0.99 Ct. Yellow Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This specimen is a transparent 0.99 carat cushion shape yellow sapphire from Ceylon, presented by The Natural Sapphire Company, with precise dimensions of 5.71 x 4.38 x 4.27 mm. The stone has been fashioned in a mixed brilliant cut, combining a faceted crown with a modified pavilion geometry to balance light return and color display. Clarity is graded as very slightly included when evaluated at eye level, indicating minimal internal features that do not interrupt overall transparency. Color intensity is very light, yielding a delicate, pastel yellow that reads as subtle in both daylight and artificial lighting. The polish is excellent, which enhances surface reflectivity and gives each facet crisp delineation, and importantly this sapphire has no enhancement, so the hue and clarity are entirely natural.

The mixed brilliant faceting strategy employed on this cushion shape maximizes scintillation while maintaining soft, cushion contours. The crown exhibits a series of small, well proportioned star and kite facets that deliver rapid, lively pinpoint flashes as the stone moves, while the pavilion has been configured with a combination of triangular and chevron facets to reduce windowing and to promote full light return to the viewer. The table facet is proportioned to the stone size to avoid excessive leakage of light through the top, and the overall pavilion depth of 4.27 mm harmonizes with the face dimensions to produce balanced contrast and controlled extinction. Facet junctions are tightly executed, a direct result of the excellent polish, so facet reflections appear sharp and coherent rather than diffuse.

From a gem optical standpoint, corundum, the species to which sapphire belongs, has a refractive index in the range of approximately 1.76 to 1.77 and a dispersion value around 0.018. This gives corundum strong brilliance and bright facet reflections, though it exhibits noticeably less fire than diamond, which has a dispersion near 0.044 and a much higher refractive index. Compared with other yellow gemstones commonly used in jewelry, this sapphire outperforms beryl and quartz in reflective intensity because those species have lower refractive indices near 1.57 and 1.54 respectively. Compared with spinel, which has a slightly lower refractive index, the corundum displays marginally greater light return and a more forceful scintillation pattern when cut with a mixed brilliant design. Within the category of yellow sapphires specifically, Ceylon stones are often characterized by lighter, more pastel tones, and this example sits at the lighter extreme, which makes the optical performance depend heavily on precise cutting and polish. The mixed brilliant cut in this case compensates for the very light body color by concentrating reflected white light and localized flashes of color to create a perception of brightness and liveliness without overpowering the soft yellow hue.

Clarity and natural origin add technical and market value to this stone, since the eye level grade of very slightly included indicates a high degree of transparency with only minor inclusions that do not disrupt the visual field, and the lack of heat or other enhancements preserves natural crystallographic and trace element signatures that are associated with Ceylon sources. The excellent polish yields strong specular reflection from the crown facets, and because the pavilion and crown proportions were tuned to the gem dimensions of 5.71 x 4.38 x 4.27 mm, the stone exhibits consistent face up brilliance and attractive scintillation even at its sub one carat weight. In practical design terms the cushion mixed brilliant also offers a generous face up spread relative to its carat weight, which makes the gem read slightly larger on the finger, and the photos provided demonstrate how the soft pastel yellow sits against both warm and neutral skin tones. For settings that emphasize the gem’s reflective properties, we recommend a low profile bezel or a four prong closed basket that allows the pavilion reflections to contribute to overall brightness, and white or warm yellow metals can be selected depending on whether the objective is to increase contrast or to harmonize with the yellow hue.

As an example of The Natural Sapphire Company craftsmanship and sourcing standards, this Ceylon cushion yellow sapphire is an exemplar of careful cutting and responsible selection, combining natural origin and no enhancement with a faceting strategy that optimizes light behavior for a stone with very light color intensity. For clients who are comparing gemstones based on reflective qualities, this sapphire will read as more brilliant and lively than comparable weight beryl or quartz stones, and it will show more coherent, rapid scintillation than many step cut alternatives. It will show less spectral fire than a diamond, but it compensates with a steadier, more saturated body color and a lively pattern of facet reflections when set. If you would like further technical information about facet angles, table percentage, or to review a detailed image under white light and a neutral background, The Natural Sapphire Company can supply additional analysis and high resolution imaging to assist with final design decisions.