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


Natural Sapphire Grading
Natural sapphires are graded and valued by a few factors. These include sapphire color, sapphire clarity, and also their cut and carat weight. A sapphire's country of origin is also taken into consideration when determining its value. Different grading systems are used to determine the quality of this precious gemstone, depending on what factor is being graded.
Natural Sapphire Grading
With this system, sapphires are graded according to different ranks. These include AAA, AA, A, and B qualities:
- Natural AAA - This grade accounts for just 2% of all natural gemstones
- Natural AA - This grade represents 10% of all natural gemstones available in the world
- Natural A - This grade forms the top 20% of natural gemstones
- Natural B - This category accounts for over 50% of natural gemstones
Blue Sapphire Color
The most important characteristic to consider when determining a sapphire’s price is always its color grade. The best color for a natural blue sapphire is an intense, velvety, deep royal blue. This color of sapphire would be considered AAA quality, the rarest and most valuable. The second best color is a medium rich blue, or AA quality. Any blue sapphires that have a slight gray undertone fit into the A category. Finally, sapphires that have a very dark and opaque blue color are considered B quality grade. The 3 keys to color grading are identifying hue, tone and saturation. Color is graded on these factors face up on a white surface. The hue should be royal blue, the tone should be deep blue and the saturation should be even throughout the gem.
Clarity Grading For Gemstones
After color, clarity is another important factor that has an impact on a gemstone's price and rarity. There are three types of clarity grade for gemstones such as sapphires: Type 1 stones, Type 2 stones, and Type 3 stones.
- Type 1 stones - These stones will generally be "eye-clean," meaning that they have no inclusions visible to the naked eye.
- Type 2 stones - These typically show some inclusions visible to the naked eye. However, they don’t detract from the overall beauty of the gemstone.
- Type 3 stones - These gemstones will almost always have inclusions, and they will always be visible to the naked eye.
Overall, most gemstones do have some type of inclusion, even if it isn't eye visible. Generally speaking, the fewer inclusions a gemstone has, the rarer it is. Thus, the price will be higher for Type 1 stones than Type 3.
Sapphires still fall into the general clarity grading for gemstones categories (Types 1, 2 or 3). However, there are more specific terms that are directly related to the clarity of sapphires. They include: concaves, eye grade, loupe grade and transparency.
- Concave - This is a natural mark found on the surface of sapphires. They normally form on the girdle and don’t interfere with the stone's beauty.
- Eye Grade - This evaluates the overall clarity of the sapphire when viewed without magnification.
- Loupe Grade - This differs from eye grade because the clarity is checked under 10x magnification.
- Transparency - This is the relative ability a sapphire has to transmit light.
There are different types of inclusions that sapphires can have. Needles are long, thin mineral deposits, which are referred to as silk inclusions and are the most common type. Silk inclusions can form interactions within the sapphire, known as the "star" effect. The price of a sapphire drops as it contains more inclusions, which affect the overall stability of the gemstone.
Sapphire Cut
The cut of a sapphire refers to how well the surface is proportioned and polished. If a shallow- or deep-cut sapphire is poorly cut, it will be prone to light leakage. The best cuts of sapphire will always show optimal brilliance. They will look like they have more “life” to them. Sapphires with these cuts are rarer, and they are more expensive than inferior cut sapphires.
Carat Weight
In terms of weight, sapphires are weighed the same way that diamonds are. The higher the carat, the more expensive the sapphire will be. Larger sapphires automatically have a higher carat weight, so they will always cost more.
Sapphire Treatments & Enhancements
The most common type of sapphire treatments is heat treatments, which are applied to remove inclusions and improve a sapphire's hue and saturation. This affects a sapphire’s color grade, which could considered one specific grade before treatment, but can jump up to a higher grade afterward. Heat treatment is such a common procedure for sapphires that it doesn’t affect their overall value. However, other treatments, such as diffusion treatments (applying a thin layer of color onto the surface of a sapphire) can affect their value.