2.08 Ct. Purple Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This transparent 2.08 carat cushion shape purple sapphire measures 9.28 by 6.16 by 3.76 millimeters, and it presents an intense color intensity with a strongly saturated purple hue, accompanied by an eye level clarity grade of very slightly included, excellent polish, a mixed brilliant cut, no enhancement, and an origin of Ceylon Sri Lanka, offered by The Natural Sapphire Company. The combination of a classic cushion outline with controlled table proportions allows this stone to present a rich, uniform face up color while maintaining lively internal brilliance, and the mixed brilliant faceting scheme balances scintillation with depth of color. The dimensions yield an elegant spread for its weight class, and the excellent polish on all facet junctions produces crisp facet reflections, clean facet edges, and optimal light return across the crown and pavilion. This sapphire is transparent rather than translucent, which amplifies the visibility of internal characteristics and the way those characteristics interact with the tailored faceting to produce an unmistakable internal signature. The absence of any heat or other enhancement is a critical factor for collectors and connoisseurs, and the combination of natural inclusions, cut precision, and origin from Ceylon makes this gem both technically interesting and aesthetically compelling.

The mixed brilliant cut on this cushion has a traditional brilliant style crown paired with a modified pavilion, and the result is controlled windowing, strong return of mid spectrum violet light, and lively facet flashes when the stone is tilted under a direct light source. The crown facets are proportioned to present a slightly reduced table relative to the overall width, and this promotes color concentration beneath the table while permitting dispersed scintillation from the star and upper girdle facets. The pavilion exhibits a network of shallower step influenced facets that increase internal reflection angles, which serves to saturate the apparent tone without causing dead windows. The girdle has been finished to a consistent thickness to facilitate secure setting with minimal risk of girdle damage, and the pavilion culet is small and well centered, avoiding a distracting dark spot under the table. Facet symmetry is accurate to the millimeter, and the facet junctions display polish quality that is consistent with the excellent grade reported, enabling high contrast facet play and a sharp contrast between bright flashes and deeper body color.

The internal inclusion suite is the defining characteristic of this sapphire, and these features produce an unmistakable signature that speaks to its Ceylon provenance and unheated state. At face up viewing the stone is effectively clean to the unaided eye, consistent with the very slightly included clarity grade, yet under magnification it reveals a finely articulated architecture of inclusions, consisting of oriented silk, discrete mineral crystals, narrow healed fissures or fingerprint like trails, and subtle growth zoning. The silk appears as very fine, oriented rutile needles that form a delicate, parallel fabric in localized zones, producing a softening effect on reflected light, and where the needles cluster near facet junctions they create a subtle, velvety sheen. Scattered pinpoint crystals and tiny angular negative crystals are present, some of which act as reflective platelets, creating micro flashes that contribute to internal brilliance when the stone is moved. There are also faint, concentric growth bands that trace the original crystallization faces, yielding gentle color zoning that can produce a slightly deeper purple band when viewed near certain angles. The healed fissures, often appearing as fingerprint like features, demonstrate fluid mediated healing and are filled with materials that maintain transparency, which keeps the overall clarity high while offering diagnostic internal textures. Taken together, these inclusions are arranged in a manner that is typical for responsibly sourced Ceylon sapphires, and the presence, morphology, and lack of alteration of these features support the reported no enhancement declaration, providing an identifiable internal fingerprint that experienced gemmologists and dedicated collectors will recognize and value.

For practical use and long term enjoyment, the optical and internal character of this cushion purple sapphire informs ideal mounting and care choices, and The Natural Sapphire Company recommends settings that emphasize the face up color while protecting the girdle and pavilion. A bezel or secure four prong mounting will preserve the precise girdle finish, while an open gallery will allow light to enter the pavilion and interact with the internal silk and crystal structures to maximize the lively flashes noted in the mixed brilliant design. Routine cleaning with warm water, mild detergent, and a soft brush is sufficient to maintain the excellent polish, and ultrasonic cleaning is generally acceptable for transparent sapphires of this clarity if there are no surface reaching fractures, however such treatments should be undertaken with an awareness of the internal fingerprint features. The inclusion pattern endows this stone with an unmistakable individuality, each rutile filament and tiny crystal acting as a topographic marker that differentiates this gem from heated or synthetically produced material, and for the collector who values provenance, natural structure, and the nuanced interplay between cut and internal texture, this sapphire represents a precisely finished, naturally signed example of fine Ceylon material from The Natural Sapphire Company.