The color of the pink sapphires is absolutely amazing, which makes them rare and in high demand. The rarest of the rare variety of sapphire is the Padparadscha sapphire. Which occurs in tones of pink-orange, giving it a unique, alluring look.
The stones are totally natural and are seldom subjected to treatment. The fact is that they are little known to the common people, but are treasured by experts and collectors. The scintillating stones display an eye-catching color, which compares to that of a lotus. Another variety of sapphire is star sapphire, which exhibits a phenomenon called asterism, a star like a look in the stone. It is causes by needle-like inclusions present within the gem structure.
These inclusions intersect each other, forming a six-rayed star-like pattern when seen under a light source. One of the rarest varieties among naturally occurring sapphires is that of color changing sapphires. Which exhibit different colors when seen under different light sources. The phenomenon causes by the absorption of different wavelengths by the stone.
Which is the result of the presence of trace impurities of vanadium and chromium. In addition to these varieties, sapphires are available in a colorless variety which is white sapphire or colorless sapphire. Some more color varieties of naturally occurring sapphire stones are green sapphires, orange sapphires, purple sapphires, and black sapphires.
That was a good shade of clarity. These should be classified differently and priced accordingly. Because of this we do not describe our blue sapphires using this term in most cases. The blue color in a blue sapphire comes from the mineral titanium that is within the crystal.
The higher concentrations of titanium in the sapphire, the more color saturation. Too much color saturation can create a dull or overly dark effect in the blue sapphire which is not desirable and lowers the price of the stone. Most commercial quality sapphires are in fact not blue but black in color.
These should not be called blue sapphires as they do not have any blue color or translucency. These sapphires are very inexpensive. Sapphires come from many places around the world but few locations produce fine qualities. The most beautiful sapphires come from the same countries as they have for thousands of years. Only a few new deposits have been discovered in recent times. The quantity and quality of blue sapphires coming from Sri Lanka is only rivaled by new deposits found in Madagascar.
The sapphires from Madagascar are in many cases almost indistinguishable against sapphires from Sri Lanka. Color tone and internal crystal characteristics of Madagascar and Ceylon sapphires are almost identical in most cases.
The prices for blue sapphires from both countries are similar. Burma now called Myanmar since gaining independence from the British is another long time producing country of fine blue sapphires. Usually Burmese sapphires are described as royal blue, typically on the darker side of royal blue. Many gemologists, retailers, auctioneers, and other stone houses will talk very highly of Burmese sapphires being the very best quality sapphires; we do not necessarily agree that this is true and fair.
Each sapphire should be graded by its visual appearance for sheer beauty. Burma does produce excellent stones, usually in smaller quantities but larger sizes.
At the Natural Sapphire Company we do not believe that origin is a reliable factor worth paying for in sapphires. With our extensive experience specializing in natural untreated sapphires we urge that pure natural beauty remain the absolute priority.
Grading a sapphire o norigin is not a reliable science. Inclusion types associated with Madagascar also are seen in Kashmir sapphires.
Ceylon sapphires very often have identical inclusion types found in Burmese sapphires. Madagascar and Sri Lanka have almost all the same characteristics. Our experience with so many incorrect origin identifications from the laboratories have resulted in our company only buying stones that are:.
We do state the origin of our sapphires based on where we purchase the material, but it is not a guarantee that the stone is in fact from that location. To prove that reputable gem labs have a very hard time determining origin, we will be adding examples of contradicting results on the same sapphire.
Click here to see examples. The stones were in most cases exceptionally fine quality. For this reason the prices for Kashmir sapphires have been wildly valued.
Prices can be 10 times the cost of a comparable blue sapphire from another country. Stones from Madagascar are very often described to look like Kashmir quality. Many stones are thought to be graded incorrectly by the laboratories as Kashmir sapphires, but actually come from Madagascar or even Sri Lanka.
Early 19th century jewelry and Kashmir sapphires played a large role together, and these stones are very beautiful indeed. We highly recommend Madagascar sapphires, as they can look identical to proven Kashmir sapphires.
