Enduring and most popular color hue of the sapphire family comes in a wide
range of blue colors. With the exception of the rare and collectable
padparadscha sapphires, blue sapphires are thought of as the most desirable
and expensive of the entire sapphire family. Graduating in color from light
pastel blues all the way through to the depths of midnight blue, the most
beautiful blue sapphire colors and the highest values sit in the middle of
the blue-color range. While the pale blues and darker midnight blues offer
the purchaser the best value, the rare and captivating cornflower blues
offer the consumer unbeatable color with a captivating beauty - but at a
premium.
Padparadsha Sapphires
Sapphires that combine the three colors of pink, purple and orange in one
gem can resemble the famed and beautiful lotus flower known to the Sri
Lankans (Ceylon) as "padparadsha". Taking its name from the flower,
padparadscha sapphires are so rare and beautiful that they are highly prized
and valued by collectors and connoisseurs. Widely regarded as the most
valuable of all sapphires, prices can reach many thousands of dollars per
Carat.
Pink Sapphire
After the seductive tones of padparadsha and blue sapphire, the next most
highly valued member of the family is pink sapphire. Ambiguously sharing a
color border with ruby, many pink sapphires are so close to this boundary
they are termed as "hot pink" with prices being at a premium.
Yellow Sapphire
Ranging from pleasing butter like colors to intensely beautiful canary
yellows, yellow sapphires provide both beauty and value within the same gem.
Often under appreciated, yellow sapphires are frequently found in large
crystal sizes that can be obtained for surprisingly low prices. Arguably,
yellow sapphires offer the best value of the entire sapphire family.
Purple Sapphire
At their best, purple sapphires display rich purple-pink colors reminiscent
of orchids. Prized by collectors, purple sapphires offer the consumer
excellent value when compared to blue, pink and padparadscha sapphires.
Star Sapphire
Star sapphires have long been coveted for their beautiful and mysterious
optical effects. Glance at a star sapphire and you will see six or even
twelve rayed stars silently gliding across the gemstone's surface. With
their very bright and lustrous star formations, star sapphires have
traditionally been the most popular of all star gemstones.
Shape and Cut - Faceted sapphires (those with flat polished faces) are found
in a variety of shapes and styles. While ovals and cushion cuts are most
commonly seen, other shapes such as emerald cuts and hearts are not
uncommon. Slight premiums are levied upon round cut sapphires due to the
higher carat weight loss of expensive rough crystal during cutting.
Conversely, discounts are often applied to the value of both pear and
marquise cuts. A perfectly cut sapphire should exhibit good symmetry and
polish conditions, facets should be aligned straight in relation to the gem'
s girdle and also to each other, polish condition should be good with no
visible surface pits or polishing lines.
Heat treatment of Sapphires - Most sapphires seen on the market today have
been subjected to high temperatures in an age-old practice that is said to
have originated in Sri Lanka some 2,000 years ago. Sapphires are heated at
high temperatures to improve their clarity and to intensify their colors.
Without this practice, we would see fewer sapphires on the market today, at
far higher carat prices due to restricted and narrowed supplies. Heating
sapphires makes otherwise expensive gems, more accessible and more
affordable. The proportion of unheated sapphires on the market is small and
is widely thought to be less than 1%. Although no more beautiful, their
rarity makes them highly collectable and prices are set at a premium,
sometimes fetching triple the price paid for an equivalent heated sapphire.
When purchasing unheated sapphires, please be aware that unheated material
is rare, as a result, always purchase from a reliable supplier who
guarantees their gemstones or have the seller's claim verified by a
qualified expert.
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