Sapphire: Detailed Info on Value, Cost, and Gemstone Jewelry Insights
Sapphires, the beloved blue gemstones, are not the only colours in the corundum family. Fancy sapphires, which come in a variety of hues, are increasingly popular in the jewellery world.
Key among these are pink, yellow, green, purple, orange, colorless (clear), gray, brown, and violet sapphires. The rare and prized padparadscha sapphire, a unique blend of pink and orange, is especially sought after for its sunset-like colour.
Pink sapphires, with their romantic appeal, are particularly popular. Other fancy sapphires, such as yellow, green, purple, orange, and colorless or gray, each have their own unique charm and desirability, depending on saturation and rarity.
The value of these sapphires is often determined by their saturation, with more intense colours commanding higher prices. Lapidaries can enhance the unusual appearance of these sapphires through slices or cabochon cuts.
Natural yellow sapphires, for instance, show lines at 4500, 4600, and 4700. However, synthetic yellow sapphires may exhibit different luminescent colours than their natural counterparts.
Synthetic sapphires, both blue and fancy colours, can also display unique characteristics. For example, violet sapphires may show a strong red in longwave (LW) and a strong greenish blue in shortwave (SW). On the other hand, orange sapphires, if only thin lines in red, may fluoresce strongly in LW and be flawless, indicating they are probably synthetic.
In the world of synthetic sapphires, colour change sapphires show a line at 4740. These sapphires may fluoresce red in LW and mottled blue in SW.
Sapphires get their extraordinary colours from trace elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, and others. Some African blue sapphires may show moderate to strong orange fluorescence in SW.
Examining sapphires' inclusions, luminescence, and absorption spectra can reveal clues to their geographic origin and whether they're natural or lab-grown. Today, many sapphires on the market are grown in labs, with modern laboratory methods simulating natural formation conditions so closely that colours and even inclusions look extremely natural. Such stones are difficult for all but the most highly skilled professionals to identify as synthetic.
Kashmir sapphires, with their unique soft, velvety appearance due to their silk inclusions, are special. They have a price structure all their own, with some commanding prices over $200,000 a carat. Other unheated, pure blue sapphires can sell for $2,000-$10,000 per carat, depending on size.
Sapphires can also display asterism or the "star effect" due to rutile inclusions in their hexagonal crystal matrix. Trapiche sapphires, with carbonaceous inclusions between their crystal growth sectors, resemble the spokes of a wheel.
Blue sapphires are the most valuable, with Kashmir sapphires commanding the highest prices. Pink and pink-orange padparadscha sapphires command the second highest prices after blue.
In conclusion, the world of sapphires is vast and colourful, extending beyond the traditional blue gemstones. Whether natural or synthetic, each sapphire offers a unique blend of colour, rarity, and value, making them a fascinating study for gem enthusiasts and collectors alike.
Gemology and the study of gemstones, including sapphires, has been a crucial part of the science field for centuries.
Sapphires, not just blue, come in a variety of colors, such as pink, yellow, green, purple, orange, and violet, with each color having its own unique charm and desirability.
Synthetic sapphires, replicating the colors and even the inclusions of natural sapphires, have become increasingly common in the jewelry world, making it challenging for even professionals to distinguish them.
Fitness and exercise, mental health, and nutrition are important aspects of health-and-wellness, but they are not typically related to the study of synthetic gems like sapphires.
In the realm of health-and-wellness, it would be more beneficial to look at the benefits of gemstones like amethyst for stress relief or citrine for boosting mental clarity.
