1.16 Ct. Purple Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Imagine finding a gem that feels like a secret between you and forever, a piece that flashes joy with every gesture, a gem that seems to know how to say I love you without a single word. This 1.16 carat marquise purple sapphire from Ceylon Sri Lanka is that moment made visible, a slender, elegant arrow of color measuring 10.33 x 5.09 x 2.80 mm, cut to captivate and polished to a mirror finish. The mixed brilliant cut breathes life into the stone, marrying the scintillation of brilliant facets with the refined geometry of a faceted pavilion, so light is caught, held and released in a lively and flattering dance across the stone. With a clarity described as very very slightly included when evaluated at eye level, the gem reads as transparent and pure to the viewer, allowing that medium intense purple to glow from within, a depth of color that feels both regal and intimate. The excellent polish ensures each facet edge is crisp and reflective, translating movement into tiny, joyful flashes of brilliance that lift the heart when the stone catches the light. As with many of the finest sapphires we offer, this stone has been heat treated to deepen and stabilize its color, respecting the natural beauty of the gem, and that provenance from Ceylon lends a heritage of classic sapphire elegance that you can trust, presented to you by The Natural Sapphire Company.

When we consider reflective qualities, sapphires are in a league that balances brilliance with rich color, and this marquise purple sapphire is a stellar example. Corundum, the mineral family that includes sapphires, has a refractive index around 1.76 to 1.77, and that physical property translates into a stronger return of light when compared to many other colored gemstones on the market. Compared to amethyst, which is quartz with a refractive index near 1.54, this sapphire returns light with greater vigor and produces crisper, more lively scintillation, so movement reads as sparkle rather than the softer, glassy glow you often see in quartz. Against spinel, which sits slightly lower in refractive index, this sapphire will typically show a touch more brightness and a slightly sharper contrast between flashes, while spinel is admired for its pure, clean color and excellent transparency. Looking at tanzanite, that gem is famous for its trichroism and shifting color, yet its refractive index is lower than corundum, meaning tanzanite often displays more velvety color changes and a softer, more silky sheen, rather than the pinpoint flashes and crisp brilliancy you get from a well cut sapphire. Within the sapphire family, a purple sapphire like this one offers reflective qualities akin to blue and pink sapphires, with the mixed brilliant cut enhancing internal light play in ways that more shallow or step cut sapphires cannot match. The marquise shape also concentrates light along the length of the stone, creating a string of scintillating highlights that seem to travel gracefully as the hand moves, a romantic effect that makes every gesture feel like a small celebration.

Owning this marquise purple sapphire is about more than measurements and technical merit, it is about how a piece of color and light can become part of your story, a talisman for special moments and everyday joy. Set in a delicate ring or paired with a slender band, the lengthening marquise silhouette flatters the finger and frames the gem so that its excellent polish and mixed brilliant facets show off fully, offering reflections that are more animated than typical quartz and more vivid than many other stones in this price and size range. The medium intense purple reads as modern and timeless at once, a color that surprises and delights, shifting subtly with viewing angle yet always returning to a deep, satisfying purple when the light returns to the center of the gem. The heat treatment is a common and stable enhancement that brings out this deep tone without diminishing the natural character that comes from its Ceylon origin, and the very very slightly included clarity at eye level means the gem is honest and real, a living thing rather than a perfect, clinical object. At The Natural Sapphire Company we see time and again how such a stone can become a cherished heirloom, a quiet declaration of love, or a bright punctuation mark on a life well celebrated. If you would like to imagine this marquise purple sapphire as part of your next chapter, we would be delighted to help you bring it into being, guiding you on setting, styling, and the gentle care that will keep its reflections alive for generations.