The blue sapphire is a classic and timeless gemstone. For engagement rings it is second only to diamonds in popularity. Throughout history there are many examples of sapphires being the stone of choice: from Napoleon’s toi et moi engagement ring for his fiancée Josephine, to Lady Diana Spencer’s twelve carat oval sapphire cluster ring, now being worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales. 

Sapphire is the official birthstone for September and the gemstone for fifth and forty-fifth wedding anniversaries. It has a hardness of 9 on Mohs’ scale making it an excellent, durable choice for everyday wear. Interestingly, sapphire belongs to the same gemmological family as ruby, both being examples of the mineral corundum.

Blue is the first colour that comes to mind when we hear the word sapphire but they do occur naturally in a whole rainbow of colours. The oldest reported sapphire discovery dates back to 300BCE. They have been found in Sri Lanka for more than 2000 years and that country remains one of the major sources of sapphires to this day. Sri Lanka was formerly known as Ceylon and many clients still ask for a Ceylonese sapphire as they were historically known to be some of the world’s finest, highly prized for their rich blue colour and exceptional clarity. 

Today a large percentage of fine, gem quality sapphires are being mined in Madagascar. While each gemstone is unique, Thai sapphires tend to be a strong, royal blue color and clean to the eye. As there has been little mining in the Kanchanaburi Province for the past fifteen years these sapphires have become quite scarce. Kashmir sapphires, known for their velvety appearance, are incredibly rare as they were only mined from 1881-1887. Australian sapphires are most often found in an inky blue colour but are now popular in shades of green, teal and unique parti colours. 

Most often with a coloured gemstone there is no best or correct colour, and this applies to sapphires. You should choose the one that most appeals to you. Look for even colour throughout the stone and minimal visible inclusions. With a jeweller’s loupe it may be possible to see growth lines in a sapphire. Curved lines indicate a synthetic stone and straight banding confirms it is natural.

Star sapphires, like the one below, are a rare and special variety of sapphire and are cabochon cut to highlight the asterism. This is formed by fine needle-like rutile inclusions intersecting within the stone and is best visible when light reflects off the gem while it is being gently rotated.

Much sapphire mined is of poor quality with only a small percentage suitable for cutting and polishing into beautiful gemstones. As precious stones increase in size they become more rare. Gem quality sapphires weighing over five carats are not commonly found.

For any questions you may have about purchasing a piece of sapphire jewellery, or caring for your sapphires, speak to our friendly team at Rutherford Jewellery.