10 Steps on How to Buy a Natural Sapphire Engagement Ring

An exceptional natural, unheated (no heat), blue sapphire from Sri Lanka (Ceylon)

Article by Sumeet Chordia, G.G.

How should one go about buying a sapphire? Pursuing the “perfect” natural sapphire engagement ring requires a different “set of eyes” or perspective than a diamond engagement ring. While this may seem obvious, many shoppers equate diamond standards to sapphire standards. After all, a gem is a gem and should be evaluated equally. However, while diamonds are predominately carbon, formed at extreme depths, and can conveniently group into the 4C (color, clarity, cut, and carat weight) rubric, natural sapphires are primarily Aluminum Oxide formed at shallower depths and heterogeneous. Therefore, slight variations in its attributes can affect its appearance and, consequently, its value. The nature of sapphires makes it challenging for laboratories to evaluate and group certain parameters such as hue, clarity, or cut grade.

Step 1. Define your ideal sapphire.

Unlike searching for fixed parameters in a diamond, begin your sapphire search with a sentence or a list of important features to you and your fiancé. This is your opportunity to focus on what uniquely matters to you two and not the seller, a laboratory, or the market. Here is an example:

She would love to wear a beautiful and brilliant three-carat cushion-shaped blue sapphire that reflects the blue ocean we saw during our memorable trip. I know she loves this shape because she has shown me several images, and I think a three-carat would be the right size for her finger.

The important thing to note here is that the perfect sapphire is the one your fiancé will always adore and wear. Feel free to elaborate and add more elements or features to your definition of the perfect sapphire. These could include geographic origin, cutting style, or even phenomena like asterism or color-change.

Step 2. Allocate a separate budget for the sapphire.

Establish a dedicated budget for the sapphire and reserve a separate amount for the setting where you may accrue charges for designing, accent stones, metal, labor, shipping and handling, certifications, and other add-on services. By starting with the center stone, you are more likely to achieve your goal within or around your budget.

If you do not know where to start, take your total budget and allocate 60% to 80% to the center stone. If you are exploring an intricate ring design, allocate close to 60% to the center stone. A more basic or classic design will allow you to spend more on the center stone. There is no correct amount or a fixed percentage, but this is a reasonable range to help you begin your initial search and explore the market.

Step 3. Decide whether you want a natural, unheated sapphire or a natural, heated sapphire.

Sapphires that are natural (earth-mined) and exhibit no evidence of enhancement are considered “unheated” or  “no-heat”. In contrast, sapphires that exhibit heat enhancement are considered “heated” or “heat-treated”. Unheated sapphires and heated sapphires each have pros and cons. Notably, unheated sapphires are rare and more valuable; heat-treated sapphires are relatively less expensive and available in larger sizes.

 

Step 4. Begin your preliminary search.

As you conduct your preliminary search, constantly refer to your definition in Step 1. Check whether you need to tweak your definition, search, or your budget. Furthermore, assess the sapphire in its most basic form – look at it from a distance and ask whether you like the color, the shape, the size, and the light reflection. Do not fall into further specifications or a 10x zoom at this stage. As you find sapphires, build your collection of suitable candidates; save their images, videos, or hyperlinks.

Step 5. Detail Examination and Grouping

Go through your sapphires collection and examine them closely—this is a good time to observe the sapphire under a 10x gem loupe. If 360-degree videos are available, look at the stone from various angles. Otherwise, ask the jeweler to send you a candid video that captures the stone from all sides.

Make sure to remove stones that host bothersome reflective inclusions. Unlike diamonds, sapphires exhibit more inclusions—they are diverse and present throughout the crystal. Determine whether any inclusion is reflective (visible without a loupe) and whether it affects the stone’s durability.

As you work through the stones, assign them into three groups: Ideal, Excellent, and Very Good.

Step 6. Focus on sapphires in the ‘Ideal’ and ‘Excellent’ categories.

Remove the sapphires in the ‘Very Good’ category and focus on the other two categories. Next, go into the specific details about measurements, geographic origin, price, and other attributes that you value.

Step 7. Do your diligence!

Ensure your stone has paperwork from a reputable third-party laboratory that matches the specifications. It is advisable to work with companies that have excellent after-sales service. Furthermore, read Return & Exchange policies thoroughly. Each company is different, and it’s best to understand their terms prior to purchase.

Step 8. Negotiate

With gemstones and jewelry, there is usually room to negotiate. Work with the sales representative and negotiate.

Step 9. Work with a reputable jeweler to make your desired ring or jewelry.

After procuring the most perfect stone, work with a reputable jeweler to make your beautiful ring. Try to include elements that are meaningful to you and your fiancé. Remember that your ring should tell your story; only you can make that happen.

Step 10. Celebrate!

Congratulations, you have created the most beautiful natural sapphire engagement ring! A final check: upon receiving the ring, check the stone, ring, paperwork, and other arrangements you made. Immediately reach out to the company to resolve any discrepancy—do not delay.

If you have any questions or feedback, please reach out to us. We hope this guide helps you procure the most beautiful sapphire engagement ring; click here to view our loose sapphires collection.

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Updated: July 29, 2022
Originally Published: July 16, 2021

Natural Color-Change Alexandrite Guide: History and Information

A Natural and Certified Brazil Alexandrite. © RAF Jewels

A Natural and Certified Brazil Alexandrite. © RAF Jewels

Alexandrite is a variety of Chrysoberyl, a mineral that is chemically Beryllium Aluminate (BeAl2O4). The gemstone is most notable for its distinct color-change effect – a shift between a green-blue to a purple-red hue under daylight and incandescent light, respectively. The gem was serendipitously discovered when miners extracted emeralds from sites within Russia's Ural Mountain Range between 1829 and 1833. From excavating hundreds of emerald specimens, they recovered only one of these types of color-changing mineral.

