Sapphire - General Facts would you have known?

What is the most popular colour of sapphire?

The most preferred sapphire colour is still in the eye of the beholder. Based on supply the more intense colours are more scarce and higher priced. In Europe people most likely desire a “cornflower” blue hue and in other cultures the deep royal blue is preferred.

What are quality features of the sapphire? Do the 4C's for diamonds also apply to sapphires?

Sapphire’s colour is its most important feature and the clarity is a close second which directly affects its colour. The center of a sapphire must be cut in a way that it reflects light and colour. If the center is dead and does not reflect light or colour, it is known as a window. Sapphires with large windows demand lower prices for this very reason.

What is the most valuable sapphire color?

Crucial for fine quality of a sapphire is still a lively stone with best fire and luster. For many experts the most valuable sapphires are a mid-colour blue with a concentrated hue which remains constant under all lighting conditions.

What is the rarest sapphire color? What is a Padparadscha sapphire?

The rarest type of sapphire is a pinkish-orange variety called “padparadscha” sapphire, a name that comes from the Sinhalese word for lotus flower. Traditionally these sapphires in a salmon colour have their origin in Sri Lanka and are extremely scarce and precious. In an even more redish pink-orange hue they are called “old padparadscha” which are hardly found these days.

Is a diamond rarer than a sapphire? Why are sapphires worth more than diamonds?

A century ago diamonds were very rare till large and abundant diamond deposits were discovered in Africa. On a global scale diamonds are not that uncommon, and in order to keep their prices artificially high, a cartel was formed that to this day still controls the flow of the majority of diamonds. In contrast untreated sapphires remain extremely uncommon, and are growing rarer with the passage of time and the real value of untreated sapphires is higher, prices will only increase.

How popular are sapphires these days? Why are sapphire engagement rings and sapphire jewelry so popular?

Nowadays sapphires demand is strongly increasing as the second most popular gemstone for engagement rings of course diamonds are still girls best friends due to a marketing slogan, but not for everyone. The durability and uniqueness of sapphires makes them an excellent choice for engagement rings and other jewellery you plan to wear every day in your colour of choice to be colourful and individual.

How to clean sapphire and sapphire jewellery? Can sapphires be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner?

Sapphires are not harmed by cleaning them in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner (unlike other stones like emerald, opal, pearl, tanzanite, tourmaline, peridot, turquoise, jade, lapis, and coloured diamonds).

Do sapphires also exist in the industry? Where are sapphires used industrially everywhere?

Sapphire also has industrial uses because of its hardness used in both high pressure and vacuum chambers for spectroscopy, lenses for watches, barcode scanners in grocery stores, optics, lasers and more. For example the Apple Watch Series 3 features lab-created sapphire crystal in its screen to make it more scratch resistant, as do several Swiss watch companies.

Where are sapphires found? In which countries are sapphires found?

Sapphires are found in many places throughout the world, including Tanzania, Thailand, Cambodia, Madagascar, Australia, the United States, and more. Sri Lanka is worldwide known for the finest qualities from all countries which have a stable mining activity and active deposits nowadays.

‍

‍