Blue Sapphire instead of Diamond for Engagement Ring?
My girlfriend absolutely loves the Sarah’s Halo Engagement Ring from Brian Gavin, but she really wants it set with a blue sapphire, which I know is possible because I see that you set a blue sapphire as a center stone in the Split Halo engagement ring, and while she loves the color of that sapphire, she prefers the look of the Sarah Halo. Her sister has a one carat round diamond in her engagement ring and we like the look of that, so can you help us find a one carat blue sapphire that is high quality and ideal cut? – Brian J.
Sapphires are cut for intensity of color:
Just like fancy colored diamonds, colored gems like blue sapphires are cut to intensify the color and are not cut to specific ranges of proportions like diamonds… thus it is not possible for us to locate an ideal cut sapphire for you, because they are simply not produced.
Part of the challenge in cutting colored gems like blue sapphires, is that the crystal structure is usually barrel shaped, or a spindle shaped hexagonal pyramid, which often requires the sapphire to be cut deep in order to produce a color which is visually appealing.
Another challenge that sapphire presents for gem cutters is that the color tends to run in zones, or layers throughout the stone that present different depths of color. In addition, blue sapphires often contain colors which run in different directions through the stone, this is known as pleochrism, which is most often greenish-blue or lavender-blue in blue sapphires, the latter of which is more desirable.
Diameter vs. Carat Weight of Colored Gems:
It is important to note that colored gems do not compare to diamonds in terms of how they face-up for the same carat weight. The average one carat round ideal cut diamond has an outside diameter of about 6.5 millimeters, however sapphire is heavier than diamond, thus a one carat round sapphire is more likely to measure about 6 mm in diameter.
Thus when shopping for colored gems like sapphires, it is best to refer to them in terms of the desired outside diameter to avoid disappointment. Therefore if you desire a round sapphire which is going to face-up like a one carat round diamond, you’re looking for something with an outside diameter around 6.5 mm.
What is the best color for blue sapphire?
Blue sapphires come in practically all shades of blue, some are so dark that they look black and lack transparency, and others are so light that they are completely translucent. My personal favorite is the medium electric blue color of the sapphire that we set in the split halo engagement ring that you mentioned (pictured to the left) because it delivers a really pretty blue that is extremely vibrant, and not too dark, or too light. It is important to note that colored gems like sapphires are often referred to by their origin, such as Madagascar blue, Ceylon blue, Kashmir blue, and so on, however it can be quite costly to refer to them by those names when shopping for sapphires.
Unless the country of origin is particularly important to you, it is best not to refer to trade names such as Madagascar blue, Ceylon blue, and Kashmir blue, when requesting quotes on blue sapphires, because many of the mines producing sapphires in those countries have dried up, and the few stones that are available in the market tend to fetch extremely high prices.
Thus it is better to use terms like light blue, medium blue, and dark blue when referring to the color you are looking for and then provide an indication of the intensity… which is why I referred to the sapphire pictured above in the split halo setting as medium electric blue.
Note that the majority of blue sapphires that you’ll find in the market have been heat treated to intensify the color of the gem. Sapphires which are not treated or enhanced can be quite costly, thus if you are not opposed to a heat treated sapphire, it is the most cost effective option.