Upon its discovery, authorities controlling the mine sent samples to the country's mineralogical department for further study and analysis. Mineralogists studied the gemstone carefully and published numerous accounts of its properties and unique phenomena. They confirmed it as a variety of cymophane, another name for Chrysoberyl. In 1834, the Russian Imperial Mineralogical Society recognized the gemstone's "first-rank" properties and changed its name to Alexandrite in honor of Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich (Tsar Alexander II) - the next Tsar of Russia.

While the gemstone mesmerized miners and geologists for its color-change phenomena, it also proved highly durable and resistant – the gem had no cleavage planes and registered 8.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale[1]. For perspective, diamonds are 10, rubies and sapphires are 9, and emeralds are 7.5 - 8.

Remarkably, a recent analysis of Alexandrites by SSEF in Basel, Switzerland, uncovered the mystery behind its natural color-changing phenomena. Researchers at SSEF discovered that the color-change in Alexandrites occurs due to Chromium, a trace element, inside the mineral. When two distinct light sources, daylight and incandescent) carrying different spectrum emissions, illuminate the crystal its absorbs different color wavelengths and emits a different color. Notably, the absorption spectrum of Alexandrite was similar to those of emeralds and rubies.

Type IIa (2A) Diamonds: Pure Carbon Diamonds

Article by Sumeet Chordia, G.G.

February 08, 2021

Diamonds form hundreds of kilometers beneath the earth’s crust under tremendous heat and pressure. They are predominantly Carbon, but more than 95% of natural diamonds show traces of other elements in their composition. In fact, most certified D-Flawless diamonds are not the purest diamonds in nature. Although they exhibit the highest color and clarity grade, there are subtle, yet important, chemical and technical differences that separate these diamonds from the crème de la crème - Type IIa diamonds.

What are Type IIa Diamonds?

Type IIa diamonds are a category of diamonds that exhibit no measurable traces of nitrogen or boron in their structure. Although other diamond-types may represent a high diamond color grade (D) they contain some other non-carbon element in the crystal structure. In contrast, Type IIa diamonds often display a higher color due to their pure carbon composition.

When and by Whom were Type IIa Diamonds discovered?

In 1934, scientists Robert Robertson, John Jacob Fox, and A.E. Martin conducted proprietary experiments on diamonds and classified them into two main types: Type I and Type II. The bifurcation is largely “based on the presence or absence of nitrogen impurities.”¹ However, upon further research, diamonds were subdivided into Type Ia (1A), Type Ib (1B), Type IIa (2A), and Type IIb (2B) based on “the arrangement of nitrogen atoms [aggregated or isolated] and the occurrence of boron.”² The diamond-type “[directly relates] to color and the lattice defects” that can be “modified by treatments to change color.”³ Overall, the method to classify diamonds by type is “a convenient way to categorize [them] based on their chemical and physical properties”⁴ for researchers and gemologists. It also helps explain why two diamonds with similar weight, color, clarity, and cut grade may look different to the eye.

 

How do you know if a diamond is Type IIa?

The best way to know about a diamond’s type is through a gemological laboratory, such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). GIA offers diamond-type testing for a fee; however, the service is not recommended for majority of diamonds in the market. Type IIa diamonds are rare and accompany a supplemental Type IIa Letter with the Diamond Grading Report from GIA.

Are Type IIa diamonds really special?

Yes. Although Type IIa diamonds are pure carbon and hold a special place for researchers and gemologists, their history is more captivating to diamond collectors and aficionados. Prior to the scientific discovery and classification system by the scientists in the 1930s, Type IIa diamonds were unknowingly prevalent in the collections of kings, queens, and noblemen. Notably, many of the world’s largest and most famous diamonds – Koh-i-noor (105.60 ct.), Cullinan, Archduke Joseph (78.54 ct.), Agra Pink Diamond (41 ct.), Elizabeth Taylor Diamond (33.19 ct.), Star of the South (128 ct.), Pink Legacy (18.96 ct.), and several others – are Type IIa.

These diamonds, among other notable diamonds, originate from the world’s first diamond source – the Golconda diamond mines near Hyderabad, India.

Does a Type IIa diamond command a premium price over non-Type IIa diamonds?

Yes, but it’s nominal. Surprisingly, it may come at a price similar to a non-Type IIa diamond. Type IIa diamonds are so scarce that most diamond dealers don’t bother procuring them and overlook this distinction in their day-to-day business. In fairness, consumers are largely unaware about diamond types and rarely ask about them. However, as individuals learn more about diamond-types and their uniqueness, we expect a rise in premiums for Type IIa diamonds.

Would I recommend a Type IIa diamond?

Absolutely. I am more intrigued by the true rarity of these diamonds as compared to other diamonds that are beautiful but largely romanticized because of a remarkable marketing campaign. Diamonds are a wonderful gem, but what makes Type IIa diamond stand apart from others is their high purity and ability to exhibit a higher color than other non-Type IIa diamonds in the market.

¹ Breeding, Christopher M, and Shigley, James E. "The "Type" Classification System of Diamonds and Its Importance in Gemology." Gems & Gemology 45, no. 2 (2009): 96
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.