Sapphires: Selecting the Right Hue for You

I love sapphires for their versatility in design as well as their durability to wear, and we are lucky to be creating jewelry in a time when buyers are increasingly open-minded about colors and shapes to use in their designs. Ten years ago, we sourced maybe a handful of green sapphires a year; now, clients are almost always more interested in seeing alternatives to the beautiful yet classic navy blue that most people associate with the sapphire gem. Now, don’t get me wrong: I have a blue sapphire engagement ring and I love sourcing these spectacular, soothing blues for clients who love a timelessly elegant look. That being said, there is a wide range of color options outside of royal blue that might strike your own aesthetic even more. Even better, these alternative colors and grades are often more budget-friendly for shoppers who want to stay within a particular price point. A good rule of thumb with all hues is that the more saturated and vibrant the shade its, the higher it will be valued, but the quality of the scintillation of the gemstone also dramatically affects its price. I’ll walk you through the myriad of hues you can consider for your own project, along with general budget considerations to keep in mind:

Classic Royal Blue Sapphire

Might as well start with the one we’re most familiar, the classic royal blue sapphire. Easily the most identifiable hue, this is the color sapphire that can be seen in Princess Diana / Kate Middleton’s famous diamond-halo engagement ring and it represents the most highly valued hue family of sapphires, along with Kashmiri Blue Sapphires. Kashmiri Sapphires are sourced from Kashmir region of Pakistan and they are quite rare, and their signature velvety violet-blue color combined with their atypically high-quality material render them an exceptional pick for any piece. Royal Blue Sapphires can share the same hue and quality characteristics, but they are not specifically from Kashmir and more typically will display a deeper oceanic blue rather than the violet blue of a Kashmiri variety. In either case, there should be absolutely no green or yellow undertones to the gemstone. Sri Lanka produces most of the finest quality blue sapphires, but beautiful blue sapphires can also come from Madagascar and Tanzania.

High-quality Royal Blue sapphires can cost ten to many tens of thousands of dollars for large, high-quality feature-stone gems; therefore, this is not a great option if you are hoping to stay in a five-digit budget for your ring. That being said, if you are open to lab created options then synthetic sapphires come in exactly this shade and cost a fraction of their natural counterparts. Talk to your Design Lead if this is of interest to you.

Cornflower & Light Blue Sapphires

If you like a blue hue but prefer something just a bit different, consider a lighter shade such as a Cornflower blue or watery, light blue sapphire. These hues will be a good option for someone who likes the look of an aquamarine but wants a more durable gemstone for an investment piece such as an engagement ring, or for someone who likes a more calming, low-key look than the Royal Blue hue will connote. Light blue sapphires can also easily lean more green or lavender, so this is a fun shade to play around with and achieve a more unique look while still staying dominantly blue.

You can typically find light blue sapphires at price points within the $10k range or less, so they’re a good option if you want a blue tone but don’t feel comfortable jumping into a more expensive price point. I, personally, love Cornflower blue sapphires because I like the calm, understated vibe it brings while still displaying plenty of vibrancy.

Blue-Green / Teal Sapphires

If you like the saturation and vibrancy that a Royal Blue sapphire offers but prefer a less classic option, then teal sapphires might be a worthwhile consideration for you. A blue-green sapphire will maintain a dominantly blue hue with undertones of green thrown in. The color connotes a lagoon more than deep ocean and you can have a lot of fun selecting exactly how green or blue you want the gem to look.

Deep blue-green sapphires tend to cost more than light blue sapphires due to their superior color saturation, but you will find a lot of variance in pricing due to clarity or scintillation differences. Sri Lanka, Montana, and Australia tend to produce high-quality blue-green sapphires, though I find that the cleanest, most vibrant options often come from Sri Lanka. This shouldn’t discount Montana or Australian-origin options from your selection, though, since there are plenty from theses states that compete magnificently with Sri Lankan options.

Verdant / Lime Green Sapphires

If you prefer your sapphire to read dominantly green, you can select from either a deep, forest green hue or opt for a lighter lime-green type of coloring. Both will have yellow as their undertones rather than blue, leading away from a teal color and towards a more verdant, olive, or grassy type of coloring. These gems are warm, with sunny undertones to even the inkiest hues, and as a result they pair especially beautifully with yellow gold. I find that the highest clarity options tend to come from Sri Lanka or Madagascar (again), but Montana and Australia are often the source for some of the more interesting varieties I have sourced, including color-changing or bi-tone gems.

Typically, sapphires with these more yellow undertones will cost a little less than comparable quality teal sapphires but again, the pricing can vary dramatically based on the saturation of the color.

Pink / Padparadscha Sapphires

Pink sapphires can come in a wide variety of shades, ranging from hot pink to subtle blush pink. Pink sapphires can serve as a nearly-neutral alternative to a classic white diamond or they can be more attention grabbing in more electric hues. A special variety of pink sapphires are called Padparadscha sapphires, which are sourced from Sri Lanka and display a specific peach-pink hue. These colors tend to pull attention more than their blush counterparts. Or, if you want to lean into a more violet direction, you could opt for more purplish hues for a moodier look.

We love working with these lovely gemstones that are wholly unique in their coloring. If you are hoping to source a pink sapphire for your design, your Design Lead will want you to narrow down your color options a bit to determine if you want a more rosy hue, a more peachy hue, or a more violet hue: all of these fall within the pink spectrum. Padparadscha sapphires tend to have higher price points than hot pink or blush pink sapphires so you’ll want to be specific about which hues you like so that your Lead can show you a range of selections that meet your budget.