Collection: Multicolored sapphire

Typically, when sapphire is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is a blue sapphire. But there are all sorts of sapphires, as sapphire is a gem variety of corundum that can come in many colors except red. In fact, a red sapphire doesn't exist; it's actually a ruby.

The name sapphire is a trade name and comes from the Hebrew “sapir”, the Greek “sappheiros”, the Latin “sapphirus” and which translates as blue stone in the broad sense. Like all corundums, colored sapphire is an aluminum oxide with a very wide range of hues.

Colored sapphires are also called fancy sapphire or sapphire followed by its color, such as “yellow sapphire.” The presence of elements such as chromium, iron, and titanium are responsible for the appearance of blue, green, orange, purple, and yellow tones, or even a combination of all these colors. The presence of titanium and iron produces blue, vanadium for purple, chromium for pink, and iron for yellow and green.

When sapphire is mentioned in legends and myths, it is always blue sapphire or a blue-colored stone such as lapis lazuli. There are very few legends relating to sapphire of a color other than blue.

Good to know : A grades are a stone grading system. We speak of gem quality “A” for a good quality stone, “AA” for a superior quality stone, and “AAA” for exceptional quality.

Generally, the quality of a stone is based on the beauty and intensity of its color, its transparency, and the quality of its cut. Therefore, a stone of exceptional quality that is poorly cut by the lapidary will lose a lot of its value.

Blue sapphires (light, night, dark, green, gray)

• AAA grade Ceylon sapphires are among the most sought-after sapphires. They exhibit the most balanced blue color of all varieties. When a Ceylon sapphire reaches AAA grade, it becomes one of the most sought-after sapphires among collectors. This means that the sapphire has an intense color and no inclusions visible to the naked eye.

• Laos sapphires are also a very beautiful type of sapphire. They have a soft and moving blue color. This quality mineral is perfect for a beautiful gold setting.

• Mambila sapphires have a unique and intense blue. Many collectors of this incredible stone, a very rare gem on the market.

• Blue star sapphires are the great classics of sapphire. They possess a highly valued asterism. As a reminder, this is a luminous phenomenon observed on the stone exposed to bright light. It diffuses this light by forming a 6-pointed star called starfish . This sapphire is often mentioned in many legends. Nowadays, it is very famous in lithotherapy for its benefits.

• AAA-quality blue sapphires from Tanzania have a color similar to some tanzanites. These stones can be confused. However, they do not have the same chemical composition at all.

• Ceylon star sapphires offer asterism when cut en cabochon and possess a soft, clear blue.

• Burmese sapphires have a deep blue color, approaching midnight blue. Burma is a source country for many gems and minerals of all kinds.

Colored sapphires

• Purple sapphires are an ideal solution for lovers of sapphires and purple colored stones.

• Pink sapphires are stones especially suited to women and symbolize love. They are perfect as engagement rings.

• Padparadscha sapphires have a color similar to that of a lotus. They have a special soft orange color. This variety of sapphire is becoming increasingly popular in the jewelry world. Demand, and consequently, prices, are increasing considerably.

• AAA imperial sapphires shine like the sun. This stone has a dazzling orange-yellow color, especially when it is AAA quality. This variety of sapphire is one of the gems highly prized by sapphire lovers.

• Chanthaburi sapphires offer a beautiful green color that is particularly strong and darker than green sapphire.

• Green sapphires are corundums with beautiful green and rather light green colors.

• White star sapphires are sapphires that exhibit an asterism if the stone is cut into a cabochon shape.

• Gold star sapphires are sapphires with a golden sheen and also possess an asterism when cut into a cabochon shape. Many specimens are exhibited in the world's most prestigious natural history museums.

• Bi-color sapphires feature two distinct colors on the same stone. Ametrine and tourmaline share the same characteristic.

• Yellow sapphires are highly prized in jewelry. They have a yellow color very similar to that of citrine.

• Orange sapphires are very common; they offer reflections reminiscent of a sunset.

• Peacock blue sapphires refer to the beautiful colors of the peacock, which are a mixture of blue and green.

• Colorless sapphires also called Leucosapphires . They are surprising and rarely offered. Typically, they are valuable collector's items and sometimes high-end jewelry.

• Opaque dark brown sapphires are the least sought after sapphires because they are very common and lack the brilliance of other varieties.

The various varieties of sapphires mentioned above have natural, untreated colors. The most sought-after colors in colored sapphires (including sapphires other than blue) are intense, uniform colors, such as orange-pink, mandarin orange, candy pink, canary yellow, bright green, or intense purple. But some pieces with multiple colors are also appreciated, such as blue/yellow, green/yellow, orange/blue, etc.

All these types of sapphires can be used to create jewelry in multiple colors, in harmony, in gradient, in contrast.

These natural colored sapphires are rare and expensive, especially when they are clear and have a weight greater than one carat (1 carat = 0.2 g). At the same time, there are all kinds of treated corundums with considerable differences in value.

Be careful of the different treatments applied to sapphires and other corundums :

• Lightly heating the sapphire: This practice is very old and consists of slightly heating the mineral in order to lighten or change the color of the stone. This technique is perfectly tolerated in the profession.

• Heating at very high temperatures: Heating corundum at very high temperatures will change its original color to a completely different color, causing alterations and inclusions that are clearly visible under a magnifying glass. This technique results in a significant drop in the value of the sapphire.

• Heating at very high temperatures with a chemical additive such as beryllium; the original color is accentuated to the point of obtaining completely unnatural colors: a flashy orange-red, an overly bright yellow. The color remains stable over time, but the jeweler must inform the buyer of this treatment, because this technique considerably lowers the price of the sapphire.

In summary, there are still many ways to modify the visual appearance of a sapphire, such as dye impregnation, the introduction of a polymer resin or lead oxide-enriched glass, coating, or diffusion. Each of these treatments drastically reduces the price of the stone.

Furthermore, it is important to note the presence of numerous colored synthetic sapphires on the global jewelry market. These synthetic jewels are a perfect imitation of natural sapphires, except that they were created by man in a laboratory. The technique was developed by Auguste Verneuil in the early 20th century.

What to remember : Many sapphires have very significant price differences. A beautiful, intensely colored, large, and highly transparent sapphire at an affordable price does not exist. It is a heavily treated corundum or a colored synthetic sapphire. Buy your sapphire from a trusted dealer who will inform you about the reasons for the price differences between sapphires.

The main deposits of natural colored sapphires are located in India, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, etc.