Below, you’ll find everything you need to know before buying a sapphire for your engagement ring in 2021!
Sapphire has Remained a Popular Gem Over the Years
Throughout history, sapphire has remained a highly sought gemstone worn by everyone from Princess Diana to Penelope Cruz. But stardom isn’t the only thing that’s made sapphires so popular. It’s been enduring throughout history, worn by every kind of royalty or celebrity, whilst remaining affordable for anyone. Sapphires are not overly expensive, meaning they can be a truly special stone for an engagement ring.
How Can I Get the Best Price for My Sapphire
If you’re buying your stone online, be sure that the retailer you’re working with is accredited and certified by today’s leading industry institutions, like the Gemological Institute of America and other industry experts. This will ensure you get what you pay for! Additionally, shopping around for different stones and sizes, taking things like cut, colour, and clarity into account, can help you choose the best for your budget.
Are there Different Types of Sapphires?
(Range of sapphire colours, image courtesy of With Clarity)
There are a variety of different types of sapphire stone colours; including cornflower blue, royal blue, and sky blue.
Cornflower Blue Sapphires: This is a highly sought sapphire colour because of its light, clear blue that closely resembles the colour of cornflower blue.
Royal Blue: Another popular colour, royal blue sapphires are strong and dark in colour. They can be truly breathtaking in the right ring or another piece of jewellery.
Sky Blue: Sky blue sapphire engagement rings are so popular because they are inexpensive, but still offer a light, radiant colour that can last a lifetime if cared for properly.
Other Facts & History About Traditional Blue Sapphire Gemstones
It is little known nowadays, but since the earliest of times, blue sapphire gemstones have been associated with mysticism. To this day, the gemstone is thought by some to capture the vibrations of the planet Saturn, a planet associated with positivity in the natural world.
But that’s not all, here are some more interesting facts about sapphires you may not know:
- For many, many years, royal families have boasted entire collections of sapphires and sapphire jewellery.
- The only natural mineral harder than sapphire is diamond.
- Sapphires can come in a wide range of colours in addition to the most popular blue ones mentioned above, including shades of white, yellow, green, orange, and pink.
- Sapphires are a specific type of mineral known as corundum. Their colour is made from a mixture of different elements like titanium, copper, magnesium, chromium, iron, and more. Those with the presence of iron and titanium will turn out to be blue sapphires.
- There is a very rare form of pink/orange sapphire known as the Padparadascha sapphire.
- The blue colour of sapphires is varied due to its chemical composition and the way it was formed.
- Many believe that sapphires can ward off certain spiritual energies.
(Kate Middleton adorning her dazzling sapphire engagement ring, image courtesy of Pinterest)
Sapphires Offer Meditative Properties & More!
It is also little known that since sapphire is considered such a spiritual stone, it’s also known to affect the moods of those who wear it, providing positive energy and inner quiet that can be quite unique.
Over the centuries, people who have worn sapphire have been known to accumulate high levels of growth and success, and for those experiencing depression, it can supposedly enhance the mood of those who wear it
Additionally, another thing that makes sapphires so unique is they can actually change their colour when viewed under different light conditions.
How is the Quality of a Sapphire Assessed?
Much in the same way that diamonds are assessed, sapphires are graded upon their colour, clarity, cut, and carat:
- Colour: As previously mentioned, the colour of sapphire can range greatly. However, royal blue and cornflower blue are the most highly sought colours. When assessing colour, the tone of the stone is also taken into consideration: this is how the colour ranges from light to dark. Saturation is also assessed, which is the vibrancy of a sapphire’s colour.
- Clarity: Unfortunately, sapphires that don’t have any flaws don’t really exist; in fact, those without inclusions will often be flagged as forgeries or stones that have been highly heat-treated, so be wary. Stones that look good to the naked eye are often much more affordable and easier to find than ones that are free of most inclusions when looked at through a jeweller’s loupe.
- Cut: There aren’t any standard types of cuts for sapphires, unlike diamonds, so it’s up to your choice and the cutter of the sapphire to find a style that will work for you. The best cuts are well-polished and symmetrical and will highlight all of a sapphire’s best attributes.
- Carat: Loose gemstones can be very different in terms of their carat quality, which refers to the size of the gemstone. Sapphires tend to be much larger than diamonds, as well as heavier, so a sapphire that appears the same size as a diamond will often boast a higher carat simply for this reason. That’s why sapphires are actually measured in millimetres rather than carats.
Contact us today to buy sapphires and other loose gemstones in Hatton Garden and online!
If you’re shopping for sapphires or other loose gemstones like rubies and diamonds, London DE can help make the choice easy on you. Contact us online today or call +44 207 859 4754.