Blue Sapphires
Posted by Dan Hay on
When most people hear the word: Sapphire, images of a myriad of deep Blue coloured gemstones come to mind. Blue Sapphire is one of the most recognisable gemstones in the world, the mere name is enough to explain what it is, without much elaboration. They can be found across the world in many varied locations, each often with their own subtle twist on colour and appearances. 
As with most gemstones, the properties of the specific colour that the stone possesses greatly determines the value of the gem. Blue Sapphires found in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) typically have a more traditional Cornflower Blue colour to them. Madagascan Sapphires can appear slightly darker and can have a more Electric Blue colouration. Australian stones are amongst some of the darkest Blues, but due to the nature of the material, can exude colours not normally expected amongst Blue Sapphires. Blue Sapphires also feature strongly in Vedic (Hindu) Astrology.
Blue Sapphires are suitable for all types of jewellery, and whilst not quite as hard as Diamond, are still extremely hard in comparison to all other gemstones, with a Moh’s Hardness of 9.0. This makes them highly suitable for everyday wear. The downside to all these fantastic attributes, is the price. Blue Sapphires, can command quite a hefty price-per-carat on the marketplace, especially for gemstones greater than one carat (1.00), that said, there are plenty of alternatives to Blue Sapphires, although not all have the same attributes as them. Kyanite can mimic the Ceylon Blue quite well, as can Tanzanite, but both of these stones are quite soft with hardness ratings of around 6.0, thus making them unsuitable for use in a ring.