1.15 Ct. Blue Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This 1.15 carat round blue sapphire, offered by The Natural Sapphire Company, measures 6.65 by 6.62 by 3.36 millimeters, yielding an overall depth of approximately 50.6 percent. The cutter selected a mixed brilliant cut, combining a brilliant style crown with a modified pavilion, to balance optimal light return with rich color saturation. The mixed brilliant faceting disperses light across the table and crown facets, generating strong scintillation while allowing depth of color to remain prominent through the pavilion. Clarity is graded as very slightly included when evaluated at eye level, indicating that the stone is essentially eye clean under typical viewing conditions, with only minor inclusions that do not interfere with facet junctions or light performance. Color intensity is described as vivid, demonstrating saturated blue that remains lively under varying lighting angles, and the gem has been heat treated, a standard and stable enhancement used to refine color and clarity in natural corundum. The polish on all facet planes is excellent, producing crisp facet edges and minimal surface disturbance, and the overall result is a transparent, high performance natural sapphire with the optical and tactile finishes expected by discerning buyers.

From a cutting and craftsmanship perspective, the choice of a mixed brilliant configuration is deliberate and technically informed, aimed at maximizing both brilliance and color. The crown geometry uses smaller star and bezel facets to channel light into the pavilion, while the modified pavilion planes are calibrated to return that light as balanced brightness rather than as simple brightness without color. With a shallower than deep pavilion, the cutter prioritized color saturation and face up appearance, enabling the vivid blue to occupy the table field without becoming overly dark. Excellent polish enhances facet reflectivity, producing clean, sharp flashes of light and maintaining the integrity of the stone under microscopy. The very slightly included clarity grade reflects natural growth features that act as internal signatures, while the heat treatment has been applied in a controlled manner to homogenize color and reduce certain inclusions without compromising structural stability. The provenance of Ceylon Sri Lanka contributes to the overall color character, as sapphires from this origin are well known for a lively, saturated blue that often reads slightly brighter and more vivid face up than stones from many other locales, and that regional signature is evident in the hue and distribution across this specimen.

When compared to lab grown sapphires, natural stones such as this Ceylon example present distinct advantages for collectors and connoisseurs who focus on provenance, rarity, and long term value. Lab grown corundum can match or exceed natural material in terms of optical clarity and immediate cost effectiveness, and provides consistent, predictable color and minimal inclusions. However, natural sapphires retain geological complexity, exhibiting growth zoning, trace element signatures, and inclusion suites that serve as an archival record of formation conditions, and these features are often sought by specialists because they provide verifiable natural origin. Natural origin, especially documented origin such as Ceylon Sri Lanka, carries market premium and historical cachet that often result in stronger long term appreciation. The heat treatment disclosed on this stone is a widely accepted, stable enhancement within the trade, and full disclosure of both treatment and origin is part of the transparency guarantee from The Natural Sapphire Company. Furthermore, natural stones offer unique individual character, meaning that two natural sapphires of similar carat weight and nominal color will still present micro variations in hue, saturation, and internal light behavior, an aesthetic variance that collectors prize. For purchasers prioritizing absolute uniformity at lower price points, lab grown material remains a rational choice, but for buyers focused on natural provenance, geological authenticity, and potential long term investment, a hand selected natural Ceylon sapphire with excellent polish, mixed brilliant faceting, vivid color, and responsible disclosure provides a technical, tactile, and cultural value that laboratory replication cannot fully replicate.