Sapphires Treatments

Untreated Sapphires – Rare and Natural
Sapphires that are both natural and untreated are highly prized for their rarity, purity, and authenticity. These gems have not undergone any enhancements to improve their color or clarity—what you see is exactly what nature created. Carefully cut and polished to reveal their inner beauty, untreated sapphires are exceptionally scarce and often referred to as unheated sapphires, since heat is the most common treatment applied in the trade.

Heat-Treated Sapphires – Natural but Enhanced
Most sapphires available today have been subjected to heat treatment, a process that uses extreme temperatures (often up to 1800°C) to enhance the stone’s color and clarity. This method—used for centuries—is entirely natural in the sense that the sapphires are still earth-mined and contain no added chemicals or synthetic elements. Heat-treated sapphires are significantly more affordable than untreated ones and often exhibit vibrant, saturated color and excellent transparency.

It’s important to understand that heat-treated sapphires are not synthetic. They are 100% natural gemstones, simply improved through a time-honored, stable process that’s widely accepted within the industry.

Heated vs. Unheated – What’s the Difference?

• Heated sapphires tend to be brighter and more eye-clean, offering excellent quality at a more accessible price point.

• Unheated sapphires, by contrast, may display natural inclusions and color zoning, but their untouched state and rarity make them far more valuable.

Other Treatments – What to Watch For
Not all treatments are as traditional or accepted as dry heat. Some sapphires undergo invasive enhancements, such as:

• Beryllium treatment, which alters color by introducing chemicals during heating.

• Glass filling, which hides fractures and gives a false impression of clarity.

These advanced treatments can drastically change a sapphire’s appearance—but they also reduce the stone’s value and authenticity. Unfortunately, such enhancements are not always properly disclosed.

In Summary
While heat-treated sapphires can be beautiful and practical choices, untreated sapphires remain the pinnacle of rarity and value. Understanding how a sapphire has been treated—or if it has been treated at all—is essential to evaluating its quality, price, and long-term significance.