Fine colored gemstones have never been more popular. Not long ago, only a diamond would be thought suitable for an engagement ring. But today many precious and semi-precious stones are chosen instead of diamond. This trend gained momentum when Princess Diana chose a blue sapphire for her engagement ring.
Sapphire, the blue variety of the mineral corundum, has long been one of the most highly esteemed of precious stones. It combines excellent hardness and wearability with outstanding brilliance and luster. And it is hard to equal the velvety deep blue of a sapphire, especially when set with white diamonds. Blue sapphire is thought to symbolize sincerity and faithfulness.
But the classic blue is not the only choice in sapphire. Here is some useful information on sapphire colors and what to look for in a fine sapphire.
Sapphire Colors
Blue continues to be the top-selling color in sapphire, though there is actually a range of blue tones from light blue to midnight blue. But not all sapphires are blue. You might be surprised at the wide choice of sapphire colors. They include shades of pink, yellow, green, orange and a very rare pink-orange known as padparadscha. You won't find sapphires in red, however. That's because red sapphire is known as ruby! Ruby and sapphire are actually the same mineral, corundum.
Yellow sapphire has become a very popular choice recently, probably due to the popularity of yellow diamonds. While yellow sapphires are hardly inexpensive, they are certainly far cheaper than yellow diamonds, yet have a combination of hardness and brilliance that rival diamond.
Yellow sapphire is colored by traces of iron. These stones are available in shades from the palest yellow to intense yellow-gold. The darker yellow tones are achieved through heat treatment, with some of the brighter shades created by a lattice diffusion treatment using beryllium.
Many sapphires that appear green actually consist of fine alternating bands of blue and yellow sapphire, which may be visible under the microscope.
What to Look For in a Fine Sapphire
In the case of blue sapphire one should look at the intensity of the blue as the most important factor in deciding the value. For example, you may have a huge stone of many carats, but if the color is a washed-out, weak blue, then the value of the stone will be lower. Look for a stone that has an intense, rich blue without being dark or inky. Overall, sapphires that are too dark and inky or too light in color are valued less.
Sapphires tend to be cleaner than ruby in regards to clarity. Look for stones that are eye-clean. This means that no inclusions or defects are visible to the naked eye. Actually, extremely fine silk or rutile throughout the stone can enhance the value of some sapphires. The famous sapphires from Kashmir have a velvety blue color which is caused by this fine silk. However, too much silk weakens the color, making it appear undesirably grayish. Another thing to look for is color consistency. The color should be consistent throughout the gem, with little or no color zoning. Study some sapphire information before you go shopping.
Various shapes and cutting styles are common with sapphires. Ovals, cushions, and rounds are seen, as are other shapes such as the heart or emerald cut. Round stones often command a small premium because it takes more rough material to cut a round stone. Round stones are also easier to set since commercial settings can easily be adapted to round stones of any size.
Untreated sapphires are especially valuable. But these days it is rare to find untreated stones in the market -- the vast majority of sapphires have been heat treated to improve the color and clarity. Look first for color; second for clarity; and third for cut. Compare a large number of sapphires before you make your choice. It's better to buy a smaller stone that is very fine than a larger gem of poor color or clarity.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Nash
Sapphire, the blue variety of the mineral corundum, has long been one of the most highly esteemed of precious stones. It combines excellent hardness and wearability with outstanding brilliance and luster. And it is hard to equal the velvety deep blue of a sapphire, especially when set with white diamonds. Blue sapphire is thought to symbolize sincerity and faithfulness.
But the classic blue is not the only choice in sapphire. Here is some useful information on sapphire colors and what to look for in a fine sapphire.
Sapphire Colors
Blue continues to be the top-selling color in sapphire, though there is actually a range of blue tones from light blue to midnight blue. But not all sapphires are blue. You might be surprised at the wide choice of sapphire colors. They include shades of pink, yellow, green, orange and a very rare pink-orange known as padparadscha. You won't find sapphires in red, however. That's because red sapphire is known as ruby! Ruby and sapphire are actually the same mineral, corundum.
Yellow sapphire has become a very popular choice recently, probably due to the popularity of yellow diamonds. While yellow sapphires are hardly inexpensive, they are certainly far cheaper than yellow diamonds, yet have a combination of hardness and brilliance that rival diamond.
Yellow sapphire is colored by traces of iron. These stones are available in shades from the palest yellow to intense yellow-gold. The darker yellow tones are achieved through heat treatment, with some of the brighter shades created by a lattice diffusion treatment using beryllium.
Many sapphires that appear green actually consist of fine alternating bands of blue and yellow sapphire, which may be visible under the microscope.
What to Look For in a Fine Sapphire
In the case of blue sapphire one should look at the intensity of the blue as the most important factor in deciding the value. For example, you may have a huge stone of many carats, but if the color is a washed-out, weak blue, then the value of the stone will be lower. Look for a stone that has an intense, rich blue without being dark or inky. Overall, sapphires that are too dark and inky or too light in color are valued less.
Sapphires tend to be cleaner than ruby in regards to clarity. Look for stones that are eye-clean. This means that no inclusions or defects are visible to the naked eye. Actually, extremely fine silk or rutile throughout the stone can enhance the value of some sapphires. The famous sapphires from Kashmir have a velvety blue color which is caused by this fine silk. However, too much silk weakens the color, making it appear undesirably grayish. Another thing to look for is color consistency. The color should be consistent throughout the gem, with little or no color zoning. Study some sapphire information before you go shopping.
Various shapes and cutting styles are common with sapphires. Ovals, cushions, and rounds are seen, as are other shapes such as the heart or emerald cut. Round stones often command a small premium because it takes more rough material to cut a round stone. Round stones are also easier to set since commercial settings can easily be adapted to round stones of any size.
Untreated sapphires are especially valuable. But these days it is rare to find untreated stones in the market -- the vast majority of sapphires have been heat treated to improve the color and clarity. Look first for color; second for clarity; and third for cut. Compare a large number of sapphires before you make your choice. It's better to buy a smaller stone that is very fine than a larger gem of poor color or clarity.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ron_Nash
1 comments:
A brilliant, spectacular, visually-entertaining compendium of information out here,never seen any jewellery blog like this. www.zoppinicharms.co.uk
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