Gems TV

SAPPHIRE FANCY

Since the dawn of time, Sapphires have captivated and mesmerised jewellery connoisseurs the world over. From hot pink to forest green, Sapphire’s spectrum of colours is truly kaleidoscopic.

Fancy Sapphires get their unique colours from the iron, chromium, titanium and other trace metals present within the Corundum.

Chanthaburi Sapphire (Thailand)

Black Star Sapphires have only ever been found at one place on Earth – Ban Kha Ja, Chanthaburi (located approximately 245 kilometres east of Bangkok, close to the border of Cambodia). From these mines, no more than 7 kilometres from the GemsTV workshops, stunning blue, green and yellow Sapphires are also unearthed. Displaying gorgeous golden tangerine hues, a stunning Sapphire variety we aptly called “Chanthaburi Sapphire” from a new alluvial pocket at Ban Kha Ja proved hugely popular in 2005.

Black Star Sapphires differ from other Corundum in that their colour is not due to trace elements or colour centres. Instead, it is caused by the colour of exsolved hematite-ilmenite silk inclusions. This silk imparts a deep brown black colour to an otherwise blue, green or yellow Sapphire. This is called “mechanical coloration” or “colour by inclusions”. Not only are they responsible for colour, but they also produce a six-rayed star effect. When it occurs in an otherwise blue or green Sapphire, the rays of the star appear white. Sometimes the hematite unmixes in a yellow Sapphire, giving the star a golden yellow colour.

Today, mining in Chanthaburi is very limited making top quality Sapphires from this town exceedingly rare. In fact, we think what is being traded in the local market is predominately older stock, with very few new gems being unearthed.

Colour Change Sapphire

While Colour Change Sapphires come from a variety of locations, the gem gravels of Tanzania are the main source. Colour Change Sapphires present gem lovers with an opportunity to own the rare and stunning colour change effect in a gem other than Alexandrite or Garnet. While the colours tend to vary depending on locale, in general they change from khaki green to reddish purple. The picture of a notable exception from Sri Lanka, changing from purple to red.

Green Sapphire

Green Sapphires display a range of green hues, from tropical limes to wine bottle greens.

Padparadscha & Padparadscha Colour Sapphire

While Sapphires have mesmerised jewellery connoisseurs since the dawn of time, there is one Sapphire variety that mesmerises above all others, the mysterious and coveted Padparadscha Sapphire.

Padparadscha Sapphire derives its name from its resemblance to the beautiful and famed pinkish orange lotus flower known to the Sri Lankan people as “Padparadscha” or in botanical terms Nelumbo Nucifera Speciosa.

Padparadscha Sapphires must combine elements of pink and orange in one gem to rightly claim their Padparadscha title. One way to picture the colour of Padparadscha Sapphires is to imagine sitting in front of a lazy fire on an isolated beach painted by the soothing hues of a tropical sunset. You then hold a fragrant lotus bloom to your nose and at that instant, the colours meld creating an aurora of orange and pink. This is Padparadscha!

Wonderfully romantic and delightfully seductive, Padparadscha Sapphires are so rare and beautiful that they are highly prized by collectors. But what are the origins of the word Padparadscha?

Often misunderstood, the modern word “Padparadscha” was in fact adopted from a German gemmological text early in the 20th century. The word Padparadscha is actually a corruption of two Sanskrit and Singhalese words “padma raga”. While “padma” means lotus, the word “raga” is more complex, meaning colour, attraction, desire and musical rhythm all rolled into one. Interestingly, the original term had much broader applications and was even used in ancient times to describe a variety of Ruby. A medieval Prakit text on gemmology called the “Thakkura Pheru’s Rayanaparikkha”, describes Padparadscha Sapphires as “that which spreads its rays like the sun, is glossy, soft to the touch, resembling the fire, like molten gold and not worn off is Padma Raga”. Identical in appearance to Padparadscha Sapphires, Padparadscha Colour Sapphires are created through recent innovations in heat treatment developed in Chanthaburi, Thailand, the location of the GemsTV jewellery workshops. To learn more about this treatment please click here.

