Can you see the future?  I think it’s already here when discussing the topic of synthetic and treated gemstones entering the market place.

Since the 1970’s treated sapphires have been created in unlimited numbers for mass market sale.

Uneducated consumers have had the wool pulled over their eyes for decades in treatments that undergo almost all sapphires and rubies for sale.  Until the internet allowed for the layman to research the true nature of gemstones the market for natural untreated sapphires was reserved for the super-rich and auction markets.

Today, natural untreated sapphires are the first choice for sapphire engagement rings.

It’s saddening to see that DeBeers is now bending to unbecoming marketing behavior, developing a mass market initiative to sell synthetic diamonds.   This sends a bad message to educated consumers, that big companies care more about profits than the nature of what their product is meant to represent.

Is your engagement to your loved one synthetic in nature?  I doubt it.

The good news is that natural untreated sapphires and rubies are virtually impossible to replicate synthetically – meaning there is little chance that science will be able to create imitation sapphires or rubies that will be mistaken as natural untreated grown in the earth gemstones.  Science is amazing, but what the earth creates naturally is one of a kind, and we have the inventory to prove it!

Sapphire Engagement Rings, Ruby Engagement Rings are a lasting investment, just like the love of your life.

Pink (or Rose) gold is very trendy right now in spring fashion.  What better to pair it with than a pink sapphire?

A lot of people know about pink diamonds and how very expensive and rare it is to find natural pink diamonds.  Natural Pink Sapphires are also very rare, but the price is so much better than pink diamonds.

If you want the look of a natural pink diamond, but not the price, then you should consider getting a pink sapphire.

Here at the Natural Sapphire Company, we offer different sizes and shapes to choose for a romantic engagement ring or fun cocktail ring or just for a treat.

And don’t think pink sapphires are just for girls.  Even guys can wear a pink sapphire to make a bold and trendy statement.

If you want to get something in a hurry, we have a number of beautiful finished rings.  Or you can create and design your own ring with any of our pink sapphires.

Celebrity engagement rings are big news!

In the case of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it was literally worldwide media buzz when her engagement ring was made public.

I personally like her design, I think it is extremely elegant and classy.  Yet I think a striking natural blue sapphire in an emerald cut shape would have been more fashionable, more unique, more attractive.

Sapphires are more rare and beautiful!

Here are other sapphire engagement rings in our inventory that we think are similar.

Star Sapphires and Star Rubies are very rare gems. They have become very well known on the market as star sapphires are commonly used in  commercial quality jewelry. Their presence is primarily due to the famous Linde star sapphires, a well know producer of synthetic ( lab created ) star sapphires and rubies.

Linde star sapphires are well known for the star which is quite perfect and well centered. Also the asterism present in synthetic gems is usually stationary.  Natural star sapphires and rubies typically have a less than perfect 6 rayed star. Furthermore, the star is usually only seen under a direct light source and the star will  move and follow the light source.

Below please see the ring J1249 photographed on my hand in our normal office lighting condition. As one may see without the direct overhead light source the star is not visible. This is perfectly natural!

It is important to realize that natural sapphires and rubies are incredibly rare. Statistics say that for every one hundred faceted rubies or sapphires mined only three gems that will present asterism are found. That is quite incredible in my opinion. Of course with these statistics in mind, it is exceptionally rare to find a gem with a desirable saturated color and well shaped star.

Important points to keep in mind when selecting the ideal star sapphire is size. Star sapphire and rubies are cut into the cabochon form and therefore have a tendency to be cut quite deep.

This can impact the face up dimensions and size of the sapphire, so be sure to note the dimensions of the gems not just the carat weight.

Another factor to keep in mind is natural untreated star rubies and sapphires do not typically have the very deep vivid saturated colors one may think of when picturing a sapphire or ruby.

Of course, when a rare star sapphire ruby or sapphrie is found with a rich color the per carat price will be considerably higher. Ideally, the star present should be sharp and well centered with these factors determining the per carat price of the gem.

I hope these few pointers are helpful to anyone searching for the ideal star ruby or star sapphire. I look forward to assisting you in finding the perfect gem here at The Natural Sapphire Company.

