Did you know that Sapphire comes in every color of the rainbow, except red? Every. Single. Color. Plus a few.
Fancy colored Sapphires are all the extraordinary colors outside of traditional blue, colorless, and black. Today, we are going to explore some of the up-and-coming colors as well as some of the most sought after.
First up is one of the rarest of the Sapphire family, Padparadscha. Pronounced pod-par-ah’d-sha, this gorgeous and subtle stone named after the reddish-yellow lotus flower is equally controversial as it is rare. Depending on who you speak to, the color defined to be a Pad (pronounced pod) can vary. Here at Stuller, we define this color as representing both pink and orange color within the stone and pale to medium in tone. If you look at the Sapphire and the first thing you think of is that it could have been plucked from a mesmerizing sunset or last night’s salmon dinner, it is likely a Pad. Trending because of the gorgeous color; paired with a pink gold mounting, these stunners can be any, from punk to princess, pink lover’s dream.
Next up are cool tone Teal and Green Sapphires. These delicate colors are trending because of the unique and subtle color that packs an earthy punch. Coming from all over the world, teal and green stones can range from dark and broody with a surprising pop of color in the right light to faint, yet somehow bright, green. Stones coming from Montana in the US makes for a unique home-grown aesthetic. The draw to these sophisticated colors is how nicely they play with all metal colors and skin tones. The ethereal natural look lends them to delicate floral inspired mountings or minimalist designs that really let the stones shine.
Purple Sapphires are a durable alternative to amethyst; rich and deep and powerful all rolled up into one easy to wear, durable stone. As a trending color, purple is alive with intensity. Since purple can come in many different shades from violet to reddish, select a cool tone stone to match your platinum mounting and a reddish stone for your yellow mountings to bring out the best in your Purple Sapphire. It’s not unusual for Purple Sapphires to be color change (or color shift in this instance; a sly change from purple to violet blue is what you would be seeing) stones, so make sure to take your stone outside to optimize its color. This is a great sales technique for your customers too if you have the ability to do it — and certainly if you know your customer well.
Earth to Market Sapphires from Umba River Valley in Tanzania are one of my favorite fancy colored Sapphires right now. They feature a beautiful rich reddish cognac color with flashes of reds, oranges, yellows, browns, maroon, and even greens. This stone is the autumn leaves of New England embodied and are great for a customer that wants something photogenic with a great story. Our Earth to Market stones have known origins and the Sapphires are no exception.
Bicolor Sapphires, sometimes called Parti Sapphires, exhibit more than one color within the same stone. This colorful combination can be any match you can think but are more commonly found in the blue-green-yellow range or the pink-purple-blue range. Generally cut into shapes that are longer to show off a pronounced color line, bicolor Sapphires can come in many shapes and sizes. We have many bicolor Sapphires in our Notable Gems™ collection, including rose cuts and some unusual shapes.
We wrap up with a truly unusual fancy Sapphire, the Trapiche, which looks a little like a 6-spoke wheel with black, white, or grey growth pattern making the spokes and a greyish blue in-between. These unique cabochon or tablet cut stones can be special ordered through our Gemstone Special Orders Service in many different sizes and even as a matched pair for the customer who has everything and is ready for something curiously remarkable.
I hope reading about some of the lessor known Sapphire colors encourages you to choose one for your next gemstone or bridal customer. They make a great option for a stone that is durable and easy for everyday wear and, of course, a fantastic way to showcase the uniqueness of each couple.
Be sure to check out our entire selection of fancy colored sapphires for these beauties and more.
Happy Selling.
