Sapphires are the most popular color stone to be used in jewelry today. They are precious gemstones and made from a variety of the mineral called corundum. Through history, sapphires have been known to provide good luck and protection from evil. The popularity of sapphires in fine, fashion and engagement jewelry today is due to four important reasons: availability in various vibrant colors, remarkable hardness, uniqueness and association with royalty.
Sapphires are typically known for their rich blue color, but they are also available in other fancy colors such as yellow, pink, purple, orange, green, white, among others. Red is the only color not associated with sapphires as it is used to identify its sister gem Rubies. The color of sapphires is a result of varied concentration of following trace components: aluminum, iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium and magnesium. For example, Pink sapphire's color is due to increased concentration of chromium in the corundum. Padparadscha are the rarest variety of sapphires known for their mix of yellow, orange and pink color - found typically in Sri Lanka. The variety of colors found in sapphires make them a great alternative to diamonds monotonous white color in engagement rings.
Color is the most important quality factor for a sapphire and is the primary driver of value. General rule is that as color saturation of a sapphire increases, the value increases. However, as the sapphire color becomes oversaturated and eventually opaque, the price drops substantially. A very light color sapphire and an overly dark/opaque sapphire will generally command a similar price.
Colored gems do not have a standardized grading system and it is extremely rare to find a sapphire with no eye visible imperfections. This is in stark contrast to Diamonds who have a standardized grading system and utilize magnification to inspect clarity. In the wholesale trade we evaluate sapphire clarity using the following methodology::
(1)Holding the sapphire face up 12 inches from the observer's eye
(2)Tilting them in various directions to visually inspect if any inclusions are visible
(3)Only imperfections viewable on the crown (top part of the gemstone) are inspected and not the pavilion (back side)
Lapidary's cut sapphires according to the shade of the sapphire rough material to get the desired color (the primary price driver). Darker material is cut shallower to allow more light to go through the gem, while lighter material is cut deeper to allow the sapphire to hold in more light and increase saturation. Cutting sapphires is an art and requires years of experience.
Transparent gems are the most valuable and allow one to see the true richness of color. The catch-22 with transparent gems is that it is much easier to view imperfections. Finding a sapphire transparent and eye clean is truly rare. Over-saturation of color leads a gem to be semi-transparent as less light is allowed to escape. Opaque gems tend to be eye clean, but may appear as black.
The weight of a gemstone is measured in a unit called carats (cts.). There are 5 carats in 1 gram. As discussed above, a sapphire can be cut deep or shallow to maximize the color of the sapphire. A deep cut 1 carat sapphire will appear visually smaller than a 1 carat shallow sapphire. For this reason, it is best to judge a sapphire based on millimeter measurements (length and width) and not carat weight.
Untreated sapphires are extremely rare and very difficult to find. Most local jewelry stores only sell heated sapphires due to limited sourcing available. GemsNY has one of the largest collections of certified untreated sapphires in the world. Enhancements in sapphires are used to improve or change the color in a sapphire.
Sapphires are mined in various locations around the world. All origins produce high and low quality gemstones. The origin of the sapphires can have an impact on its value, primarily in the higher quality. Low quality sapphires will not receive a premium even though they are mined from a rare and prestigious origin.
For thousands of years emeralds have been one of the most sought-after natural elements of the earth. The Ancient Greeks and Romans wrote of them frequently in their texts, describing in detail of their vivid and comforting color and beauty. Emeralds come from a mineral known as beryl, which include other gemstones such as aquamarine. In previous times, emerald was believed to give the wearer protection from evil and disease. Aristotle once wrote that emeralds bring about victory, and increases its owner's status amongst peers. Time has only strengthened the emerald's popularity in society, as people continue to seek out emeralds in a variety of fashions. This is most likely due to emerald's vibrant array of soothing color, its impressive hardness, and cultural and religious symbolism.
As with most other gemstones, the color of an emerald is the most important quality factor and the main driver of value. Generally, the most desirable color is anywhere from blue/green to pure green. It should be evenly distributed and highly transparent, with strong saturation.
