Stunning Sapphire – The Birthstone of September

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Besides blue sapphire and ruby, the corundum family also includes so-called “fancy sapphires.” They come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues. Some stones exhibit the phenomenon known as color change, most often going from blue in daylight or fluorescent lighting to purple under incandescent light. Sapphires can even be gray, black, or brown.

KASHMIR – Intensely saturated and velvety, rare sapphires from Kashmir set the standard for blue.

ROYAL BLUE – The world’s most famous engagement ring: Kate Middleton’s and Princess Diana’s sapphire.

PADPARADSCHA – A rare and valuable pinkish-orange sapphire named from the Sinhalese for lotus blossom.

FACTS

  • MINERAL: Corundum
  • CHEMISTRY: Al2O3
  • COLOR: Every color but red
  • REFRACTIVE INDEX: 1.762 to 1.770
  • BIREFRINGENCE: 0.008 to 0.010
  • SPECIFIC GRAVITY: 4.00
  • MOHS HARDNESS: 9

BIRTHSTONES & ANNIVERSARIES

Sapphire is the birthstone for September and the gem of the 5th and 45th anniversaries.

WHY WE LOVE THIS GEMSTONE

  • 1

    VIVID AND SATURATED

    Sapphire’s blue can be vivid and saturated, like it’s lit from within.

  • 2

    DURABLE

    It’s so durable, synthetic sapphire is used for the windows of supermarket scanners and spacecraft.

  • 3

    DELICATE SILK

    Sapphire often contains delicate intersecting needles of rutile that gemologists call silk.

QUALITY FACTORS

Each color of sapphire has its own quality variations.

  • COLOR

 

 

Sapphires come in a variety of colors. Preferred sapphires have strong to vivid color saturation, regardless of hue.

  • CLARITY

 

 

Blue sapphires typically have some inclusions, but they generally have better clarity than rubies.

  • CUT

 

 

Sapphire is often cut with a brilliant pattern on the crown and a step cut pattern on the pavilion.

  • CARAT WEIGHT

     

     

 

 

Blue sapphires range in size, and large blue sapphires are more readily available than large rubies.