatment is a widely accepted practice in the sapphire trade and has been used for centuries to improve the appearance of gemstones. Most sapphires available today have undergone this process, where stones are heated to around 1800°C for extended periods. This method—referred to as dry heat treatment—enhances the sapphire’s natural color and clarity without introducing any external substances. It’s considered a stable and traditional treatment that preserves the integrity of the original material.
That said, not all treatments are created equal. Some sapphires undergo far more invasive procedures involving chemical additives like beryllium or glass. These substances are introduced during heating to dramatically change a stone’s appearance by filling internal fractures or altering its hue. Such treatments can make lower-quality stones appear far more valuable than they truly are and, unfortunately, are not always properly disclosed to consumers.
As a result, the line between natural beauty and artificial enhancement has become increasingly blurred—especially as treated sapphires are now capable of mimicking the visual quality of high-grade untreated ones. While these stones may be visually appealing and more accessible in price, they lack the rarity, authenticity, and long-term value of sapphires that have been only minimally treated—or not treated at all.
SAPPHIRE TREATMENTS EXPLAINED: FROM NO TREATMENT TO MAXIMUM ALTERATION
Sapphires are among the most coveted gemstones, admired for their vivid colors and durability. However, not all sapphires are created equal. Many undergo various treatments to improve their appearance. These treatments can significantly affect the gem’s value, longevity, and even how it should be cared for. Here’s a guide to the full spectrum of sapphire treatments—from the completely natural to the most intrusive.
1. Untreated (No Enhancement)
Most valuable. Most rare.
Untreated sapphires have had no heat or chemical interventions. Their color and clarity are entirely natural, the result of geological processes over millions of years. These sapphires are rare and command a premium, especially when they have excellent color and clarity.
Market Value: Highest
Appearance: May include minor inclusions or uneven color zoning
Durability: Excellent
Disclosure: “No indications of heating” on gem reports (e.g., GIA, SSEF, AGL)
2. Standard Heat Treatment
Widely accepted. Market standard.
The majority of sapphires on the market are heat-treated. This process enhances color and improves clarity by dissolving internal inclusions. It is done at high temperatures (typically 1600–1900°C) and is considered an industry-accepted practice as long as it’s disclosed.
Market Value: Moderate to high (depending on quality)
Appearance: Richer color, improved clarity
Durability: Excellent
Disclosure: “Evidence of heat” or “Heat-treated”
3. Heat with Light Element Diffusion (e.g., Beryllium)
Chemically altered. Appearance boosted.
This method involves heating the sapphire in the presence of beryllium or other elements to artificially enhance or change its color. The new color may penetrate deeply but not always throughout the stone. While the result can be beautiful, the treatment is more intrusive.
Market Value: Lower than standard heat
Appearance: Bright colors, sometimes unnatural hues
Durability: Usually good, but depends on depth of diffusion
Disclosure: “Diffusion-treated” or “Beryllium diffusion”
4. Surface Diffusion
Color only at the surface. Easily damaged.
In surface diffusion, color is added only to the outer layer of the stone. If the gem is recut or damaged, the treated layer may be lost. This is generally considered a low-value enhancement.
Market Value: Low
Appearance: Artificial-looking color with shallow depth
Durability: Poor—surface color can wear off or chip away
Disclosure: Required; “Surface diffusion”
5. Fracture Filling or Glass Filling
Structural repair. Poor durability.
This treatment involves filling surface-reaching cracks with glass or resin to make a low-quality stone appear more transparent. It significantly compromises the durability and value of the gem.
Market Value: Very low
Appearance: Can look clear but has a “glassy” or “oily” look
Durability: Poor—easily damaged by heat, pressure, or even cleaning
Disclosure: “Glass-filled” or “Fracture-filled”
Key Questions to Consider Before Buying a SAPPHIRE
Color: The most important factor for sapphire quality. Look for a vivid, intense blue (or another desired color) with even saturation. Avoid stones that appear too dark or too light. Ask to receive a a summary of the sapphire’s color, including its hue, saturation, and tone? Specifically, to know if there are any secondary hues and how vivid the color saturation is, and whether the tone is balanced or if it appears too light or too dark
Clarity: Sapphires typically have inclusions, but you want one that is “eye-clean,” meaning no inclusions are visible to the naked eye. Ask about the clarity and whether any inclusions will affect the beauty or durability.
Cut: Since you want a perfect oval, ensure the stone is well-proportioned and symmetrical. Ask if the stone has been precision-cut for maximum brilliance.
Treatment: Many sapphires are heat-treated to enhance color. Ask if the sapphire is untreated or if it has undergone treatment, as untreated stones tend to be more valuable.
Origin: Some origins, like Kashmir, Burma, or Sri Lanka, are associated with high-quality sapphires. Ask about the stone’s provenance.
Certification: Request a certification from a reputable gemological lab (e.g., GIA or AGS) to ensure authenticity and quality. Ask about what certificate you will receive with the sapphire.