Sapphire

Sapphire is a precious gemstone comprised of the mineral corundum and trace elements like iron, titanium, cobalt, boron, or silicon. While the most well-known version of sapphire is blue, it can be nearly any color (besides red, as gemstones with red corundum are classified as rubies). Beloved for centuries for its beauty and durability, sapphire is a mainstay in all types of jewelry, from engagement rings to earrings.

Sapphire Types

Natural Sapphires
Over millions of years, natural sapphires form deep in the Earth, usually in metamorphic or igneous rocks. Each natural sapphire crystal features a unique size, shape, and color. They form in various colors, from blue to pink, purple, green, orange, teal, yellow, peach, white, and beyond.


Lab Grown Sapphires
Lab sapphires are grown with precision by scientists utilizing advanced technology. They feature the same chemical properties as natural sapphires but often have a more consistent color and fewer flaws as they’re grown precisely in controlled environments. Like natural sapphires, they also come in a rainbow of colors.
Sapphire Meaning
Sapphire has been symbolic of nobility, sincerity, truth, and faithfulness to various cultures for centuries. In ancient Greece and Rome, kings and queens believed that blue sapphires would protect them from envy and harm. In the Middle Ages, blue sapphires symbolized heaven. Today, sapphire is known to symbolize royalty.
Sapphire Properties

Mohs Hardness
9  
 
Mineral
Corundum  
 
Color
All colors except red  
 
Refractive Index
1.762 to 1.770
How to Choose a Sapphire

There are many factors to consider when choosing the right sapphire for you. Color and shape are the two most important factors visually — but it’s essential to learn about cut, color, clarity, and more to pick the perfect piece.  
 
Color
As mentioned, sapphire color ranges far beyond the well-known blue. Due to trace minerals within sapphires, such as boron or iron, they can feature nearly any color besides red. This includes:  


Pink  
Purple 
Violet  
Yellow  
Orange 
Green  
White  
Brown  
Black 
Grey  
Blue

Shape  
Shape refers to the external geometric outline of the gem. Sapphires can be cut into nearly any shape, from more traditional shapes such as round or princess to trillion, kite, and beyond.   
 
Cut 
Sapphires are cut to maximize size and color saturation through the table. This means that sometimes they may be cut with a heavier or shallower pavilion, or with a more unique cut than a traditional one. 
 
Clarity
Natural sapphires are typically included and feature unique characteristics. Lab sapphires, on the other hand, are typically inclusion-free and feature a generally uniform look.  
 
Carat Weight and Size
Sapphires are typically referenced in millimeter size instead of carat weight. Though carat weight for a given sapphire may be displayed, it’s more informational to reference actual size – as diamonds and other gemstones retain differing densities (and therefore different carat weights at the same millimeter measurement).
Price
Sapphires are typically valued based on their rarity, color, color saturation, clarity, size, and origin.  
 
Treatment
Sapphires can be left as-is or heat-treated to improve color, clarity, and overall appearance. Some natural sapphires are found closer to thermal venting in the Earth, which produces exceptional color through natural heating. Experts can mimic this natural process by heating sapphires not found in these locations.
 
Most Brilliant Earth sapphires are heat-treated, as is industry standard with almost all available today. We also carry un-heated sapphires.
Origins
We work with a small number of exclusive gemstone suppliers who share our values and source from specific countries that focus on land protection, safer mining, and improved working conditions. 
 
Kashmir
Kashmir blue sapphire (Corundum) is the most sought after variety of Sapphire in the world. We have direct access to the mine owners and are able to acquire the best quality, vivid color sapphire rough and cut for our international customers. .   
 
Sri Lanka
Governmental regulations in Sri Lanka promote low-impact mining and support land restoration after mining is complete. The miners in Sri Lanka we work with employ age-old techniques that minimize environmental damage.  
 
Australia
Internationally recognized policies in Australia protect the well-being of mine employees by promoting health and safety in the workplace as well as competitive wages and benefits.
   
Australia’s regulations, land restoration efforts, and minimized impacts on water quality also protect ecosystems and indigenous land. Companies must also pay a fee that is only returned after land used for mining meets or exceeds its original condition.
Certification

The jewelry industry has yet to standardize a consistent grading scale for sapphires. Though several testing agencies provide detailed gem grading reports, they fall short when classifying sapphires. The reports, limited to color grading, are not as systematic, methodical, and detailed as a diamond grading report, and they vary significantly from agency to agency. Unlike diamonds, where the cut is one of the most important qualities, the color of a sapphire is arguably the most important factor in determining its quality and value.
Sapphire Facts
The most expensive blue sapphire ever sold is the Blue Bell of Asia. In 2014, it sold for over $17 million. 


Some sapphires can feature more than one color (known as bi-color or multi-color). Others are color-change sapphires, that change in hue in different lighting.  


The most famous sapphire is the one presented to Lady Diana Spencer by Prince Charles as her engagement ring.
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