2.88 Ct. Color Change Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This GIA certified natural color change sapphire is a finely proportioned marquise of 2.88 carats, with exact dimensions of 12.76 x 6.11 x 5.04 mm, and a length to width ratio of approximately 2.09, which places it in the classically elegant range for marquise proportions, the stone originates from Ceylon Sri Lanka, it is unenhanced, and its GIA report confirms its natural provenance and treatment status. The gem displays intense color intensity and an excellent polish, qualities that are documented and verified by independent grading. Clarity has been evaluated at eye level as very slightly included, a grade that provides a balance between visual purity and the natural character expected of a collector quality sapphire. The combination of a marquise outline with a mixed brilliant faceting scheme produces a stone that reads larger than its carat weight alone would suggest, while maintaining a crisp silhouette suitable for bespoke high end jewelry designs, The Natural Sapphire Company stands behind this sapphire with full certification and provenance documentation.

The cutting style is a mixed brilliant, which integrates a faceted crown patterned on the brilliant cut with a pavilion that may include both brilliant facets and strategic step or chevron facets, this hybrid approach is specifically selected to optimize both scintillation and color depth in a narrow elongated shape like a marquise. The crown exhibits a proportionally moderate table to allow dispersed light to penetrate to the pavilion, while crown angles have been executed to favor internal refraction and return, the pavilion facets converge toward a well defined keel which aids in directing light back through the gem so that the color change phenomenon is displayed across a broad viewing area. The two pointed ends of the marquise have been carefully faceted and excessively thin girdling has been avoided, the girdle thickness is consistent which minimizes risk when setting, and the excellent polish enhances facet junction crispness so that light interactions remain lively rather than dull. The facet patterning and polish together ensure high contrast flashes and an even distribution of color zones when the gem is rotated under changing illumination, a desirable attribute for color change material where evenness of tone and clarity of shift are paramount.

Color change behavior in this sapphire is pronounced and technically interesting, under balanced daylight the stone reads as a cool bluish violet with saturation that registers at the intense level on standardized color grading scales, under incandescent and other warm artificial light sources the hue shifts toward a more purplish violet with a tendency to warmer undertones, this perceptible shift is the result of the gem s trace element chemistry combined with strong pleochroic properties, Ceylon or Sri Lankan sapphires of this type frequently owe their change to specific balances of vanadium and iron, while the exact spectral absorption is detailed in the accompanying GIA report. The mixed brilliant cut amplifies the color shift by creating varied light paths through the body of the stone, and the marquise outline concentrates color along the central axis so that the visual change reads as both a global hue shift and as local flashes of contrasting tone across the facets. The intense color intensity reported means that even when viewed under lower light levels the stone maintains a vivid presence, while the very slightly included clarity grade indicates that inclusions do not materially disrupt light transmission or the color change effect at normal viewing distances.

From a longevity and wear perspective this unenhanced natural sapphire offers exceptional stability, corundum has a Mohs hardness of 9 which confers excellent resistance to abrasion and edge wear when the stone is set and worn in jewelry designed with proper protective measures, the excellent polish will retain its reflectivity under normal care, and the lack of heat or fracture filling treatments means the surface and internal structure are unaltered by enhancement processes which can sometimes alter durability characteristics. For secure wear it is advisable to protect the marquise points with prong settings that cradle each tip and to consider a bezel or partial bezel design for highly active wearers, proper setting technique will mitigate the risk of point chipping while allowing the mixed brilliant faceting to remain visible for maximum color play. As an investment grade specimen sourced from Ceylon and supported by GIA documentation, this sapphire is well positioned to remain visually and materially desirable over years and decades, its natural color change will continue to captivate as lighting conditions vary with daily life and as the gem develops a lifetime of personal associations.

The Natural Sapphire Company offers this marquise color change sapphire as a technical gem for connoisseurs who value precise cutting choreography, stable unenhanced material, and documented origin, we can provide bespoke mounting recommendations that preserve the stone s optical properties and protect vulnerable points, and we are available to assist with setting designs that emphasize the central axis color shift and maximize finger coverage for rings or profile visibility for pendants. In the hands of a skilled setter this 2.88 carat marquise will present as a disciplined yet lively gem, its intense hues and clean faceting will sustain interest through changes in environment and light, and its certified natural status assures collectors that its intrinsic beauty is not the result of laboratory manipulation. For clients seeking a color changing sapphire with both scientific pedigree and enduring aesthetic appeal, this Ceylon marquise represents a rare convergence of cutting skill, material purity, and documented provenance, a stone that will continue to captivate for generations.