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Sapphires can be found in a variety
of locations around the globe, the most important being Sri Lanka
(Ceylon), Madagascar, Thailand, Australia and USA. Sri
Lanka: formerly known as Ceylon, was and still is today
a primary source of fine sapphires. Top quality Ceylon sapphires can rival very fine gems from Burma or even Kashmir in terms of quality without reaching the price levels of these locations. The primary mining areas in Ceylon are the ancient mines near Ratnapurna. It is important to know that the vast majority of Ceylon sapphires found on the market today is heat treated.  Madagascar:
This new location was discovered a few years ago and produces today
substantial quantities of sapphires in good to fine quality. The
majority has to be heat treated to develop the colour. Madagascar
sapphires are often very similar in appearance to Sri Lanka stones. Thailand: has produced substantial quantities of blue sapphires, the ruby mines are also producing sapphires. Compared to Ceylon or Madagascar stones, Siam sapphires tend to be of a darker shade, often with greenish undertones. Prices are in general a lot cheaper than those of Ceylon or Madagascar. Australia: is a big producer of cheap quality sapphires suitable for mass produced jewellery. Specially Ceylon and Madagscar Sapphires have a true blue, not too dark. These gems are recommended by us for fine jewellery pieces at affordable prices ( 2-5 ct Sapphire costs $1.000-$3.000 p.ct.). |
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