Why Natural Untreated Sapphires?

 

 

There are primarily three reasons:  

Natural untreated sapphires are beautiful objects to look at, they are rare and therefore treasured, and they are valuable. These three things are clearly connected. Something that is rarer and more beautiful than another is likely to be more valuable. Let us consider each of these separately and you will see why untreated sapphires add up to a smart decision

Untreated sapphires are beautiful:

Whether they sparkle, glow, or shine, gemstones have been used in jewelry for centuries because they please the eye. But let's also be honest: when gemstones were first used, there were no alternatives. No synthetics, no simulates. If appearance is the one and only consideration you have, then you should at least consider something fake. Fake stones do not have the subtle variations and uniqueness of a real stone, but today there are remarkably good copies. They may not be quite as beautiful, but they are close. Of course these are neither rare nor valuable, so you may choose to stop reading here

If, however, you are only interested in "the real thing", it is important to understand what you are considering when buying sapphire jewelry.

Rare represents opportunity.  

If the streets were lined with gems, they really wouldn't be that interesting. As humans we are tuned to appreciate things that are uncommon or unusual - they catch our interest and captivate us. Each of us, in whatever we do, become experts at picking the standout, whether it be a house or a horse.

Rare means that if you want more, it may not be easy to get. This makes something rare inherently valuable. The rarity of a gem is valuable as a symbol beyond its price when given as jewelry. It is used to symbolize and recognize the rarity of the person who will wear it.

When we identify something as rare, we need to understand the nature of that thing to judge how rare it is. Coal and diamonds are both forms of pure carbon. But it would be wrong to say coal is rare just because it is made of the same thing as a diamond. Corundum is the name for the mineral of which sapphires and rubies are made. But not all corundum is rare. For example, you can buy black corundum in the form of emery sandpaper at the hardware store. What makes a sapphire rare is that it came from the ground beautiful.

Or did it come from the ground beautiful?

Clearly some things happen to the sapphires from the mine before they are put in our jewelry. Gem minerals are sometimes embedded in other rocks, and need to be extracted. When sapphires are found and separated from other gem minerals in the ground, they are cut and polished to let their natural beauty show to the fullest.

Most people are not aware that most sapphires are heated at extremely high temperatures to "enhance" the color and clarity of the stones. Still other stones are treated with chemicals to alter their color. This increases their beauty, often substantially, but masks the fact that they are not rare.

Approximately only 0.5 - 1% of the sapphires that come from the ground are of gem quality without treatment. This makes untreated stones far rarer than the standard treated "natural" gems sold by most companies in the gem trade.

You might ask, "What's wrong with a little enhancement, it's just an improvement?"

For something to be rare, it needs to be rare in its original condition. Consider a piece of antique furniture, its finish worn but detailed as the original artist had made it. You could sand and then refinish the piece and improve its tired look, but any antique dealer will tell you that it would greatly devalue the item because it would no longer be original.

 

Where do you draw a line? 

If extreme heating of a sapphire is acceptable to you, you have entered a slippery slope. If humans have a hand in creating the beauty through heating and processing, why not accept the addition of diffusion and chemical treatment to enhance the color of a stone? This would make it even more beautiful.

 

If you are willing to accept something that is not rare just because it is beautiful, you are better off going back and just accepting something entirely fake, it will save you a lot of money.

Now that much of the world has been explored, we have a pretty good handle on what is rare in the world of gemstones. New mines do continue to turn up new deposits, but the overall picture of abundance is reasonably known. There was a time when this was not the case. When the modern world was focused in Europe, diamonds were very rare, hence they were valuable. When large and abundant diamond deposits were discovered in African colonies, those in the diamond business recognized that the value of diamonds would plunge if they were released upon the market. It turns out that diamonds, globally, are not rare things at all, so a cartel was formed that to this day still controls the flow of the majority of diamonds keeping their prices artificially high.

 
Rarity increases value.

Things that are rare are valuable; things that are costly but not rare are overvalued. Look into what you might be able to sell a diamond for yourself. You'll be surprised that nobody is willing to give you very much money for it. As new non-cartel mines are coming online and the taboo of selling personal diamonds weakens, the prices of diamonds could drop to reflect their true value and lack of rarity.

 

Compare this to untreated sapphires, which remain very rare, and of which few people are in possession. As more people learn the truth about treatments and gems and the real value of untreated stones, prices will only increase. The prices of untreated gems, specifically sapphires, have only increased over time due to the fact that they are in fact rare.

 

What's next?

Choosing an untreated sapphire doesn't stop with the decision to buy untreated. The most important contributor to a sapphire's beauty is the color. Sapphires are known for blue, but naturally they come in a range of colors, and the choice of color is highly personal. The rich, deep, and pure colors are the most rare and valuable, especially of course in untreated stones.

A stone's color is revealed best by the choice and quality of cut. Unlike heat treatments the cut does not add or alter anything in the stone. But the quality of the cutting can vary greatly as to how well it succeeds in revealing the full potential beauty of the sapphire, and is therefore very important. A well cut stone plays the light through the sapphire, showing off its color and sparkle.

The clarity of a sapphire is important as well. Natural untreated stones will usually have more inclusions than a treated sapphire. The many types of treatments performed on sapphires will not only alter the color but also the clarity. Inclusions shouldn't always be seen as a negative attribute to an untreated sapphire. In most cases it is the proven fingerprint that the stone has never been tampered with. Of course your best option is to seek an untreated stone with minimal visual inclusions, but enough that it can be correctly identified as natural and untreated.

Verification:

The second major consideration when buying untreated sapphires is their authenticity. The changes that result from heating can be dramatic to the eye, but subtle internally to the stone. You are paying more for something that is rare and real and want to be sure of what you are getting. There are two things you can do to ensure the stone you buying is genuine.

 

First, insist on a certificate from an independent gemological laboratory. These contain basic information about the sapphire and document any indications of heat treatment. The second is to deal only with a highly reputable company who has some specific knowledge and expertise in untreated sapphires. A reputable company may be able to deal directly with the miners, meaning the sapphire goes right from the ground to the cutter - skipping any ovens.

 

Finally, you really must see a sapphire to appreciate it. Gems do not always photograph well, and it is the interaction of light through a stone that makes it beautiful. You should look at enough choices so that one stands out to you. Be sure to look under various types of lighting types and conditions to see the variations of color the sapphire reflects.

It's Your Choice:

Understanding what you are buying is the first step in making an informed and secure decision. A beautiful sapphire may sit in the ground for millions of years before it is discovered, but it only takes hours in an oven to cook one up from everyday sapphires.

A fine untreated sapphire meets all of our expectations of what a gemstone should be:

 

It is truly rare, stunningly beautiful, and valuable in every sense.