With spring coming into full bloom, love is in the air.  The Spring and Summer months are a very popular time for engagements which only means one thing for us, stunning sapphire engagement rings.  Many stylish and sophisticated ladies these days are straying from the norm and requesting something other than a diamond engagement ring.  What better way to make her happy than to provide her with an elegant sapphire engagement ring?  With Tangerine being the hot color for 2012, your stylish significant other would fall head over heels in love with a padparadscha sapphire engagement ring.  Not only would she adore this one of kind beauty, but she would also be pretty impressed by your knowledge of style trends.

This beautiful 3.08ct oval cut AGTA certified natural untreated padparadscha sapphire is the perfect stone choice for a custom engagement ring.  It has a gorgeous combination of orange and pink creating a vibrant hue that is sure to dazzle anyone who sets eyes on it.  Not only are padparadscha sapphires the rarest form of sapphire, but finding them with this scintillating of a color saturation and a perfect clarity without having undergone enhancement is  next to impossible.  A magnificent stone such as this one could easily stand alone in a solitaire style setting, but to get the most out of the unique beauty of this padparadscha sapphire I suggest using some diamond accent stones.

Three stone rings are a timeless style and a perfect way to enhance the natural beauty of the center stone.  You want the side stones to compliment the center stone, so not too small to where they are hardly noticeable but not too big to where they start to overshadow the center stone.  Two proportionately sized round brilliant diamonds are the perfect way to accentuate the enticing beauty of the padparadscha sapphire.  This spectacular custom sapphire and diamond engagement ring will prove your everlasting love and devotion to that special someone and also let her know that you have an taste in style.  The way I see it guys this is a Win Win!

Round Sapphires are always a favorite of our customers. The brilliance of the cut and classic shape certainly make it an ideal choice.

My pick this week is the stunning 7.34 ct round yellow sapphire ring J2543. This sapphire is 7.34 cts; a size that many would consider larger and overwhelming, however that is certainly not the case.

As you may see in the image below of the ring on my hand the ring is neither too high or cumbersome. It sits beautifully on the finger and is quite comfortable.

The center stone is perfectly balanced in its pave diamond setting. The diamonds of course add a dazzling sparkle and accentuate the yellow sapphire.

The bright, sunny yellow would be sure to brighten anyone’s day. Joy and happiness are priceless and this ring is sure to bring endless delight!

The Natural Sapphire Company is launching a promotional section for exceptional pieces from our sapphire collection. This new section will feature some of the company’s most impressive pieces, including a 4.11 carat pink sapphire ring, a 9.16 carat Burmese blue sapphire and diamond ring, and a rare 27.46 carat padparadscha sapphire.  Items will be specially discounted up to 30% off.

We invite our customers to enjoy the Mother’s Day Sale through May 14^th, and to visit the new exceptional pieces collection.

J96 – 9.16 carats Natural, Untreated Burmese Sapphire Ring

J265 - 9.14 carat Natural Pink Sapphire Ring

J30 - 10.59 carat Natural, Untreated Orange Sapphire

Our annual Mother’s Day sale begins today, May 1^st!  With just two weeks till Mother’s Day, now is the perfect time to find a special gift for mom.

Wondering what to pick? Our sapphire earrings and pendants are always best sellers. With so many colors and styles, you’re sure to find the right sapphire for your mom.

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with a new customer, Evelyn, to help her create a gorgeous blue sapphire ring.  After receiving this wonderful comment from her, I decided to share her story and the process of creating a custom ring with The Natural Sapphire Company.

“I just wanted to let you know that my ring has been delivered. It is absolutely beautiful and everything I hoped it would be. Thank you for your help and patience. –Evelyn”

The first thing Evelyn did was select the ring setting from our website as well as an oval blue sapphire for the center stone.  Our media department took her selection and created a 3D rendering to give the customer a better understanding of how the ring would look when finished.

Because this ring had a very wide band, we made a wax model of the ring and shipped it to the customer for sizing.  Lucky we did this because the size needed to be modified slightly for a perfect fit.

Finally, the ring went into production and within two weeks, Evelyn had received her ring in the mail.  The following is a picture of this beautiful, intricate ring and stunning sapphire taken right before we shipped it off.

