Most gemologists would nominate Sri Lanka while others might suggest Montana or Madagascar. Blue Sapphires from Sri Lanka are known as “Ceylon” sapphires. The sapphires from Montana's Yogo Gulch in the United States have an unusual and attractive color of blue that leans into the teal color range.
Some places are widely known for producing a specific kind of sapphire. For instance, Sri Lanka is considered to produce the finest blue sapphire ever. Recently, a 1,404-carat sapphire, The Star of Adam, was discovered in a mine in Sri Lanka. It is the largest sapphire to be discovered to date.
Blue sapphires are usually categorized as having a light tone, light-medium tone, medium tone, medium-dark tone or dark tone. As a general rule, blue sapphires with a medium or medium-dark tone have the highest value.
Padparadscha sapphires are a pink-orange colour and are considered to be the rarest type of sapphire. They are mined in Sri Lanka and Tanzania, and a high-quality Padparadscha sapphire can fetch several thousand dollars per carat.
Additionally, Australian Sapphires are an extremely durable stone with a hardness of nine on Mohs' scale, which makes them an extremely versatile and high quality piece for everyday wear.
The two main sources for sapphire in Australia are the New England fields, in northern New South Wales, and the Anakie fields, in central Queensland. Large-scale com- mercial mining has been successful at these two fields only. Geographically, the two areas are quite different.
However, natural sapphires come in almost every color of the rainbow including pink, rose, violet, yellow, orange, green, blue-green, or white (colorless). The special color combination of pink-orange or orange-pink is known as Padparadscha sapphire, the rarest sapphire color, and a special rarity.
Blue Sapphires
Color has the greatest influence on a sapphire's value, and preferred sapphires have strong to vivid color saturation. The most valued blue sapphires are velvety blue to violetish blue, in medium to medium-dark tones. Sapphires with these qualities command the highest prices per carat.
India. The locality considered to produce the finest blue sapphires in the world is Kashmir, India. These amazing stones are mined at 16,500 feet in the Zaskar region. Kashmir blue sapphires are known to have a velvety or sleepy quality that is very desirable.
Remember these 4 steps when looking for a good sapphire: choose “juicy”, even color; no glaring inclusions or visible “junk”; a well-proportioned cut appropriate for sapphire; and lastly carat size, which will be determined by your budget.
The price of a sapphire is related to its color, rarity, and size. Larger sapphires in rare colors are more expensive than sapphires with dull colors in smaller carat sizes. Lab-created sapphires tend to be more affordable than sapphires mined in nature.
Thailand has and still does produce some of the finest sapphires in one of the most diverse range of colors found any where today.
How much are Ceylon sapphires worth? Ceylon Sapphires range from $200 - $9,000. The Sapphire price is determined by the Color, Clarity, Cut, Carat Weight of the gemstone. However, individual Sapphires may have higher prices depending on its qualities.
Blue is the most popular and well known color in sapphires.
What is the rarest sapphire color? The two rarest sapphire colors are Padparadscha and cornflower blue. The most prized sapphires are Kashmir sapphires of a bright, velvety blue from the mountains in India. The last Kashmir sapphire was mined in 1927.
Check For Blemishes
Natural sapphires have flaws and inclusions which prove that they came straight from nature. If you look at them with a jeweler's magnifying glass or loupe, you will see small spots and blemishes which occur naturally as the sapphire formed thousands of years ago under the earth.
Though sapphires are rarer than diamonds, they are often a more affordable diamond alternative or accent. The brilliance, durability and timelessness of diamonds keeps them as the more expensive of these two gems.
In fact, they are among the rarest colored stone in the world. Ruby: Untreated natural rubies are extremely rare. They are actually significantly rarer than sapphires, which is why they are even more expensive. Emerald: Like sapphires and rubies, emeralds are among the rarest of all gemstones.
The blue sapphires from Sri Lanka, now referred to as Ceylon Sapphires (and Sri-Lankan Sapphires) are known for being lighter, brighter, and more vivid than the dark blue sapphires that come from other countries.
Sapphires are a longstanding staple
Most of the sapphire in Australia is blue, or very dark with a greenish color. This kind of sapphire is only found in Australia.
However, if you want a truly scarce Australian gem, then the black opal is one of the finest. The black opal is mined in Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, and it is famed for its blend of eye-catching colours. Black opals are so rare that they can cost as much as $2,335 per carat.
Opal is found around the world (Brazil, Mexico, Honduras and the western US) however Australia produces 95% of the world's precious opal and it is our official national gemstone.