Buying a Blue Sapphire;
The Ultimate Guide
6.10ct Royal Blue Sapphire from Sri Lanka and a Pear Cut
Table of Contents
- Where do Blue Sapphires Come From?
- How Does a Blue Sapphire Get its Colour?
- How Do You Value a Blue Sapphire?
- Blue Sapphire's for Sale
M
y brother asked me to help him source a blue sapphire for a custom engagement ring to be designed for his then-girlfriend, soon-to-be fiancé. This task proved more difficult than anticipated. After visiting multiple jewellers in Christchurch and searching online, we soon discovered that sourcing a good-quality blue sapphire over 4 carats in size was impossible. In the following weeks, we viewed only two loose blue sapphires, both around 1.80 carats in size and with considerable price tags. Blue sapphires in New Zealand proved to be scarce.
And The Sapphire Merchant was born...
This lacklustre experience of trying to source a Blue Sapphire in New Zealand was the seed for The Sapphire Merchant. We had identified a gap in the market, a need for extraordinary gemstones within the reach of discerning New Zealand buyers. Shortly after, I set off on my first official gem-buying trip and learnt about the foreign gemstone trade. I began my education in sapphires and precious gemstones by diving into the deep end. I am currently studying with Gem-A London to become a qualified Gemologist, increasing my expertise in an industry I am passionate about.
1. Where do Blue Sapphires Come From?
Blue Sapphires are mined in a handful of countries. Each country offers a different flavour of sapphire to the global market. The most important sources of Blue Sapphires in modern times are Australia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Madagascar and Thailand.
Australian Blue Sapphires
The red island of Australia is a leading producer and supplier of valuable Blue Sapphires. The highest quality Blue Sapphire material easily competes with that from Sri Lanka. Two locations of particular notability produce world-class Australian blue sapphires; the New England Fields in Northern New South Wales and the Anakie Fields in Central Queensland. Australian Blue Sapphires usually have a silky inclusion that runs through the gem and impacts its clarity and brilliance. For this reason, nearly all Australian Blue Sapphires undergo heat treatment, which is done in Thailand. Thailand plays a big part in the Australian sapphire trade, with a large proportion of Australian sapphire moving through the Thailand gem markets before being purchased from buyers all over the world.
Burmese Blue Sapphires
Myanmar produces good-quality, world-class Blue Sapphires; however, they are rare. Due to ongoing political instability, Myanmar is a 'no-go' zone, which has reduced Burmese gems to a trickle. Burmese Blue Sapphires are known for their intense violetish hue. Due to their extreme rarity, they are a collector's gemstone, and along with Kashmir Blue Sapphires, they hold some of the highest sale records at prestigious auction houses.
Gemstone mine in Burma. Looking for Sapphire and Ruby
Ceylon Blue Sapphires
The gem-rich land of Sri Lanka produces the most exquisite and expensive Blue Sapphires available today. Famous for their Royal Blue Sapphires and Cornflower Blue Sapphires, Sri Lanka's Blue Sapphires are highly sought after due to their exceptional quality. Here at The Sapphire Merchant, we specialise in Sri Lankan Blue Sapphires. We love them because they are ethically mined and visually breathtaking. They have adorned the crowns of Kings and the necklaces of Queens. A Sri Lanka Blue Sapphire adorning your finger is one of life's truest luxuries.
Kashmir Blue Sapphires
Kashmir Sapphires are considered the most exclusive and rare of all Blue Sapphires. Mined in the Himalayan Mountains or Kashmir, trading for these rare jewels began around 1881 when Afghani traders travelling to India chance discovered the blue crystals and bartered them for salt! Nowadays, Kashmir Blue Sapphires have consistently broken records at prestigious auction houses to take their place as the highest-valued Blue Sapphire option on the market. They are prized for the fine silk inclusion, giving them a velvety appearance.
Madagascar Blue Sapphires
Madagascar has become a significant player in the mining of sapphires in recent years and is well known for producing high-quality Teal Sapphires (a mix of bluish-green and Greenish-Blue). Sri Lankan gem dealers travel to Madagascar and buy the sapphire rough directly from the mines. The rough is transported back to Sri Lanka, where it is faceted and then sold on the Sri Lankan and Thai gem markets.
