Sapphire gem stones: price, colors, and parts

Buying a sapphire is much less technical than buying a diamond. Diamonds are valued for their brilliance while sapphire loves its color. Because it is all about color, you need to purchase your sapphire from a site that has high-quality images of the stones, such as or Leibish & Co.

Not only do these two companies offer loose gemstones, but they both make stunning sapphire jewelry. Take this stunning three-tone sapphire ring (with side diamonds) from James Allen for example. Or if you are looking for something a little more subtle, here is a lovely sapphire pendant with a diamond halo from Leibish. However, you can also find beautiful jewelry elsewhere. Take this beautiful pair of sapphire earrings for example.

If you want to see more sapphire engagement rings, see our list of recently purchased rings from our Top-Rated Retailers.

What is sapphire?

Sapphire is a precious gemstone from the mineral corundum. It is most commonly known for its amazing blue color, although it appears in a number of other color types. Sapphire has an incredible history, from drawing fame with the royal family to playing a role in ancient mythology. Hence, sapphire is one of the most sought-after gemstones for jewelry (along with diamonds).

Rivera Pave Pink Sapphire Eternity Ring

Rivera Pave Pink Sapphire Eternity Ring

What does sapphire look like?

When many people think of sapphire, they think of a gem that has a charming dark blue hue. While sapphire is the most common, it can come in a range of colors. Besides sapphire blue, you can also find it in pink, purple, yellow, green, white, and more.

Being a naturally formed gemstone, sapphire almost always has minor imperfections and inclusions. This is not a defect - it really proves that sapphire is authentic and makes it unique. If a sapphire appears flawless, it is most likely a lab-created sapphire.

What are sapphires made of?

Sapphire comes from the mineral corundum, which is a crystalline form of aluminum oxide. Corundum forms in crystalline rocks, which contain what we know as sapphire or sapphire, based on other minerals present during the formation.

It is the mixture of minerals that have worked together over thousands of years to produce beautiful, rare and desirable gemstones like rubies.

Corundum is a very hard material, on a par with the hardness of diamond. For this reason, sapphire is very durable and does not scratch easily. They have a score of 9 on a scale of 1 to 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness, second only to diamond with a perfect score of 10.

Lab sapphire

While natural sapphires take thousands of years to form properly, scientists have been able to penetrate the process to create a man-made sapphire in much less time.

Lab-made sapphires come from synthetic forms of corundum, used to make synthetic sapphires and sapphires (other gemstones made from corundum). Since both natural and synthetic sapphires come from the same mineral, laboratory created gemstones are basically the same as their natural counterparts, with the same optical qualities and hardness. However, lab-made sapphires are less expensive, due to their lower rarity and faster construction process.

The easiest way to distinguish between natural and tested sapphires is smoothness. Natural sapphire will contain inclusions or small imperfections all over the stone if you look closely. However, the lab created gemstones are designed without any fluctuations in nature and thus are clean and flawless.

Despite stones created in the laboratory that do not have visual defects, natural sapphires are more in demand, and therefore more expensive (especially rare or high-quality natural sapphires, such as cashmere sapphires).

What does sapphire mean?

Oval sapphire in a halo setting

Beautiful oval sapphire set in a halo shaped engagement ring

Blue sapphires have a wealth of historical meaning, which is part of what makes them so dear. Over time, sapphire has been known as a valuable and valuable gemstone, with its deep blue appeal that has reached many people in history.

It is generally accepted that the word itself is derived from the Latin and Greek terms for "blue," although some believe it comes from the Sanskrit word for Saturn. In fact, in many languages ​​the term sapphire can be loosely translated to mean "dear to Saturn."

The word sapphire may also come from the Hebrew “sapir,” as it is understood in the Hebrew Bible to refer to sapphire.

Sapphire is the September birthstone and the traditional wedding anniversary gift for the fifth and forty-fifth years.

Sapphires and Kings

Sapphire has been a beloved gemstone for brides and wealthy people for centuries, so it is not surprising that it has recently gained popularity as a centerpiece or accent stone in bridal and fashion jewelry.

The fact that Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with his mother's 18-karat sapphire engagement ring is definitely a precedent, and sparked a growing trend among couples looking for colored gemstone engagement rings.

However, before Princess Di acquired her fabulous blue beauty, these Nile rocks were prized for generations as symbols of good fortune, virtue, holiness, and wisdom.

What does sapphire mean in the Bible?

Sapphire appears frequently in the Bible. Stone is mentioned in several chapters and represents something beautiful or precious of great value. Most importantly, legend says that the Ten Commandment tablets were made of sapphire and were so strong that they could handle