Of course true Kashmir sapphires exist and are documented in famous jewelry. But when a fine velvety Kashmir and fine velvety Madagascar sapphire are put side by side it can be very difficult to determine which is finer. They are generally viable for commercial jewelry use only. They do produce fine rare sapphires on occasion that can be expensive, but this is not reliable production. Most blue sapphires coming from these locations normally have secondary color tones and need to be treated to be saleable.
First, natural untreated blue sapphires are in a class of their own. Either a sapphire is treated or it is not. This is the first consideration in determining value. There are so many types of treatments and alterations of sapphires that it is almost impossible to list them all. Prices for treated sapphires fluctuate and are not very consistent so it is impossible to put reliable value on them Please refer to our section on Treatments of Sapphires to see the extraordinary differences between natural and treated sapphires.
The second consideration in evaluating a blue sapphire is sheer beauty. In most cases beauty is agreeable from one person to the next. Something stunningly attractive will always hold value and be in demand. A slight preference in color tone is normal from one person to the next.
Normally these personal taste preferences should not be seen as better or worse. It is possible to lean towards a blue sapphire that is slightly darker in color or lighter in color depending on individual appeal. You must love what you buy and it must have value. Uniform color, light reflection and clarity are all important in grading quality and price of sapphires.
Prices of blue sapphires are dependant on whether they are treated or untreated, their color tone, saturation, the clarity of the sapphire, and size. Loose sapphires are priced by the quality of the stone multiplied by the carat ct. Just as you would purchase fine fruit at a higher price per pound over lower quality fruit, sapphires are priced the same.
The finer the material the more it will cost per carat. A seasoned shopper of apples in a grocery store can tell you the high and low end range of apples by the pound, as can a seasoned shopper and buyer in sapphires. Small light blue sapphires approx. Price ranges for larger stones have a comparable price spread, so there is a very large price range for similar sized stones with very different color, clarity and cutting properties.
It is important that all of these determining factors are understandable so that pricing makes sense. As with most things, the more you learn the more comfortable and secure you will feel in making an informed decision when purchasing your sapphire jewelry.
Until this time, fine pink sapphires were exceptionally rare and only found in a few locations in Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Burma. The recent find of fantastic quality and quantity in Southern Madagascar has allowed the popularity to explode. Madagascar pink sapphires come in a full range of color tone from a very pale baby pink to a vivid almost magenta intense pink.
Demand for the full tone spectrum is now equal. Madagascar is truly the leader of pink sapphires today. The quantity and quality are unrivaled by any other source. Small sapphires under 1ct size are common, with most crystals having good clarity and uniform color. This makes it easy to identify a classic color associated with most Madagascar sapphires.
Most of these pink sapphires have a medium vibrant pink color with an almost electric light reflection property. For the first time, this unique color in sapphires is available in reasonably reliable supply.
Most of these sapphires come out of the ground with good clarity as well, leaving the customary extreme heat treating to a minimum. But the color of these pink sapphires can have a secondary purplish color tone that can be slightly reduced by low temperature heating. There is great amount of detail of natural vs. Pink sapphires from Madagascar are treated in a far different manner than the traditional long term, high temperature heating of blue and yellow sapphires.
Blue and yellow sapphires are heated at extreme temperatures for a long period days at up to C with fluxes and other coloration additives. Madagascar pink sapphires, however, are heated at a temperature far, far lower C , where almost no internal characteristics of the stone are altered. Determining if a sapphire has been heated is normally a simple task done by a trained gemologist who is familiar with inclusions within sapphires.
When sapphires are heated at high temperatures the internal inclusions change drastically. Madagascar pink sapphires are heated for as little as five minutes at low temperatures where no internal inclusions are affected. Because no internal inclusions are affected it becomes VERY difficult to determine if a pink sapphire has been heated.
High tech equipment can be used to detect trace mineral content changes within the stone. This type of equipment is very costly and only used by high quality laboratories. It is still a new science and in many cases it can be impossible to determine if a pink sapphire from Madagascar has been heated. We have given multiple laboratories the same exact Madagascar pink sapphire for testing to determine if it had been heated or not. In many cases we were given conflicting results on the same stone from different laboratories.
