![]() Almost all sapphires of any color have been heat treated to lighten or intensify color, or to try and improve clarity. If the color intensity approaches red, the gem is a ruby, or if the pink color is mixed with orange, the term "padparadsha" is used. ![]() Pink Sapphires have traditionally been found in the gem gravels of Sri Lanka, but recently a major find of intense color stones has been discovered on the island of Madagascar. Traditionally, green sapphire has been produced in Thailand and Australia, but recent production has included many gems from East Africa. ![]() Most natural green sapphire is dark, olive-green in color and quite inexpensive although a few are bright and lively enough that they command premium prices. Sapphire comes in many different colors, including green, pink, yellow, purple, orange and white. Treatments: heat for color and clarity, diffusion for color. Sapphire has a hardness of 9 making it an excellent choice for all types of jewelry including wedding rings. Since 2006, some sapphires have appeared in the market with Beryllium diffusion throughout to improve color. For the last twenty-some years, titanium diffusion has been practiced in some markets where titanium is diffused into the surface of clear sapphires turning the color blue. Many "Ceylon" sapphires in the market today are from the larger island of Madagascar. While Sri Lanka is still a major producer of sapphires, the term has now come to include all blue sapphire with those characteristics, regardless of source. Since their discovery, Ceylon sapphires have been known for their purity of color and brilliance. One of the first sources of blue sapphire, the tiny island of Ceylon is today known as Sri Lanka. Many of our sapphires are referred to as "Ceylon" sapphires. Blue sapphire is the birthstone for September and is the gemstone recommended for forty-fifth anniversaries. Also, sapphire was long considered a symbol of truth and constancy. Ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a great blue sapphire, the reflection of which gave the sky its color. As with ruby, the legendary virtues ascribed to sapphire are many. Sapphire is among the most durable of gemstones with only diamond being harder to scratch. We have both traditional diamonds and also fancy styles of diamonds such as moss slices and opaque rose cuts. ![]() Within each shape, a diamond can be more or less valuable depending on how much fire the facets create. Cuts range from the traditional round brilliant to square, oval and marquise shapes and even some oddities like half moons. A few diamonds are valued for their natural colors - either because the color is very intense like vivid yellow or because it is very rare like pink or blue. For most diamonds, the absence of color or inclusions is desired, and the less of each, the higher the price. Whether they have a lab report or not, all diamonds are priced based on these same factorrs. Traditional diamonds are graded on the four C's - carat, color, clarity and cut. Who can forget listening to "Diamonds are Forever" while watching 007! Diamonds live at the heart of the most glamorous sector of the jewelry industry. Named after the Greek word for "invincible," diamond has been described as "a girl's best friend." They have become a part of popular culture today. are the hardest natural material on the plantet and have been valued for generations as symbols of love and power.
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