September's Birthstone: Sapphire.
Hello everyone!
An apology to all our readers for not posting on a weekly basis the past few months. We’ve been busy getting our physical store back and running after lockdown. However, always feel free to write us if you have any jewellery related question and we will try our best to respond promptly and provide all the information you need.
Today we will discuss one of my favorite birthstones; Sapphire (I might like it more since it is my birthstone). We will go about it differently by using frequently asked questions by customers and answers to them.
- How are sapphires quality graded?
The 4C’s apply to this gem stone just like diamonds and many others. However, the most important quality factor out of the four is color, then comes cut, carat, and clarity last. When it comes to color, the most highly valued blue sapphire should be velvety to purplish blue with medium to soft dark tones and vivid color saturation without any darkness compromising the brightness of the gem. When it comes to the cut of a sapphire the best proportions should be maintained with care about maintaining as much weight and color as possible. Inclusions are almost always present. However, the intensity of the inclusion can threaten the durability of the stone and consequently the price. For example, the most expensive sapphire is known to be Kashmiri Sapphires. They are well known to have really vivid blue colors with very small and minimal inclusions. Finally, carat weight and sizes of the stone is available in an array of sizes (with the larger usually being more expensive keeping all other factors constant).
- Is Sapphire available only in blue?
Blue is the most well known color for the gem and the most expensive, but it is not the only color. Sapphire has a variety of fancy colors (yellow, violet, pink, orange, green, black, grey, brown, and intermediate hues of such colors). The only color of this mineral variety corundum with various trace elements that is not considered sapphire is red and it is named ruby.
- What are ‘parti-colored’ Sapphires?
They are gems that show combinations of different colors. For example, most often go from blue (daylight) to purple (nightlight).
- Are fancy colors just as available as blue sapphires?
No they are not, hence their name ‘Fancy’. Any color that is not blue is generally scarce especially in very small or very large sizes.
- Is value affected when sapphire is treated?
Yes. The majority of sapphires found in the market are heat treated. This is a very common treatment used for sapphires, and most colored gemstones in fact. However, if sapphires are treated by lattice diffusion then they will generally be cheaper than sapphires that have only been heat treated.
Fine quality rare sapphires need to be lab checked and certified accordingly to confirm no evidence of any treatment (including heating) that will influence their value greatly.