September belongs to sapphire.

As the traditional September birthstone, sapphire has been treasured for centuries for its colour, durability and remarkable variety. It is one of the world’s best-known coloured gemstones, yet there is far more to sapphire than the classic deep blue most of us picture first.

Natural sapphires occur in blue, pink, yellow, green, purple, orange, colourless and even combinations of several colours within the same stone. They have been worn by royalty, used in antique and vintage jewellery, chosen for engagement rings and collected for their rarity and provenance.

For anyone celebrating a September birthday, searching for a sapphire ring, or simply drawn to coloured gemstones, sapphire offers an unusual combination: beauty substantial enough for an important jewel, and durability practical enough for everyday wear.

Sapphire at a Glance

A Spectrum of Sapphire Colour

When most people hear the word sapphire, they imagine blue.

Blue sapphire certainly remains the most iconic variety, but even within blue there is enormous variation.

Some natural blue sapphires are light and airy. Others can be soft cornflower blue, rich royal blue or much deeper navy tones. What collectors usually prize is not simply darkness or intensity, but a colour that appears rich while still allowing the gemstone to remain lively.

A beautiful sapphire should not disappear into blackness when viewed in ordinary light.

Yet blue represents only part of the story.

Sapphires also occur naturally in an extraordinary range of colours collectively referred to as fancy sapphires.

Pink sapphire can range from very pale blush tones to vivid hot pink.

Yellow sapphire ranges from soft champagne and lemon through to saturated golden hues.

Green sapphire may appear mint, olive, forest green or blue-green.

Purple and violet sapphires offer another less expected alternative, while orange sapphire can range from subtle peach through to strong warm tones.

Then there are parti sapphires.

A parti sapphire displays two or more distinct colours within the same gemstone, rather than one even body colour. Australian parti sapphires are particularly well known for combinations of blue, green and yellow.

Rather than seeing this natural colour zoning as something that needs to be hidden, modern cutting can make it the defining feature of the stone.

No two are exactly alike.

Some sapphires can even change appearance under different light sources. These are known as colour-change sapphires, and may shift between blue, violet or purple tones depending on the lighting conditions.

For someone searching for a sapphire that feels highly individual, fancy and parti-colour sapphires can offer an entirely different experience from the traditional royal blue stone.

What Is Padparadscha Sapphire?

One of sapphire’s most famous fancy-colour varieties is padparadscha sapphire.

Traditionally associated with Sri Lanka, padparadscha displays a distinctive combination of pink and orange.

Its name derives from a Sinhalese term associated with the lotus blossom, and fine stones are often described as possessing colours reminiscent of sunset, salmon or lotus petals.

True padparadscha sapphire is rare.

Importantly, not every peach or pink-orange sapphire should automatically be called padparadscha. The colour range is judged carefully, and for significant stones the description is best supported by an independent gemmological laboratory.

That scarcity has made fine natural padparadscha sapphire particularly desirable among collectors of rare coloured gemstones.

Can Sapphire Be Colourless?

Yes.

Colourless corundum is commonly called white sapphire, and the older term leucosapphire may also be encountered.

Without the trace elements responsible for stronger colours, sapphire can appear almost colourless.

White sapphire has sometimes been chosen as an alternative to diamond, although the two gemstones have different optical properties. A diamond generally produces stronger dispersion — the flashes of spectral colour sometimes described as “fire” — while white sapphire tends to possess a softer appearance.

It is best appreciated as a gemstone in its own right rather than simply as a substitute for something else.

Where Do Sapphires Come From?

The origin of a sapphire can add another layer to its story.

Sapphires have been mined across several continents, and certain regions have become famous for producing stones with distinctive appearances or extraordinary historical importance.

However, origin should never be used as a shortcut for quality.

A beautiful sapphire from a less famous source may be far more appealing than an ordinary stone carrying a prestigious geographic name.

Colour, transparency, cut, treatment and overall beauty still matter enormously.

Ceylon Sapphire — Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka has been associated with gemstones for more than two thousand years.

Although the country is now called Sri Lanka, the historical term Ceylon sapphire remains widely used within the jewellery and gemstone trade.

