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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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. A diamond of similar carat, cut and quality will cost more than a comparable sapphire.
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.
Thus, Neelam is considered the most powerful gemstone in astrology. Price of Blue Sapphire stones depends upon their type and quality. Quality of the stone is determined based on its color, transparency, luster and cutting. A good quality transparent stone will allow light and energy to pass through; letting it shine.
Selecting a stone
Just remember cool colours go best with cool skin tones – blues, purples, pinks, and reds. So, you might opt for rubies and sapphires. Meanwhile, warm skin tones are really brought out when wearing emeralds, turquoise and chocolate diamonds.
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.
So what does a sapphire symbolize today? Many sources list that sapphires are believed to symbolize wisdom, virtue, good fortune, and holiness for royals. In an engagement ring, a sapphire means faithfulness and sincerity, too.
Kashmir sapphires were mined from the Kashmir region of northern India (at 14,500 ft). They are considered the finest sapphires in the world. Mined for about 40 years, between 1880-1920s, these stones are not available in the modern markets.
“The three most famous locations for high quality sapphires are Kashmir, Burma, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka),” says Salit. Sapphires are also found in Madagascar, Australia, the United States, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Kenya, Tanzania, and other countries around the world.
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 the standard but pink and yellow colored sapphires are rising in popularity. A sapphire without any visible inclusions or chips can hold its price indefinitely.
From the durability point of view, sapphire is clearly the winner. Tanzanite, on the other hand, needs more care because it isn't as tough and also has the 'gemstone cleavage'.
It is believed as a source of bringing positive change and great success in people's life. But before you wear it, consultation with an experienced astrologer is necessary. An off-handedly taken decision may land you to new problems. Studded in iron or gold, it should be worn on the middle finger of right hand.
Thanks to their durability, sapphires are safe to be worn every day.
The Neelam gemstone should be worn either in the evening before sunset or on Saturday morning during Shukla Paksha. The ideal weight of the Blue Sapphire neelam stone should be between 4 to 5 carats. Some astrologers also recommend wearers to select a stone size that is 1/5th their body weight.
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.
A sapphire engagement ring means honesty, sincerity and faithfulness. It is also believed to provide good fortune within marriage and to keep it strong and healthy.
Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades.
Sapphires are actually quite hard and score 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. "Second only to diamonds," Earlam-Charnley points out. This means that sapphires are suitable for everyday wear. "A sapphire should last a lifetime and can be passed down for generations."