The allure of coloured gemstones in engagement rings

Fascination with coloured gemstones dates back to the very beginning of civilization. Long before the discovery of diamonds, the blue sapphire evoked visions of heaven; the red ruby was a reminder of the very essence of life. As early as Roman times, rings containing coloured gemstones were prized as symbols of power and friendship. In fact, the most powerful; and the most beloved, wore rings on every joint of every finger, reflecting the status of their position!

As Betrothal rings, coloured gemstones also hold an illustrious position. In addition to the beauty of particular colours, certain powers attributed to certain coloured gems made them not only beautiful but also meaningful choices. We see many examples of coloured gemstones in engagement and wedding rings, from many centuries ago to the present, used both alone and in combination with diamonds.

Following the discovery of diamonds in South Africa, which made diamonds more widely available and affordable, coloured gemstones were briefly ignored during the earlier part of this century. While there always has been people who preferred coloured gemstones despite the trends, coloured gemstone engagement rings have only recently re-emerged as a choice for the modern bride. The selection of a sapphire and diamond engagement ring by His Royal highness Prince Charles for lady Diana, followed not long thereafter by his brother Prince Andrew's selection of a ruby and diamond engagement ring for Sarah Ferguson, sparked a revival of interest in coloured gemstones for the bride to be.

While rubies, sapphires and emeralds have historically been among the most coveted gems, particularly for important occasions, there are many alternatives in coloured gems for today's bride, depending on budget and the personal connection to bride herself. Keep in mind that most birthstones come in several colours. You may be surprised to learn that the colour you associate with your birthstone may be only one of several colours in which the gemstone occurs.

For example, most people think garnet is dark red and are surprised to learn it can be emerald green, mandarin orange, yellow, white, purple; virtually every colour in the rainbow except blue. If you have discarded your birthstone as a choice because you don't care for its colour, check out all the colours in which it may be available before making a decision. Some colours in a particular gem may be rarer and less readily available and often costlier than better known colours, but the friendly staff at Touchstone Gems can work with you to discover your alternatives. One can combine a birthstone with diamonds, blending the symbolism of diamonds with the personal significance of the birthstone for a lovely, deeply meaningful, and often much more affordable ring.

In addition to birth gemstones, the choice of a particular coloured gemstone may be connected to mystical powers, attributes, or symbolism with which the gemstone has been historically identified. There is an almost limitless wealth of information about coloured gems, enough to stir the imagination of even the greatest cynic.

Love rings and "Sentimental" jewellery

Throughout history, coloured gemstones set in rings and other jewellery have carried hidden messages. We are seeing similar pieces being produced today. For example, a ring containing diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire, and topaz, arranged in that order, spells the word "dearest" if one takes the first letter of each word, thus carrying the sentiment that wearer is more dear than any other to the giver; a ring containing pearl, ruby, emerald, and sapphire spells "pres," which, in French, means "near" and suggests that the wearer is always near to the giver; amethyst, moonstone, opal, ruby, and emerald spells "amore," which is Italian for "love." And so on. Such a ring can create a wonderful, "sentimental" engagement ring.

Choosing the shape of a gemstone

Today's bride-to-be has more choices in engagement ring design and style than ever before. But the first step in creating the look you want is selecting the shape of the gemstone, a shape that is right for you. There are many shapes from which to choose, but it's important to choose the right shape because it will affect the overall design and look of your ring.

1. Round brilliant

2. Pear shape

3. Marquise shape

4. Oval shape

5. Octagon shape

6. Heart shape

7. Square shape

8. Baguette shape

9. Trillion Shape

Today, in addition to the classic shapes, there are many popular "fancy" shapes from which to choose.  Some of the new shapes lend themselves to very distinctive designs that would be difficult to create with other shapes; some exhibit unique personalities, not possible in any other; and some can even help you stay within your budget (some appear larger, for their weight, than traditional cuts, enabling you to get the size you want in a gemstone that actually weighs less than you might have thought you need). One of the most exciting parts of searching for your ring is discovering what is available today!

You should keep in mind, however, that fancy shapes, new and old, can be vary in their width and length, and in their basic proportioning, and these differences can result in a totally different look and feel on your hand. For example, an emerald cut gemstone that has a octagon shape will look very different from one that which is square; a broad shouldered pear shape might look too triangular for the hand, while one with softer, more rounded shoulders might be just what you want. To some extent, the choice of shape is a very personal matter, and there is no standard "ideal" range that is applied to shapes other than round, but you must be careful that the stone is not cut in such a way that is liveliness and brilliance is reduced or adversely affected.

As you begin to look at gemstones, try on all of the shapes; you may discover you like a shape you might not have considered otherwise! Try them in solitaire style and in designs that incorporate smaller gemstone accents. It won't be long before you have a clear idea of the shape that best suits your personal style and taste, the shape that you really like best.

