What is the Current Market for Sapphires?

[brendaman]

We''re searching for a sapphire e-ring. I went to a B&M store today during lunch, and they had quite a few loose stones; they were all heat-treated sourced from Sri Lanka or Thailand. He said those sources are really the only market for sapphires, as one can no longer source sapphires from Burma and Madagascar (I think he said, because of govt. restrictions).

Has the current market for sapphires dwindled? I guess this would mean a further premium to the prices? I was hoping to pay between $1000-2500 per ct. for an unheated stone, but am wondering whether that''s at all possible. Maybe the visit to the B&M store today has just started some sense of foreboding, bordering on depression that I would have to lower my expectations.

We have Pete from Quest looking around, but I have yet to hear from him in a couple of weeks. Pete did also say that it will take time to find the stone, but he could get me an unheated. I told the B&M store today to go ahead and contact his friends in Thailand. I haven''t yet asked PSC vendors. We still would like to visit some stores in NYC (NSC, cherrypicked). My bf, who has been to Thailand several times, is wondering whether we should just go there and perhaps the purchase of the stone or ring would pay for the trip. I keep telling him that we really wouldn''t know what we were looking at and that how would we have it appraised, etc.

ARGHHHH! We''re soooo confused.

 

[Pandora II]

Date: 11/24/2008 6:19:34 PM
Author:brendaman
We''re searching for a sapphire e-ring. I went to a B&M store today during lunch, and they had quite a few loose stones; they were all heat-treated sourced from Sri Lanka or Thailand. He said those sources are really the only market for sapphires, as one can no longer source sapphires from Burma and Madagascar (I think he said, because of govt. restrictions).

Has the current market for sapphires dwindled? I guess this would mean a further premium to the prices? I was hoping to pay between $1000-2500 per ct. for an unheated stone, but am wondering whether that''s at all possible. Maybe the visit to the B&M store today has just started some sense of foreboding, bordering on depression that I would have to lower my expectations.

We have Pete from Quest looking around, but I have yet to hear from him in a couple of weeks. Pete did also say that it will take time to find the stone, but he could get me an unheated. I told the B&M store today to go ahead and contact his friends in Thailand. I haven''t yet asked PSC vendors. We still would like to visit some stores in NYC (NSC, cherrypicked). My bf, who has been to Thailand several times, is wondering whether we should just go there and perhaps the purchase of the stone or ring would pay for the trip. I keep telling him that we really wouldn''t know what we were looking at and that how would we have it appraised, etc.

ARGHHHH! We''re soooo confused.

Please don''t try and buy a sapphire in Thailand unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing and how to ID the stone properly.

I don''t see why you wouldn''t be able to find a stone - why not go through a PS vendor rather than a B&M? You''ll likely get better quality and an expert eye to help you.

I''ve just come back from Sri Lanka and bought 3 unheated blue sapphires out there - they had plenty of stones available I can assure you.

 

[Richard M.]

The Burmese trade embargo applies to rubies and jade only. It is perfectly legal to buy Burmese sapphires in the U.S. according to my reading of the law.

The Madagascar embargo was self-imposed due to an illegal shipment out of the country. I don''t know its current status. But buying a Malagasy sapphire should be no problem. Large numbers have already been exported and they are nearly always sold as Sri Lankan gems. They are chemically and visually almost identical to Sri Lankan sapphires (the two regions were once part of the same land mass - plate tectonics - and formed under the same conditions). Sri Lankans are the largest buyers of Malagasy stones.

Bottom Line: buy a stone you love and can afford from a reliable dealer. The only major concern IMO is avoiding sapphires that have been treated at very high temperatures with the light element beryllium to improve their color. Dealers are legally required to provide treatment information.

Richard M.

 

[Sagebrush]

Brendaman,

The availability of unheated fine blue sapphires has always been limited. About 95% of the market is heated. Fine unheated are available, however, most of the stones on the market are from either Sri Lanka or Madagascar.

Burma sapphire is much rarer than Burma ruby perhaps 300 x 1. Expect to pay between 50-100% more for a fine Burmese gem.

You will find a strong premium on unheated stones due to rarity.

The sapphire chapter (chapter 22) from my book is available free at the publisher''s website, follow link below.