There is no standardized grading system for colored gems, and it is rare to find a gemstone with no eye visible inclusions. Non-included emeralds are even more difficult to find, as emeralds are typically found with more imperfections than other gemstones. In the wholesale trade we evaluate emerald clarity using the following methodology:
(1) Holding the emerald face up 12 inches from the observer's eye
(2) Tilting them in various directions to visually inspect if any inclusions are visible
(3) Only imperfections viewable on the crown (top part of the gemstone) are inspected and not the pavilion (back side)
Lapidary's cut emeralds according to the shade of the emerald rough material to get the desired color (the primary price driver). Darker material is cut shallower to allow more light to go through the gem, while lighter material is cut deeper to allow the emerald to hold in more light and increase saturation. Emeralds are also more brittle than gemstones like sapphires, which makes them more vulnerable to damage during the cutting process, adding to the degree of difficulty. Cutting emeralds is an art and requires years of experience.
Transparent gems are the most valuable and allow one to see the true richness of color. The catch-22 with transparent gems is that it is much easier to view imperfections. Finding an emerald transparent and eye clean is extremely rare. Over-saturation of color leads a gem to be semi-transparent as less light is allowed to escape. Opaque gems tend to be eye clean, but may appear as black.
The weight of a gemstone is measured in a unit called carats (cts.). There are 5 carats in 1 gram. As discussed above, an emerald can be cut deep or shallow to maximize the color of the sapphire. A deep cut 1 carat emerald will appear visually smaller than a 1 carat shallow emerald. For this reason, it is best to judge an emerald based on millimeter measurements (length and width) and not carat weight.
Untreated emeralds are extremely rare and very difficult to find. Most local jewelry stores only sell oiled emeralds due to limited sourcing available. GemsNY has one of the largest collections of certified untreated emeralds in the world. Enhancements in emeralds are used to improve or change the color in a sapphire.
Emeralds are mined in various locations around the world. All origins produce high and low quality gemstones. The origin of the emeralds can have an impact on its value, primarily in the higher quality. Low quality emeralds will not receive a premium even though they are mined from a rare and prestigious origin.
Rubies are one of the most sought-after stones throughout history, and are still immensely popular today. Like their sister stone the Sapphire, Rubies are a precious gemstone made from the mineral corundum. In ancient history, rubies have been said to bring beauty and wisdom. Today, rubies are symbols of passion, as well as wealth and success. It is for these reasons, as well as it's lush color, notable hardness, and association with religion that it continues to enjoy popularity today.
Rubies are known for their shades of red. Its color is obtained due to the presence of Chromium in the mineral corundum. Chromium is a trace element, and when it becomes part of the mineral's crystal structure it causes variations in color ranging from orange-red to deep, purple-red. The presence of Chromium is directly correlated with the strength of the color - the more Chromium present in the mineral, the stronger the color will be. There are other trace elements that can also be found in the corundum, such as aluminum, iron, and magnesium. The presence of these elements create the variety of colors found in the Ruby's sister stone, the Sapphire.
Color is the most important quality factor for a ruby and is the primary driver of value. General rule is that as color saturation of a ruby increases, the value increases. However, as the ruby color becomes oversaturated and eventually opaque, the price drops substantially. A very light color ruby and an overly dark/opaque ruby will generally command a similar price.
Colored gems do not have a standardized grading system and it is extremely rare to find a ruby with no eye visible imperfections. This is in stark contrast to Diamonds who have a standardized grading system and utilize magnification to inspect clarity. In the wholesale trade we evaluate ruby clarity using the following methodology::
(1) Holding the ruby face up 12 inches from the observer's eye
(2) Tilting them in various directions to visually inspect if any inclusions are visible
(3) Only imperfections viewable on the crown (top part of the gemstone) are inspected and not the pavilion (back side)
Lapidaries cut rubies according to the shade of the ruby rough material to get the desired color (the primary price driver). Darker material is cut shallower to allow more light to go through the gem, while lighter material is cut deeper to allow the ruby to hold in more light and increase saturation. Cutting rubies is an art and requires years of experience.
The weight of a gemstone is measured in a unit called carats (cts.). There are 5 carats in 1 gram. As discussed above, a ruby can be cut deep or shallow to maximize the color of the ruby. A deep cut 1 carat ruby will appear visually smaller than a 1 carat shallow ruby. For this reason, it is best to judge a ruby based on millimeter measurements (length and width) and not carat weight.
Untreated rubies are extremely rare and very difficult to find. Most local jewelry stores only sell heated rubies due to limited sourcing available. GemsNY has one of the largest collections of certified untreated rubies in the world. Enhancements in rubies are used to improve or change the color in a ruby.
Rubies are mined in various locations around the world. All origins produce high and low quality gemstones. The origin of the ruby can have an impact on its value, primarily in the higher quality. Low quality rubies will not receive a premium even though they are mined from a rare and prestigious origin.
