Sapphire is one of two minerals in the Corundum family of minerals, the other is Ruby. Sapphire is the birthstone for September and used as the anniversary gemstone for the 45th and 65th years.
The name Sapphire has its origin in the Greek and Latin words for blue, over the centuries this has caused much confusion when translating historical writing because there was originally no distinction between blue stones, and so could often be confused with Lapis Lazuli or other blue gemstones. Sapphire has long been a stone that is classed as a Royal Gem, fit for Kings, Queens and other Royalty, and this is still true in modern times, the most famous engagement ring of the last century is probably that of Princess Diana, now worn by Kate Middleton Duchess of Cambridge, inspiring an ongoing trend for Sapphire rings. Not only is Sapphire fit for Royalty it was also supposed to inspire the favour of Royalty when worn.
The most commonly known Sapphire is the blue Sapphire, but this variety of Corundum can in fact occur in any colour except red, when it is then defined as a Ruby. All other colours of Sapphire are often described as “fancy Sapphire” and beautiful pieces of jewellery can be created in rainbow colours using only Sapphires. Sapphire also displays two phenomena, both are rare. Colour change effect is seen when the stone appears different colours depending on the light in which it is viewed, the most common colour change is that from blue in daylight to purple in incandescent light. Sapphires can also be found in star varieties when cut as cabochon, showing a beautiful reflection of a six-rayed star moving across the stone.
As with most coloured gemstones the main value factor of Sapphire is colour, the most valuable colour being a rich vibrant royal blue, it is common for the colour in Sapphire to be zoned, and occasionally stones which are parti-coloured are seen, but in any hue the most desirable colours are those that are vibrant with little or no modifying tones such as grey or brown, and with the exception of parti-coloured stones with little or no zoning. As with Rubies, it is common for Sapphire to contain eye visible inclusions, and a Sapphire with no inclusions is very rare. Sapphires above 3.00ct are rare and so prices can increase dramatically as size increases. Traditionally the finest quality Sapphire has always been associated with Kashmir, and Ceylon now called Sri Lanka, but beautiful Sapphires occur in many localities around the world even Scotland, what is important is choosing a stone that you will enjoy for years to come.
Sapphire, generally speaking is the most expensive of all blue stones and some fancy colours can command exceptionally high prices, particularly the Padparadscha, named after the lotus flower and being a beautiful mix of pink and orange. They can range from a few pounds per carat for lower clarity included beads or carvings, to hundreds of thousands per ct for fine stones. Sapphire is very wearable as an everyday gemstone, they are remarkably durable, being very hard, quite tough and resistant to a lot of heat and chemicals. Usual care must be taken to store them separately from other jewels to avoid scratching, and it is wise to remove jewellery before carrying out any manual tasks.
Sapphire is rarely untreated, it is routinely heated to improve the colour of the stones and has been carried out for centuries. Unless otherwise stated all our Sapphire, as with the majority on sale in the UK, will be enhanced in this way. Sapphire can also be treated in other ways, such as oiling or filling with other substances, as well as dying, and even colour diffused into the stone. We will always disclose any treatment you need to know about as well as letting you know how best to care for your stone.