Again, the use of side gemstones to accent a center stone (diamond or coloured gemstone), and the shape of the side stone, is a matter of personal choice. In addition to the shapes mentioned here, almost any of the other popular shapes can be found in small sizes and can be used to create an interesting and distinctive ring.

We would like to thank Bijan Aziz , the owner and Web Master for The Jewellery Hut for allowing us to use his copy on our website, in our blogs and newsletters.

Sapphire imagery

We have many beautiful loose sapphires in stock.  Whether you are looking for a round, oval, marquise, square or pear shape, we have them all (plus many more) in a variety of sizes and colours.

As mentioned in my Sapphire blog, Sapphire and Ruby are members of the Corundum family. Pinkish red, red and reddy brown stones are called Rubies. All other colours of Corundum are termed Sapphires.  To most people a Sapphires is blue, but they actually come in all colours from black to white. Corundum is second only to Diamond in terms of its physical hardness, (although exhibiting only 1/140th of the hardness of Diamond), This hardness (9 on the Moh's scale) in relation to all other gemstones has ensured Sapphires position with Ruby and Emerald  as one of the so called "precious gems".

2.26 carat 7mm round sapphire

1.89 carat 8x6mm oval sapphire

2.10 carat 8x6mm oval sapphire

Matched pair 1.89 and 2.10 carat ovals

2.63 carat 8x7mm oval sapphire

2.45 carat 9x7mm oval sapphire

1.33 carat 6.5mm round orange sapphire

1.68 carat 8x6mm oval pink sapphire

0.92 carat 7x5mm oval red sapphire

0.93 carat 6x5mm oval red sapphire

1.28 carat 7x5mm oval red sapphire

1.38 carat 7x5mm oval yellow sapphire

2.14 carat 7x6mm oval yellow sapphire

2.42 8x6mm oval yellow sapphire

2.65 carat 8x6mm oval yellow sapphire

If you are interested in any of the above sapphires, or if you would like to have our price list, send an email to Sales enquiries or call us on +27 11 788 3629

September Birthstone: Sapphire

Colours	Various
Family	Corundum. Al203
Hardness	9
Refractive Index	1.76 – 1.78
Specific Gravity	3.97 – 4.05
Crystal System	Cubic
Enhancements	May be Enhanced
Major Sources	Namibia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Mali, India Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Russia, Madagascar
Warnings for Care	Colour change occurs at moderate to high heat

Sapphire Facts

The name Sapphire come from the Greek word for blue, although in the middle ages the name was applied more to what we know today as Lapis Lazuli. Sapphire and Ruby are members of the  Corundum family. If Corundum exhibits a colour from slightly pinkish red, through red to slightly reddy brown then it is called a Ruby. All other colours of Corundum are termed Sapphires. So while we traditionally think of Sapphires as being only blue stones, they actually come in all colours from black to white.  Corundum is second only to Diamond in terms of its physical hardness, (although exhibiting only  1/140th of the hardness of Diamond), This hardness (9 on the Moh's scale) in relation to all other gemstones has ensured Sapphires position with Ruby and Emerald  as one of the so called "precious gems".

Sapphire is the birthstone for those whose birthday falls in September, and for those born under the star sign of the Taurus.

Sapphire - What Causes The Colour

In Blue Sapphire the causal agent is trace amounts of Iron or Titanium, a  violet hue being caused by the presence of Vanadium. When the trace content of Iron is very low, yellow and green tones are produced. While the inclusion of Chromium in the lattice produces a pink colour in the stones. Blue is however the most famous and desired of the sapphire colors. The prized Kashmir and Burmese Sapphires have a deep intense almost velvety blue colour, and represent the pinnacle of colour perfection.

Padparadscha from the Singhalese word for  lotus flower, is a very rare sapphire which exhibits two colors simultaneously, pink and orange, and like Ruby and unlike all the other fancy coloured Sapphires has its own name. This being due to its rarity and value.  Purple is another rarer colour for Sapphire, being  found in Sri Lanka and Tanzania. In these deposits Iron and Titanium which normally produce the common blue colour, has under specific concentrations and conditions caused the purple hue of the stone.

Colorless or white Sapphires are rare as faint shades of color (typically blue and pink) are nearly always present.  Many of the fancy coloured Sapphires are under microscopic examination merely combinations of banding in two distinct colours. Green for example is actually the result of closely space blue and yellow colour band within the stone.

Purchasing Sapphire



Colour
All Corundum’s (Ruby and Sapphire)  are graded on  the purity of their primary hue or colour. For blue Sapphires, the primary hue is blue, while violet, purple and green are the normal secondary hues. Violet and purple can contribute to the overall beauty of the color, while a green overtone is considered a negative trait and it to be avoided. Blue sapphires with typically a primary Blue hue comprising 85% of the colour and secondary (violet or purple) hues contributing 15% to the colour are said to be of fine quality. Blue sapphires with any amount of green, a distinct negative, as a secondary hue are less attractive and  not considered to be fine quality. A Gray tone is a normal and common saturation modifier or colour mask in blue sapphires, this effectively reduces the saturation or brightness of the hue and therefore has a distinctly negative effect on the stones appearance and value


Lighting
Sapphires are a daylight stone looking their best when expose to natural sunlight. After dark or indoors, they still look very attractive under fluorescent light. Incandescent (tungsten) light  which is a soft light found in all but the latest energy saving globes is a redder, warmer light, which does no real justice to the gem, making them appear dark and dull compared to their appearance in daylight.