Sri Lankan deposits have produced sapphire in an exceptional variety of colours, including blue, pink, yellow and padparadscha.

Fine Ceylon blue sapphires are often admired for their brightness and lively colour. Many possess a lighter or more open appearance than very dark blue material, allowing light to move through the gemstone.

This bright character has helped make Ceylon sapphire jewellery particularly sought after.

Kashmir Sapphire

Among collectors, few gemstone origins carry the mystique of Kashmir.

Important sapphire deposits were discovered in Kashmir during the late nineteenth century and were mined intensely for only a relatively brief period.

The finest Kashmir sapphires became famous for rich blue colour combined with a distinctive soft or velvety appearance.

Today, documented Kashmir sapphire is exceptionally rare.

For major stones, respected independent laboratory reports are particularly important because verified geographic origin can have a substantial effect on collector interest and value.

Fine examples have achieved extraordinary results at international jewellery auctions.

Burmese Sapphire

Myanmar — historically known as Burma — has also produced exceptional sapphire.

Fine Burmese sapphires are frequently associated with strong saturation and rich blue colour.

However, the source of a sapphire cannot reliably be identified by appearance alone.

Determining likely geographic origin is specialist gemmological work. Laboratories examine microscopic inclusions, growth structures, trace-element chemistry and other characteristics before forming an opinion.

Madagascar Sapphire

Madagascar became an increasingly important source of sapphire following major discoveries in the late twentieth century.

Its deposits produce sapphire in an enormous range of colours and qualities.

Fine Madagascan blue sapphire can sometimes resemble material associated with older, historically famous sources, illustrating why origin identification based only on visual appearance can be unreliable.

Madagascar is now an important part of the global natural sapphire market.

Australian Sapphire

Australia has its own long sapphire history.

Important sapphire deposits in Queensland and New South Wales have produced considerable quantities of corundum.

Australian sapphire has traditionally been associated with strong blue tones, but the range is much broader.

Blue-green, teal, green and parti-colour sapphires have introduced a new generation of buyers to Australian material.

Some have a wonderfully oceanic quality, shifting between blue and green as the gemstone moves.

For Australian collectors, there is also something particularly appealing about owning a gemstone formed beneath our own landscape.

Does Sapphire Origin Affect Value?

It can.

For an exceptional collector-grade gemstone, an origin such as Kashmir can materially affect rarity and market value.

For most sapphire jewellery, however, origin is only one consideration.

A stone should be examined as a whole.

Ask:

• Is the colour beautiful?

• Is it too dark?

• Does it have good transparency?

• Is the cut lively?

• Has it been treated?

• Does it have supporting laboratory documentation where appropriate?

• And, most importantly, do you actually love looking at it?

A famous origin cannot make an unattractive sapphire beautiful.

A History Fit for Royalty

Sapphires have attracted symbolism almost everywhere they have travelled.

Ancient cultures associated blue gemstones with the heavens, wisdom and divine favour. Later European traditions connected sapphire with truth, loyalty, purity and protection.

During the medieval period, sapphires appeared in ecclesiastical jewellery and were worn by clergy as symbols of heaven and spiritual virtue.

Royal courts embraced them too.

Across Europe and beyond, sapphires became associated with status, integrity and power. They entered royal treasuries, ceremonial jewels and important private collections.

The beliefs attached to gemstones changed from culture to culture and should be understood as history and symbolism rather than science.

What they reveal is something more interesting:

People have never chosen jewellery purely because it looks beautiful.

We attach meaning to what we wear.

That connection between sapphire and commitment continues today.

Perhaps the most widely recognised modern sapphire jewel is the blue sapphire and diamond engagement ring first worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, and later by Catherine, Princess of Wales.

Its influence helped renew international interest in sapphire engagement rings, but sapphire had been used in romantic and engagement jewellery long before that famous ring appeared.

Its durability and centuries-old association with loyalty made it particularly suited to jewellery intended to represent a lasting relationship.

The Gemmology Behind Sapphire

Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum.

Corundum is aluminium oxide and, in its pure state, is essentially colourless.

The extraordinary colours we associate with natural sapphire arise from trace elements and interactions within the crystal structure as the gemstone forms.

