Education
Diamond Education
- Diamond Buying Guide
- Diamond Cut
- Diamond Cut Types
- Ideal Cut Diamonds
- Hearts and Arrows Diamonds
- What is Diamond Depth
- Diamond Table
- Lab Diamond Cut
- Antique Cut Diamonds
- Brilliant Cut Diamonds
- Rose Cut Diamonds
- What Is The Most Expensive Diamond Cut?
- What Are Step Cut Diamonds?
- Diamond Bow Ties
- How Are Diamonds Cut
- Diamond Brilliance
- Spread Diamonds
- Diamond Fire
- Crushed Ice Diamonds
- Diamond Carat
- Diamond Color
- Diamond Clarity
- IF Diamonds
- FL Diamonds
- Diamond Inclusions Guide
- Flawless vs Internally Flawless
- Which Diamond Clarity Is Best?
- VS2 vs VS1: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- VVS2 vs VVS1: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- SI2 vs SI1: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- SI1 vs VS2: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- VS1 vs VVS2: Diamond Clarity Comparison
- Accent Diamond Clarity
- Lab Diamond Clarity
- SI Diamonds
- VS Diamonds
- VVS Diamonds
- Diamond Shape
- Lab Diamond Shape
- Asscher
- Cushion
- Emerald
- Marquise
- Oval
- Pear
- Princess
- Radiant
- Round
- Which Diamond Cut Is Best?
- Round vs Princess Diamond Cut
- Round vs Cushion Diamond Cut
- Cushion vs Princess Diamonds
- Cushion vs Oval Cut Diamonds
- Emerald vs Asscher Cut Diamond
- Princess vs Marquis Diamonds
- Princess vs Radiant Cut Diamonds
- Cushion vs Asscher Cut Diamonds
- Emerald vs Radiant Cut Diamonds
- Oval vs Marquise Cut Diamonds
- Oval vs Pear Cut Diamonds
- Pear vs Marquise Cut Diamonds
- Emerald vs Cushion Cut Diamonds
- Elongated Cushion Cut Diamonds
- Diamond Certification
- Diamond Fluorescence
- Diamond Symmetry
- Diamond Polish
- Diamond Girdle
- Diamond Culet
- Diamond Pricing
- Diamond Sourcing
- Diamond Size Chart Carat & MM
- Natural vs Synthetic Diamonds
- History Of Lab Grown Diamonds
- How Diamonds Are Formed
- Diamond 4 C's
- Fancy Colored Diamonds
- Engraved Rings
- NY Diamond District
Engagement Ring Education
- How To Buy Engagement Rings
- Affordable Engagement Rings
- Cost of a One Carat Diamond
- How To Buy A Lab Diamond Ring
- How to Buy An Engagement Ring In a Time Crunch
- How to Choose An Engagement Ring
- How to Pick Your Engagement Ring Budget
- Engagement Rings For Second Marriage
- Best Time to Buy An Engagement Ring
- How to Buy An Engagement Ring As a Couple
- Everything You Need to Know About Dainty Engagement Rings
- Future Mother In Law's Guide to Engagement Ring Shopping
- Engagement Ring Financing
- Why You Need an Engagement Ring Appraisal
- Best Round Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Square Cut Engagement Ring
- Top Teardrop Engagement Rings
- Best Asscher Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Oval Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Radiant Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Marquise Cut Engagement Rings
- Twisting Rings
- Best Emerald Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Cushion Cut Engagement Rings
- Best Dainty Engagement Rings
- Best Unique Engagement Rings
- Best Traditional Diamond Engagement Rings
- Best Split Shank Diamond Engagement Rings
- Top 10 Square Halo Engagement Rings
- Top 10 Unusual Engagement Rings
- Black Diamond Engagement Rings
- Edwardian Engagement Rings
- Antique Style Engagement Rings
- Nature Inspired Engagement Ring
- Filigree Rings
- Art Deco Rings
- Wide Band Engagement Rings
- Infinity Engagement Rings
- Best Two Tone Diamond Engagement Rings
- Victorian Style Engagement Rings
- Minimalistic Engagement Rings
- Big Style Engagement Rings
- Cute Style Engagement Rings
- Modern Style Engagement Rings
- Past Present and Future Rings
- Most Expensive Celebrity Engagement Rings
- Noteworthy Celebrity Engagements (and Rings) of 2017
- Thin Engagement Rings
- Pretty Style Engagement Rings
- Double Band Engagement Rings
- 1 Carat Diamond Ring
- Top Princess Cut Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Cushion Cut Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Women's Rose Gold Engagement Rings
- Top Round Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Rings
- Top East West Engagement Rings
- Top Pave Engagement Rings
- Top Split Shank Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Unique Halo Engagement Rings
- Rose Gold Pear Shaped Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Pear Shaped Engagement Rings
- Top Oval Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Cushion Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Engagement Rings
- Top Marquise Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Cushion Cut Engagement Rings
- Top Emerald Cut Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Bypass Engagement Rings
- Top Rose Gold Cushion Cut Engagement Rings
- Top Rose Gold Oval Engagement Rings
- Top Emerald Cut Halo Engagement Rings
- Top Yellow Gold Oval Engagement Rings
- Top Rose Gold Emerald Cut Engagement Rings
- Top Oval Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Floating Diamond Engagement Rings
- Top Cushion Cut Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Princess Cut Three Stone Engagement Rings
- Top Simple Engagement Rings
- Vintage Style Engagement Rings
- Types of Accent Diamonds
- Everything You Need to Know Before Setting Diamonds
- Engagement Ring Prong Guide
- All About Ring Resizing
- Identifying Your Ring After A Repair
- Everything You Need to Know About Milgrain
- Everything You Need to Know About Wide Band Engagement Rings
- Eternity Rings vs Infinity Rings
- When To Propose
- What Are Baguette Diamond Engagement Rings
- What to Say When You Propose
- What Are the Groom's Parents Responsible For?
