SAPPHIRES

Sapphire is one of the most beautiful and breathe taking gemstone. It is most used is expensive jewelry like the other two enchanting jewels Ruby and Emerald.

A durable stone with Mohs scale hardness of 9 out of 10, it is the strongest one after Diamond.

Sapphire is said to be the birthstone for September, it attracts different buyers with its aura of romance.

Its Mineral type or specie is Corundum. There are two varieties of Corundum family Red which is known as ruby. Yes, ruby is not a sapphire.

All other colored corundum (including colorless, or white sapphire as it is known in the trade) is sapphire, but the famous among them all is rich velvety blue colored sapphire.

Different colored SAPPHIRES

Majority have this idea th at sapphire is the name of blue stone. Whenever, one hears the word sapphire they say the blue one of any origin possible.

Well that’s not the case, sapphire has a wide range of colors with different quality fluctuations from country to country.

Basic idea of sapphire quality is that it should have clear, uniform and intense color without any impurities in it. That would be the sapphire of high quality and demand.

Sapphires other than blue are known as fancy sapphires (pink, orange, yellow, green, purple, and violet).

Blue Sapphires

Color of anything leaves a great impact on the value of sapphire. Gemologist suggest the ones with vibrant and rich to clear but light saturation of color.

Most valued blue sapphires are from rich blue to violet shaded blue from medium to medium dark tones. Such sapphires possess greater worth per carat.As compared to the ones it too light or too dark shades even grayish ones.

Blue Sapphires have many origins (Madagascar, Australia, USA, Nigeria, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Kenya and Tanzania.

But the best quality are considered of Sri Lanka previously known as Ceylon. After that Kashmir and Burma with rich blue colors.

Padparadscha Sapphires

The mysterious and extremely rare padparadscha sapphires with blends of orange, pink, and yellow that create a truly special gemstone.

Padparadscha is a Sanskrit word that means the colors of blossoming Lotus, as its color can’t not be described.

Some call it sunset color depending on what your eyes tell you that what its beauty is like.

It is said to be the most expensive among the fancy sapphires. Gemologist suggest that padparadscha color tones should be orange pink or medium pinkish orange.

Princess Eugenie’s engagement ring had a beautiful padparadscha sapphire surrounded by diamonds and was designed by her partner Jack Brooksbank himself.

Padparadscha sapphires are mainly found in Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Tanzania. But most of the experts say that the perfect one of high quality is of Sri Lanka. 

Pink & Purple Sapphires

Sapphire that range from pink to light red, even light purple color tones from medium to high yet vivid color are the pink sapphires.

But purple sapphire has purple as a dominant color. It is even found in different purple shades.

From medium to dark color saturation, reddish and violet purple shades. Rule is the clearer the jewel more valuable it would be.

They are found in abundance in Madagascar. Yet most popular among the world are from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and East Africa.

Yellow & Orange Sapphires

Yellow sapphire aka Pukhraj are also of great value because of it beautiful variety of color tones.

It ranges from pure yellow to orange shaded yellow. Even has deep golden and mandarin color with vivid saturation, is of greater value.

You will even find it in low to dark greenish yellow color but they are not considered of that much value.

They are found in Tanzania, Madagascar, Thailand, and Australia. Sri Lanka is the primary source and the most valuable ones are found here.

On the other hand, Orange sapphire ranges from yellowish orange to reddish.

But the one with more value comes in orange to reddish orange with vivid saturation of color.

They are found in Sri Lanka, Australia, Madagascar and Tanzania

Green Sapphires

Green sapphires with the pure intense vivid green saturation are very rare and are many collectors who possess them feel blessed.

It also comes in different shades with the mixture of yellowish and bluish colors with green.

Most valued one is found in Sri Lanka. It’s also found in Burma, Madagascar, Thailand and Australia.

Color Changing Sapphires

Color changing sapphires are the category of corundum which is called Chameleons. They often change color when brought to different lighting.

They will change the color on the bases of the light, basic color type of such sapphires is from blue to violet.

When seen in incandescent light its colors variate from violet purple to reddish one.

Such sapphires as per experts rating depend on the intensity of the color change, either its strong, moderate or weak. That specifies its true worth.

When gem experts judge color-change sapphires, they describe the color change as weak, moderate, or strong. The strength of the stone’s color change is the most important quality factor affecting its value.

They are found in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tanzania and Thailand.

Star Sapphires

Then comes another very beautiful form of sapphire, a type of Corundum family called phenomenal corundum.

It is called the star sapphire there are two types one is star sapphire and the other is star ruby.

Effects of star on the jewel is called asterism. It is caused due to some inclusion present in it oriented in several directions.

Star is usually made of 2, 3, 6 or rarely 12 bands. When inclusion sets rutile and hematite come from different directions cause 12 rays star.

Hematite causes asterism in black star sapphires, due to this inclusion blue, green or yellow star sapphire appears as black or dark brown sapphire.

The finest star is the one that is distinct, centered and visible from a reasonable distance. That shouldn’t be broken or wavy, rather it should be straight with elegant movement

Most expensive star sapphire is that is sem-transparent, not too dark nor too transparent, with just enough silk.

They are found in Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tanzania, Burma, China, America and Thailand.