Iron and titanium play an important role in many blue sapphires.

Chromium contributes to pink and red.

Other combinations can result in yellow, green, violet and orange colours.

And here is the detail that often surprises people:

Ruby and sapphire are the same mineral.

Both are corundum.

Red corundum is called ruby. Other gem-quality colours are generally described as sapphire.

How Hard Is Sapphire?

Sapphire ranks 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Diamond, at 10, sits above it.

This makes sapphire exceptionally resistant to scratching compared with many other coloured gemstones.

That hardness is one of the reasons sapphire rings and sapphire engagement rings are so popular.

Rings experience considerably more contact and wear than earrings or pendants. A gemstone chosen for everyday ring wear therefore needs to be reasonably durable.

Sapphire is not indestructible — a sufficiently severe impact can still chip or damage a stone — but its hardness makes it one of the more practical precious gemstones for jewellery intended to be worn frequently.

What Are Inclusions in Sapphire?

Natural gemstones rarely form in perfect isolation.

As sapphire crystals grow within the earth, they may record microscopic evidence of the conditions around them.

Gemologists call many of these internal features inclusions.

Sapphire inclusions can include mineral crystals, growth structures, colour zoning, healed fractures and tiny needle-like inclusions.

Far from being automatically undesirable, these features can be extremely informative.

They may help a gemologist determine whether a sapphire is natural, provide clues about treatment and, in some cases, contribute to an opinion about geographic origin.

Fine needle-like inclusions of rutile are often called silk.

When sufficient oriented inclusions are present and the sapphire is cut into a rounded cabochon, reflected light can form a star across its surface.

This optical phenomenon is called asterism.

The resulting gemstone is known as a star sapphire.

A strong, well-centred star moving across the gemstone as the light source changes can be mesmerising.

It is a perfect example of an inclusion becoming part of the gemstone’s beauty rather than something that needs to be removed.

Are Sapphires Heat Treated?

Many natural sapphires have undergone heat treatment.

This often causes unnecessary confusion.

A sapphire that has been conventionally heated is still a natural sapphire. The gemstone formed in the earth; heat was subsequently used to alter or improve certain characteristics.

Heating may improve colour, modify colour zoning or change the appearance of some inclusions.

Treatment of sapphire has a long history within the gemstone trade.

What matters is disclosure.

An unheated sapphire with exceptional natural colour may be rarer and, all else being equal, can command a premium.

That does not make every heated sapphire inferior.

A beautiful heated stone may offer exceptional colour and value.

For significant gemstones, a reputable independent gemmological laboratory can provide useful information concerning whether evidence of heat treatment has been detected.

The better question is not simply:

“Is heated bad?”

It is:

“Do I know what I am buying?”

How Is Sapphire Quality Judged?

There is no single number that tells you whether a sapphire is beautiful.

Colour usually comes first.

A fine sapphire needs an appealing balance of hue, tone and saturation.

Too pale and it may lack presence.

Too dark and the gemstone can lose life, particularly away from jewellery-store lighting.

Then comes cut.

A thoughtful sapphire cut should make the most of the stone’s natural colour while allowing light to return attractively to the eye.

This can be challenging because sapphire crystals may display different colours when viewed in different directions — a phenomenon known as pleochroism.

Clarity matters too, but it should be judged differently from diamond clarity.

Natural inclusions are expected in coloured gemstones.

The important questions are whether an inclusion materially interferes with beauty, transparency or durability.

Carat weight also matters, particularly because fine sapphires become considerably rarer as size increases.

Ultimately, two sapphires with identical weights can have dramatically different appearances and values.

This is why buying coloured gemstones requires more than reading specifications on a label.

Sapphire in Antique and Vintage Jewellery

Sapphire has appeared in jewellery for centuries, but designers in different periods used it in very different ways.

In Georgian and Victorian jewellery, sapphire appeared alongside diamonds, pearls and other coloured gemstones, frequently within intricate hand-made settings.

During the Edwardian period, advances in platinum working allowed jewellers to create lighter and increasingly delicate designs.

Then Art Deco transformed sapphire jewellery.