Gemstone Education
Jewelry Education
Metal Education


How Much Do Sapphires Cost?
A few years ago, it was unthinkable that an engagement ring's center stone would be anything but a diamond. Today, it's one of the hottest trends. (And proof that everything old is new again: Until the mid-20th-century, most engagement rings weren't diamond.) Whether it's attributable to Instagram, or simply cyclical, a dazzling array of gemstones are making their way onto engagement rings. If your loved one has an eye for the unconventional, it's definitely an option you'll want to consider.
Look first at the sapphire, an excellent choice for gemstone engagement rings. After the diamond, sapphires are the second-hardest gem, making them ideal for everyday wear. Look next at two of the most famous engaged women of the last few years: Both Lady Gaga and Meghan Markle's engagement rings contain sapphires. But does that mean you'll have to shell out like a celebrity? You're probably asking, how much do sapphires cost?
First, know that some types of sapphires are most highly valued. The most valuable type is the cornflower blue color, also known as the Kashmir sapphire. Some rare and exotic colors are valuable, including the scarce orange-pink Padparadschah sapphire and the color-changing sapphire, which turns different hues depending on the light.
Sapphires range from $25 per carat to more than $11,000 per carat; the most expensive one ever sold came in at $135,000 per carat. The price of a sapphire is determined based on its quality, which means that a large, low-quality sapphire is much cheaper than a small but very high-quality sapphire.
How much do sapphires cost?
First, the cost of a sapphire depends on carat, or its weight. The bigger the stone, the harder it is to find rough material of that size, which makes the finished ring more expensive. A top-quality 1- to 2-carat stone might retail between $800 to $1,200 per carat. Quality 2- to 3-carat stones sell for about double that amount, around $1,600 to $2,000 per carat. For larger or smaller stones, prices can be extrapolated to some extent, but there is no linear formula to follow, and prices change with time.

A sapphire's cost also depends on its clarity. Just like diamonds, sapphires can have inclusions, or small imperfections, although sapphires generally have better clarity than rubies. The most common inclusions are long, thin mineral structures called needles, and white, cloudy lines called feathers, which can make the sapphire look opaque. It's rare to find blue sapphires with extremely high clarity, which make those very valuable. Click here to read our complete guide to sapphire grading.
Finally, the cost of a sapphire depends on its source. Sapphires are found all over the world, but valuable, marketable sapphires are extremely rare. Sri Lanka and the Kashmir region of India and Pakistan have historically been important sources of jewelry-grade sapphires. But the most valuable sapphire mines can only be used several months out of the year, so sapphires of that provenance sit atop the price apex.
Sapphires are chosen and vetted by gemologists after carefully looking at their hue, tone and saturation. As gemstones are visually different than diamonds, the sparkle is not the main criteria. It is the lack of inclusions, durability, and color that make a sapphire truly beautiful. With Clarity works with sapphire cutters that we have had relationships with for several decades. Through them we can ensure that the sourcing and quality of the sapphires, which we set in sapphire and diamond engagement rings as well as necklaces and earrings, is impeccable. Gemologists carefully select from lots of sapphires to find those that have the best combination of the above three factors. They also factor in the look of the ring and the metal, to ensure that a sapphire with the best hue and color is chosen to complement it. Sapphires are graded on a scale ranging up to AAA. A sapphire with a AAA rating has the best of all characteristics. With Clarity strives to ensure that sapphires chosen for engagement rings are from this AAA grade bracket.