Sapphire is a precious stone characterised by its beauty and durability. Used in jewellery to make high-quality pieces, its value is influenced by three unique factors: its colour, its purity and its geographical origin.
Sapphire, associated with loyalty and noble feelings, is highly prized for its magnificence and diversity. Before being sold raw or mounted in jewellery, it is appraised by professionals who determine its value, and sometimes the price per carat can reach several thousand euros.
The colour of sapphires, a determining factor in their value
If you are considering investing in a sapphire, we recommend that you first learn more about its price to get a clearer idea.
Sapphire comes in a range of colours. However, its excellence is at its best when it has a royal blue or velvety hue. This hue needs to be intense and brilliant to give the stone a guarantee of great value.
Whatever the colour of the stone, it must be uniform and homogeneous. If it has lighter or darker areas, the price will be affected. The same applies if it is composed of undesirable tones, such as blue sapphires with an overly dominant green or violet hue.
Clarity and purity: how do these aspects affect the price?
Sapphire is the purest coloured gemstone. Its clarity and purity are determined by analysing the passage of light through the stone and the degree of inclusions or crystals that make it up.
Inclusions are elements that can either affect the transparency of the gem, and therefore its value, or scatter the light in such a way that the stone is sublimated. In the latter case, the value of the stone is only slightly affected.
In all cases, the most expensive are those with few or no inclusions. They are rare and therefore considered more precious.
The geographical origin of sapphire and its impact on the market
Sapphire mining sites are few and far between, but they are scattered across all five continents. Three of these sites produce the most beautiful in the world, but also the most expensive.
Firstly, the most famous is that from Kashmir, a region in India. Its limited production following the exhaustion of the mines in the 1970s and its remarkable quality make it the rarest and most sought-after precious stone. The inevitable result is that its value is the highest on the market.
Secondly, the vivid colours and transparency of sapphires mined in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) are highly prized. The gems enjoy a notable reputation on the international market, and high-quality specimens can fetch staggering prices.
Finally, the brilliant blue colour and purity of Burmese sapphires from Myanmar (Burma) have made them extremely popular with dealers and collectors. Rare and prestigious, they fetch considerable prices.
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