Choosing a sapphire is a little like choosing a painting. Two stones can be the same size and price and still feel completely different in your hand. Here's how our gemologist looks at a sapphire, and what you should look for too, whether you're buying an engagement ring, a gift or something just for you.
1️⃣ Color Comes First
With sapphire, color matters more than anything else. The most prized blue sapphires have a strong, vivid color that is neither too light nor too dark.
Too light and the stone can look washed out or grayish.
Too dark and it can look almost black indoors.
Just right and it glows with color in any light.
That said, the best color is the one you love. Many people prefer a softer cornflower blue, or the rich deep blue of an antique stone. Fancy colors like green, pink and yellow are judged the same way: the purer and livelier the color, the better.
💡 Always look at a sapphire in different lights: near a window, under warm indoor light and under bright store lights. A great sapphire looks good in all of them.
2️⃣ Cut Brings the Color to Life
Unlike diamonds, sapphires have no single "ideal" cut. A good cutter shapes each stone to show off its color. Ovals and cushions are the most common shapes because they keep the most of the original crystal and show color beautifully.
Look for a stone that sparkles evenly across its face. If the center looks dull or see-through, like a window, light is leaking out the bottom of the stone.
3️⃣ Clarity: A Little Character Is Normal
Almost every natural sapphire has tiny inclusions, nature's fingerprints. Many sapphires contain fine needles called "silk," which can give a soft, velvety glow. In fact, a few small inclusions can help prove a stone is natural.
What to avoid: cracks that reach the surface, or inclusions large enough to distract from the color.
4️⃣ Size and Setting
Larger fine sapphires are much rarer than small ones, so price rises quickly with size. A well-colored smaller stone often looks better than a large, dull one. Halos of diamonds make a sapphire look bigger, and bezel settings protect it for everyday wear.
5️⃣ Natural, Heated or Lab-Grown?
Natural, heated: the most common. Gentle heating to improve color is an old, accepted and permanent practice.
Natural, unheated: rarer and more expensive.
Lab-grown: real sapphire, made in a lab, beautiful and much less expensive.
Simulants: look similar but are a different material, such as glass.
A trustworthy jeweler always tells you which one you're buying. At David's, just ask about any piece and we'll tell you exactly what it is.
6️⃣ Origin
Kashmir sapphires are the most famous and command the highest prices. Burma, Sri Lanka (once called Ceylon) and Madagascar also produce beautiful stones, and Ceylon sapphires are loved for their bright, lively blue. Origin can affect value, but it is the beauty of the stone in front of you that matters most.
🕰 Buying Vintage? A Few Extra Tips
✅ Check the setting: worn prongs can be repaired, but it's good to know before you buy.
✅ Look for hallmarks and maker's marks that tell the piece's story.
✅ Remember that antique sapphires were cut by hand, so a slightly irregular shape is part of the charm.
👉 More tips in How to Tell if Your Vintage Jewelry Is Authentic.
💙 Our Advice
Don't buy a report, buy a stone you love. Hold it, turn it, walk it to the window. The right sapphire is the one you can't stop looking at.
🛍️ Find Your Sapphire
Visit us at 322 Royal Street to see our sapphires in real light, or browse online. Our 90-day layaway makes it easy, with no interest.