One lab would determine that the pink sapphire was heated and the other would determine it had not been heated. The reputable labs do an excellent job in most cases, but results on heating vs. The examples above show that the same stone can receive completely different reports from two highly respected labs.
The message here is that it is extremely difficult to determine if Padparadscha and Pink Sapphires have been exposed to low temperature heat treatments because so little change occurs in the stone. Pink sapphires from Sri Lanka and other locations such as Burma are a different story. These stones are usually heated at very high temperatures along the lines of extreme heating done with the yellow and blue sapphires that are treated. Burmese pink sapphires are commonly referred to as rubies since most rubies come from Burma.
These were the first pink sapphires available up until the deposits in Madagascar were found. In Burma pink is considered a sub category of red, hence Burmese pink sapphires sometimes being referred to as rubies even if they have very little red tone. We do not refer to any pink stone as a ruby, as a ruby needs to be red by our standards. Burmese pink sapphires are generally heavily included; most require heating to improve the clarity and color tone. These stones specifically are normally heated with fluxes glass materials, fillers and other additives.
We recommend Madagascar as the best choice for pink sapphires, as the color, clarity and little or no treatments give it the edge on all other producing countries. Pink sapphires are in high demand due to the extremely appealing color and excellent light reflection seen in these stones. They have grown in demand to equal the demand of blue sapphires. A lighter pink should not be considered lower quality nor should an intense color be seen as a higher quality.
Although more intense colors are rarer than lighter pink tones, and hence more expensive, they are not necessarily more desirable than the lighter baby pink color. As with all types of sapphires, the greatest quality pink sapphire should have a uniform color, good cutting for maximum light reflection and little visible inclusions. Size does play a large roll in the price of pink sapphires. One ct sizes are not very rare, and are normally available at reasonable prices.
Large pink sapphires over 4cts are very rare. A steady supply is very difficult to predict. Stones larger then 7cts in fine quality are very unusual. Pink sapphires this large are far more rare than blue sapphires of the same size and can be extremely expensive. As discussed previously, low temperature heated pink sapphires should not be put in the same category as traditionally high temperature heated blue and yellow sapphires.
Blue and yellow heat-treated sapphires come out of the ground with little or no color or clarity resembling what they look like after they have been heated. We spend a great deal of time in our own company laboratory analyzing all our pink sapphires to ensure they are from Madagascar. We take great care in studying the internal characteristics of the sapphire to see that it is unchanged from possible high temperature heating.
Our goal is to offer truly rare, fine quality and well priced sapphires. This is our only business. If you would like to discuss further exact scientific details on pink sapphires, please contact us. Yellow sapphires come in a wide range of tones and saturations. Very light canary to an ultra golden color tone show the wide range that fall under the classification of Yellow Sapphire. The most in-demand color tone is a medium vibrant canary yellow that will show good color and light reflection in all lighting conditions.
Yellow sapphires have one primary source of fine quality: Sri Lanka Ceylon. Almost all fine quality yellow sapphires seen today come from Sri Lanka. Other countries such as Australia, Thailand and Burma do produce some yellow sapphires, but, in most cases, with heavy secondary color tones. Madagascar has just recently produced some fine stones, but in smaller quantities. Yellow sapphires are the most undervalued type of sapphire in our opinion.
They are exceptionally rare in very fine intense colors. Even lighter soft yellow tones in smaller sizes are not steadily available. Even though yellow sapphires are usually undervalued, they have been on a steady rise for many, many years. Their prices are far less when compared to similar pink and blue sapphires.
Yellow sapphires are usually clean and very bright. The crystal is very attractive in most lighting conditions, from low evening light to strong direct sunlight. The recent growth in demand for fancy colored yellow diamonds has given great rise to the popularity of yellow sapphires as an affordable alternative. Many yellow sapphires have a very close resemblance to yellow diamonds. A yellow sapphire faceted to look like a yellow diamond is strikingly similar in light and color reflection.
