All About Sapphires

Buying Sapphires

When buying sapphires there are a few factors to keep in mind.

Sapphires are of the corundum family along with rubies. Whereas rubies are red, sapphires can be many other colors but the blue sapphire is prized above all others. The best being what is known as "cornflower blue" as it is as blue as the flower itself.

Many sapphires are heat treated to bring out the color and under magnification this can be see by checking the rutile needles.

To give a better blue 90 percent of all sapphires are heated treated to a temperature of 3000 °C or so. The way to tell if the sapphire has been heat treated is to check the rutile needles within the stone under magnification. If the needles are unbroken, then the stone has not been heated. If the silk is not visible then the stone was heated adequately. If the silk is partially broken then a process known as low tube heat was most likely used.

Always ensure that you get a certificate with any sapphire, especially if it is a large one and expensive.

If you are going to buy online ensure that the dealer from whom you buy has a returns policy so you can return it if it is not as described or is later found to be not a true sapphire.

Always buy at the top of your budget. You want to get the best quality gemstone for your money. Buying cheapest is not the way to do it.

Finally, shop around. There are thousands of sapphires to choose from, you can often get a bargain from an auction, either in your own town or on line.