Nowadays Sapphire is turning as girl’s favourite stone as many women are starting to turn to sapphires as their stone of choice for an e...
Nowadays Sapphire is turning as girl’s favourite stone as many women are starting to turn to sapphires as their stone of choice for an engagement ring. While there are many varieties of sapphires, by far the most popular is blue. A blue sapphire gives your engagement ring a unique look while bringing both elegance and beauty. Whether you’re buying a sapphire engagement ring or jewelry with sapphires, it is a perfect choice. Let’s discuss how to buy sapphire in a smart way without getting cheated.
First and foremost buying a Sapphire is much less technical than buying a diamond. Diamonds are treasured for their brilliance while sapphires are loved for their color. Sapphires have been the darling gemstone of the royalty and well-to-do for centuries, so it’s no surprise that they’ve gained in popularity of late as the center stone or accent stone in bridal and fashion jewelry.
Sapphire – Word Derivation
The word sapphire most likely comes from the Hebrew “sapir,” as it is understood in the Hebrew Bible to refer to blue sapphires. Sapphires, members of the corundum family of minerals, usually refer to the blue variety unless otherwise stated.
Sapphire Varieties
Sapphire varieties include pink, yellow, green, orange, brown, clear and red — otherwise known as rubies. Sapphire is September’s birthstone and the traditional wedding anniversary gift for the 5th and 45th year.
They score a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 on the Mohs’ scale of mineral hardness, second only to diamonds at a perfect 10.
Let’s take a look at the 4 C’s of sapphires in their order of importance.
4C’s of Sapphire
- Color: The color is what shade the sapphire is. The key factor in color value is its saturation, essentially how pure or intense the color seems. The most highly valued blue sapphires are velvety blue to violetish blue, in medium to medium dark tones with strong to vivid color saturation.
- Clarity: Most sapphires will come with a few inclusions. Sapphires with no inclusions should cast suspicion as there is high probability they are synthetic. You want to look for a sapphire that has no inclusions visible to the naked eye. experts look at the size, location and number of inclusions to judge clarity. The less visible the inclusions are, the higher the grade.
- Cut: The cut is essentially what makes a sapphire really sparkle. The cut of a stone refers to how it was faceted and polished from its rough state. Sapphires are given a cut grade, which factors in symmetry, windowing, extinction, and brilliance.
- Carat: The weight of A sapphire is measured in carats. Typically, larger gem quality stones are harder to come by than smaller ones, so they are valued higher. How the weight affects the price will vary between different colors. For example, yellow sapphires are frequently found above 5 carats, while blue ones are a little harder to find.
Ready to Buy?
When you’re ready to buy a sapphire, it’s essential to see a high-quality image of the stone for yourself.
As you now know, color is the most important factor when buying a sapphire, and it would really be a foolish gamble to make a purchase without investigating the actual stone’s hue, tone, and saturation.
When in doubt?
If you have any doubt, get a lab report to ensure whether you are buying natural or synthetic stone.
