The first thing that comes to mind to most people when they think about a sapphire is a deep blue stone like the one in Princess Diana’s ring that Prince William gave to Kate. While that is a lovely example of a traditional blue sapphire, the gemstone can actually be found in nature in every color of the rainbow. A sapphire is formed from the mineral corundum, and can take on different shades depending on what other minerals it comes into contact with. This means that every sapphire will have a slightly different look, even within the same color family. It also means that you can find one-of-a-kind sapphires, such as blue-green, that will change colors depending on which angle you look at it from. The three important differentiations to consider when purchasing a natural sapphire are the stone’s hue, saturation, and tone.
Hue
Hue is the color of the sapphire. Some colors are more rare than others, and therefore more valuable.
Saturation
Saturation is the purity or intensity of the color. In some natural sapphires, the color is not as vibrant, which can make them appear dull and less desirable.
Tone
Tone is the amount of color a sapphire has. The lighter tones are generally more common and less expensive than the deeper tones. These are some of the things that Tom Shane takes into consideration when he hand-picks all the sapphires for the Shane Co. stores. When Tom is in Bangkok purchasing sapphires, he looks at each one individually to assess its quality. He is very particular about which ones he will purchase, only selecting the sapphires with exceptional fire and brilliance.
One of the benefits of purchasing a natural sapphire from Shane Co. is knowing that not only is the sapphire a genuine stone, but it is among the most beautiful natural sapphires in the world.
Ready to learn more? Check out Understanding Sapphires Part 2
