2.28 Ct. Orangish Yellow Sapphire from Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

This 2.28 carat cushion shape orangish yellow sapphire from Ceylon offered by The Natural Sapphire Company exemplifies deliberate lapidary control and natural material quality. Measuring 7.29 by 6.64 by 4.91 millimeters, the stone has been fashioned in a mixed brilliant cut, combining a brilliant-style crown with a modified pavilion geometry to balance scintillation and color saturation. The crown displays crisply faceted crown mains and star facets meeting a well-proportioned table that moderates windowing while maximizing surface brilliance. The pavilion has been cut deeper than a standard round brilliant, producing a depth percentage of approximately 70 percent relative to the average diameter, a range commonly employed in cushion mixed cuts to preserve carat weight and to deepen perceived color without introducing excessive light leakage when the facet junctions are well aligned. Polish is graded excellent, which is evident in the sharp facet junctions and the lack of noticeable polish abrasion even at high magnification, and these finishing details enhance total internal reflection and the visual continuity of light return across the pavilion facets.

Color is the principal attribute of this stone, evaluated as an intense orangish yellow hue with vigorous saturation and a medium-light to light tone that lends transparency and liveliness rather than opacity. The phrase orangish yellow defines a hue intersection in which dominant yellow wavelengths are energized by a secondary orange component, producing a warm spectral profile that reads as both sunny and complex under variable lighting. The sapphire is transparent with a clarity grade described as very slightly included when evaluated at eye level. Eye-visible inclusions are minimal, discrete, and positioned so as not to interrupt key light paths; under magnification they confirm natural growth zoning rather than fracture-reaching blemishes. Crucially, this sapphire is reported as having no enhancement, meaning the color and clarity are natural and untreated, an attribute that materially affects both rarity and market desirability. Origin provenance from Sri Lanka, or classical Ceylon, is consistent with the gem’s lively tone and clean crystallography; Ceylon sapphires characteristically exhibit bright, saturated colors with a certain translucency that lapidaries leverage by choosing slightly deeper pavilion geometries to concentrate color.

From an optical physics perspective, corundum’s refractive index and dispersion govern how this sapphire behaves relative to other gems in its category and to other yellow-orange materials. Corundum’s refractive index is approximately in the 1.76 to 1.78 range with low dispersion around 0.018, which yields a balance of brilliance and controlled fire. Compared with common yellow gemstones such as citrine, which has a refractive index around 1.54 and lower brilliance, this sapphire returns light with greater intensity and contrast, producing stronger white light scintillation and crisper facet reflections. Against yellow topaz, which typically has an RI near 1.61 to 1.64, the sapphire again shows superior light return and sustained brightness because of its higher RI. Versus spinel, which can approach similar RI values, corundum’s slightly different facet interaction and its uniaxial optic character produce a distinctive, often more focused scintillation pattern in mixed brilliant cuts. Compared to high-dispersion stones like zircon, which exhibit pronounced fire due to much higher dispersion values, the Ceylon sapphire will display less spectral flash but greater overall brilliance and a steadier, more saturated body color. The relative low birefringence of sapphire minimizes doubling of facet images, so the viewer perceives optical clarity and single, strong facet reflections rather than doubled outlines that can soften contrast.

In practical considerations of wearability, aesthetics, and design integration, this orangish yellow sapphire presents several technical advantages. Its hardness at nine on the Mohs scale imparts resilience to daily use, substantially surpassing quartz and placing it close to diamond in durability while retaining distinctly different optical characteristics. The mixed brilliant facet architecture chosen by the cutter is optimized for corundum’s optical constants, maximizing internal reflection and returning color-saturated flashes from the pavilion while the excellent polish reduces surface light scattering. For jewelry designers and knowledgeable buyers, the stone’s 7.29 by 6.64 millimeter footprint fits elegantly into various mounting profiles, particularly settings that allow light to penetrate the pavilion to accentuate the stone’s intense hue. When compared directly to other sapphires, this piece stands out because it combines an intense orangish yellow saturation with eye-clean clarity and documented untreated origin, all finished to a high craftsmanship standard by The Natural Sapphire Company, making it a technically sophisticated choice for those seeking a natural, well-cut, and durable colored sapphire with a distinctive warm palette.