Sapphire Essentials
What Does “Natural & Untreated” Mean For Sapphires? When considering colored gemstones, and sapphires in particular, understanding the terms “natural” and “untreated” are crucial to making an educated decision. Many people confuse natural for meaning untreated, and vice versa. In optimal circumstances, both terms should apply to the gemstone, but that is rarely the case […]
A Guide To The Look Of A Gemstone The cut, shape, and size of a gemstone are all very important characteristics that likely play the most crucial part in the aesthetics of a stone. The personal choice options are abundant within these categories, and this can become the most fun part of the selection process. […]
What Are Sapphires? Sapphires, and their close cousins, rubies, are members of the corundum mineral species. In , a “species” is a mineral that has a definite chemical formula and a specific three-dimensional structure. How Are Sapphires Categorized? A “variety” is a subgroup of a mineral species. Corundum (a mineral species) comes in a number […]
The Features That Make Sapphires So Unique Sapphires have a rich history and a very interesting modern representation in the jewelry industry. For so long, the sapphire’s key features have made it one of the most popular gemstones across the world. Ancient cultures to modern day ones have recognized that beyond its beauty and brilliance, […]
The Role Of Inclusions In Sapphires Sapphires host many different inclusions, and even the best stones are not expected to be inclusion free. In fact, a sapphire with no inclusions is often viewed with suspicion; it may be a stone or a glass imitation. The best clarity grade for sapphires is “eye-clean,” which means no […]
I Thought Diamonds Were The Rarest Gems! The scarcity of an item and its market demand determine its price. Sales of untreated sapphires have continued to increase as consumers become aware of the treatment of conventional sapphires in the marketplace. Sapphires of fine quality are exceptionally rare. Diamonds, though, are in almost every type of jewelry […]
How Do The 4Cs Apply To Sapphires? Similar to diamonds, the quality of colored gemstones is graded using standards set for four criteria. However, the rules for grading within each criterion are different for colored gemstones than diamonds. We break down the 4Cs for sapphires below for a complete guide on how color, clarity, cut, […]
How We See Color In Gemstones As sapphires have continued to gain widespread appeal, more and more about these beautiful stones is revealed and learned. Most stunning in recent decades is the observation of a natural reaction of sapphires whose color seems to fluctuate. It is a common occurrence in certain colors of sapphire gemstones, […]
The Lore And Mystique Of Sapphires In History Sapphires figure prominently in numerous beliefs and traditions, both past and present. For centuries, sapphires have been used for alchemy, magic, healing rituals, and astrological prognostication. Early priests and scholars believed that precious gemstones, including sapphires, had specific “virtues” that could be used to benefit man if […]
Sapphire Glossary There are many useful terms that help to better understand sapphires: how they have been used in jewelry and culture, the specifics to cutting, how they are formed in the earth, and much more. This glossary features an extensive listing of terms related to sapphires, and will help to provide context and further […]