Sapphire

Of the "Big 4" blue sapphire is the found in more locations and greater quantities than ruby or emerald. The finest examples come from the famous Kashmir area in northern India bordering Pakistan, in fact this area is still disputed by both countries. High up in the Himalayas, the mines are are essentially exhausted at this point, so most of the fine "Kashmir" sapphires are to be found in older jewelry, or if loose, removed from an old piece along the way. Generally they are accompanied by a report from from a reputable gem lab stating origin and usually whether or not any thermal enhancement has taken place. Often described as "Velvety blue", the color is sublime!

Below is pictured a superb Burmese gem.

(Photo: Adisorn Studio, Bangkok)

Next most desirable would be a fine Blue sapphire from Burma, found in the Mogok area. (See image above) These are more readily available than Kashmirs and often found in bigger sizes. Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) produces many fine blue sapphires as well as the "Fancy" colored ones, basically anything other than blue, so gorgeous pinks, purples, oranges and yellows. In the past 10 years or so Madagasgar has come on line as a producer of lovely blue sapphires, occasionally being mistaken for very fine Burmese or Sri Lankan stones.

Other sources for sapphire include Australia, which produces a lot of the lower quality inky/dark blues. Thailand and Cambodia too produce blue sapphire, again generally too dark to be really valuable. Here in the US, Montana has been supplying quite lovely blues primarily, although in really small quantities and typically in small sizes. George Kunz, the famous gemmologist for Tiffany & Co. around a hundred years ago, often used these lovely bright Montana sapphires in some of Tiffany & Co's jewelry. The Arts & Crafts designers from the US also had a fancy for these "homegrown" sapphires, so one will find them used here too.

Set into a Passion Collection ring, a lovely unheated Burma blue of 4.03ct:

Another rare bird is the Padparascha, named for the color of the Lotus flower in Ceylon, they come in a range of color with the finest being typically a pinkish orangey color. They are prized by collectors, especially the unheated gems that are occasionally found.

Difficult to capture the true color, but here is a lovely cushion cut 3.18ct unheated gem:

My favorite of all gems, a fine natural color sapphire is quite enchanting. Knowing where they come from and how the end up being available is something that resonates with me.