Sapphires in every color, history and buying guide for Sapphires
Comprehensive Guide to Sapphire gems
When most people hear the word Sapphire they think Blue, but Sapphires come in every color of the Rainbow except red. Red Sapphires are Rubies.
Sapphires can come in pure white, looking very much like a Diamond to almost black which is called Midnight Blue Sapphire. In the past few years Pink Sapphires have become very popular. Now Canary Yellow and Orange are the new HOT colors.
Orange Sapphire
Amazingly these colored Sapphires are often much less expensive than the common blue variety.
A savy buyer can purchase a White or Canary Yellow Sapphire for a fraction of the cost of a Diamond. Buy White or Yellow Sapphires
Padparadscha Sapphires are a fancy colored orange-pink or pinkish-orange. These are very rare and are not often found in large sizes. Padparadscha Sapphires are costly and often reproduced by man in the lab. When shopping for a Padparadscha Sapphire make sure you know if it is a natural, mined from the earth, gem you are buying or one created by man.
Padparadscha Sapphires
When buying a Blue Sapphire look at the color. The most valuable sapphires are deep, pure blue, which does not change color when moved into different light. Stones that are too dark or too light are of less value than a royal blue stone. Buy Blue Sapphires
Blue Sapphire
When you hear the word Sapphire most People think Blue!
But even "blue" Sapphires come in a wide range of shades from light baby blue to nearly black.
Pink Sapphire
Pink Sapphires come in shades from very light ice pink to vibrant Raspberry. Pink Sapphires are extremely popular right now.
Canary yellow Sapphire
Yellow Sapphires can be nearly white with just a hint of yellow, to deep yellow or almost orange.
Green Sapphire
Green Sapphire can be very light like a mint green to very dark jungle green or even emerald green.
White Sapphires
What the look of Diamonds but don’t want the cost? These look very much like fine D color Diamonds but they are far less expensive! 3mm white Sapphires cost $5.00 to $10.00 each. 3mm White Diamonds could cost $50.00 to $300.00 each.
Color Change Sapphires
Sapphire can also change color, very much like an Alexandrite. Color change Sapphires are far less expensive then color change Alexandrites.
The color change with Sapphires can be more pronounced then that of Alexandrite and has a greater range of colors.
Common color changes in Sapphires are.
Purple to pink.
Green to yellow
Purple/red to teal green
Blue to Purple
Blue to green
Color change sapphires are always heat treated to produce, intensify or lighten color and/or improve color uniformity and appearance.
Midnight Blue Sapphire
Some unscrupulous seller will tell you the darker the blue the better the Sapphire. This is simply not the case.
Midnight Blue Sapphires are nark navy blue to almost black in color. They are nice but not nearly as valuable as a Royal Blue Sapphire.
Sapphires are found in India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil and Africa. The best Sapphires come from Ceylon.
Sapphire is the Birthstone for September.
Some people believe that wearing Sapphires brings clarity of mind and disintegrates disharmony.
Sapphire is believed to offer healing properties for rheumatism, colic, and mental illness.
VARIETY INFORMATION:
VARIETY OF: Corundum , Al2O3 .
USES: Gemstone.
BIRTHSTONE FOR: September
COLOR: various colors, except for red.
INDEX OF REFRACTION: 1.76 - 1.78
BIREFRINGENCE: 0.009
HARDNESS: 9
CLEAVAGE: none, although there is a rhombic parting
CRYSTAL SYSTEM: trigonal
PLEOCHROIC: strongly
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Great references books to guide you in your own exploration in the world of gems
Star Sapphires
What is a Star Sapphire
A Star Sapphire is a Sapphire gem that displays a distinct stay pattern across the top of the gem.
This a star-like phenomenon known as asterism.
Star Sapphires
Star sapphires contain intersecting needle-like inclusions (Useually the mineral Rutile) that cause the appearance of a star-shaped pattern when viewed with a single overhead light source.
A Star Sapphire displays a 6 ray star not to be confused with Star Diopside which has 4 rays.
Star Diopside
The Value of a Star Sapphire is a combination of its Carat weight, color and the intensity of the star effect.
effect.
