The best color for a natural blue sapphire is an intense, velvety, deep royal blue. This color of sapphire would be considered AAA quality, the rarest and most valuable. The second best color is a medium rich blue, or AA quality. Any blue sapphires that have a slight gray undertone fit into the A category.
Natural AAAA
These are the top 10% of natural sapphires available. They have a signature medium blue color and are slightly included. Natural AAAA graded sapphires are typically used in fine jewelry by the 5th Avenue or Rodeo Drive Jewelers.
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. The sapphire's saturation – Saturation refers to the purity of a blue sapphire's colour.
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.
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.
A fine quality ruby is generally more expensive than most sapphires and emeralds, with record prices of up to $1,000,000 per carat. Sapphires can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $11,000 per carat, but you'll find good-quality stones at $450 - $1,200 per carat. Emeralds range from $525 to $1,125 per carat.
Sapphire Price
Sapphires can come as cheap as $25 per carat, to over $11,000 per carat.
The Australian sapphire is extremely valued by gem collectors, jewellers and wearers alike. The crystals can vary in size which may influence value, but the average sapphire measures to be about three carats.
The Black Star of Queensland, also known as the Brimstone of Queensland, named after its nature and place of origin, is a 733-carat (146.6 g) black sapphire, and was the world's largest gem quality star sapphire until The Star of Adam was discovered.
Sri Lanka (Ceylon) & Madagascar
The quantity and quality of blue sapphires coming from Sri Lanka is only rivaled by new deposits found in Madagascar. The sapphires from Madagascar are in many cases almost indistinguishable against sapphires from Sri Lanka.
Natural AAA - This grade accounts for just 2% of all natural gemstones. Natural AA - This grade represents 10% of all natural gemstones available in the world. Natural A - This grade forms the top 20% of natural gemstones. Natural B - This category accounts for over 50% of natural gemstones.
Wearing Blue Sapphire protects you from such malicious effects and hence helps you stabilize wealth and income even during your bad phase. Malachite, this gemstone is associated with heart and throat chakra and its energies protects one from financial misfortune.
Sapphires are typically graded on a letter scale with AAA being the best and ranging down.
The special color combination of pink-orange or orange-pink is known as Padparadscha sapphire, the rarest sapphire color, and a special rarity. In addition, there are also "color-changing" as well as "two-color" sapphires.
Even though a tanzanite is much rarer than a sapphire, the latter is more expensive because of its beauty and eternal association with royalty. The sapphire is also exceptionally durable which further works in its favor and makes it a popular choice for wedding jewelry and engagement rings.
Heirloom (AAAA)
This category includes the top 1% of sapphire. They have a truly exceptional and deep hue, are very slightly included and exhibit high brilliance.
The Rockefeller Sapphire
The Sapphire was bought by the son of the legendary American business tycoon John D Rockefeller. Rockefeller Jr is known for buying some of the worlds finest gemstones and the purchase of this stunning stone from an Indian Maharaja is one of his best.
A valuation revealed the stone weighed in at a whopping 834 carats, and is estimated to be worth A$12,500 (NZ$13,807), according to a TikTok uploaded by Betteridge.
In general one can say that lighter pastel colours are always cheaper than rare intensive sapphire colours. Blue and intense pink sapphires have always been rare and reflect the current and future higher value. Yellow and brighter pink sapphires are inexpensive, as are white and purple sapphires.
In New South Wales, sapphires and rubies are mined in the New England region, around Inverell and Glen Innes, and north-west of Goulburn, near Oberon. The Kings Plains area, near Inverell, has some of the richest deposits of gem-quality sapphires ever mined.
Ceylon sapphires tend to be lighter in colour than Australian sapphires, from light powder blue to a medium blue. It is the ceylon sapphire which a generally known as 'blue sapphires'. Dark Ceylon sapphires are a Diamondport favourite.
To identify if your "sapphire" stone is real, stay in total darkness and use a flashlight to shine a light on it. If you have a genuine sapphire, the same color as the sapphire stone should reflect back. However, if it is a fake sapphire (usually made of glass), you will see other color reflections in the crystal.
The different colors are the result of varying levels of trace minerals. Blue sapphire is, without a doubt, the most sought after, ranging from light blue to dark blue. The darker the color, the more valuable the gemstone.
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. They are rarer than sapphires but not quite as rare as rubies.
The decision ultimately comes down to the colour you wish to be present on your ring - if it's the romantic red shade then rubies are the way to go, whereas if you have an eye for any other hue, we recommend looking at a sapphire engagement ring.