The bold blue of sapphire was beautifully suited to the strong geometry and colour contrasts of the 1920s and 1930s.

Blue against white.

Sapphire against diamond.

Colour against platinum.

Calibre-cut sapphires could be fitted into precise geometric borders, while larger sapphires became dramatic centre stones in rings, bracelets and brooches.

The pairing of sapphire and diamond jewellery remains one of Art Deco’s most recognisable combinations.

At the same time, increasing international exchange brought important gemstones and jewellery influences from India and other parts of Asia into the European jewellery world.

London and Paris jewellers worked with exceptional rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds, helping create some of the twentieth century’s most remarkable jewels.

Today, surviving examples allow us to see how one gemstone could move from royal and ceremonial jewellery into increasingly modern design.

Sapphire Jewellery Today

One of sapphire’s greatest strengths is its ability to change personality.

A Victorian sapphire ring can feel intensely romantic.

An Art Deco sapphire and diamond ring can feel sharp and architectural.

A contemporary Australian parti sapphire may feel completely individual.

A pale Ceylon sapphire can be understated.

A rich royal-blue sapphire can be unapologetically dramatic.

The stone adapts to its setting.

Blue sapphire works beautifully with platinum and white gold, where the contrast can make the colour appear particularly crisp.

Yellow and pink sapphires can look wonderful in warmer yellow or rose gold settings.

Sapphire and diamond combinations remain popular because the white brilliance of diamond creates contrast around the coloured centre stone.

Halo settings, three-stone rings, clusters, eternity rings and solitaire designs all offer very different ways of wearing sapphire.

But sapphire is not limited to rings.

Sapphire earrings, pendants, bracelets and antique brooches allow the gemstone to be worn without the same level of exposure to impact experienced by a ring.

Choosing a Sapphire

When choosing a natural sapphire, start with your eyes rather than a specification sheet.

Look at several stones beside one another.

You may think you want royal blue and discover that you prefer cornflower.

You may arrive looking for traditional blue sapphire and leave thinking about an Australian teal.

You may find that a perfectly even colour interests you less than a parti sapphire with an unusual natural pattern.

That discovery is part of the pleasure.

Once a stone attracts you, ask sensible questions.

Has it been treated?

Is the origin known or documented?

Does it remain attractive in normal daylight as well as bright jewellery lighting?

Are there inclusions that could affect durability?

Does the cut make the gemstone lively?

Is the setting appropriate for the way you intend to wear it?

And then ask the question no certificate can answer:

Do you keep wanting to look at it?

Technical knowledge helps us understand a gemstone.

It should never prevent us from responding to beauty.

Sapphire: Made to Be Worn

Fine jewellery can sometimes acquire the unfortunate reputation of being something that lives in a box.

Sapphire is particularly good at challenging that idea.

Its hardness makes it suitable for many pieces intended to become part of everyday life.

The sapphire ring you instinctively put on each morning.

The pendant that rarely comes off.

The bracelet that goes from work to dinner without needing an occasion.

Jewellery becomes more personal through wear.

Tiny marks appear.

Memories accumulate.

A piece becomes associated with a particular person.

And one day, what began as an everyday piece may become someone else’s heirloom.

That is perhaps one of sapphire’s greatest strengths.

It can have thousands of years of history behind it and still feel completely relevant today.

Discover Sapphire Jewellery in Sydney at TRÉSORS

At TRÉSORS in Sydney’s historic Strand Arcade, we have collected extraordinary jewels for more than 25 years, including antique, vintage and contemporary sapphire jewellery.

Our collection brings together very different expressions of the gemstone: classic blue sapphires, Australian sapphire, fancy-colour stones, sapphire and diamond jewellery, antique sapphire rings and unusual pieces chosen simply because they have something special about them.

Throughout September, our Sapphire School explores this extraordinary gemstone in greater depth — from colour and origin to treatments, inclusions, jewellery history and how to choose a sapphire.

If you are looking for sapphire jewellery in Sydney, visit TRÉSORS at The Strand Arcade and experience the stones in person.

Because the most interesting thing about sapphire may be that there is no single perfect one.

There is only the one you cannot stop looking at.