Curious about what makes certain tones in blue sapphires

[lovedogs]

So I must admit that I've never quite "gotten" the love of blue sapphires. I've always preferred sea blue, or blue green and therefore gravitated towards tourmaline. But after seeing @mpc 's stone, I totally get it. It's that perfect velvet/glowing blue without ever blacking out. It's just flipping perfect. So I've been doing tons of window shopping to try and understand what makes that color happen.

Is it origin? Heat/no heat?

I feel like it's more common in unheated stones (which is tragic bc I don't care at all about heat treatment, and no heat stones are so expensive).

Just wondering about people's thoughts, since I know there are sapphire experts here.

Pics of my ideal color.
@mpc 's in case anyone missed it:

Was shown this one:


As per lotus, it's cornflower/peacock/velvet


But flying in the face of my "maybe it's lack of heat" theory are these 3. And prices are all over the place. The 2 ct one below is 7k, the 2nd pic is under 1k, and the last pic is almost 9k! Gah!

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

I don't have any particular insight to share on top color sapphires, as the only ones I own are "fancy colored", a.k a. far from "ideal". But I wanted to share that I too had a similar outlook on blue sapphires up until very recently mainly because the sapphires I see irl are all very inky blue that appear almost black, as well as growing up (wrongly)thinking Princess Diana's sapphire surely would be an example of the best of the best. Then PS exposed me to such gems that you posted and I am awestruck by the color and the glow some of them have. I too plan to go on a similar search you are on now, but after I find my red spinel that hasn't found her way home yet.

 

[lovedogs]

Can't believe I forgot this one from TGP! it's been on my favorites list for at least a year




@Mrs_Strizzle tell me more about the red spinel!

 

[leslie1956]

I think that origin may be the most important factor in producing those amazing blues. Heat can certainly improve color, but it can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. I don't care for the inky almost black sapphires at all.

I like many blue-green sapphires and would love to own a medium tone blue-green Montana sapphire someday.

 

[Mrs_Strizzle]

@lovedogs -not much to tell yet because I haven't found her. But I have recently decided that if i can't find a true red 3 ct or so (mostly about $$$) , I can spread out my search for a smaller one to toi et moi it with my blue spinel I have. I know I made it sound like I have one particular in mind. I tend to speak in manifestation terms because I know I will find the perfect one one day.

Now, enough threadjacking...

 

[lovedogs]

If I had the funds I would have already bought @arkieb1 's gorgeous stone:
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loo...ing-2-dot-52-dark-vivid-blue-cushion-sapphire

 

[2Neezers]

If I had the funds I would have already bought @arkieb1 's gorgeous stone:
https://loupetroop.com/listings/loo...ing-2-dot-52-dark-vivid-blue-cushion-sapphire

I was going to suggest reaching out to her if you are looking for a sapphire. She has an amazing eye for color. I loooove my sapphire from her. You never know, she might have something that would work for you .

 

[mpc]

@lovedogs thanks for the shout out- I am by no means a CS or sapphire expert. I would just say that I 100% did not care about provenance of the stone. So I don’t believe origin of the stone universally factors into the color of the stone. I’m sure you can find stones from Ceylon that outperform some Burmese stones. On the other hand, I think I read that some locations have chemical structures that are more similar to others - for example some stones from Madagascar and those from Kashmir are sometimes certified incorrectly because of similarities in their chemical make up (someone else that has more expertise can explain). For someone like me, that offers a unique (relative value). Conversely, I think there was also a recent post about a ring that was auctioned off at Christie’s that had dual certificates - one stating Kashmir origin, the other stating Madagascar origin, yet still carried the Kashmir premium for price. Anyways, regardless of origin, if you find a stone with the silk, it can help give it a velvet look and maintain color in most lighting conditions. Would be interested to hear other’s opinions!

 

[T L]

Some gems, regardless of provenance, are true miracles of Mother Nature, who rendered them the perfect combination of hue, saturation, tone and clarity. It’s that simple. We evolved to see in the tiny visible light portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. If our vision evolved differently, we might not care about certain gems we covet now. Our brains and vision are hardwired to appreciate beauty, and gemstones, especially top color, are part of that.

That being said, not everyone likes the same things. Trade ideals are fine, but they are just an educational marker, not a necessity.

 

[chrono]

Blue sapphire is coloured by iron and titanium. My guess is certain areas in the world are rich in these minerals and the conditions are such that many good quality blues are produced. This is why certain locations are well known and desired but isn’t a guarantee for top colour. Only that you’re more likely to be able to find top quality from that specific area.

 

[pwsg07]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtAkwrGjYf3/

This is my dream colour. But I don't like the silkiness of the stone. Are your man made stones' colour comparable to the colour in the first photo?

 

[lovedogs]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtAkwrGjYf3/

This is my dream colour. But I don't like the silkiness of the stone. Are your man made stones' colour comparable to the colour in the first photo?

Haha I love the silk in that one!! No, the man made stones don't quite have the "glow" that I want

 

[diamondlove123]

I am buying my first natural sapphire and making it into a halo ring. I cannot wait. I don’t like like dark blue and this one is much much lighter in person. This pic was taken indoor dark bedroom light Not the best color and saturation one can have but I love the size, shape and this is the color for me. I cannot wait to share once the ring is made.

 

[pwsg07]

Haha I love the silk in that one!! No, the man made stones don't quite have the "glow" that I want

I still like this stone but I would pay more for a glassy stone