Although the exact description is often debated, the beauty of these rare gemstones is not. While some continue to narrowly define Padparadscha as a Sri Lankan Sapphire, today Padparadscha and Padparadscha Colour Sapphires are recognised as also hailing from Madagascar, Vietnam and Tanzania. Regardless of the locale, Padparadscha Sapphires and Padparadscha Colour Sapphires, especially in larger sizes, are incredibly scarce.

Pink Sapphire

Immensely popular, Pink Sapphires range from pastel to vivacious pinks and share a colour border with Ruby. While some Pink Sapphires are so close to this boundary they are called “Hot Pink”, at GemsTV we use our own term “Majestic” to differentiate this colour variety. Sharing exactly the same position on the colour wheel, red and pink are technically the same colour. It is the saturation or strength of this red hue that differentiates red from pink. The problem is that the border region where pink stops and red starts is open to interpretation. To put the issue to rest, the International Coloured Gemstone Association (ICA) stated the following: “Pink is really just light red. The International Coloured Gemstone Association has passed a resolution that the light shades of the red hue should be included in the Ruby category since it was too difficult to legislate where red ended and pink began. In practice, pink shades are now known either as Pink Ruby or Pink Sapphire”.

Purple Sapphire

Highly prized by collectors, Purple Sapphires (also once known as “oriental amethyst”) can display rich purple-pink colours reminiscent of orchids.

Yellow Sapphire

Ranging from pleasing pastel daisies to intensely beautiful canary yellows, Yellow Sapphires are renowned for their amazing lustre and brilliance. Yellow Sapphires are not just beautiful, but are also one of the most coveted of all yellow gemstones.

Star Sapphire

With their very bright and lustrous star formations, Star Sapphires have traditionally been the most popular of all star gemstones. Glance at a Star Sapphire and you will see six or even twelve rayed stars silently gliding across the gemstone’s surface. This wonderful gem has long been coveted for its beautiful and mysterious optical effect known as “asterism”. “Asterism” or the “asteric effect” is caused by sets of parallel needle-like inclusions within the gemstone. While the gem gravels of Ratnapura in Sri Lanka are one of the world’s main sources of Star Sapphires, Black Star Sapphires are only found in the Ban Kha Ja district of the Chanthaburi province of Thailand.

In many cultures Star Sapphires were considered love charms; Helen of Troy was said to have owned a Star Sapphire and to have owed her conquests to it! In 17th century Germany, Star Sapphires were the “siegstein”, meaning “victory stone”. To others, Star Sapphires were the “stone of destiny”, as their crossing bands of light were believed to represent faith, hope and destiny. Star Sapphires were commonly used as talismans to protect against the evil eye and the Sinhalese used them to guard against witchcraft. Star Sapphires were particularly prized in ancient times as a guiding star for travellers. The famous English traveller, Sir Richard Francis Burton, possessed a large specimen which he referred to as his talisman, claiming it brought him good horses and prompt attention wherever he went. In fact, it was only in those places where he received proper attention that he would show it, a favour greatly appreciated because the sight of the gem was believed to bring good luck. One of the most unique of all talismanic gems, Star Sapphires are said to be so potent that they continue to exercise their good influence over the first wearer even if it has passed into other hands.

Sunset Sapphire

While it might not have the pinks to be Padparadscha, there is nothing about the beauty of Sunset Sapphires that is lacking. Displaying a bright blend of crimson tangerines reminiscent of an African sunset, Sunset Sapphire (also called Songea Sapphire) was only discovered in 1992. The world’s only Sunset Sapphire deposit is located 60 kilometres west of Songea, with the Masuguru district being the main mining area. Discoveries like Sunset Sapphire have helped Songea become the second most important Tanzanian mining area after Merelani (the home of Tanzanite).

White Sapphire

The ancient Egyptians associated White Sapphire with the all-seeing eye of Horus, while the Greeks linked it to their god Apollo, using it in the prophesizing of the oracles at Delphi.

The ancient Greeks unearthed White Sapphires from the island of Naxos in the Aegean Sea.

With none of the iron, chromium, titanium and other trace elements that give Fancy Sapphires their unique colours, White Sapphire is arguably Sapphire in its purest form. Displaying an exceptional lustre and brilliance, it has become a popular alternative to Diamonds.