Blue sapphire

From the Latin "Sapphiru" meaning blue, sapphire is one of the most popular of all gemstones. The ancient Persian believed that the earth was sited on a sapphire, and its reflection colored the heavens. During the first civilizations, blue sapphire was categorized by color, not chemistry, therefore many blue stones, namely lapis lazuli and spinels were called sapphires, simply because of their attractive blue color.
Although sapphire today is mined in many different countries and continents, it seems that sapphire was first found, as described in ancient records, in the "Gem Island" of Serendip, south of India which is now called Sri Lanka and formerly known as "Ceylon." Indian culture has the greatest love for sapphire and the greatest belief of its power over humans. Other important sapphire locations are Burma, Thailand, Australia, East Africa, Madagascar, USA (Montana).
Sapphires and rubies comprise more than half of all Gemstones sold worldwide. Sapphire's popularity is not based on color alone.  Its hardness of 9 places it next to diamond, making it an excellent choice for jewelry worn daily. 
Surprisely, sapphires and rubies are made of the same mineral, corundum or aluminum oxide AL2O3, being ruby a red corundum, and sapphire any other color. And again, a further distinction  is made in the sapphire world. Thus, we have blue sapphires, any shade of blue corundum, and "fancy sapphires", any color other than blue. And the other innumerable colors include white, yellow, pink, violet, green, orange, purple, pink-orange (padparascha), and many other combinations of colors. 

Blue sapphires buying tips.

1- Avoid overly dark, almost black, lifeless blue sapphires. A common misperception in judging blue sapphires is that people assume that the darker the color, the better the stone. That isn't true: color can be too dark, like some sapphires that look more black than blue. If a gem's color is too dark, it is subdued and lifeless. A much better rule of thumb is the brighter and more rich and vivid the color, the better. In general, a clear, medium-tone, very intense and saturated primary color is the most preferred. Muted colors or colors between hues, which you might find very attractive, are usually less expensive. Look at the color in different kinds of light. Usually, blue sapphires hold the best color in sunlight.

2- Try to get unheated sapphires. The value of unheated material is surely to appreciate over time. Nowadays, 99% of all sapphires are heat-enhanced to improve clarity and color. Therefore, untreated-unheated sapphires are becoming more and more valuable over heat treated stones. If the stone is accompanied by a certificate, that is great. However, certificate from reputable gem labs will cost $150-$200. It is worth to have one if you are buying an expensive stone.

3- Try to get your sapphire from dealers/importers that goes to the mining areas on a regular basis. Their prices are much more attractive and more realistic than those of big companies, with huge overheads, which sell for example a 1 ct. blue for a ridiculous $2,000 or more per carat.

4- If you want a quality, unheated sapphire, do not buy on Ebay. Virtually all the sapphires that are sold on Ebay by Thai people/dealers out of Chataburi and Bangkok, are all treated heavily beyond regular heat-treatment. As per 2006 and 2007, all blue sapphires coming out from Thailand cutting center Chantaburi, have been high-temperature heat treated and Be-diffused. Period. See this link here if you want to know more about this subject.

Blue Sapphires Showcase

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