Sapphire Jewelry
The Appeal Of Orange Sapphires
Orange sapphires are quite rare, and are some of the most difficult sapphires to find in a natural, untreated state. The color of most orange sapphires has a secondary tone of yellow as well. Intense orange sapphires that are untreated and naturally orange color can be expensive and difficult to find in a larger carat size.
The Standard For Orange Sapphires
Of all orange sapphires seen in the marketplaces of websites and jewelry stores, 99.999% will be treated with extreme heat to produce the vibrant orange color. These stones are not rare and are not expensive. A true natural untreated orange sapphire needs to have a reputable gem laboratory report if it is to be considered a true unheated rare orange sapphire.
Orange sapphires range from light pastel oranges to vivid orangish-reds due to their blend of red and yellow hues . These sapphires are colored by a combination of chromium (red) and iron (yellow) trace minerals , or by exposure to natural radiation. Orange sapphires whose color stems from natural radiation may fade on exposure to heat or intense daylight.
What Is The Availability Of These Gems?
Most orange sapphires today are coming from Australia and Madagascar, with others from Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Sometimes orange sapphires have a secondary color tone of yellow or brown. This means the more pure the orange, the more expensive the sapphire. Large orange sapphires are almost non-existent. There is almost no substitute for an orange sapphire of natural color, as these are exceptionally unique sapphires.
Insider View from the President of The Natural Sapphire Company:
For orange heat treated sapphires, I won’t consider buying them for personal use. The only way to get a heated sapphire orange is to cook it to the point where its color is getting close to brown; it’s basically deep fried. I cannot see the value at that point. It doesn’t speak to me after decades of seeing these stones in the marketplace.
A true untreated orange sapphire is something I absolutely admire and they are actually super rare. What I appreciate is an orange that is all-natural, that gives me a feeling of awe and beauty.
As we get closer to rounding out the unique and rare sapphire colors, we next explore Green Sapphires.
