A Deep Dive Into The Colours Of Sapphire

While we often think of sapphire as the lovely cornflower blue colour, sapphire comes in almost every colour of the rainbow. Colour has the greatest influence on sapphire value & in this article we will review a variety of sapphire colours. 

 

Heating Sapphire 

Sapphires are often heated to improve their colour. Colour zoning for example is when a sapphire has different colours in different areas within the stone. By heating the sapphire, this colour zoning will be completely removed. Heating can often remove colours from sapphires making their overall colour purer - which is especially desirable when removing an unwanted brown colour from sapphire. 

Extremely pale sapphires & geuda sapphires (which are translucent to opaque) are considered of very low quality. With high heat treatment, at temperatures of approx 1700’C these stones can be transformed into stones far superior in colour, often with an excellent vibrant colour. 

Heat treated sapphires will create a permanent colour that will not change over time unlike in other treatments of sapphire.

Blue Sapphire 

The most well known & abundant colour of sapphire is the classic blue colour. The blue colour is created by the presence of iron & titanium. Given that iron & titanium are found abundantly in the earth's crust - the geological conditions for blue sapphire formation are more widespread hence the greater abundance of this variety. The greater abundance of blue sapphire means that this colour is more frequently found in larger carat sizes too. 

Cornflower blue is a highly valued colour of blue sapphire that resembles the petals of the cornflower. Additionally, the velvety “royal blue” sapphire often commands the highest prices in the market, violetish blue is equally highly desirable. With velvety royal blue a deeper blue colour compared to the lighter cornflower stones. Especially stones that come from Kashmir in northern India. The Kashmir mine is now nearly depleted, however Ceylon sapphires continue to be a source of some of the finest quality. 

It was a 12 carat royal blue sapphire engagement ring that prince william gave to princess Diana & it has become one of the most famous sapphires in the world. 

Yellow Sapphire 

Originally discovered in Sri Lanka - yellow sapphire is now found in many countries around the world. Yellow sapphire offers an excellent alternative to yellow diamond for a similar beauty & it is much more affordable yet still has excellent durability. 

Once again the presence of iron is what gives them their yellow colour in addition to the balance of other minerals in the corundrum. 

Yellow sapphire is generally more affordable than the blue variety. The most desirable colour for yellow sapphire is a bright canary yellow and it's considered the most valuable. A rich deep yellow is also very valuable. 

Padparadscha Sapphire 

Padparadscha is an incredibly rare version of sapphire that is a blend of pink & orange, often in pastel colours. Possibly the rarest!  Due to their usually very soft & light colours, any inclusions usually stand out quite clearly. This means totally eye clean sapphires are less likely & will hold much greater value than ones with obvious inclusions. 

Some stones will be much more orange than they are pink & vice versa. It gets its colour from trace elements of iron & chromium. The colour is often referred to as being like the sky at sunset or salmon coloured. 

Originally discovered in Sri Lanka it gets its name from the Sinalese word padmaragaya which translates to lotus flower due to its similar colour padparadscha stones. 

Padparadscha is very rare in large sizes & stones over 5 carats would largely be found at high end auction houses. 

Green Sapphire 

According to many surveys from around the world, most people’s favourite colour is blue and second to blue frequently ranks Green as the most popular colour. 

Green sapphires are estimated to only account for 1% of the world’s sapphires yet they are fairly  moderately priced compared to blue & padparadscha sapphire. Additionally, they are tougher, lower maintenance & much better for daily wear than emeralds. 

Deep green sapphires resembling that of a dark forest can be a lovely choice especially if you can find one which isn’t overly dark however these darker stones can mean a more affordable price. 

Lighter & brighter shades of green are often preferred for their better brilliance & sparkle but command higher price tags. 

Teal sapphires are a type of green sapphire mixed with a blue colour. These sapphires often exhibit colour zoning - this is where colour intensity is different throughout the gem - prices increase however for even colour distribution. 

Orange Sapphire 

Orange sapphires beautifully exude the glow of a sunset & get their colour from a combination of iron, chromium & sometimes vanadium. 

Orange sapphires are usually heat treated to produce their orange colour because natural orange sapphires are extremely rare as the geological conditions only exist in a few places worldwide. Less valuable pale yellow & brown rough sapphire can often be heated to produce excellent orange sapphire colours. 

