Sapphire

Sapphire is the second hardest gemstone on earth, with the diamond being the first. When people think of sapphires, the beautiful intense, rich blue color comes to many a mind. While it is true that Kashmir and Burmese sapphires, what with their intense and velvety deep blue color, are the most sought after and prized of sapphires, there are other brilliant colors that make up sapphires. These are purple, yellow, green, and a simultaneous pink and orange.

Most blue sapphires that are distributed in the market today are mined in Sri Lanka and Madagascar. The deeper and more intense blue sapphires will be most valuable... Purple sapphires are very rare and are found in Sri Lanka and Tanzania.Yellow sapphires are typically found on the lighter side in tone and color. These sapphires are mined mainly in Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Australia, and Madagascar.

The sapphire that is simultaneously pink and orange in color is the very rare sapphire that is named Padparadscha. These sapphires are found only in Sri Lanka. Green sapphires consist of alternating blue and yellow sapphire colors. These sapphires are mined in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia, and Madagascar.

Since blue sapphires are by far the most popular with consumers, the focus should be on the intensity of the blue. A dark blue sapphire may be too inky, therefore not as valuable. On the same note, a weak color blue is also not as valuable as an intense blue color. Daylight is really the best lighting to determine the stone's true color. Sapphires should not have any inclusions that are visible to the naked eye.