Viewed from a near distance the two stones are almost indistinguishable. Yellow sapphires are far more valuable if they have not been treated by high temperature heating. If a yellow sapphire has been heated at a high temperature these feathers are destroyed and are easily identifiable by a trained gemologist.
It is very unusual for natural untreated yellow sapphires to not have any internal feathers, making them so easy to identify. Yellow sapphires can be colored without high temperature heating through a method of irradiation.
Irradiated yellow sapphires are not radioactive as some people might think, but these irradiated yellow sapphires will fade in color severely overa short period of time within a few months. We test our yellow sapphires for irradiation treatment as well. We do this by various testing methods, such as exposing the stones to ultraviolet light. These tests will reveal if the yellow sapphire color has been created by irradiation treatment.
Yellow sapphires play an important role in various cultures and especially for use in Vedic astrology. We supply a great deal of fine natural untreated pure yellow sapphires for astrological needs of important customers.
Yellow sapphires are widely believed to have great effects on their wearers according to Vedic astrological purposes. Natural untreated yellow sapphires are becoming increasingly rare, expensive, and popular.
The prices continue to rise steadily. Light yellow stones under 1ct size are quite common and not very expensive. Fine intense color saturation, even in a 1ct size is quite difficult to produce on a consistent basis. These medium bright stones are still far less expensive than a comparable blue or pink sapphire. Padparadscha Sapphires are the rarest of sapphires. These extremely rare stones are unknown to most, but when discovered usually become an absolute favorite.
They are strikingly beautiful and almost no other colored stone compares to this unique mix of pink and orange. Sunsets, lotus flowers and tropical fruits - the color range of a pronounced Pad-para-dscha falls within a mix of 2 colors: pink and orange. One of the rarest gemstones of the world, Padparadscha sapphires are rivaled by no other gemstone species or color substitute. Imposters cannot be found to show this very beautiful color. Padparadschas are mostly unknown among most consumers because there are literally so few in circulation.
Padparadscha sapphires are truly rare and unusual gemstones. Most fine Padparadschas in the market are purchased by collectors and individuals who have been waiting and searching for the right stone. The market for these sapphires is small, yet the demand is very high.
For this reason, prices can be astronomical for very fine pieces. Padparadscha sapphires have been coming exclusively from Sri Lanka Ceylon for thousands of years. Only in the last few decades have some other countries slowly produced similar color tones associated with Ceylon Padparadschas.
We feel that the finest stones do in fact come from Sri Lanka, and most will agree that this is the best location for a fine Padparadscha sapphire. Yet recently Madagascar has come to find some exceptional material as well. Madagascar is now producing a major percentage of stones available on the market. Mostly they are a reddish orange with tones of brown and slight hints of pink. Orange and pink. The unique splendor of this gem, mixed with its remarkable hue, makes those sapphires an absolute deal for the eyes.
White sapphires are commonly colorless and shine like diamonds. A white sapphire gets its shades from the hint factors or elements present in the earth while the crystal is forming. Sapphire has an elusive and earthy experience, which makes this gemstone a portable one, It can be used in all styles of jewelry.
This phenomenon virtually shows the presence of a six-rayed star shape line, which is floating at the floor of a cabochon sapphire. They have a wide range of hues, but Yellow and orange may not be so common in this. Using the oldest manner of slicing crystals, cabochon crystals showcase a timeless beauty and raw splendor in any color.
Sapphire Cabochon can be found in all shapes bet they are not faceted like crystals. Instead, they are cut and polished on a wheel that makes them round in shape. Usually, lower grade material is made to make Sapphire Cabochon faceted stone.
Sapphire crystals always hold their beauty from the time they have mined or come out from the ground. Exactly as they arrive out of the ground. Most of the people believe that they carry spiritual and healing energies. They provide a soothing environment and calmness to the wearer. I Love meditation with gemstones. Daddy of two beautiful children and love to travel. My love for gemstones and their vibrant colors got me into jewelry profession and I have been collecting rare pieces of gemstones from all over the world for past 10 years.
October 5, Written by Nitin Rampuria.
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