HOW TO BUY A GREAT PINK SAPPHIRE

Pink Sapphires are among the most sought after stones because they are much different than traditional diamonds, blue sapphires, and rubies.

Color Like all gemstones, the first thing to look for is the color. In pink sapphires, you want a pink hue, medium to medium-dark tone, and strong to vivid saturation. While darker stones will increase in cost, choose the color you prefer the most. Some people would rather have an extremely light pink sapphire because it resembles a pink diamond and others desire a dark pink. It all depends on the personality of the receiver. Clarity The next characteristic to examine is the clarity. Pink sapphires are a type 2 stone, like diamonds; therefore inclusions should be difficult to see from the naked eye, unless they are extremely large and/or dark. The more inclusions the sapphire has, the more fragile it becomes making it vulnerable to damage. Country of Origin Another quality to explore is the country of origin. While pink sapphires come from all over the world, they are most commonly from Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Shape The next thing to consider is shape. Pink sapphires are most popular in oval and cushion cuts but can be found in other various shapes; some of which include heart-shaped, princess, and pear-shaped.

Hardness The hardness of a pink sapphire is very strong compared to many other gemstones. On the most scale of hardness, it is a 9, just like a ruby. This is because it is also in the corrundum family; therefore, it is more resistant to extreme heat and fracture. For more information on corrumdum, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corrundum Other things to avoid are pink sapphires that are off cut. When a stone is too deep or shallow, it allows for a lot of light leakage. In addition, be careful of sapphires that have been diffused. In this process, a corundum powder has coated the surface of the stone in the heating process, giving it an appearance of a pink sapphire.

These beautiful stones are not only used in bracelets, earrings, and pendants, but in engagement rings as well. In fact, they are the third most favored stone aside from diamonds and blue sapphires.

In this video, Christina, Steve, and Erica explore the many characteristics of pink sapphires. For more information on pink sapphires or to check out our inventory, visit our website: http://www.intagems.com/gemstones/search