Gemstone Glossary

Blue Sapphire

The island of Serendib (present day Sri Lanka) holds one of the earliest records for the mining of Sapphires. Ancient people believed that the power of wisdom is contained within this precious gemstone. They believed that when the wearer of a Sapphire faces challenging obstacles, the stone's power enables them to find the correct solution. The modern word Sapphire is derived from the ancient Latin term "Sapphirus".

Sapphires come in all spectrums of color, except for red. Often when people refer to Sapphires, they mean "Blue Sapphires". Other color sapphires are referred to as "Fancy Sapphires".

Australia and Africa are the world's largest suppliers of "Blue Sapphires". Sri Lanka also provides a large portion of the world's supply of "Blue Sapphires". Gemstones from this island are often called "Ceylon" Sapphires, which was the name of the island before it was changed to Sri Lanka. Pailin, Cambodia, is another source of exceptional "Blue Sapphires". Burma is also known for their top quality supply of this gemstone.



Similar to Rubies, Sapphires come in many different shapes and sizes, providing great variety to gemstone lovers and ensuring the enduring popularity of Sapphire jewelry. With hardness just below that of Diamonds, Sapphires are one of the toughest gemstones, and with no cleavage, breakage rarely occurs.

Intense medium dark blue is the most sought after color for Blue Sapphires. However, very fine Sapphires are extremely rare. Sri Lanka, Cambodia and Burma produce very fine pure Blue Sapphires, although Cambodian Sapphires are sometimes slightly dark. Australian Sapphires tend to have green overtones and concentric hexagonal bands. Midnight Blue Sapphires have traditionally been looked down on but today Midnight Blue Sapphire jewelry is increasingly common - particularly for Sapphire earrings.

Intensity, uniformity and purity of color are the most important considerations when making a decision about the purchase of a Blue Sapphire. Fine Blue Sapphires should not contain any overtones or secondary colors, for this will lessen the beauty of this precious gemstone. As the overall beauty of the stone will depend on the cutting, this characteristic must always be taken into consideration. Dark Blue Sapphires will appear black under low light settings, while fine Blue Sapphires will maintain their color in any light setting. Blue Sapphire jewelry remains one of most sought after jewelry types with rings, earrings, pendants and Sapphire necklaces all making not only a beautiful addition to any collection but also a fairly sound investment.