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Stones / Classics / Sapphires

Sapphires

Corundum — all colours

Every colour except red. And every shade of those colours, deeper than you'd imagine.

Sapphire is corundum — the same mineral as ruby — in every colour except red. Blue is the archetype, but padparadscha, pink, golden, green, violet, and parti-sapphires each have their own devoted following. Corundum is the second hardest mineral on earth.

9
Mohs Hardness
1.762–1.770
Refractive Index
3.95–4.03
Specific Gravity
Kashmir / Burma / Ceylon
Classic Origin
Widely Available
Availability

The History

The sapphire's place in history is woven through royalty and religion. Ancient Persians believed the earth rested on a sapphire whose reflection coloured the sky. Medieval European bishops wore sapphire rings as symbols of divine favour. The British Crown Jewels contain several major sapphires, including the Stuart Sapphire and the St. Edward's Sapphire. The engagement ring worn by the Princess of Wales — now Catherine, Princess of Wales — brought sapphire to a new global audience in 1981 and again in 2010.

"Kashmir sapphires, from a small Himalayan deposit that was exhausted within decades of discovery, produce a colour unlike any other source — a velvety cornflower blue that seems to glow from within. The effect is caused by alternating milky growth bands containing dispersed Fe-Ti oxide nanoparticles, accompanied by fine crossing dust-tracks and dust clouds that scatter light through the Tyndall effect. Fine Kashmir stones now regularly exceed rubies at auction."

— SSEF Swiss Gemmological Institute: Kashmir Sapphire, Dr. M.S. Krzemnicki (Facette 2013)

Why I Love Working With It

Sapphire's hardness makes it an ideal candidate for expressive setting styles. Prongs can be lighter, halos more open, galleries more pierced — the stone can handle it. The breadth of the colour range also allows me to play against expectation. A golden sapphire in a dark setting. A violet sapphire beside baguette onyx. The stone's personality is adaptable in a way few others match.

What to Look For

For blue sapphires, seek vivid, medium-dark blue without grey undertones. Kashmir origin is the pinnacle; fine Burmese (Mogok) and Ceylon (Kandy/Ratnapura) stones are also exceptional. For fancy colours, padparadscha — the salmon-pink variety — is among the rarest and most coveted. Always request laboratory certification for fine stones, and ask specifically about heat treatment status.

Pieces Featuring Sapphires

From the Métamorphism collection

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