Have you ever thought of having a sapphire as the central gemstone in your engagement ring? Sapphire and diamond engagement rings are truly unique, as sapphires come in such a range of wonderful colours and cuts. Every sapphire is individual. When you choose a sapphire you have an opportunity to have an engagement ring that really reflects your tastes and style.
What Colours Do Sapphires Come In?
Of course when most people think of a sapphire they usually think of the blue sapphires that we see most of the time. The very best blue sapphires are known as “Ceylon sapphires” or as “ceylon type sapphires”. Not all sapphires coming from Sri Lanka have the highly prized beautiful, rich, vibrant cornflower blue colour that is synonymous with the name “Ceylon sapphire”.
Sapphires come in an array of colours. The colours can be put into the following main groups: blue, pink and purple, green, orange and yellow, padparadscha, black and white or colourless. There are also colour change sapphires, parti coloured sapphires (a mix of colours) and amazing star sapphires.
Within each colour category, the variations in colour are wide ranging. So we see colours like apricot, violet, purple, reddish purple, lemony yellow, reddish orange, and the list goes on. Some of the yellow sapphires can look quite like yellow diamonds. Not the same sparkle and brilliance as a really great yellow diamond, but still beautiful in their own right.
Padparadscha is an extremely rare colour that is somewhere between pink and orange, a salmon colour. These are very rare and very expensive.
Australian sapphires
We mine for sapphires in Australia, mainly in New South Wales and Queensland, but also in small quantities in Tasmania. Australian mines are generally known for producing dark blue and green sapphires. We do find some really great quality blue sapphires with a beautiful hue, but not in great numbers.
Sapphire and Diamond Engagement Rings
The natural beauty of a sapphire is enhanced when it is surrounded by diamonds in a halo or set next to diamonds, as in a three stone ring design. The white colour and sparkle of the diamonds accentuates the colour of the sapphire and makes for a very, very beautiful and unique ring.
Although sapphires come in many colours, not all colours are available in all cuts. If you would like a sapphire for your engagement ring, it really is a question of us hunting down the best options that are available. Australia is a relatively small market for sapphires, and supplies world-wide are diminishing.
Please have a look at the gorgeous sapphire and diamond engagement rings featured on our site. As we custom make all our rings to suit the shape and cut of the central sapphire. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. You are welcome to make an appointment with one of our jewellers to see some loose sapphires. You can discuss your engagement ring ideas during your appointment.
