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
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.
“Padparadscha” is an ancient Sanskrit word used to describe the color of a tropical lotus flower. One of the rarest gemstones of the world, Padparadscha sapphires are rivaled by no other gemstone species or color substitute.
Kashmir blue sapphires are known to have a velvety or sleepy quality that is very desirable. Most experts would consider these gemstones to be the benchmark of both color and overall quality for blue sapphires.
The Blue Belle Of Asia earns the title of the most expensive blue sapphire in the world, after selling for $17,305,996 at Christie's Geneva in November 2014. This 392.52-carat untreated Ceylon sapphire features a cushion-cut stone that draws your gaze into the depths of its captivating blue prism.
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.
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. Note: Comparing to diamonds, fine quality sapphires, rubies and emeralds are far, FAR more rare.
Many of the most famous sapphires in the world come from Sri Lanka. Ceylon sapphire has been valued for its vivid color, which tends towards a lighter and brighter blue than the dark blue sapphires from other sources.It was once called Rathnadweepa which means Gem Island in Sinhalese.
Tanzanite. Intense violet-blue hues of tanzanite can rival fine sapphire at a fraction of the price - and it's a much rarer stone!
Pink sapphires are rarer and appear more like (very costly) pink diamonds. Still, they may not fetch as high a price as blue due to their lower popularity. For both shades, color is very important to price and value, with medium-dark blues and intense, saturated pinks considered the most valuable.
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.
But purple sapphire is more expensive than amethyst too because its much more rare. Fine large examples can be thousands of dollars per carat.
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.
Round: This is one of the most classic options available and is frequently chosen for helping bring out the maximum sparkle in a gem. Thanks to the presence of approximately 58 facets, it ends up reflecting an enormous amount of light. Emerald: An emerald-cut sapphire is rectangular with a step-cut seen on its edges.
The Rarest Birthstones
For example, April's diamond, though pricey, is less rare than rubies, emeralds, and alexandrite. While on the topic of alexandrite, this is currently the rarest gemstone on the birthstone list and can come at quite a cost. Black opals are also incredibly rare.
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.
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 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.
After diamonds, sapphire (with rubies) are the second hardest gemstone. They're also much tougher than diamonds and are ideal for daily wear.
Gems. Precious stones are distinguished by their quality, their rarity and the beauty of their colours. There are only four precious stones: diamond, sapphire, ruby and emerald. All other stones are therefore called semi-precious stones.
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.