2.99 Ct. Bluish Purple Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This item is a transparent cushion shape sapphire weighing 2.99 carat, with dimensions of 8.18 by 7.54 by 5.29 millimeters, exhibiting a mixed brilliant faceting scheme, a clarity grade evaluated as very slightly included at eye level, a medium intense color intensity, and an excellent polish. The stone is unheated and shows no enhancement, coming from Ceylon, Sri Lanka, and offered with the provenance and standards of The Natural Sapphire Company. The cushion outline is classic yet modern, with slightly rounded corners and a proportional profile that maintains an elegant table plane and a well balanced pavilion depth. The weight to spread reflects efficient cutting, preserving carat weight while optimizing optical performance, and the absence of enhancement confirms that the bluish purple hue is entirely natural rather than diffusion altered or heat intensified.

From a faceting and craftsmanship perspective the mixed brilliant approach on this cushion integrates a brilliant facet arrangement across the crown to maximize scintillation, paired with a controlled pavilion geometry that supports color saturation through effective light return. The measured depth relative to the average diameter is approximately sixty seven percent, a proportion that situates the pavilion deep enough to concentrate color without creating excessive windowing or a dead center. Facet junctions are sharply defined, symmetry is precise, and the excellent polish permits crisp facet to facet reflections, contributing to lively scintillation and a smooth visual surface. The clarity grading of very slightly included at face up assessment indicates that internal features are minimal and do not materially interrupt brilliance, allowing the mixed brilliant pattern to perform optimally, producing both lively pinpoint flashes and broader face up color that reads consistently across the table.

Chromatically this sapphire reads bluish purple, with a primary blue component enriched by a noticeable violet bias, and with medium intense tone that maintains good saturation while preserving brightness. The color has a distinct Ceylon character, showing an airier, more luminous quality than stones with heavier tone. Compared to classic Kashmir sapphires which are prized for a velvety cornflower blue with a softer diffusion of light and often a slightly lower transparency due to silk, this Ceylon stone is clearer and exhibits a more overt violet influence, presenting as a bluish purple rather than pure cornflower blue. Compared to Burmese and Madagascan sapphires that frequently show deeper, more saturated pure blue hues with stronger medium to dark tone, the present sapphire remains lighter and more lively, offering greater brilliance and a distinct purple nuance. Against Australian and Thai sapphires which can display darker, inky blue green tones, and against Montana sapphires which often lean toward teal and greenish blue with lighter tone, this Ceylon example retains a mid spectrum intensity with a cool violet lift that distinguishes it in nuanced lighting situations.

In practical gemological and design terms the combination of natural color, unheated origin, mixed brilliant cutting, and excellent polish makes this cushion sapphire especially well suited as a center stone in fine jewelry where both color subtlety and light performance are valued. The medium intense bluish purple responds well to white metal settings, where the cool mounting enhances the blue component, and to rose or yellow gold for settings that warm and deepen the violet aspect for a more evening oriented appearance. For collectors who compare provenance, the Ceylon origin places this sapphire within a long established historical context of Sri Lankan gems known for clarity and lively color, while the unheated status and the very slightly included clarity add premium attributes relative to treated market material. The Natural Sapphire Company guarantees origin documentation and full disclosure of treatment, and our lapidary partners maintain strict standards for facet precision and polish to present the stone as described, enabling confident selection for custom designs or investment grade pieces.