The Many Colors of Sapphires

When you think of sapphires, you probably think of a vibrant blue gemstone, like the one in the engagement ring Prince William gave to Kate Middleton. While that is a lovely example of a traditional blue sapphire, the gemstone can actually be found in an assortment of colors. A sapphire is formed from the mineral corundum and can take on different shades depending on what other minerals it comes into contact with. This means that every sapphire will have a slightly different look, even within the same color family. It also means that you can find rare sapphires, such as blue-green, that change colors depending on which angle you look at them from. The three important factors to consider when purchasing a natural sapphire are the stone’s hue, saturation and tone. Hue is the color of the sapphire. Sapphires are found naturally in a range of colors; some are rarer than others and therefore more valuable. Saturation is the purity or intensity of the color—some sapphires are vibrant while others appear dull and less desirable. Tone is the amount of color a sapphire has—the lighter tones are generally more common and less expensive than the deeper tones. These are some of the things that Tom Shane takes into consideration when he travels to Bangkok to handpick all of the sapphires for our Shane Co. stores. He looks at each one individually to assess its quality, and only sapphires with exceptional fire and brilliance are purchased for Shane Co. jewelry. That’s one of the benefits of purchasing sapphire jewelry from Shane Co.: Not only are you getting a genuine sapphire, but it is among the most beautiful natural sapphires in the world. Take a look at these stunning sapphire pieces, found exclusively at Shane Co.