Sri Lankan Sapphire
Blue that took
millions of years.
We hire slowly, the same way we make chocolate. If you like quiet work, sharp senses and a short supply chain, write to us.
The stone
A corundum crystal,
coloured by chance.
Sapphire is the gem form of corundum, a mineral of aluminium oxide. Trace elements such as iron and titanium found in the crystal produce the classic blue. Corundum in other colours is also called sapphire, and only the red kind is called ruby.
Sri Lanka’s gem country around Ratnapura, often called the city of gems, is a well-known source. Stones from the island are often described as Ceylon sapphires.
Island origin
Natural corundum
Enquiry only
Property
Sapphire
Mineral
Corundum
Chemistry
Aluminium oxide, Al₂O₃
Hardness
9 on the Mohs scale
Refractive index
About 1.76 to 1.77
Density
About 4.0 g/cm³
Values are typical reference figures for natural sapphire, not measurements of a specific stone.
The Colours
Blue is only
where it starts.
Sapphire occurs in many colours. Each one below is a broad family, and single stones vary a lot within it.
Classic
Blue
From pale cornflower to deep midnight. The colour most people picture first.
Rare
Padparadscha
A delicate pinkish orange. The name is commonly traced to a Sinhalese word for lotus blossom.
Warm
Yellow
From pale cornflower to deep midnight. The colour most people picture first.
Soft
Pink
Light blush to vivid hot pink. Deeper pinks sit close to the line where sapphire becomes ruby.
Quiet
Green
Muted forest and teal tones, often with a slightly earthier character.
Clear
White
Colourless to very pale stones with a bright, cool look.
Choosing
What to look at
before you decide.
Colour and clarity
Hue, depth and evenness of colour matter most. Look at the stone in daylight and in warm indoor light, since sapphire can shift between the two.
Cut and carat
A good cut lets light return evenly. Carat is a measure of weight, so two stones of the same carat can look different in size.
Origin and treatment
Many sapphires are heated to improve colour. Ask for treatment and origin to be stated in writing, and for a laboratory report where one exists.
Kind words