Sapphires are one of the most popular gemstones in the world today. The word sapphire is thought to have originated from either the Greek word sapphiros, which means beloved of Saturn or the ancient Latin term sapphirus, meaning blue. No matter where the term was derived from, sapphires have their place in history. Sapphires are also featured prominently in some of the British Crown Jewels, such as the St Edwards Crown, which was used for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and the Imperial State Crown.

Sapphires, have in recent years, become a symbol for love. Since Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana in the early 1980s with a blue sapphire ring, sapphires have begun to replace diamonds as a popular choice for engagement rings.

Sapphires belong to the mineral species corundum. Sapphires come in almost every colour of the rainbow. When the colour of the corundum is red, it is called a ruby. Corundums are composed mainly of aluminum oxide. When it is free from other elements, sapphires are colourless. Blue sapphires are formed when trace elements of iron and titanium are introduced to the crystal structure. When chromium is added to the original mix, it becomes red. The different colours of sapphire are formed by varying the concentration of each trace element, as well as colour centres. Sapphires, other than blue, are commonly known as fancy sapphires. Fancy sapphires can be categorised into yellow and orange, pink and purple, padparadscha, green and colourless and black. Each category has its own colour range.

Historically, the three main areas in the world that produces some of the finest blue sapphires are Kashmir, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

Of the three, blue sapphires from Kashmir are considered the rarest and most desirable. The quantity of sapphire produced from the Kashmir mines is very low. In fact, the mines are only actively mined between 1881 to 1887. Most of Kashmir sapphires, that if you are fortunate to come across today, were mined during that period. Production has almost stopped since then. Kashmir sapphires, if cut correctly and properly, exhibit intense blue colour unlike any others.

Some of the best quality sapphires we come across these days are mined in Myanmar, specifically from the Mogok mine. These sapphires exhibit strong intense blue under all lighting conditions. The Mogok mines has been producing top quality sapphires for the past 800 years. Sapphires from this region usually command high prices.

Sri Lanka produces some of the finest quality and largest blue sapphires. Many historians believe that blue sapphires were first mined in Sri Lanka. After 2000 years of mining, Sri Lanka is still a major supplier of blue sapphires to the rest of the world. The blue sapphires mined in Sri Lanka display excellent brilliance and saturation. The sapphires mined in Sri Lanka tend to be big. Most of the finest blue sapphire over 100cts are from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is also a major source of fancy sapphires.

Other sources of sapphires include Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Madagascar, China, Vietnam, Laos and Nigeria. Most of these sources produce commercial quality sapphires. They usually have to be treated before they are set in mass market jewellery.

Up to 95 percent of blue sapphires are treated in some way. Sapphires are treated to improve their colour and clarity. The most common form of treatment is by heat. Sapphires are heated to temperatures ranging from 450oC to 1900oC for durations ranging from one hour to 14 days and cooled over varying periods of time. Formulas are usually closely guarded family trade secrets. Traditional methods of heating involves placing the stones in ceramic pots heated over charcoal fire. A team of men will take turns blowing air through a bamboo tube to the charcoal to generate more heat. As the heat generated this manner is not very high and consistent, results may vary. Modern treaters make use of sophisticated electric programmable furnaces that allows them to control not only the exact duration the stones are to be heated, but also the environment they are heated in to obtain the desired results.

Other forms of treatment include surface diffusion, fracture filling, coating and dyeing. Diffusion treatments involves the addition of compounds to the sapphire during the heating process. Usually, the sapphires are heated to near their melting point. This allows the compound to enter the stone and enhance its colour. However, this penetration rate of these compounds is very shallow and is confined to less than 0.5mm from the surface of the stone.

Slight polishing of the stones usually reviews the actual colour of the stone. A somewhat controversial method that was accidentally discovered in the middle of 2001 involves the introduction of beryllium into low quality Madagascan sapphires. The results were brightly and intensely coloured yellow, orange and the very much sought after padparadscha sapphires. Advances in technology and methods has allowed many more colours of sapphires to be treated this way.

Synthetic sapphires have been manufactured as early as the early 1900s. The most common method used to produce synthetics is the flame fusion technique. This method produces sapphires quickly and inexpensively. Other methods used to create corundum includes glowing them in flux solutions, pulling and hydrothermal.

Synthetic sapphires are often used to make affordable and low cost jewellery. They are also used extensively in other industries, such as the manufacture of lasers and sapphire glass.

Common imitations of sapphires are glass, doublets comprising of low cost green natural sapphires for the crown and synthetic sapphire for the pavilion, synthetic spinels and plastics.

most beautiful gemstones in the world. For this love affair to last and grow, traders need to be honest and sincere when dealing with them. With technological advanced comes new and more innovative methods to treat gemstones. There is, therefore, a need to fully disclose all treatments that had been done to a gemstone to the consumer.