September babies should consider themselves lucky with sapphires as their birthstone, considering the fact that sapphires are some of the most beautiful and coveted gemstones on Earth. While the royal blue variety is the most widely known and loved color of this gem, there are so many other colors, hues, and variants of this amazing stone for everyone to love.
Sapphire Meanings, Colors & More
Sapphires are gems from the corundum species of stone that come in every color except red. (red corundums are called rubies). That’s right. Rubies are just red sapphires. Sapphires rank as a 9 on the Mohs Scale, meaning they have a very strong resistance to scratching. Their rarity comes from their chemical composition; corundum is comprised of aluminum and oxygen, but must be grown without the presence of silicon, which is a very common element. Pure corundum is colorless, but trace elements give it the colors which make it prized as a gem. Some sapphires have tiny, needle-like inclusions that result in a white star-pattern in cabochon cuts; star sapphires are fascinating and prized for the mystical light that seems to glow from within.
This star-sapphire ring is set with diamonds in 18k rose gold. Secrète Fine Jewelry’s master jeweler created this unusual and captivating ring.
Amazing Colors
While blue sapphires are the best known, many other colors of sapphires are available. Other (non-blue) colors of sapphires are called fancy color sapphires. Sapphires range from violets to blues to teals, greens, yellows, and peachy orange colors, even beautiful coral pinks known as Padparadscha.
These rough sapphires from Montana are so colorful they look like Fruity Pebbles! (Image source- SI.edu)
Blues are valued for a vivid, even color, with the most prized shades known as Kashmir (a velvety saturated blue named for the region in which it is mined) and Ceylon (a smooth Royal blue named for its Sri Lankan origins). Other tones like navy blue and cornflower are also valued, especially when the stones are free from inclusions and the coloration is even.
Parti-colored sapphires are stones in which more than one color is present. There are even color-change sapphires which appear to be different colors under different sources of light.
We made this cool ombre sapphire anniversary band using untreated Montana sapphires, salt-and-pepper diamonds, and black sapphires for a casual denim-like feel.
We made this amazing sapphire and diamond bracelet at Secrète Fine Jewelry
in Bethesda many years ago. We love the rainbow of sapphire colors.
An Ethical Option for Engagement
Many couples seeking conflict-free and ethical options for engagement rings turn to sapphires instead of traditional-market diamonds. Sapphires stand out among other gemstones for engagement because of their hardness, which makes them suitable for everyday wear. Because sapphires can be ethically sourced from multiple locations around the world, including Montana, Sri Lanka, and Australia (among many other non-conflict zones), brides to be have peace of mind about the origins of the stones in their engagement rings.
White sapphires are also popular options for side-stones in non-conflict engagement rings, whether the center stone is a gemstone, a lab-grown diamond, a recycled diamond, or another ethical alternative. Each of our engagement rings are handmade in-house in Secrete’s Bethesda workshop, so our clients have the freedom to choose ethical side stones like white sapphires, lab-created diamonds, or certified Canadian diamonds when designing their ethical engagement rings.
Secrète Fine Jewelry made this gorgeous sapphire ring with diamond accents for our DC store. The unheated oval sapphire is all natural and ethically sourced from Sri Lanka.
Sapphire Treatments: What to Know When Buying
Sapphires may be treated to enhance their color, and enhancements affect a stone’s value. When a sapphire is “natural,” it means that no heating or other treatment has been done to the sapphire to change its color. Sapphires that have a naturally occuring, even, pretty color are more rare than others, so they demand a higher price. “Heated” sapphires are stones which have been treated with a precise temperature process to make their color prettier; heat treatment is an “acceptable” treatment for sapphires, meaning heated sapphires are still considered to be precious gems. While good looking heated sapphires are not as rare or costly as their natural counterparts, they’re still very nice stones; however, your jeweler should disclose when a stone has been heated for color enhancement.
Diffusion is another type of treatment used to enhance the appearance of sapphires. This is achieved by exposing an unattractive sapphire to titanium particles. “Diffused” sapphires are basically just coated with a blue layer and are their original murky brownish color inside. They are worth significantly less than natural colored and heated sapphires; however, if a large sapphire is desired for a costume-jewelry application, a client may consider these as affordable options.
Fracture Filling is another treatment used in gemstones like sapphires in which fissures and irregularities in the stone are filled with a waxy substance to improve the appearance. This type of treatment is not good– it disguises stones that are not gem-quality, and the treatment can be accidentally removed while cleaning jewelry, exposing ugly, shattered-looking stones.
There are also synthetic, lab-grown sapphires, which are not “treated” natural stones, but rather, created, man-made stones identical in chemical composition to their natural counterparts.
The basics of sapphire treatments is that natural, unheated sapphires are the most rare and valuable, heated sapphires are in second place, and the rest should be purchased with caution.
Secrète Fine Jewelry matched this beautiful 3.5ct center diamond with an astonishing matched pair of AGS-certified unheated sapphires totalling 5.02ct for a DC client. We love the way sapphires and diamonds look together.
Famous Sapphire Jewelry
Without a doubt, the beautiful oval-cut sapphire worn first by Princess Diana and now by Duchess Kate Middleton is the most famous sapphire engagement ring in the world.
The “people’s princess” had a sapphire collection that didn’t stop there, including a sapphire brooch-turned-choker that she received from the Queen Mother and the sapphire and diamond necklace and earring suite given to her by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.
Victoria Beckham’s husband has gifted her over a dozen “engagement” rings over the years, and her gigantic blue sapphire ring from 2010 is gorgeous– with a simple platinum setting, this gemstone is on display like a specimen.
This staggeringly beautiful and BIG 423ct Ceylon blue sapphire is known as the Logan Sapphire. Housed at the Smithsonian, here in Washington, DC, it’s one of the biggest and most beautiful you can see. (Image source- SI.edu)
The Rockefeller sapphire is a jaw-dropping example of a perfect sapphire, like a deep, velvety blue heaven. John D. Rockefeller Jr. purchased this giant gem from an Indian Maharaja in the 1930s. It has been mounted in several different styles for its different owners over the years, but now exists as a streamlined Art Deco Ring in platinum with diamond accents.
Princess Eugenie of York has a gorgeous oval-cut padparadscha sapphire engagement ring in a halo. The classic style of this ring is given a breath of fresh air from the sunny color of the beautiful center stone.
Designing a perfect sapphire piece for you
If you’re interested in a custom sapphire engagement ring or any other piece of jewelry, contact us today. We source our sapphires ethically from a select group of trusted origins– from woman-owned small family businesses
www.secrete.com