Colours can range from light pastel to deep vivid oranges & sometimes with a slight red or yellow colour infused in there too. 

Orange sapphire balanced with pink however would be classified as padparadscha sapphire which makes it extremely desirable in the market place. 

Pink Sapphire  

Since the 1990s pink sapphire has become more available after large deposits were discovered in Madagascar. In spite of this, pink sapphire is still one of the rarest varieties & very desirable with its attractive romantic, feminine hues. 

The strength of the pink colour depends on the concentration of chromium in the mineral corundrum. Given that a ruby is just the red version of sapphire, as they are formed of exactly the same mineral, there is often debate in the industry as to whether or not a certain stone classifies as a pink sapphire or a ruby. 

Intensely saturated pinks are rarer than lighter pinks as such often command higher prices. “Hot pink” sapphire with its intense magenta & electric, eye catching hue is often a standout choice. 

White Sapphire  

Or referred to as colourless sapphire - white sapphire is particularly rare because it lacks the presence of iron, which is abundant in the earth's crust. Due to the rarity - the market relies heavily on lab grown white sapphire to meet demand. 

Sometimes used as a durable yet slightly more affordable alternative to natural diamond. Sri Lanka is regarded as an excellent source for large white sapphire stones. White sapphires go well with many outfits making them a popular choice. 

Purple Sapphire  

Purple sapphire can display a variety of colours from lavender to deep violet to dark purple. It is the presence of iron & titanium that creates these beautiful shades of colour. The colour of purple sapphire is relatively stable compared to that of amethyst that can slowly fade over time when exposed to heat & light. 

Sri Lanka, Burma, Tanzania & Madagascar are the top producers for some of the finest purple sapphire stones. 

Despite being rarer than blue sapphires, purple sapphire is often more affordable than blue sapphire. Some purple sapphires have colour changing / shifting properties that can make them more valuable, often shifting from a blueish-violet to a reddish-purple in different lighting. These stones are much rarer though and highly sought after by jewellers & collectors alike. 

Colour Changing Sapphire 

Colour change sapphires are an incredibly rare form of sapphire that will be perceived as one colour in regular daylight and then changes to a different colour in incandescent light. Usually the colour changes from blue to purple. 

The value of these stones is placed on how large the area of sapphire that exhibits a colour change & how intense the difference in colour is. So depending on the strength of the colour change, these stones may sell around £300 - £5000 per carat or more. 

Bi-Colour Sapphire 

Also known as parti colour sapphire - these stones feature two colours within the same stone. Due to different patterns and shapes that the colour takes form, every stone is incredibly unique. Green & yellow are more commonly found than other colour combinations. Blue & green as well as blue & yellow are also more commonly available than other colour combinations. 

Bi colour sapphires are highly valued in the industry & the greater the colour contrast, the more the stone is valued. These stones are not to be confused with sapphires with colour zoning. Colour zoning is usually considered a defect in single coloured sapphires where there is uneven colour distribution - which is an undesirable trait. 

Brown Sapphire 

Brown sapphire is considered one of the least valuable types of sapphire and is frequently heated to attempt to produce other colours. 

While not considered a rare variety of sapphire, cognac & champagne colour varieties can be more valuable and some stones being mined in Tanzania are of excellent quality. 

Most recently the demand for brown sapphire (sometimes referred to as chocolate sapphire)  is increasing as there are some beautiful stones to be had. 

Black Sapphire 

Black sapphire is opaque and jet black, sometimes with an almost metallic lustre to it. It gets its colour from iron & titanium. Due to the very high quantities of these trace minerals within the stone that give it its black colour - black sapphire is magnetic enough that it can be dragged along by a magnet. 

A large abundant source of black sapphire is found in Australia. At an affordable price they are an extremely durable stone making for an excellent everyday wear piece. 

Star Sapphires 

Star sapphires are an interesting display of colour that can come in many different sapphire colours & will display an optical star-like phenomenon known as asterism. 

When cut into a cabochon they usually display a six rayed white star that sits at the centre. Sometimes the star colour can be silvery or gold. Star sapphires are fairly rare, especially the higher qualities and can cost £10,000+ per carat. Top quality star sapphires generally display a high contrast between the colour of the star & the overall colour of the stone. 

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And there you have a large number of colour options for sapphire explained in more detail. Shop Lucy Jurado sapphire rings.