Natural, Heated or Synthetic -- which Sapphire do you Choose?

I love the pure, rich, concentrated cornflower blue of Sapphires. And the deep, rich, pink or green or yellow of Fancy Sapphires. Of course, my favorite color of all is the red Sapphire, also know as the Ruby. From multi-faceted to domed cabochon to rough-cut beads, I love them all.

And I buy them only from my most reputable suppliers, because Sapphires frequently aren't what they seem. That expensive stone might not be natural, or it might be altered  -- it might not even be Sapphire.

These days, there are so many ways to turn a dull gray corundum pebble into a brilliant Cornflower Blue Sapphire gemstone, how are we to determine its value?

It's difficult. If value is  based on rarity, and a processor can shovel 10 pounds of corundum pebbles into a furnace, returning 2 days later to retrieve 10 pounds of Sapphires and Rubies, we cannot really label the heated, treated 10 pounds of gemstones "rare" and "valuable."

Furthermore, if only the experts can tell the difference between synthetic and natural Sapphires, why should you care what kind of Sapphire is generating that blue fire on your ring finger? If the rare, natural, untreated, unheated stone is less flashy, less colorful, less brilliant, is it more valuable than the scintillating stone in your ring?

Only if you think it is.

I believe that for most of us, buying gemstones should be like buying art -- get what you love and forget about its investment potential, its value and its cost.

So which Sapphire do you choose?
 
The one that makes you smile, of course.

Have a great day.

Veda