How to tell if a sapphire is real or not?

All of us who love gems want to have natural stones. Although high-quality synthetics are available for many gemstones such as sapphire and ruby, there has been little interest in synthetics, despite the fact that synthetic corundum is chemically identical to natural ruby ​​and sapphire. Synthetic sapphire, produced by flame melting, is composed of aluminum oxide crystals, just like natural sapphire. Although many people refer to these synthetic gemstones as “fake”, this is not entirely true. Synthetic sapphire is real sapphire. It’s just not natural sapphire. This makes it less interesting for most buyers. Our large stock I will sell bulk sapphire, guaranteed to be natural, since we do not deal in synthetics. Those that are processed in any way are clearly marked as such. What about sapphire, which forms naturally in the earth but is then enhanced by humans using techniques common in the gem trade? Are these sapphires natural? Many gem dealers and jewelers would say yes. Others will disagree and claim that only untreated sapphire is truly “natural”. Still others will say that some treatments are acceptable and others are not. So where do we draw the line? Here is the opinion of one dealer selling expensive sapphires:

If extreme heating of sapphire is acceptable to you, you have
stepped onto a slippery slope. If people have a hand in creating
beauty through heating and processing, why not embrace
adding diffusion and chemical treatment to improve color
made of stone? It would make him even more beautiful. If you are willing to accept something that is not uncommon just because
this is great, you better go back and just accept
something completely fake will save you a lot of money.

Let’s see if we can make sense of this recommendation. First the author states that “excessive heating” is unacceptable, then he suggests that the gemstone is not natural “if people have had a hand in creating beauty through heating and processing.” The writer is concerned that there is a “slippery slope” that we will slide down if we accept any treatment at all. This seems like a good point: if you take one type of treatment, why give up another? The argument is good, except for the fact that we must accept some improvements made by human hand. After all, buyers expect that sapphire will be cut and polished by experienced lapidaries. Natural sapphire in its raw form is not very attractive. Skillful cutting and polishing highlight the color and brilliance of the natural mineral. Should we then say that any processing of raw materials is acceptable if it simply brings out the properties of the natural gemstone? This would allow for heat treatment, as exposing the sapphire to heat changes color and/or clarity due to the chemical composition of the gemstone. Indeed, it is often argued that heat treatment is similar to the process that occurs naturally in the earth, where sapphire is formed through heat and pressure. However, many in the gemstone industry who take this position draw the line when it comes to a treatment known as “lattice diffusion”. This is a form of heat treatment that involves adding chemicals such as titanium and iron that penetrate the gemstone material and change color. It is stated that unlike heating, this is not a natural process as chemical elements are introduced into the gemstone. But, as noted corundum expert Richard Hughes argued, “ordinary heating disperses aluminum and hydrogen vacancies in and out; the surface diffusion process works in the same way, but with heavier elements (Ti, Fe, etc.).” . After any type of processing, complex chemical reactions occur in the gemstone material. We may well use the term “natural” to refer to gemstones mined from the earth to distinguish them from gemstones created in a laboratory. But once humanity begins to refine a gemstone’s material to maximize its beauty, it becomes very difficult indeed to tell where “natural” ends and “artificial” begins. The most important thing for a buyer is to understand the various enhancements that are used in gemstones and how they affect the price. Because each new type of gemstone treatment is a way to improve a previously untradeable material, it continually expands (or at least maintains) the supply of scarce gemstones on the market. Without this treatment, the supply of many gemstones would be so scarce that this article would probably focus more on synthetic rather than “natural” gemstones. This page in other languages

• Arabic | ما هو الياقوت الطبيعي؟
• 中文 | 什么是天然蓝宝石？
• English | What is a Natural Sapphire?
• French | Qu’est-ce qu’un saphir naturel?
• German | Was ist ein natürlicher Saphir?
• Italian | Cos’è uno zaffiro naturale?
• Japanese | What about?
• Korean | 천연 사파이어란 무엇입니까?
• Portuguese | O que é uma safira natural?
• Spanish | ¿Qué es un zafiro natural?

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Sapphire Gemstone: What is Sapphire? Sapphire color and many.

The most valuable sapphires

The Most Valuable Sapphires – Once in a Blue Moon Gem

Hardness and durability of gemstones

Hardness and durability of gemstones

Pure green sapphire

Fine Green Sapphire is a fancy mint colored gemstone.