Most Sapphires on the market today have been heat treated to improve their appearance. Heat treating a gem reduces noticeable inclusions and enhances the color of the gem.
Diffusion is also used to treat some Sapphires.
Diffusion is when a gem is heated in the presence of another material to dramatically improve color.
While heat treating is easy to detect under a microscope, diffusion is very difficult to detect.
Star Sapphires can come in all the same colors as Faceted Sapphires.
Black/brown Star Sapphire are common and easily affordable.
Blue Star Sapphires are the most popular and can get very pricey for a deep blue with a good star.
Blue Star sapphire
Blue giant of the orient-466 carats
The Bismark Sapphire Necklace, from Sri Lankan
©Smithsonian Institute,photo by Chip Clark
This is the largest faceted blue Sapphire in the world-466 carats.
422.99-carat Logan Sapphire Brooch
From Sri Lankan
©Smithsonian Institute
The finest sapphire gems came from Sri Lanka and Burma.
It is the heaviest mounted gem in the National Gem Collection.
Donated to the Smithsonian Insitute from Mrs. John A. Logan in 1960.
Star of India
From Sri Lankan
© New York Museum of Natural History
At 536 carats it is the largest and most famous Star Sapphire Cabochon in the World.
This gem is about the size of a major league Baseball that has been cut in half.
The Gordon Sapphire Necklace
The pendant set with an emerald-cut Sapphire weighing approximately 50.00 carats
Estimated Value: $50,000 to $70,000."
This piece and the ring below belonged to Aron Gordon, the founder of Gordon Jewelers.
The Gordon Star Sapphire Ring
Oval-shaped Star Sapphire Cabochon weighing approximately 52.00 carats mounted in platinum.
Estimated Value: $70,000 to $90,000
The Maria Alexandrovna Sapphire Brooch
A Sapphire weighing 260.37
Purchased by Russian Emperor Alexander II and presented to his wife Empress Maria Alexandrovna.
The Reward of Faith Sapphire
This is a 'sherry-colored' Sapphire. Color is Natural and un-enhanced.
This stone was found in 1975 at the Reward gem field near Rubyvale in Queensland, Australia. In 1983 it was cut into the 52.36-carat round you see here, measuring 22.35 mm across and 13.49 mm deep.
Pity, but this gem has yet to be named.
It was featured at Sotheby's Auction House in April of 2002.
Accroding to Sotheby's:
This "Star sapphire and diamond pendant-brooch, circa 1955. The large oval-shaped star sapphire cabochon weighing approximately 145.00 carats, within a frame set with 23 marquise-shaped, 1 round and 1 kite-shaped diamond weighing a total of approximately 23.00 carats, mounted in platinum, with pendant hook."
The piece has an estimates value of $30,000 to $40,000.
Oval cut Blue Sapphire set in platinum with Diamonds.
Gorgeous Marquise Sapphire set in platinum surrounded by green Tsavorites with Diamond accents on the band.
Diamond and Sapphire Bracelet from the Amiera Collection
Diamond and Sapphire earrings from the Amiera Collection. Each Sapphire weighs 6 carats!
Nice Blue Sapphire Cabochon ring.
Sapphire tapered baguettes set in 14K gold with round cut Diamonds
Large Midnight Blue Sapphire pear, surrounded by diamonds set in 14K gold
Diamond and Sapphire bangle bracelet in 14k gold.
Elegant Pearl necklace with a Star Sapphire centerpiece
Diamond and Sapphire wedding set from the Amiera Collection
Lovely Green Sapphire set in Gold with Diamond Accents
Gorgeous multi color Sapphire and Diamond ring.
Featuring a 1 carat canary Yellow Sapphire.
Synthetic Padparadscha Sapphire is set in 14K
If this were real it would be worth many thousands of dollars or be in a museum. Natural Padparadscha Sapphire this size pretty much don't exist.
Diamond and Sapphire Bracelet
Stunning Green Sapphire Cross
Ceylon Blue Sapphire ring
With 50 + lenses on Squidoo
First place peoples Choice Awards for June 2007
