FANCY SAPPHIRE
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Although most people tend to think of sapphire as being blue, it
actually comes in a kaleidoscope of colors. Besides blue, their
hues can be padparadscha (orange-pink ), pink, orange, yellow,
golden, purple, green, white and color change. Of course,
corundum that is red is ruby, when it is discovered any other
color it is sapphire. The major sources for fancy colored
sapphires are Burma, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia,
East Africa, and even the United States. With a hardness of 9, sapphires are extremely tough
and durable and suitable for use in any kind of
jewelry. It is the hardest gemstone type known
except diamond. All corundum is a common natural
mineral, aluminum oxide. What is rare are the small
trace elements of titanium, iron, chromium and
vanadium which create the various colors in fancy
sapphires. |
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PİNK SAPPHIRE
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The second most valuable fancy sapphire is "electric" or "bubble
gum" pink. The best of these gems have a pure vibrant and vivid
pink color. What makes these stones exceptional is an electric
intensity and a tone that pushes them way above a pastel color.
Dealers, gem organizations, labs and collectors argue about
where to draw the line between ruby and pink sapphire. One
problem with grading these stones is the color pink is basically
a light or desaturated red. On the AGL grading system, there is
a transition point for pink sapphire/ruby. If the stone is
redder than this point, it is called a ruby. If the stone is
less red, it is a pink sapphire. And, although these gems are
technically pink sapphires in America, some cultures, such as
the Japanese and Europeans, refer to this color as "Burma ruby".
This makes it very difficult for US collectors. The main sources
of these gems are Burma, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar. The supply
of Sri Lankan and Burma goods remains scarce. Most of the heated
pinks on the market today are from Madagascar and sell from
$200-$1000 per carat. Unheated gem Burma pinks sell from
$1500-$3500 per carat. Large multi-carat sized Burma pinks can
exceed $7000 per carat. Many collectors consider "hot" pink
sapphire as an inexpensive alternative to the red Classic Mogok
Burma ruby. |
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