Top Tips for Choosing a Blue Sapphire How to Buy a Genuine Natural Blue Sapphire

Also goes by names: neelam, safir, yakut, zapphir

Mineral Composition: Corundum, Aluminium Oxide (Al2O3)

Mohs Scale Hardness: 9.0

Sources of Origin: We wish it was so simple to put gems into exclusive brackets with the shove of a glance. However, we have tried best to list a characteristic picture of gems from the main sources.

This is also on of the reasons why we emphasize on why you should seek out unheated and untreated Blue sapphires. Treatments mask the natural flaws and characteristics of gems and can alter their appearance to unbelievable levels.

What you should look for in Your Blue sapphire

There is a lot of difference between a real gemstone and a stone. It could be the latter masquerading in the garb of the former. Please ascertain whether the gem you are about to purchase is –

– Jyotish Quality

– Natural

–Unheated

–Treatment-free

–  Certification from a gem Lab

–  Credentials of the seller

Blue Sapphire and the 4 Cs

1. Cut

Ovals and Cushions are the most popular cuts in Blue sapphires. As the complexity and fanciness quotient of the gem cut increases, so does the price but geometrically. A fancy cut requires sacrificing on the weight (quite a bit of caratage is lost to the shape and therefore the escalated cost)! Among the oval and cushions too, a cushion cut gem fetches a better price than an oval.

The cut impacts the brilliance of the gem in the biggest manner. Master cutting of gem ensures best play of light in a gem. If the cutter errs on cutting, especially vis- -vis the critical angle the light will leak away and neither the brilliance, nor the color of the gem is optimally displayed.

2. Color

The above image serves as a rough parameter for gauging the vast range of color of blue sapphires. Among those too, the saturation/ intensity of color will vary and so will the hues. Dark blue midnight tones, to rich velvety silks, to soft medium tones, to clear waters like a pristine soul such is the vast variation in the availability of the blue sapphires.

In trade terms, pricing of colored gemstone will be heavily influenced by hue, tone and saturation of color. The rich the color, higher the price.

3.Clarity

The crystalline features of the gem and presence/ absence of pits, feathers, needles, silk, twinning etc. determine the brilliance, transparency and appearance of the gem. Lesser the number of clarity characteristics in your natural gem, the higher priced it will be.

Planetary gem therapy works on the principle of Passage of light, barring in the case of organic gems like pearl and coral. If your gem is poor quality/ opaque placebo, it is practically useless for jyotish purposes.

4. Carat weight

You could well hang a kettlebell in your neck if you go by the prescribed weights doing rounds in market. It is always better to wear a jyotish quality gemstone rather than a STONE which will not be able to deliver any results at all.

The less said the better. The pictures speak a lot for themselves.

Selected Rings, Pendants and Talismans made available to Gemstoneuniverse.com patrons in May 2013

Natural Blue Sapphire and Double Diamond halo ring

Gemstoneuniverse.com Table Natural Blue Sapphire Gemstone Facts

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