Genuine investment sapphires never lose value, but fakes never have value. Understanding the characteristics and history of genuine Kashmir Blue Sapphires, Ceylon Baby Blue Sapphires, and others are the tools of a smart investor.
BLUE SAPPHIRES GALORE
September鈥檚 birth stone comes in every conceivable color. Both ruby and sapphire are corundum stones, but while ruby is recognized as the exclusively red corundum, genuine sapphire has unlimited color variations. Corundum is one of the world鈥檚 hardest natural materials, second only to diamond. Your new natural sapphire will be a tough customer to break. Although sapphire has been mined on many continents, it appears that ancient sapphires were first found on the "Gem Island," Sri Lanka. In the past, all sapphires were categorized by color, not chemistry, and many blue stones were generally called sapphire because of their attractive blue color, the most common example is Lapis Lazuli, in many old texts. While sapphires have been scientifically identified, their colors still span the entire spectrum 鈥?perhaps only tourmaline is more colorful.
THE SPECIAL KASHMIR BLUE SAPPHIRE
Like a beautiful blue dream, Kashmir sapphires are a true blue gemstone. When sapphires were discovered around 1882 in Kashmir, a small Indian state in the northwest of the Himalayas, they were so plentiful and large that locals would pick them off the ground to use as flint stones. But by 1925, the mines were near exhaustion, and anything over pieces over 2 or 3ct sizes became rare collector pieces. Large crystals were sold in major auction houses and once in a while with unbelievable price. Today, proving the origin of a Kashmir Sapphire is almost impossible by a simple lab report. Fortunately, Sri Lanka, the most respectable sapphire producer these days, produces a rare color known in the trade as a Kashmir Color. Although the origin of such material is not the famous Indian Kashmir mine, its color is almost indistinguishable from the true Kashmir sold at such a remarkably high premium. Suspect sapphires with the Kashmir label unless they are certified antiques. As antique sapphires they regularly command millions of dollars, so a cheap Kashmir blue sapphires are almost certainly a con game.
Kashmir blue sapphires range in price up to those fetched by fine blue diamonds. Prices for Kashmir blue sapphires range between $15,000/carat to up to $1,350,000/carat. Don鈥檛 be fooled by claims to the contrary, Kashmir sapphires always command a premium.
ROYAL BLUE
It is true that the Royal Blue Sapphire Color is associated in most of sapphire dealers鈥?mind with the Royal Thai Kanchanaburi mines. For about 30 years, Australian Sapphire used to be the world鈥檚 largest seller; from dark blue to opaque midnight blue to an almost black onyx color in large quantities flooded the market from the early 1960s to late 1980s. As a consequence: the buying public came to consider blue sapphires a cheap gem. Retailers filled display cases with inky bluish black non-transparent sapphires that looked like onyx and told consumers: "The Darker the Better." The residual impact of that episode is that self honest professional sellers find it difficult today to persuade buyers that beautiful transparent lighter blue and multicolored sapphire are gems of value. In some cases they are, in some cases they are not. Juding a gemstone strictly on clarity or specific hue is not a good idea as value is a combination of factors. Royal Blue Sapphire is usually from Thailand, while Australian sapphires tend to be blue black. Both can possess fire or chatoyany in the upper grades, but it is more likely in the Thai stones than in the Australian stones. I have been honored to work with outstanding examples of both. A fine cut greatly enhances a gemstones value, and it is the gemstone cutter who really upgrades the values of the gem. This upgrade always centers on cut and finish, and then rests on a jeweler to arrange the setting. Design is important, but not the primary attribute that makes an individual stone worth more money than another stone. Also please note, Royal Blue Color is rarely associated with transparency. Gem grade materials have usually a velvety appearance with a medium to excellent translucency. Expect natural color variations between stones of similar composition, and within individual stones. Stones that display absolute color and clarity should be suspect unless the price is at a premium. You may be looking at laboratory treated blue topaz. A purple overtone coupled with a yellow overtone indicates a stone is not sapphire at all, but probably genuine iolite. Iolite is not worthless, but certainly not worth a similiar size sapphire. Watch for iolite and blue topaz imposters.
