Sapphire is a precious gemstone in corundum minerals. They are usually known for their striking blue color, but there are many other colors. Sapphires have an incredible history, playing a role from royal fame to ancient legends. As a result, sapphire is one of the most popular gemstones in jewelry (as well as diamonds). This article will be narrated around the following outline.
Why Sapphire Is Blue
What’s Sapphire Made Of
Which Sapphire Is The Best Quality
What Sapphire Means
Can Sapphire Be Red
Are Sapphire Stones Expensive
What does a sapphire look like?
When many people think of sapphires, gemstones with an alluring deep blue color come to mind. While blue is the most popular, they can actually come in a variety of colors. Besides blue sapphires, you can also find sapphires in pink, purple, yellow, green, white and many more colors. As a naturally occurring gemstone, sapphire almost always has minor flaws and inclusions. This is not a disadvantage, it actually proves that the sapphire is real and unique. If the sapphire looks flawless, it is most likely a lab-grown sapphire.
What is sapphire made of?
Sapphire is from the corundum family, which is a crystalline form of aluminum oxide. Corundum forms in crystalline rocks that contain so-called sapphires or rubies, along with other minerals that were present during the formation process. It is the mixture of these minerals that have worked together over thousands of years to produce a gemstone as beautiful, rare, and coveted as sapphire. Corundum is a very hard substance, almost as hard as diamond. Therefore, sapphire is very durable and not easy to scratch. They score a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, second only to diamonds.
Lab-Grown Sapphire - Artificial Sapphire
While natural sapphires take thousands of years to form properly, scientists have been able to master the process of creating synthetic sapphires, synthesizing laboratory sapphires in much less time. Since both natural and synthetic sapphires come from the same mineral, lab-grown gemstones are essentially identical to natural gemstones, with the same visual quality and hardness. However, lab-grown sapphires are relatively inexpensive due to the reduced rarity and expedited synthesis process.
The easiest way to tell the difference between natural and lab-grown sapphire is its flawlessness. If you look closely, natural sapphires can have tiny inclusions or blemishes throughout the stone. However, lab-grown gemstones are created without any of the unpredictability of nature, so they are clean and flawless. Although lab-grown gemstones are free of visual defects, natural sapphires are more sought-after and therefore more expensive (especially rare or high-quality natural sapphires, such as Kashmir sapphires).
History of Sapphire
Sapphires have been the favored gemstones of royalty and the wealthy for centuries, so it’s no surprise that they’ve become popular in bridal and fashion jewelry. Prince William set a precedent when he proposed to Kate Middleton with his mother’s 18-carat blue sapphire engagement ring, sparking the trend of finding colored gemstone engagement rings. Before Princess Di achieved her gorgeous blue beauty, these indigo rocks have been regarded by generations as symbols of good luck, virtue, holiness and wisdom.
What is the price of sapphire
The price range for sapphire can be huge, and the price depends on many factors. The price of sapphire can be as low as 160 yuan per carat, and even more expensive than 71,000 yuan per carat. Depending on the quality, the price of approximately 1 carat of sapphire can range from 3,000 to 10,000 yuan. In addition to the 4 C’s outlined above, sapphires also vary widely in their region of origin. Color is the biggest factor in price. The most valuable sapphires are those with an intense dark blue hue.
Lab-grown sapphires are less expensive per carat than natural sapphires because naturally occurring gemstones are rarer and more sought after. Sapphires from Kashmir in the Himalayan region of India are particularly precious and therefore more valuable than other gemstones. They originally come from mining areas in the Zanskar range of the Himalayas, which are notoriously difficult to access. Sapphires from Ceylon and Burma are said to be similar in appearance to Kashmir sapphires, but not to the exact same standard. In terms of color, pure blue sapphires are the most precious. This is one of the qualities of Kashmir sapphire, which is said to resemble “blue velvet” in appearance, also known as “velvet sapphire”.
Types of Sapphire
One of the reasons sapphires are so fascinating is the variety of them. The different chemical elements present in the sapphire form result in a range of different colors. Blue sapphire is the most popular and popular type of sapphire. The exact blue color can vary from a light blue to a dark royal blue. There is nothing quite like a perfect, intense sapphire.
Pink sapphire is another variety with its own charm. The sapphire will be crafted with a vibrant pink color and the presence of chrome during the crafting process. Delicate and romantic, pink sapphires are increasingly used in engagement rings. The most fascinating thing about yellow sapphires is the color change. The colors are generally warm and vibrant and complement most jewelry styles well. Yellow sapphires look very similar to yellow diamonds, but are less expensive. Green sapphire is a lesser known and unconventional variety. They can be very pale or have a strong hue.
White sapphire is a type that looks very similar to diamond and can be used as an inexpensive alternative. Similar in appearance at first glance, however, the diamonds are not as glamorous. Another notable type of sapphire is the padparadscha sapphire. As we mentioned above, these are extremely rare and possess a level of allure unmatched by many other gemstones. The exact color of padparadscha sapphires is difficult to pinpoint, a tropical mix of pink and orange. This color paired with a rose gold setting creates an absolutely stunning piece of jewelry.
Interestingly, there are no red sapphires. Technically, these are rubies. Rubies and sapphires both come from corundum, and the color of the gem determines its color. At a certain color saturation, a red ruby will turn into a pink sapphire.
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