Kashmir sapphires are the blue velvet princes of the Himalayas

Pukhraj Yellow Sapphire

Pukhraj Yellow Sapphire

Pailin Blue Sapphire

Pailin Blue Sapphire – Controversy rages around these gemstones

Golden Triangle Sapphires

Sapphires from the Golden Triangle

July 17, 2018 Sapphire, like ruby, belongs to the corundum family – precious stones of the first category. Unlike a red ruby, a sapphire can be of almost any shade.

The strength of sapphire on the Mohs scale is as much as 9 units; in terms of its characteristics, the mineral is close to diamond, and sometimes even exceeds it in price.

Cost of natural sapphires

The cost of sapphire in world practice is measured in US dollars per carat of stone and depends on its origin, size, cutting method, processing, color, weight and purity.

Cost of dark blue sapphire

Blue sapphire is the most expensive variety of the mineral. Its color is so deep that if the stone is clean, it is even difficult to determine the saturation of the blue color by eye. The price of a dark blue sapphire varies from $300-1000 per 1 carat. More expensive will be those that initially did not undergo additional heat treatment to improve cleanliness. The standard of blue sapphire is considered to be Kashmir sapphire, in which the structure of the mineral is most clearly expressed.

Cost of yellow sapphire

To determine the cost of a sapphire with an admixture of yellow tints, the color of the stone is important, and, of course, its cut, which emphasizes the radiance and hue. Stones of a lower category than blue sapphires include:

• Padparadscha is an orange, pink or purple stone. Stones of this grade weighing more than 5 carats are not used in the jewelry industry and are considered collectible. Their price can reach from $30000 per 1 carat. The price per carat of Padparadscha jewelry varies between $130-150 per carat;
• stones of rich yellow or golden color will cost $100-130 per carat;
• green sapphires also exist. Their complex, heterogeneous color is achieved through a combination of yellow and blue veins. These corundums are not that expensive and can cost as little as $75 per carat.

White sapphire price

The white color and transparency of the structure of the mineral indicate the complete absence of foreign impurities; this is an extremely rare phenomenon for natural minerals.

Transparent sapphire has an external resemblance to a diamond; combinations of these stones can often be found in jewelry. Given that colorless corundum is rarely found in nature, white color is usually obtained through heat treatment and bleaching procedures for colored stones. Such a sapphire will not cost much.

Star sapphire cost

Star sapphires get their name from the asterism effect on the surface. Due to the large amount of impurities inside the stone, clusters of titanium oxides are formed, shaped like needles, and on the surface of the stone the reflection of light takes the shape of a six-pointed star. Stones with a star-shaped structure are designed as cabochons to preserve the unusual effect. The color of star sapphire can be orange, golden or black, and the price is low, about $10-15 per 1 carat.

Sapphire cost per carat in Russia. What else affects the price

Prices per carat of sapphire in Russia do not differ from world prices; they are usually indicated in dollars and can vary depending on exchange rate fluctuations.

In addition to color, the price per carat of sapphire is influenced by:

• Weight of the stone. The carat value of a gemstone increases as its weight increases. Thus, the price per carat of a “heavy” sapphire, whose weight reaches 10 carats, can increase to $10000.
• Purity of the stone. The price of sapphire is affected by the quality of its structure, the presence of opacities, and impurities. Pure sapphires without inclusions can cost between $6500 and $9500, while the lowest quality sapphires will cost between $50 and $500.
• Quality of cut. If the quality of the original stone is not high, then dome-shaped stones or carved sapphires are produced from corundum. The price for such a sapphire is about $10-20, but not per carat, but per piece.
• Origin of the mineral. Burmese sapphires are among the most expensive, while the cheapest corundums are grown in laboratories. There are many laboratories in the world for the synthesis of precious stones, mainly for industry, and less often for jewelry. Although now many designers prefer inexpensive synthetic corundums of different colors – from blue to yellow.

How to distinguish natural sapphire from artificial?

There is nothing wrong with artificial stones, they are environmentally friendly, and the quality is no worse than natural ones. But what if you want to buy natural stone and have doubts? If you buy jewelry with sapphire, it seems too cheap to you, and the crystals are too transparent, most likely you are looking at artificial or ennobled stones. When purchasing jewelry, always ask for a certificate, so you can distinguish a natural stone from an artificial one, and an artificial one from a beautifully cut glass.

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