1.40 Ct. Bluish Purple Sapphire from Tanzania

This specimen is a transparent 1.40 carat oval sapphire, precisely measured at 7.76 x 5.42 x 3.84 millimeters, offered by The Natural Sapphire Company. The stone exhibits an oval length to width ratio of 1.43, a proportion that falls well within the classical range for an elongated yet balanced oval outline, and the measured depth of 3.84 millimeters corresponds to an overall depth percentage of approximately 58 percent relative to the mean diameter. These proportions indicate a cutter’s intent to balance color saturation with light return, avoiding the overly shallow appearance that washes out color and the overly deep pavilion that suppresses brilliance. The mixed brilliant cut treatment combines a brilliant-style crown with a more faceted pavilion geometry. The crown presents well-defined star and upper-girdle facets that break incoming light into fine scintillation, while the pavilion facet architecture is optimized to produce strong return and lively contrast, yielding a bright, lively table and pronounced facet definition across viewing angles.

Color is described as bluish purple with medium intensity, and the sapphire shows a well-integrated balance of blue and violet components across the facet surfaces. Under direct and diffused lighting the stone demonstrates pleochroic shifts from a slightly bluer cast to a more violet hue, a behavior consistent with corundum containing a mix of iron-titanium interactions and minor chromium influence. The medium saturation allows the stone to read as lively and distinct without becoming overly dark, making it versatile in both white and yellow metal settings. Because this sapphire is untreated and no enhancement has been applied, the observed color and clarity characteristics are entirely natural, and the distribution of color across the pavilion and crown reflects the original growth zoning and trace element distribution from its Tanzanian source.

Clarity is graded as very very slightly included at eye level, which in practical terms means the gem is effectively clean to observation without magnification, while microscopic examination reveals the natural features that provide a reliable internal fingerprint. Under 10x magnification the stone displays minute pinpoint crystal inclusions and very fine rutile-like silk, arranged as subtle linear and dispersed points, along with faint growth zoning that is consistent with a metamorphic crystallization environment. These inclusions are stable, non-detracting, and importantly they function as unique identifiers, a microscopic map that can be referenced for identification and documentation, and that also serves as evidence of the gem’s untreated provenance. Because nothing has been thermally or chemically altered, the inclusions retain their original morphology and orientation, which is useful for matching, appraisal, and scientific verification when required.

Cutting and finishing exhibit a high standard of lapidary craftsmanship, with an excellent polish and crisp facet junctions that produce clean facet reflections and strong scintillation. The mixed brilliant configuration, combined with the favorable depth percentage and the stone’s dimensions, maximizes both color presentation and optical performance, producing a lively balance of brilliance and color saturation. This oval is well suited to precision settings where the geometry can be respected, such as a low-profile solitaire, a halo designed to accentuate the bluish purple tone, or a three-stone composition where side stones can be selected to enhance the sapphire’s medium intensity. As an untreated Tanzanian sapphire offered by The Natural Sapphire Company this gem is presented with provenance and gemological transparency in mind, and we can provide further magnified imagery and optional laboratory documentation on request to support verification, bespoke setting design, and valuation.