How to judge Sapphire

THANKS to Mother Nature’s inventiveness and generosity, colour sapphires of unusual shades and sizes are found in nearly all major sapphire deposits in the world. Surprisingly, many people are not aware that sapphires come in shades other than blue.

Sapphires can exist in shades of green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and pinkish orange. Sapphires with such colours are named as sapphire with the colour prefix, for instance green sapphire, yellow sapphire, orange sapphire and pink sapphire.

Colour and clarity
When buying sapphire, bear in mind that colour is the most important factor determining the stone’s beauty and value. However, natural colour sapphires are not found in even shades to meet demand. Sapphires today are therefore professionally heat treated, diffused with additives or irradiated to produce more intense, even or unusual shades to be sold at affordableprices to the consumer. They are also treated to achieve better clarity and brilliance.

In general, prices are also dependent on size and availability. Top quality untreated colour sapphires are difficult to find. To find them, at a price, of course, you need patience and in-depth knowledge.

Cut
Most colour sapphires are faceted in a variety of shapes and sizes. Oval and cushion shapes are the most preferred, but emerald, heart, princess and new cuts are not uncommon. Round brilliant colour sapphires have also become popular. When choosing a cut, look for pleasing proportions and quality finish. Well-cut colour sapphires can display amazing flashes due to the stone’s hardness and durability.

Treatments and disclosure
Most colour sapphires are professionally treated to enhance colour or clarity. Such treatments are accepted by the trade. However the treatments must be disclosed to the buyer at the time of sale to protect the consumer. Treatment disclosure is expected to be a common practice for most cases, especially for treatments that are not permanent, or those that require special care by the wearer. If in doubt, send your sapphire for laboratory grading, as the lab reports are supposed to mention any treatment found.

Untreated colour sapphires, especially pinks, are popular but only a few jewellers have access to reliable sources due to price uncertainties and a lack of consistent, quality stones.

Synthetics
Synthetic sapphire exists in the market. Such stones can be easily identified under proper magnification and observation of their inclusions. Clean stones may need further analytical tests. Many of the small colourless sapphires used in inexpensive jewellery are most likely synthetic. Like treated colour sapphires, synthetic sapphire must be disclosed to the buyer at the time of sale to protect the consumer. Keep a look-out for them.