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Sapphires are mined all over the world. There are sapphire mines in India, Ceylon, Burma, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, USA, and Africa.

Sapphires are beautiful stones found in myriad colors like blue, yellow, orange, purple and even pink. The most expensive sapphires are not those which have been heat treated but those which have been mined as nature intended them to be - straight from the depths of the earth. These are the rich & vibrant blue sapphires.

Cutting a sapphire is difficult as a sapphire has many colors and a cutter faces the dilemma of trying to get the best in brilliance, depth of color and line while cutting the gems. A sapphire is valued depending on its size or carat, the color, clarity and the cut, or which we know and refer to as the Four Cs.

The chemical composition of the sapphire is dialuminum trioxide (Al₂O₃) which is a colorless and clear mineral. The stones get their color from the impurities that are present within it. For example, yellow comes from the iron so yellow plus titanium becomes blue and the red comes from chromium. Red sapphires are what the world knows as rubies. Titanium oxide is the most commonly found impurity which looks like silk needles. This is where the above mentioned heat treating comes into play. If the stone is treated to a heat reading 1700-2000 degrees Centigrade, the needles dissolve, the haze in the gem clears and the gem then acquires a brilliant look.

Sapphires are mined all over the world. You will find sapphires in India, Ceylon, Burma, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, USA, and Africa. The sad part is that the best sapphires are found in the strife ridden areas on the India - Pakistan border where the political situation is not one to be stepped into lightly. The Kashmir stones are the most valuable sapphires. The oldest mines are in Sri Lanka but the blue sapphires are mostly from Australia and Thailand. Madagascar will give you superb pinks and yellows and of course blue. Brazil has pink, purple and blue stones while in Tanzania you will find yellow, orange and blue

Busting the Myths Australian Sapphires are dark and inky
While the industry favours stones from Thailand, Burma or India, the unknown truth to many is that a very small percentage of quality stones come from any source in the world as natural without being heat treated or imported and resold under their names. In the 1980s alot of select quality was from Australia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, however many Thai dealers had snapped up select quality stones from Australia to resell as Ceylon stones in the Bangkok and European market. Now not to place blame on any particular region of gem traders, but there are many the world over who are guilty of this misrepresentation.

Truth is the most exquisite of sapphire quality is rare from any source in the world, especially as a natural stone. A higher percentage of blues can be found in specific countries but are not exclusively from India or Thailand as most dealers would have you believe. Dealers will only add the name to the stones to increases its commercial value and the only downfall to this slight of hand type practice is a duped customer with slightly fake product.