Thai Blue Sapphires
Thailand is one of the largest Blue Sapphire buying hubs in the world. However, actual Thai Blue Sapphires, known as Kanchanaburi Sapphires, are becoming rarer. The sapphire deposits found around the Chanthaburi and Trat provinces have been heavily extracted over the past 50 years, and very little Blue Sapphire material from Thailand is available on the market today. Chanthaburi is still an important gem trading hub, and the gem market is still thriving in the 'City of Gems'.
The Famed Gem Markets of Beruwala, Bangkok and Chanthaburi
Sri Lanka and Thailand are the most renowned hubs for buying Blue Sapphires. The markets in Sri Lanka and Thailand sell Blue Sapphires from all the countries listed above. Sri Lankan gem dealers are well known for travelling to the source to purchase Blue Sapphire rough, which they bring back to Sri Lanka to cut. Sri Lanka and Thailand have sizable gemstone markets and trading hubs accessible to foreigners. Gem dealers from all nations take their gemstones to these markets for sale. Unfortunately, travelling to one of these gemstone markets is not a viable option for most New Zealanders looking to purchase a Blue Sapphire. When purchasing a blue sapphire, you want to get as close to the source as possible. The Sapphire Merchant is only one step away from the source, allowing us to keep prices attainable.
Gemma from The Sapphire Merchant buying sapphires at the Chanthaburi Gems Market in Thailand
2. How Does a Blue Sapphire Get Its Colour?
Blue Sapphire (Aluminium Oxide) is one of the planet's most precious and prized minerals. Sapphire grows in a hexagonal and trigonal crystal system and rates 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. Its lustre is adamantine to vitreous; its specific gravity (SG) is 4.0 - 4.1, and its refractive index (RI) is 1.76- 1.77. Trace elements of iron and titanium give the mineral corundum its blue hue. The higher the level of iron, the darker blue sapphire will be.
The Colour of Blue Sapphires; Hue Saturation and Tone
Three dimensions of colour apply to the grading of coloured gemstones, and in this case, Blue Sapphires. These dimensions are hue, saturation and tone. Hue describes the colour we see when looking at a blue sapphire. The hue has to be a part of the colour wheel and, therefore, a derivative of primary colours. The second dimension of colour is the saturation. Saturation refers to the richness and vibrancy of the colour. A washed-out sapphire with varying colours would be less valuable than a vivid, evenly-saturated Blue Sapphire. Tone is the third dimension of colour. This is the lightness or darkness held within the gemstone and how it refracts its colour. For example, a white sapphire would have no tone, and a black sapphire would be at 100% tone on the scale. Blue Sapphires sitting in the middle of the scale in hue, saturation, and tone are the most valuable. This is useful if you are buying a Blue Sapphire for investment purposes. However, buying for other reasons, such as making an engagement ring, depends on personal choice and what shade of Blue Sapphire you are most drawn to.
The Most Popular Shades of Blue Sapphire
Pastel Blue Sapphires are particularly popular in New Zealand. A light and icy shade of blue, these sapphires, when well cut, are highly lustrous and brilliant.
Cornflower Blue Sapphires are found in Sri Lanka and Myanmar (Burma). The name comes from the flower, a mid-blue with just a tinge of violet or purple.
Royal Blue Sapphires are the most luxurious and high-priced sapphire option. These rare gems are found in Burma, Sri Lanka, and Kashmir. They are notoriously hard to photograph and video because their colour is out-of-gamut.
Teal Sapphires are a popular choice for those wanting to move away from the traditional Blue Sapphire shades. Madagascar and Australia produce extraordinary bluish-green teal sapphires, which are one of our best-selling colour sapphires here at The Sapphire Merchant.
Munsell Color System, showing all the possible colors of Sapphire
Why are Blue Sapphires Heat Treated?
Heat treatment is a standard practice for the majority of gem-quality Blue Sapphires available on the market. Heat or Thermal treatment is when the sapphire rough is heated to a certain temperature for a specific amount of time, and this applied heat melts internal rutile inclusions, clarifying the sapphire and enriching the colour. This works because a rutile inclusion melts at 1843 degrees Celsius, and corundum melts at 2044 degrees Celsius. Unheated Blue Sapphires, with good clarity, command a premium price. Sapphires which have heavy inclusions cannot be heat treated as it can result in further cracking of the gem. How can you tell if a Blue Sapphire has undergone heat treatment? It will need to be examined in a gem lab. The study of inclusions under a microscope offers clues to whether the Blue Sapphire has been heated or not. Heat affects inclusions in visible ways.
