Sapphire 💎

Mention  sapphire and most people will probably imagine blue colored gems. Although blue sapphires are probably the most famous examples, these exquisite corundum gemstones come in virtually every color. Except red. (Red corundum is ruby). Long associated with royalty, sapphires are some of the most popular and expensive gems in the world. Their resistance to scratching makes them perfect for jewelry for every occasion. However, because of gem-quality natural sapphires are rare and the demand so great, synthetics and imitations are common. Sapphire, like ruby, is also frequently subjected to treatments and enhancements. Before you embark on a sapphire buying adventure, learn how to evaluate a sapphire’s quality and avoid potential pitfalls.

Colors And Origins

Sapphires are found all over the world, and the combinations of trace minerals found at their sources lead to subtle variations in color. Because of this, sapphire colors are sometimes referred to by country, “Burmese” or “Oriental” slightly violet-blue or “Thai” dark blue, for example. However, color alone is not enough to accurately identify the source of a sapphire. Nevertheless, sapphires are sometimes described as “African,” “Australian,” “Burmese,” “Kashmir,” etc. These trade names for sapphire colors misleadingly imply origins. Less expensive gemstones are sometimes wrongly called “sapphires” in an attempt to make them more appealing to unwary consumers. For example, blue tourmaline is sometimes referred to as “Brazilian sapphire.” Due to sapphire’s strong association with the color blue, sometimes non-blue sapphires are deceptively renamed as varieties of gemstones with stronger associations with their color.