1.60 Ct. Blue Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This 1.60 carat Ceylon blue sapphire from The Natural Sapphire Company is presented in a precise emerald cut, with dimensions 8.38 by 5.37 by 3.51 millimeters and a depth percentage of approximately 51 percent, a proportion that yields balanced pavilion volume and a broad table plane. The stone exhibits a medium light color intensity, consistent with the classic Ceylon cornflower range, and the clarity is graded very slightly included, evaluated at eye level, which is particularly well suited to a step cutting style. Cut quality is evidenced by an excellent polish and tightly aligned step facets on the crown and pavilion, resulting in crisp facet junctions and minimal facet leakage. This sapphire has been heat treated, a stable enhancement used to improve color tone and to partially dissolve silk inclusions, and the cutting has been planned to take advantage of the post treatment transparency without over deepening the pavilion, preserving brightness while showing even color distribution through the length of the stone.

The emerald cut used here emphasizes large, parallel step facets and truncated corners, producing broad flash reflections rather than the high frequency scintillation typical of brilliant cuts. With corundum refractive index in the range 1.760 to 1.770 and birefringence around 0.008, this sapphire returns light as wide, mirror like bars which translate as elegant flashes when the stone is tilted, and the reduced internal facet pattern makes the eye level clarity grade more important than in more faceted shapes. Compared to a brilliant or mixed cut sapphire of similar weight, this emerald cut shows lower scintillation and a calmer light performance, but it offers superior clarity transparency and a more architectural, contemporary aesthetic. The emerald cut also tends to reveal pleochroic color zoning more plainly, so the cutter oriented the stone to present the most attractive blue from the table direction, minimizing side to side color shifts while retaining the subtle two tone character that collectors appreciate in Ceylon material.

When comparing reflective qualities to other gemstones and to other sapphires in its category, the emerald cut Ceylon sapphire delivers distinct advantages and trade offs. Against brilliant cut sapphires and step cut spinels, the sapphire displays less dispersed fire because corundum dispersion is lower than diamond and also lower than many colorless gems, however the sapphire maintains stronger color saturation under the broad flashes due to its higher refractive index relative to beryl family stones like aquamarine. Compared to spinel, which has virtually no pleochroism and a slightly lower refractive index, the sapphire shows a more variable face up hue with movement, giving it a livelier perceived color even with fewer reflecting facets. Versus tanzanite, which can show strong trichroism and deeper color change under different lighting, this Ceylon sapphire is more consistent under daylight and artificial light after heat treatment, and its step facets emphasize evenness of tone rather than the windowed color patches that can appear in some brilliant cuts. For settings, an open gallery or four prong orientation that aligns the table with the finger will best display the long flashes and the true medium light cornflower blue. The Natural Sapphire Company sources and evaluates each stone for optical performance and provenance, and this piece exemplifies the careful balance of proportions, facet architecture, and post treatment refinement that knowledgeable buyers value when choosing a step cut sapphire for a bespoke ring or high end design.