Sapphire Rings

Sapphire is the most traditional engagement gemstone (it’s been around longer than diamonds). Today it is also the gemstone for 5th, 45th and 65th wedding anniversaries! Therefore, sapphires are perfect for engagement rings and wedding bands, representing fidelity and commitment. Additionally, sapphire is the September birthstone, so it can also be used to celebrate those born in September!

Sapphires have a Mohs hardness of 9, second only to diamonds and moissanite, which makes sapphire rings very durable! But the durability of a ring is not just about the gemstone, but also the metal and setting. For example, 14K gold is more durable than 18K gold, and a pave setting is more durable than a claw setting, wide bands are more durable than thin bands, etc.

While the value varies depending on qualities like cut, color, and clarity – just like with diamonds – Sapphires are still highly coveted gemstones.

Generally speaking, the most valuable and expensive Sapphire colors are padparadscha, followed by rare medium to dark tones of purple, pink, and green. However, rarity is not the only factor – cut, clarity, size, and historical importance also affect price. Large fine-quality pure blue Sapphires can still command top prices, as that hue is the traditional precious gem variety.

Here is a table comparing average per carat prices of some popular Sapphire colors:

Wearing a Sapphire ring can have personal significance depending on one’s culture and beliefs.

Since ancient times, sapphire (blue) rings have symbolized loyalty, commitment, wisdom and wealth. And as time goes on, more colors of sapphires come into view and they are given different meanings:

• Pink Sapphire Ring: Like its color, the pink sapphire ring is considered the embodiment of love and romance, symbolizing soft, warm love.
• Green Sapphire Ring: Green symbolizes life and nature, the green sapphire ring represents growth, harmony and regeneration in marriage and is a symbol of health, wealth and good fortune.
• White Sapphire Ring: White symbolizes purity and transparency, white sapphire represents the innocence of love and symbolizes truth and justice.

View The Symbolism of Different Colored Sapphires to learn more!

Just like all gemstones, the color, clarity, and cut have a vital influence on the appearance and quality of a sapphire. Sapphires over 3 carats that meet stringent grading standards for these attributes can be considered exceptional quality gems.

• Color – Statistically, the rarest color for natural Sapphires is a beautiful orange-pink shade called padparadscha. Only a few dozen carats of this color come out of mines worldwide each year, making it extraordinarily scarce. Other uncommon hues include certain shades of purple, green, and yellow.
• Hue – The finest quality Sapphires display vivid pure color saturation without hints of other hues. They possess eye-clean clarity without inclusions visible to the naked eye.
• Cut – Well-cut sapphires help enhance the color, luster, and brilliance of the gem. the best cuts are round brilliant, oval, cushion, or emerald to showcase fire and brilliance.

Here are several tests for identifying the authenticity of sapphires to ensure you get a real Sapphire.

• First examine it under 10x magnification for inclusions and look for dichroism – the flickering of two different hues as the gem is rotated. Hold it over white paper – real Sapphires won’t scratch the paper.
• You can also do specific gravity and refractive index testing in a lab. With experience examining gems, an expert can usually discern real Sapphires. Synthetic ones may have perfect clarity but lack soul.

Yes. Sapphires are hard and can be cleaned using ultrasonic cleaning. This cleaning method can more effectively clean off the oil on the surface of the gemstone and restore the original luster of the gemstone!