The birthstone for September that comes in every conceivable color, ruby and sapphire are both the only two family member of corundum. While ruby is recognized as red corundum, sapphire has unlimited color varieties. Corundum is the world’s hardest natural material, second to diamond. Although sapphire today is mined in many different countries and continents, it seems that sapphire was first found, as described in ancient records, in the "Gem Island" of Serendip, near India which is now called Sri Lanka and formerly known as "Ceylon." Indian culture has the greatest love for sapphire and the greatest belief of its power over humans. In the past, blue sapphire was categorized by color, not chemistry, many blue stones were called sapphire because of their attractive blue color, the most likely example was Lapis Lazuli in many of the old civilization.
KASHMIR COLOR, ROYAL BLUE, CONRFLOWER BLUE, CEYLON OR BABY BLUE SAPPHIRE
No gemstone is so confusing in its color description as much as blue sapphire. Many times, a deep dark blue sapphire was sold to consumers as cornflower blue and many times commercial grade of midnight blue/black sapphire was sold as Royal Blue.
KASHMIR SAPPHIRE
It is the most beautiful Blue dream anyone ever wished to own, a true blue beauty. When sapphires were discovered around 1882 in Kashmir, a small Indian state in the northwest of the Himalayas, they were so plentiful and large that locals would pick them off the ground to use as flint stones. By 1925, the mines were nearly exhausted, pieces over 2 or 3ct sizes became rare collector pieces. Large crystals were sold in major auction houses and once in a while with unbelievable prices exceeding any expectations. Today, proving the origin of a Kashmir Sapphire is almost impossible by a simple lab report. Fortunately, Sri Lanka, the most respectable sapphire producer these days, produces a rare color known in the Gem Trade as Kashmir Color. Although the origin of such material is not the famous Indian Kashmir mine, its color closely or almost indistinguishable from the True Kashmir color is sold with remarkably high premium.
ROYAL BLUE
It is true that the Royal Blue Sapphire Color is associated in most of sapphire dealers’ mind with the Royal Thai Kanchanaburi mines. For about 30 years, Australian Sapphire used to be the world’s largest seller; dark blue to opaque midnight blue to almost black onyx color in large quantities flooded the market from the early 1960s to late 1980s. As a consequence: the buying public came to consider sapphires a cheap gem. Retailers filled display cases with inky bluish black non-transparent sapphires that looked like onyx and told consumers: "The Darker the Better." The residual impact of that episode is that self honest professional sellers find it difficult today to persuade buyers that beautiful transparent lighter blue and multicolored sapphire are gems of value. Royal Blue Color Sapphire can not be represented to consumers as dark midnight blue sapphire which is most likely of an Australian origin which the true vivid Royal blue color is of a Thai origin. The Royal Blue Color is rarely associated with transparency. Gem grade materials have usually a velvety appearance with a medium transparency to excellent translucency. The purer the blue color with less or no grayish, greenish or blackish overtone, the more valuable it is.
CORNFLOWER BLUE
As the Royal Blue color sapphire is associated with Kancha; Thailand, the Cornflower Blue Sapphire is usually related in mind to Yogo-Montana Sapphire. That name which is often misused and misrepresented to consumers by unknowledgeable sellers is simply a rich, lighter blue that holds its hue and vividness at night. Luckily, many of Ceylon-origin Sapphires are classified as Cornflower blue. Consumers should not expect a dark deep blue that is not by any means an agreed on cornflower blue color in our Gem Trade.
CEYLON BABY BLUE SAPPHIRE
Sri Lanka, the world’s kingdom of sapphire that produces all the way from Kashmir color rare gems to almost colorless white sapphire is well known for a typical Sri Lanka color sapphire that is hardly mined anywhere else in the world. Known as Baby Blue Ceylon Color, light blue to perfect lavender, many collectors and sapphire dealers compare it to lavender color or light blue Diamonds.
WHICH SAPPHIRE TO BUY ???
Although Kashmir Color Sapphire is the rarest and most valuable of all, Blues and midnight blue and black sapphire is the most available and affordable color. Selecting a Blue Sapphire is all depending on personal taste, some will love to own a real deep Blue Royal Color and others may settle for a simple Baby Blue because of its unique lavender brilliant color. The Truth in selecting a blue sapphire is simple: go after your feelings. No matter what you have been told, if you like a color, go for it, it is more likely that you will enjoy it simply because you were attracted to it.
INVESTMENT GRADE
Rare blue sapphires, as most of rare Gems, are concentrated portable wealth. Among many people in the World with high and medium incomes, Gems are the traditional means of transferring savings without oppressive taxes. Gems are timeless hard currency, so durable and so beautiful. To buy an investment grade blue Sapphire, you have to buy a true valuable rare Gem, not a Big Dark Blue Sapphire! Value in Gemstones is determined by beauty and rarity.
Lab grown Gems can not be considered investment grade, even though they are beautiful and flawless because they can be mass produced. Look for the pure Blue, if you can’t afford a Kashmir Color, or a AAA Top Grade Royal Blue, it is more likely that you can buy a good color Ceylon Sapphire and still consider it an investment grade. Large Crystals are Rarer. Incomparable priceless Gems are usually incomparable in size. However, in order to classify a blue sapphire as an investment grade, it must be at least over 2ct size. Eye clean or Included. Looking for an eye clean Blue Sapphire is much easier of a job than looking for a clean Ruby. An inclusion that does not strike your eye is acceptable as long as no obvious color zoning (straight color bands) common in Sapphire Crystals. You can not consider a banded or zoned sapphire as an investment grade. Look for an eye clean stone at least. Opaque sapphires are not an investment grade, even if they have an excellent color and a rare large size. Investment Grade must be well cut. Workers hand cut almost all rubies and sapphires, because gems sell by weight, Trade practice has been to maximize weight and let sizes fall where they may, producing what the Trade calls "native cut" off unsymmetrical shapes usually with a large "window or shallow cuts." An investment Grade Blue Sapphire will hold and increase in its value if it is beautifully well cut.
HEAT TREATMENT AND DEEP DIFFUSION SAPPHIRES
While heat treatment today is an acceptable practice in the Gem Trade, deep diffusion is still unrespected and considered as an unethical practice, especially if misrepresented or not disclosed to consumers. By using iron and titanium powders heated up to 2000 degrees Celsius, deep diffusion process change artificially the natural white sapphire color to unnatural Blue Color. Diffused sapphires can easily lose their artificial color if chipped, repolished or recut. Heat treatment, simply finishes what nature did not accomplish. Heating does not change the natural look of a Sapphire. It simply enhances its color and clarity by adding vividness and purity. Since the vast majority of rough rubies and sapphires are heated soon after they are mined, dealers assume, unless there is a substantial amount of proof to the contrary, that all Rubies and Sapphires have been heated. Most consumers today accept heating as a reality. Heat treatment is durable and stable. Heat treated Sapphires, never fades in their color.
A Natural Unheated Color Sapphire Is A Good Investment
Since value is based on rarity, unheated Sapphire are usually sold, if found, with 4 to 5 times the price of a comparable heated Sapphire. When investing in such rare gems, you must request a gem lab certificate to support the natural condition of its color.
Sources: Sapphires by Fred Ward; Consumer Guide for
Colored Gemstones by David Federman
Gem Auction Inc.
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