Clarity
Second to colour, clarity is the next most important criterion to consider when purchasing a sapphire. Good quality stones should be clear of visible inclusions to the naked eye or eye clean. Sapphire tends to be cleaner than ruby and larger unincluded pieces are not uncommon. Under microscopic examination almost all sapphire are actually included. The presence of a find rain of inclusions or fine needles within the stone can impact significantly on the appearance of the stone in a distinctively positive way. The famed Kashmir Sapphires has a rich almost velvety appearance due in part to the presence of fine inclusions, not visible to the naked eye. Star Sapphire (Asterism)  is common in those stones with a high content of fibrous or needle like inclusions, typically needles of Rutile. The star manifests itself as a 6 rayed or pointed star when view from above in a en cabochon cut.


Cut
No one cut particular  favours the natural beauty of Sapphires. As such all cutting styles are commonly produced, with rounds dominating the smaller sizes and ovals and oval or square cushions in the larger sizes. Lower grade slightly less transparent rough is often cut  en cabochon or as round brilliants where the added brilliance the cut imparts to the stones  can help to mask their lower quality. Those stones with a high Rutile needle content are cut en cabochon with care being taken to ensure the orientation of the needles in the finish piece creates a centered, symmetrical and clear star effect.

Mineable Deposits

Sapphires are abundant in many localities around the world, although some of the once prolific producing areas are now heavily depleted, or completely worked out. Historically the mines of the Kashmir region of India and Mogok valley in Myanmar (Burma) have produced some of the finest material known, but today production is limited and care should be taken when purchasing stones at a premium based on their provenance. Significant deposit are located across South East Asia, (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and South East China). In addition Sapphires occur in Africa (Tanzania, Kenya, Nigeria and Madagascar), Australia and Sri Lanka.

In the 1980's about 70% of the world Sapphire production was coming from the Australia, although the quality was of a commercial nature, rather than top gem quality. In recent decades this dominance has declined. Today Sri Lanka and Madagascar produce most of the fine sapphires finding their ways on to the worlds rough markets

Sapphire - Common Treatments

Heat Treatment
Sapphire like their cousins Rubies are commonly heat treated to enhance their colour and to even out or totally remove "silk". While initially only stones of a lower quality were treated in this way, estimates coming for South East Asia indicate that heating is now carried out of about 95% of all rough material, as part  of an industry accepted enhancement technique. Heat treatment is used specifically to improve and even out the colour in Sapphires, and when done at a moderate heat will reduce the presence of needles. At higher temperatures needles, specifically of Rutile are completely removed by a process of melting and re absorption. These heat treatments enhancements  typically occur around temperatures of 500  - 1800 °C, in computer controlled electric furnaces. Some cutting houses still use the older process of low tube heat, when the stones are heated over charcoal at a temperature of about 1300 °C  for 20 to 30 minutes, a process know in the trade as "Chanthaburi cooking". The silk is only partially broken as the color is improved, imbibing the stone with a richer luster, and better colour.

Diffusion Treatment
The diffusion technique is essentially a method of coating a natural Sapphire with a "skin" of colour. The compound for diffusion is effectively bonded into the outer layer of the cut stones as they approach their melting point, thus forming a composite lay of essentially Sapphire and the diffusion agent on the stones surface. The depth of this colour enhanced skin can vary  from a few microns to an millimeter or more depending on the method used. Initially this was confined to blue Sapphires of a lower blue or  green colour, and the diffusion coating was Titanium oxide, which imparted a deep blue colour to the stones. Recently Beryllium is being diffused into the surface of  fancy yellow and pink sapphires at very high heat, and again close to their melting point.  This process  produces stunning red and orange colours that are only rare and expensive in nature (Padparadscha).

Important & Famous Sapphire

Very large sapphires are as a rule rare and as such are sometimes named in the same way as diamonds. One of the largest facetted blue Sapphires is the 423 cts Logan Sapphire currently on display at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington. Other famous ones are the Midnight Star, the Star of Asia,  and the Star of India. In the case of the latter at 536cts this is the largest cut Star Sapphire known, and currently resides  in the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
The British Crown Jewels hold two exceptions blue Sapphires, the St Edward's and the Stuart replicas of which are on display at the Tower of London.

Sapphire - The Legend

Sapphire is the birthstone for those who are born in the month of  September, and for those born under the star sign of  Taurus.

Through history, Sapphire has symbolizes truth, sincerity, and faithfulness in relationships, bringing peace, joy and wisdom to the wearer and owner. In the past, Sapphires was also believed to be a talisman that would protect against evil spirits.