sapphire
overview
- Naming : Sapphire means "blue" in Greek - an interpretation of the typical blue tones of the sapphire. However, sapphires also come in other colors.
- Mineral group: Sapphire belongs to the corundum family, which includes some of the most precious gemstones.
- Colour : Sapphire is most commonly found in a range of shades of blue - from violet to cornflower blue to inky and black-blue. Therefore, the name sapphire without any additional suffix always refers to the blue sapphire. Other colour variants must be identified by name, e.g. green sapphire or yellow sapphire.
- Cut : The sapphire reveals its beauty best in a faceted cut.
- Special features : The sapphire is also known as the “gem of heaven” and together with the colorless diamond, the red ruby and the green emerald forms the quartet of the most sought-after jewels.
Quality factors
Color
The incidence of light plays a major role in the color or shade of a sapphire. Blue sapphires can vary from colorless (i.e. white), yellow, green to an unusual orange or pink.
carat
1 carat (ct) corresponds to 0.2 grams - and indicates the weight of a gemstone. The higher the carat number, the more valuable the sapphire is. But this alone does not determine the value. Other factors such as color, clarity and cut play a major role.
purity
The purity also plays a role in the price. The most sought-after and therefore most expensive sapphire is one that is as transparent as possible and has few inclusions.
cut
For sapphires, the facet cut is mainly used because it positively highlights the optical properties of the gemstone.
Pleochroism in Sapphires
Sapphires sometimes exhibit pleochroism. This means that the gemstone appears in different colors at different viewing angles. The gemstones usually look best in natural or fluorescent light.
Special Sapphires
The Most Desired
A sapphire that is as transparent as possible and has few inclusions is usually the most valuable. It shows its full beauty and splendor best in the so-called facet cut.
The Greatest
One of the most famous sapphires is the “Star of India”, which was discovered in Sri Lanka around 300 years ago. At 536 carats, it is the largest cut star sapphire and has been on display in the American Museum of Natural History in New York since 1900.
Special occasions
birthstone
The sapphire is the birthstone of September.
wedding anniversary
A sapphire is often given as a gift for 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries.
occurrence of sapphire
The most important sapphire deposits are located in Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar and Thailand. Sri Lankan sapphires usually achieve the highest prices on the jewelry market.
jewelry with sapphires
Sapphires are mainly used to make gemstones. Are you interested in a sapphire or sapphire jewelry such as a sapphire ring?
At RENÉSIM you will find a large selection of gemstones.
Sapphire selection at RENÉSIM
At RENÉSIM you can purchase loose sapphires or receive them together with a customized piece of jewelry.
Further articles
The sapphire belongs to the corundum group of gemstones, which includes some of the most precious gemstones.
To the encyclopedia article – Gemstone group Corundum
Facet cutting is most commonly used for sapphires because it particularly highlights the optical properties of the gemstone.
To the encyclopedia article – Facet &Buy gemstones
Gemstones in the Lexicon
