The Real Sapphire engagement ring – A Simplified Guide

A real Sapphire is both traditional and a trendy gem choice for your fiancee’s ring. It can cover something old or something new, but it will really wow when brides need something blue. Real sapphire stone is rare, beautiful and durable. When you’re shopping for a real sapphire ring, some knowledge of the components of the engagement ring will save you both time and money. Let us start with the stone first.

What is a Sapphire?

Sapphire is a crystallized form of a mineral substance known as corundum. A real sapphire comes in a variety of colors such as pink, yellow and white, but are famous for their rich, deep royal blue color which it gets from trace elements of titanium within the gem. While the stone is found in several regions around the world, the most valuable ones are mined from Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Kashmir, Thailand, and Australia. Each region is known to produce a variety of colors.

At a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, sapphires can resist scratching better than all other natural gemstones besides diamonds. In addition, they have no cleavage and can have a tough tenacity, which means they also resist shattering from impacts. From a practical standpoint, sapphire is one of the best options for an engagement ring stone.

Read: The Cost Of A Real Sapphire Ring

How to Pick a Sapphire Engagement Ring Stone?

Sapphire prices vary dramatically depending on the stone’s quality and size. While no standard grading methodology exists, here are some basic guidelines for evaluating sapphires as well as some particular characteristics to watch for when having your stone cut and set in a ring.

The Color

Color is the single most important attribute of a real sapphire. We examine color by the Sapphire’s hue, tone, and saturation. Hue is the type of color in the sapphire. For example, if the gemstone is blue sapphire, then the hue is blue. The tone is the depth of color. Sapphires can have different tones and still be high quality or low quality. And last but not least is the saturation, which is the evenness of color hue and tone. If the sapphire looks to have light spots or areas where the color gets too dark or fades, then the saturation may be uneven.

Sapphire color is examined without magnification. It is best to hold the sapphire between two fingers or on a white surface face up. Then rock and tilt the gemstone to examine the color and how it interacts with light. Human eyes are very good as identifying color. You have an innate ability to appreciate good quality versus lower quality. Your eyes will do the work and be able to identify if the sapphire is AAA or A quality.

It is important to note that, apart from the size, color is the single biggest price factor. All three major color factors, hue, tone, and saturation, must be evaluated simultaneously when pricing a sapphire and assigning a quality grade.

The Clarity

Sapphires will most often have eye-visible inclusions. These are fractures, minute crystals, and even liquids and gasses trapped inside the stone that you can see unaided.

Typically, such inclusions won’t impact the sapphire’s value unless they obviously detract from its overall beauty. In some rare cases, inclusions can create valuable star sapphires, which show asterism or a “star stone” effect. Inclusions also create the prized “velvety” look of Kashmir sapphires. However, rich and dark colors in sapphires will usually mask the majority of these inclusions.

Although clarity isn’t usually the foremost consideration when shopping for colored gemstones, you should still avoid stones with obvious inclusions that detract from the stone’s beauty or that affect its durability. A gemologist can better assess if inclusions affect a gem’s structural integrity.

To check a sapphire’s clarity, simply rock the stone back and forth under a light. See if any inclusions jump out at you. If you find none of them distracting, that stone likely has good clarity.

Ring Settings for Sapphires

Jewelry makers can set sapphires relatively easily, whether faceted or cabbed. Most faceted sapphire engagement ring stones receive prong settings so viewers can admire the gem from all angles. (Vintage and Art Deco-inspired designs often place sapphires in bezel settings).

Pears, hearts, and marquises need V-shaped prongs to protect their points. Square or emerald-cut sapphires often need prongs on their corners to prevent chipping.

Most prongs on the market today are short and rounded. However, long and pointed claw prongs have recently come into fashion. Claw settings can add a modern or edgy touch to an engagement ring.

White gold or platinum settings tend to give sapphires a clean, elegant look. Yellow and rose gold, on the other hand, will make the color of a blue sapphire stand out more.

What Difference Does a Sapphire’s Source Make?

The origin of a sapphire gemstone has a great impact on its price. Sapphires from Kashmir, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka could cost more than stones of equal quality from other sources simply because of the prestige attached to these locales. However, just because a trader refers to a sapphire with a regional name doesn’t mean it actually comes from that region. For example, a “Ceylon sapphire” may simply indicate the stone shows attributes typical of sapphires from Sri Lanka. This is why it is important to always ask for the GIA or AGL authenticity certification of the gem when buying a real sapphire.

American consumers who want local, ethically sourced, untreated sapphires should consider stones from Yogo Gulch, Montana. These show a beautiful “cornflower” blue color even without heat treatment.

The Romance of a Real Sapphire Ring

Sapphires have many symbolic associations and have long been popular as engagement ring stones among nobility and celebrities. While still a poor soldier, Napoleon splurged on a ring set for Josephine with an inverted pear-cut sapphire and an upright pear-cut diamond. This ring style, known as “You and Me,” was incredibly popular during the 18th century. Although each stone was just one carat in size, it was still very expensive back then.

Princess Kate’s engagement ring consists of an oval 12-ct Ceylon sapphire surrounded by a halo of diamonds. In the 1980s, Prince Charles had picked the center stone with Lady Diana and had it set in a ring. Prince William, their son, presented the ring to Kate Middleton in 2010. It has since become one of the most famous engagement rings in the world.

Other celebrities with notable sapphire engagement rings include Penelope Cruz and Elizabeth Hurley.

HAS READING THIS BLOG SPARKED YOUR INTEREST IN BUYING A REAL SAPPHIRE RING FOR YOUR FIANCE?

Clearly, a sapphire engagement ring can be a conversation piece, and there is no better place you could be in right now than here if you are looking to order one for your own love of life.

At Real Sapphire, we can help you make a statement! Simply head on over to our gallery and choose one design from hundreds of ready-to-ship models. Not your style? No worries! We can help bring the engagement ring of your dreams to life through our custom ring design services. Reach out to us to learn more.