CEYLON BABY BLUE AND CORNFLOWER BLUE SAPPHIRE
Sri Lanka, the world鈥檚 kingdom of sapphire, produces many rare colored gems from an almost colorless white sapphire to rich blues and forest greens, and all are known as typical Sri Lanka sapphires. The highest prized Sri Lanka until just a few years ago was known as the Baby Blue Ceylon Sapphire, light blue to perfect lavender, many collectors and sapphire dealers compare it to lavender color of light blue Diamonds. The real giveaway is the purple overtone, but watch for that iolite flash of yellow that will give the stone away and shows that it is it merely a high quality iolite and not a genuine sapphire. The fantastic Padparadscha Orange sapphires, also of Sri Lanka, have recently overtaken the Ceylon Baby Blues in popularity, and command similar prices. These amazing orange/pink/coral beauties deserve the attention, too.
Genuine Ceylon blue sapphires range in price on the upper end are similar to those fetched by fine blue diamonds and. Prices for blue sapphires commonly range between $5000/carat to up to $350,000/carat in retail outlets.
WHICH SAPPHIRE TO BUY ???
Although Kashmir Color Sapphire is the rarest and most valuable of all sapphires, all the rest 鈥?from black, cornflower and royal blue sapphires are the ones that are most available and in the affordable colors for most investors. Selecting a sapphire all depends on personal taste, some will love to own a very deep Padparadscha Orange or yellow with visible inclusions, and others desire a simple but small Baby Blue with high clarity because of its unique lavender light play. The truth in selecting a blue sapphire is simple: go after your feelings but keep an eye on quality factors. No matter what you have been told, if you like a color, go for it, for it is more likely that you will enjoy it simply because you were attracted to it. Absolute gemstone value is graded as follows in descending order with some flexiblity as to what is weighted most heavy in determining value. While these guides are general, I strongly recommend you start with the highest consideration. 1. Size: carat weight counts. Large beautiful gemstones command a premium. 2. Cut and appearance. Chatoyancy, star structures, color brilliance are all deeply affected by a gem鈥檚 cut. Hand faceting is sometimes a great help, and sometimes enhances over sparkle. Smooth stones show off more of their interior flaws and perfections. 3. Finish: Surface textures can both indicate a natural gemstone that has not be laboratory produced, and detract from its value. Surface textures are commonly present in large stones. 4. Setting: the more usual the stone and the more usual the setting the greater the typical value. Antique stones, and antique setting increase value, however, the individual design can out weigh these factors. Conservative investment sticks with vintage antique settings with no visible signs of repair. Unfortunately, these items are usually very high priced and can not expect to increase significantly in value in the course of an average lifetime because they are already greatly valued. The rare underpriced find is, of course, the treasured exception everyone hopes for in the end. Unique designs are generally better investments than machined designs, or hoping for an investment quality gemstone at a garage sale.
HEAT TREATMENT AND DEEP DIFFUSION SAPPHIRES
While heat treatment today is an acceptable practice in the gem trade, deep diffusion is not respected and considered as an unethical practice, especially if misrepresented or not disclosed to consumers. By using iron and titanium powders heated up to 2000 degrees Celsius, deep diffusion process change artificially the natural white sapphire color to unnatural blue color. Diffused sapphires can easily lose their artificial color if chipped, re polished or re cut. Heat treatment, simply finishes what nature did not accomplish. Heating does not change the natural look of a Sapphire. It simply enhances its color and clarity by adding vividness and purity. Since the vast majority of rough rubies and sapphires are heated soon after they are mined, dealers assume, unless there is a substantial amount of proof to the contrary, that all Rubies and Sapphires have been heated. Most consumers today accept heating as a reality. Heat treatment is durable and stable. Heat treated Sapphires, never fade in their color while deep diffusion sapphires are quire unstable.
At the Tucson 2003 gem shows, a closed-door meeting yielded an agreement among American dealers, manufacturers, and jewelry retailers that the treatment should be disclosed as diffusion. Members of the Thai gem industry were present at the discussion, and while no formal commitment was made at the shows, the dialogue was carried back to Thailand.
On February 20, the Chanthaburi Gem & Jewelry Association (CGA) announced through representative Thaigem that they would disclose the treatment 鈥?not as diffused, but as heated with beryllium. While only the CGA has committed to disclosing that way, its membership includes many of the heat treaters who are performing the beryllium diffusion.
Disclosure among other Thai dealers is still hit or miss.
Since value is based on rarity, unheated sapphires are usually sold, if found, with 4 to 5 times the price of a comparable heated Sapphire. When investing in such rare gems, you should request a certificate to guarantee the condition. At Eternal Pearl, we are always happy to certify the natural condition of our gemstones. Any reputable dealer will allow enough time for a return for a buyer to get a gemstone(s) appraised if the buyer desires more information before a sale is final.
Orignal From: Investment Blue Sapphire Gemstones
No comments:
Post a Comment