How to Buy A High Quality Sapphire - A Beginner's Guide

One of the most attractive and hardest colored gemstones, known for its true blue color is the sapphire. Buying a piece of sapphire jewelry can be an overwhelming experience as there are a lot of factors that need to be kept in mind, from colors to clarity to the weight of the stone everything matters to get the finest quality gemstone!

Sapphires are sometimes purchased as investment pieces, so it is paramount that one receives them. the highest quality product within their allotted budget. If you’re planning on investing in the true blue gemstone, asking the correct questions to your jeweler will definitely be a plus point before going ahead with the purchase.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is that colored stones are not diamonds, therefore, they are not graded in the same way. While there is a standardized grading system for diamonds, the 4C’s, there isn’t one for colored gems. The primary pricing factor for colored stones will be the saturation of color.

Colors

When we say the word sapphire, what color comes to your mind? Blue? Blue sapphire is the most popular variety of sapphire that has won hearts all over the world, however, sapphires come in a wide variety of rainbow colors - from white to pinks to yellows.

While there is no standardized grading system for colored gemstones, reputable jewelers make their own system to identify the intensity of the hues of the stone.

Clarity

Buying a blue sapphire with no visible inclusions to the naked eye will probably be your preference. The clarity of sapphire depends on the number of inclusions or flaws that are eye visible. The price of a stone is proportional to its clarity. The fewer the inclusions are, the higher the clarity is and so is the price. Buying a sapphire with very little inclusions to the eye can actually save you quite a bit.

GemsNY has a clarity grading of their own so that our customers get the finest quality gemstone. Click here to explore the clarity grading chart.

Cut & Shape

One should keep in mind that colored stones, including sapphires, are not cut the same as a diamond. Sapphires are cut to maximize color depending on the stone’s rough material. Some will appear much smaller depending on the depth, while others will appear larger if they are more shallow. In general, however, a sapphire will appear about 30% smaller than a diamond of the same carat weight, so it is encouraged to use mm measurements as opposed to carat weight to determine its size.

Loose Sapphire will come in a wide variety of shapes ranging from the popular round to oval, to the emerald cut. While the round and the oval will offer the most brilliance, you can also find other shapes that will be just as saturated in color, which should be the main buying point for colored stones.

Identifying the desired shape will aid in narrowing down any search. There is a standardized naming system for styles, so rest assured that will stay constant among all retailers.

Origin

The origin of the gemstone, for most people, can also play an important role in selecting a sapphire. This sometimes affects the pricing as well. The royal blue sapphires can be found in many parts of the world namely - Kashmir, Ceylon, Burma, Madagascar, Thailand, Australia, etc. Premium quality sapphires can be found in Kashmir, Burma, and Sri Lanka. However, it is advised not to make your decision based on the origin of the gemstone as all the places produce both high and low-quality sapphires.

Treatments

Untreated sapphires are extremely rare and difficult to find. Most local jewelry stores sell heat-treated sapphires due to limited sourcing availability. GemsNY has one of the largest collections of certified untreated sapphires in the world. There are three different kinds of treatments that a sapphire undergoes to enhance its color and clarity.

The treatments are:

Heat - This treatment is permanent in nature and helps in giving sapphire the hue that it requires. Most sapphires are said to be heat treated.

Diffusion - In this treatment, chemicals are used in combinations with heat to induce a color change. Yellow sapphires tend to go through this treatment.

Irradiation - This treatment uses radiation to induce a color change. Because this treatment is not stable and temporary in nature, jewelers often don’t use it, and if they do, this must be disclosed to customers.

GemsNY is a bespoke jewelry brand and here we believe in redefining luxury. We have 50,000+ natural gemstones available in different colors, shapes, and sizes.