Sapphire
The most practical coloured gemstone there is, in eleven colours
About Sapphire
Sapphire is the best coloured gemstone for fine jewellery, and it is not close. It is durable at Mohs 9, beautiful, and available in a remarkable range of colours. If you want colour in a ring worn every day, this is where to start.
Most people think of sapphire as blue. It is also teal, green, pink, yellow, peach, purple, white, grey, orange and parti-coloured, where a single stone shows more than one colour at once. Blue reads traditional and timeless. Teal feels contemporary. Peach is soft, warm and distinctly modern.
The Palette
Swatches are indicative. We will always show you the actual stone in more than one light.
Why Sapphire Works
Excellent durability
Mohs 9, second only to diamond and moissanite among stones used in rings. It will take daily wear indefinitely without special care.
The widest colour range
No other gemstone offers this many colours at this level of durability, which means you can chase a specific shade without compromising on wear.
Modern and vintage both
Sapphire sits comfortably in a clean bezel or an ornate milgrain cluster. Few stones are as design-agnostic.
Strong symbolism
The September birthstone, long associated with wisdom and fidelity, and a traditional 45th anniversary stone.
What to Watch
- Very dark stones can look black once setAsk to see the stone against the actual metal before committing.
- Colour zoning may be visibleUneven colour banding within a stone, most common in blues.
- Heat treatment is common and acceptedFine untreated stones cost considerably more.
- Cut quality drives brightnessA poorly cut sapphire looks flat regardless of its colour grade.
The Practical Facts
- Hardness
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9 on the Mohs scale
1 · TalcSecond only to diamond10 · Diamond - Toughness
-
Excellent
- Suited to
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Engagement rings, wedding bands, eternity rings, daily wear
- Common treatment
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Heat, widely accepted when disclosed
- Price range
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££ to ££££ depending on colour and origin
- Birthstone
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September
Hardness describes scratch resistance, not toughness. The two are different and both matter.
Setting It Well
Sapphires work beautifully in claw, bezel, trilogy, cluster and eternity designs. Very dark sapphires need open settings and careful metal choice so they do not read as black once set. Blue sapphire is classic in platinum and white gold; peach, yellow and parti sapphires look most intentional in yellow or rose gold.
Sapphire Questions We Are Asked Most
Is sapphire hard enough for an engagement ring?
Yes, comfortably. At Mohs 9 it is one of the hardest gemstones used in jewellery and takes daily wear without difficulty. Along with ruby and diamond it is one of the three stones we recommend without hesitation for a ring worn every day.
Are sapphires only blue?
No. Sapphire is corundum, and it occurs in teal, green, pink, yellow, peach, purple, white, grey, orange and parti-coloured as well as blue. Red corundum is called ruby; every other colour is sapphire.
Should I worry about heat treatment?
Heat treatment is routine for sapphire, stable and permanent, and widely accepted throughout the trade. It should always be disclosed in writing. Fine untreated stones command a significant premium, which is worth paying only if untreated origin matters to you specifically.
What is a parti sapphire?
A single stone showing more than one colour, most often blue and green or yellow and blue. They are entirely natural, increasingly sought after, and no two are alike.
Sapphire or blue topaz?
Sapphire, for a ring. Blue topaz is far cheaper and reads brightly, but it is brittle with a perfect cleavage plane and will chip. Topaz is better kept for pendants and earrings.
The Diamond and Gemstone Guide
Every gemstone stone by stone, plus durability, treatments, ethical sourcing and grading reports.
Round
Pear
Princess
Emerald
Oval
Asscher
Cushion
Marquise
Radiant
Heart
