0.85 Ct. Blue Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This 0.85 carat pear shape blue sapphire from Ceylon is specified at 7.23 by 5.17 by 3.04 millimeters, and it exemplifies deliberate gemological decision making by The Natural Sapphire Company. The gem displays an intense color intensity, a transparent body, and a very very slightly included clarity grade as evaluated at eye level, indicating that it is effectively eye clean with only minimal internal characteristics that do not interfere with face up performance. The stone has been heat treated to stabilize and intensify its blue hue, a standard and accepted enhancement for Sri Lankan sapphires, and it benefits from an excellent polish that preserves crisp facet junctions and a highly reflective table. The pear outline is well proportioned, with a pointed tip that has been carefully faceted to avoid chipping and a gently rounded pavilion termination, contributing to both durability and optical balance.

The mixed brilliant faceting on this sapphire is engineered to maximize light play while maintaining rich color saturation. The cutter has used a brilliant facet array on the crown, with small kite and star facets radiating from the table to enhance scintillation and dispersion, combined with a modified pavilion that integrates larger, carefully angled facets to channel light back through the crown. This hybrid strategy allows strong return of white light and localized flashes of spectral color, while preventing excessive light leakage that would wash the stone into a paler tone. The facet architecture has been aligned to the refractive index of corundum, with pavilion angles tuned to encourage total internal reflection within the stone, and crown geometry optimized to produce balanced brilliance and fire. The overall depth of the stone is approximately 49 percent when referenced to the average of its length and width, creating a shallower pavilion profile that produces a generous face up presence without sacrificing contrast and life.

Optical behavior is further refined by the combination of color and clarity characteristics. The intense blue hue shows classic Sri Lankan cornflower to cornflower slightly violet blue notes, and the sapphire demonstrates weak pleochroism that can show subtle shifts between primary blue tones under different viewing angles, a property that the mixed faceting exploits to create color movement. The very very slightly included clarity grade at eye level indicates that internal features are limited to minute silk or pinpoint crystals, inclusions which have been reduced in visual impact by the heat treatment that also homogenizes color zoning. From a practical standpoint these internal features act as light scattering centers at a microscopic scale, contributing to a lively scintillation pattern without compromising overall transparency. The excellent polish is evident at facet junctions, where sharpness and smooth lap work minimize light scattering at the surface, and the symmetry of the pear outline ensures even dispersion of light from tip to shoulders, delivering a balanced, dynamic face up appearance.

Craftsmanship considerations extend beyond faceting geometry, to practical mounting recommendations and long term behavior. The cutter has maintained a medium to slightly thin girdle profile to allow confident prong or bezel settings, and the pointed end is sufficiently protected by a slight angling of the adjacent facets, making north south prong settings ideal for both protection and optical alignment. For clients seeking maximum brilliance a solitaire or three stone prong setting presents the table and crown facets to the viewer for optimal light entry, while a halo setting emphasizes the intense color by contrast with small melee diamonds. The Natural Sapphire Company sources this Ceylon sapphire with documented origin and provides full disclosure of the heat enhancement, ensuring purchasers can evaluate both aesthetic and technical attributes. For collectors and connoisseurs who appreciate measured cutting decisions, optical optimization, and traceable origin, this pear shape mixed brilliant sapphire represents a precise balance of color, clarity, and engineered light performance.