Many customers email us or comment on the blog with questions about the pricing of our custom made jewelry.  We are happy to answer these questions and our sales associates are quick to respond.  Because every sapphire we sell is one-of-a-kind and priced individually, we draw up separate price quotes for each inquiry, factoring in ring size, metal type, and sapphire center stone.  We believe that every piece of jewelry we send out has a special meaning and purpose in our customer’s lives, so it only makes since to put as much care in creating the piece as the customer will put in wearing it.

If you are looking for a wedding set that is simple, but elegant and bright, I would say you should consider the lovely bridle set, JS53.  It has pave diamonds on both the engagement ring and wedding band.  Each diamond is set by hand and the wedding band is created to sit flush against the engagement ring.  This is one of  our best selling designs for wedding sets.

This is a very universal design, available with any size or shape of sapphire.  Whether you prefer Blue Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire, Pink Sapphire, White Sapphire, or any color in between, this ring will look stunning and can be further customized with your choice of metal.

You also have the option of just purchasing the engagement ring listed as JS567.

For many years the United States has maintained a ban on importing any Burmese rubies or Burmese Sapphires into the United States.  Here is a recent report on what’s happening with the import ban:

http://www.nationaljeweler.com/nj/majors/a/~28332-Myanmar-gem-sanctions-remain-in

Ground breaking changes have been taking place in Burma (currently known as Myanmar) in becoming more democratic.  We believe the best is yet to come for this country.

The City of Rubies: Mogok, Burma

The country has some of the most fantastic rubies and sapphires ever found.  In years past we’ve had many more Burmese rubies and Sapphires in our inventory when it was legal to import these stones.  Many of our current Burmese stones, were imported prior to the ban which makes them legal to sell.  Now we’re hoping for a new era in dealing with Burmese gemstones with the hopeful ban being lifted shortly.

In preparation for sanctions being lifted we’ve started development of a buying office in Mogok, focused on bringing us top quality, natural rubies and sapphires.

Ruby engagement rings are very popular and we are hopeful that US diplomacy will open up this wonderful source of rubies in the near future.

We are excited about the future!

With Mother’s day right around the corner what better way to show your wife or mother how much you appreciate everything they do and have done for you then by giving them a one of a kind piece of custom jewelry.  The heart has long been a symbol of one’s love and affection towards others and mother’s day is all about showing that special woman, whether it be your wife or mother, how much they truly mean to you.  This beautiful 1.44ct GIA certified natural untreated heart shape ruby is the perfect way to show them how much you care.

Now clearly you are not going to want to just give them a loose stone but instead create a stunning piece of custom ruby jewelry.  Whether you want to create a dazzling ruby ring or a chic ruby pendant, we are happy to help you every step of the way in order to produce a piece of jewelry they will cherish for years to come.  Below is a perfect example of a simple yet elegant custom ruby pendant where the stone is prong set in white gold and has a few pave diamond stones above the ruby that will help to accentuate the rubies natural beauty.

This beautiful piece is simple enough to be worn every day in a work environment but also exquisite enough to be worn out for formal affairs.  Whatever the case may be, that special lady in your life is sure to love you even more than she already does after receiving this alluring ruby pendant!

Most of the sapphires in the Natural Sapphire Company are coming from the small city in Sri Lanka known as Ratnapura.  Ratnapura, which translates to “city of gems,” is world famous for some of the finest and most beautiful sapphires in the world.  About 100km away from the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Ratnapura’s main industry is gem mining. This is a beautiful city surrounded by lots of mountains and is the source of one of the four largest rivers in our country. Numerous waterfalls and beautiful valleys also add natural beauty to this special city.

There are around five gem markets in Sri Lanka but the Ratnapura is by far the best among them. Although we don’t find any mines or possibility of mining in Beruwala, the Beruwala gem market also plays a major role in Sri Lanka’s gem industry.  I find the dealers in Ratnapura are extremely polite and easy to work with.  Even as one of the few women in Ratnapura’s gem market, I have never had cause for discomfort.  In Ratnapura, you will find both rough as well as finely cut stones. Usually the city is filled with thousands of dealers early in the morning on every day of the week and lasts until about 2pm in the afternoon.   The bustling market attracts dealers from around the world.

When you are shopping for your own sapphire here at the Natural Sapphire Company and come across one with the origin of Ceylon (also known as Sri Lanka) you can think of how it is traveled from the beautiful city of Ratnapura and rest assured that it was skillful cut and handled in the place known as the City of Gems.