Company About Us The Natural Sapphire Company

Since 1939 we have specialized in the finest natural untreated sapphires.
Our unique inventory sets us apart from other gem and jewelry dealers.
Our sapphires are untreated, meaning they are not color diffused,
irradiated, oiled, glass filled, or heated to extreme temperatures.Our
sapphires are rare, valuable, and we guarantee it.

We are a start-to-finish company!

We begin from the ground up; purchasing the rough and semi-polished
sapphire crystals directly from the gem mines. We then cut, polish, and
certify all of our sapphires in-house. We pride ourselves on being expert
stone cutters and artisans.

Our certified staff gemologists analyze and guarantee each sapphire. All
of our sapphires are accompanied by laboratory documentation per
industry standards.

Our staff is extremely professional, knowledgeable, and experienced.
Our dedicated team of designers, CAD specialists, jewelers and setters
manufacture all of our fine jewelry on premises.

We hope you enjoy the rarity, beauty, and quality we present in our
inventory.

For complete information and education on sapphires, please view our
Sapphire Education section.

Our founding president, Walter S. Arnstein, began
importing sapphires into the United States in 1939.

He had a great passion for the natural beauty he saw
in sapphires. In 1939, gemstone enhancements and
synthetic stones had not yet been invented; so Walter
dealt only with natural untreated sapphires.


Walter Arnstein circa 1939		Walter Arnstein circa 1951

Samuel Arnstein prospected for gold, silver and copper in New Mexico, Colorado and Montana before returning to New York
where he raised a family. Samuel’s son, Walter, became our founding president and continued the family trade of mining and selling gold and precious gemstones.

Gemstone and gold mining was a popular family business venture in the New World, and Walter Arnstein developed an early interest in investing in gemstones and mining.

Below are images of the actual bonds and shares Walter purchased.

In the early 1900’s, diamond engagement
rings became popular in the US with
the emergence of the immigrant
middle class. However, many people
still could not afford the high price of a
diamond and looked for alternative
gemstones. This created a burgeoning
market for diamond substitutes.
White quartz and other colorless
gemstones could not be used for
engagement rings as they were too
soft and brittle to survive everyday
wear. White sapphires however, were
extremely durable and became the
best alternative to a diamond. Walter
Arnstein recognized the potential in
white sapphires and specialized in
this unique market.

Walter knew a thing or two about
mining, gemstones and gold. The
family roots in gem cutting and mining
go back to Germany in the
mid-1800’s. Walter’s parents arrived
in New York in the late 1870’s and
soon went out west to prospect.
Samuel Arnstein, Walter’s father,
settled in Leadville, Colorado during a
mining boom in 1880.

Samuel Arnstein shown in the Leadville,
Colorado census of 1880

The actual altimeter Samuel Arnstein used in the 1880’s
while prospecting in New Mexico, Colorado and Montana

The gemstone trade proved to be a lucrative business
prospect. There was little competition at the time and the
jewelry trade in the America was growing rapidly.
Walter Arnstein narrowed the company’s focus to buying
and selling sapphires and other precious gemstones.

Pictured below are some of the company’s first
advertisements and sales material promoting sapphires
and other popular gemstones.

Early stock certificates

A few of our early print ads

Original draft of a star sapphire advertisement in the 1940’s. The ad went to print in some of the first jewelry magazine publications in New York.

US Patent Testing application from 1953

for a brand marketing campaign for

white sapphires

During the latter half of the 20th
century, white sapphires were
the most popular alternative
stone for an engagement ring.
Walter Arnstein successfully
applied for and obtained
patents on marketing white
sapphires under various trade
names.

Cubic zirconias eventually took
over the white sapphire market
in the 1970’s when Russian
scientists discovered how to
synthetically create them. But,
white sapphires have seen a
resurgence in popularity in the
past few years and continue to
own a fair share of the
engagement ring market.

Running the business was a family affair and
Walter’s wife, Janette, worked side by side with Walter
for over 50 years. She assisted with marketing, sales
and was a meticulous bookkeeper.

Early ledger of sales

Walter Arnstein,

Seymour Arnstein,

and Michael Arnstein

Seymour Arnstein, Walter’s son, joined the company in the early 1970’s and continued the family tradition of working with natural sapphires.

Seymour also specialized in natural blue lapis lazuli which was extremely popular during the 70’s and 80’s (see article at right).

Seymour Arnstein expertly guided the firm through the many boom and bust years of the 1980’s and 90’s.

Seymour Arnstein’s featured

article from a trade publication

While stock markets have fluctuated, the value of our sapphires has always
endured. We continued to expand our
business as the demand for natural
untreated sapphires grew during the
past 20 years.

Michael Arnstein, our 3rd generation
president, began working at the
company in the mid 1990’s and was
the driving force behind creating our
e-commerce website.

Now, after 70 years in business, we
continue to lead the industry. We are a
team of gemologists, designers, jewelers,
CAD engineers and craftsmen,
dedicated to preserving the company’s
roots and offering the best selection of
rare and beautiful natural sapphires.

The people behind The Natural Sapphire Company

View our staff page here