3. How Do You Value a Blue Sapphire?
While the industry standard for valuing blue sapphires is the 4Cs-color, clarity, cut, and carat weight, at The Sapphire Merchant, we go above and beyond. We have developed a comprehensive 6Cs approach: colour, clarity, carat, cut, certification and country. This meticulous process ensures that each sapphire is valued with the utmost care and attention to detail.
The Colour of Blue Sapphires; Hue Saturation and Tone
There is an exact science behind the colour grading of blue sapphires. Here at The Sapphire Merchant, we use World of Color, which is based on the Munsell Colour System. A single change in shade has an impact on blue sapphire pricing. Colour grading is from 1 - 10, 1 being the lowest colour grade and 10 being the highest colour grade. A royal blue sapphire must be shade '5 Purple-Blue - 4 Tone - 14 Saturation', and this gives it a colour grade of 10, making it the rarest and most expensive blue sapphire colour.
Three dimensions of colour apply to the grading of coloured gemstones. These dimensions are hue, saturation and tone. Hue describes the colour we see when looking at a blue sapphire. The hue has to be a part of the colour wheel and, therefore, a derivative of primary colours. The second dimension of colour is the saturation. Saturation refers to the richness and vibrancy of the colour. Tone is the third dimension of colour. This is the lightness or darkness held within the gemstone and how it refracts its colour.
The Clarity of a Blue Sapphire
The clarity of a Blue Sapphire refers to how translucent and clean the sapphire appears to the naked eye and under x10 magnification. A blue sapphire that has no internal inclusions and is utterly translucent with stable colour will be graded internally flawless (IF) or slightly included. Once inclusions become visible, the grading will drop to moderately included and heavily included. Factors that affect the clarity of Blue Sapphires include fractures, feathers, cavities, colour zoning and silk. These are all types of inclusions. Light to moderate inclusions are acceptable in a Blue Sapphire, giving the gem its character.
The Cut of a Blue Sapphire
When inspecting a blue sapphire under magnification, we look closely at the cut's precision and the facet edges' sharpness. The higher the colour and clarity of a blue sapphire, the more care the lapidarist takes when cutting the gem rough. Additionally, the polish of the blue sapphire is also considered, alongside the quality of the cut. A cut roughly polished blue sapphire may show chattermarks, and be duller in appearance.
The Carat Weight of a Blue Sapphire
Carat denotes the weight of a blue sapphire, not its size. Gem rough is faceted to keep the maximum weight possible, as weight directly correlates with price. Alongside considering the carat weight we encourage you to look at the measurement of the blue sapphire you want. Some sapphires have a 'big face'. This means the carat weight is in the length and width of the sapphire rather than being held in the pavilion depth. Other sapphires can appear smaller because their weight is hidden in the pavilion. A well-cut blue sapphire should have good proportions overall, and we consider this when valuing the gems in our collection.
A Lab Report and Certification for a Blue Sapphire
Documentation is essential, as it ensures the authenticity of a natural gemstone. Blue sapphires can be lab-created, and to the untrained eye, it is hard to tell the difference between a natural earth-mined Blue Sapphire and a laboratory-created synthetic Blue Sapphire. Having accompanying documentation, such as a laboratory report, gives you confidence in the product you purchase. The Sapphire Merchant offers reports with all our Blue Sapphires, and upon request, we can upgrade any of our gems to a GIA report.
4. Blue Sapphire's For Sale
The Sapphire Merchant is New Zealand's premier precious gemstone retailer and custom jewellery house. We service customers worldwide.
We make the exciting process of buying a blue sapphire simple. We travel to the world's most distinguished gem markets and hand-curate our superb collection of blue sapphires.
We adore working with gemstones, and we are here to offer you our expertise. Whether you want a loose blue sapphire, or you want a custom jewellery build, we make the buying journey easy and risk free.
Explore our sensational range and uncover the blue sapphire meant for you and only you! Whatever you can dream of, The Sapphire Merchant can design and create for you. Contact us today to start a journey that defines your moment with an incredible custom jewellery piece.