 

[newsboysgrl777]

Date: 11/24/2008 7:29:37 PM
Author: Richard M.
The Burmese trade embargo applies to rubies and jade only. It is perfectly legal to buy Burmese sapphires in the U.S. according to my reading of the law.

The Madagascar embargo was self-imposed due to an illegal shipment out of the country. I don't know its current status. But buying a Malagasy sapphire should be no problem. Large numbers have already been exported and they are nearly always sold as Sri Lankan gems. They are chemically and visually almost identical to Sri Lankan sapphires (the two regions were once part of the same land mass - plate tectonics - and formed under the same conditions). Sri Lankans are the largest buyers of Malagasy stones.

Bottom Line: buy a stone you love and can afford from a reliable dealer. The only major concern IMO is avoiding sapphires that have been treated at very high temperatures with the light element beryllium to improve their color. Dealers are legally required to provide treatment information.

Richard M.

Richard: I would be very interested in hearing more about this? What this means and is it bad for the stone, etc? Does this only apply to blue sapphires, or all colors (to enhance them)?

Brendaman: not trying to hijack the thread by any means by asking the question above, I've just never heard anything about it. Also, I LOVE your puppy (in your avatar). What kind is it? Is it just a puppy? If so, how big do they get, etc? (S)He is soooo cute I want to cuddle him/her!! Is the fur really soft?? Anyway...again, I really don't mean to hijack this at all!

 

[Richard M.]

Hi 777,

Gem treatment is a complex and ever-changing issue. The short version for sapphire is that until recently most people agreed that simple heating of sapphires to improve their color was an acceptable practice. That's basically what happens in nature. The procedure does not involve the addition of any foreign element to the gem. Heated (low heat) stones trade at a lower price than unheated and the FTC requires treatment disclosure.

Then a few years ago an unusual number of yellow, orange and pink-orange sapphires (padparadscha color) were offered for sale at low prices in Bangkok. Gemologists quickly learned such stones had been heated at near-melting temperatures with the addition of beryllium. The light beryllium atoms diffused into the sapphire's basic structure and changed the color of the stones from yucky to quite attractive. But they trade at low prices.

The issue is the addition of a foreign element into the mined gems. For a time it was thought that blue sapphire was immune to beryllium treatment but that isn't the case. Heating with beryllium for long periods at near-melting temperatures can lighten dark blue sapphire color. But the extreme heating leaves microscopic clues for gemologists. Stones showing indications of "high heat" are generally assumed to be Be treated.

That's why a 3rd party lab certificate is strongly recommended on any blue sapphire of substantial value. If a person chooses to buy a Be-treated stone that's fine. But they should pay a much lower price versus an unheated gem.

Read more here: Sapphire/Beryllium

Richard M.

 

[brendaman]

Many thanks to everyone for the replies. I have read quite a bit about the differences in sources and rarity of unheated stones (this is such a great site!), but it seems unheated stones are out there in various PS vendor sites (e.g. NSC, cherrypicked.com) at a premium, of course. Perhaps the B&M I visited the other day wanted to instill some sense of urgency for me. Am I correct to assume that if I fall in love with a stone, that I should snap it up as it may go to another?

Newsboysgrl777: I don''t mind your hijacking the thread if others don''t. My avatar is my 3-year old Maltese, Shayna. She''s a whopping 5 lbs. (the standard for the breed is between 4-7 lbs). She''s very cuddly. Maltese are great lapdogs and purse dogs. Also, they have hair, not fur, which makes them hypoallergenic.

 

[FrekeChild]

If you fall in love with a stone...Buy it.

This is a problem for me, because I often fall in love with stones. Lol.

But really, if you don''t buy it, someone else probably will. I''ve learned this lesson the hard way a couple of times. (And been threatened by PS members that they''d buy it if I didn''t. That made up my mind really fast!)

 

[Sagebrush]

All,

The treatment issue, as Richard says, is complex. There is low temperature heat which has been practiced for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. There is high temperature heat which is really more about controlling the rate of cooling the you have deep or lattice diffusion. Here for the first time, something is added (in this case Beryllium) to the chemistry of the gemstone. Diffusion is a whole new animal and it is also where I draw the line.

Happy Thanksgiving,