Are sapphires OK or nice enough for an engagement ring? The simple answer is Yes.
Yes, they are good enough and in fact, good quality sapphire can be quite expensive! High quality sapphires are also harder to find than diamonds and sourcing a beautiful one is actually a bigger challenge.
Challenges in acquiring a nice sapphire include:
- Require physically seeing the stone as pictures do not show true color, clarity, and fire.
- Gem labs still do not provide all the required details we need to be confident in buying a sapphire base only on their certificate.
- The limited supply of high quality stones, so there is fewer of them to compare with.
- Most retailers globally do not have experience dealing with them. So they cannot explain the different treatments they have gone through.
Luckily as we are located in Bangkok, one of the major gemstones capital of the world, we can solve most of the above issues. Also having dealt with sapphires for more than 15 years, we can now distinguish what a good quality sapphire is and whether is it a ‘fair’ price based on the various factors.
Anyways, I believe the best testimonial regarding how experienced we are is by providing examples of sapphire engagement rings we have made over the years. Not once had our clients complained or not thought they were good enough for their engagement ring.
The main factor we must look at when buying a sapphire is 4Cs+OT quality which we will explain below.
Also, many famous people and celebrities wear sapphire engagement rings which I have provided below.
Famous people or Celebrities Wearing Sapphire rings
One of the most famous sapphire engagement rings is worn by Princess Diana which is now handed down to Princess Kate Middleton.
Princess Diana chose this ring from a catalog and the center stone was 12 carat Ceylon (Sri Lankan) blue sapphire. So even the British royal family considered a blue sapphire a ‘nice’ engagement ring option, so will give you good enough reason to consider it.
This ring is also not cheap with an estimated value of US$400,000 to US$550,000, though some people will consider it priceless now with the history it has.
Other influential women who wear sapphire rings are:
- Elizabeth Taylor
- Victoria Beckham
- Penelope Cruz
- Elizabeth Hurley
Blue Sapphires are Scratch Resistance & Durable
Sapphires are naturally hard stones – rated in Mohs scale 9 – only diamonds scale higher than this. This means only materials equal to or above this scale can scratch it. Therefore, only another sapphire (or corundum) or diamond can scratch it.
This makes them durable to wear on rings or any other type of jewelry. So, the wearer does not have to worry about getting it crack or scratch easily, and it will last for generations.
Sapphires come in many colors
Sapphires come in all colors, so only your imagination is your limit.
The most famous sapphire color is blue hue. Most people consider blue their favorite color so there is no wonder it is one most popular color gemstones in the world.
Some definition of blue color definitions used in the trade is provided below:
- Cornflower Blue
- Royal Blue
- Peacock Blue
- Pastel Blue
- Velvet Blue
- Indigo Blue
- Twilight Blue
We recommend seeing the different colors on the Lotus lab website.
Red hues or Rubies are also in-famous in the sapphire family. That is why it has a different name and category.
Other famous sapphire colors are pink, teal (mixture blue and green), padparadscha (mixture of orange and pink), green, yellow, purple, etc.,
How should one go about buying a blue sapphire engagement ring?
When buying a blue sapphire, one should consider six factors that I have listed below so they can determine the correct price and quality.
I called these as 4Cs + OT
- Color – It is defined three dimensionally – hue, tone, saturation.
- Carat Weight
- Clarity – in terms of number of inclusions and transparency of the stone (opaque, translucent or transparent).
- Cut Grade – In terms of how sparkle and light return the stone has.
- Origin – Where the blue sapphire is from? Certain origins command a higher price.
- Treatment – What level of treatment the blue sapphire has gone through? The more treatment the cheaper it gets.
For high-quality sapphires, we can verify a lot of these criteria based on reliable third-party certificate.
Most gem certificates will state the carat weight, color, origin, and treatment.
Though we highly recommend to please verify the color from a trustworthy jeweler, gem dealer, or gemologist. Only through the naked eye can we verify the three-dimensional color.
Examples of Blue Sapphire Rings We Made in the Past
Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring Option One
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The ring is custom-made with GIA certified 4.58 carat Blue Sapphire center supported with 0.83-carat halo diamonds and set in platinum (PT950).
Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring Option Two
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This ring was custom made with our 2.42 carat Blue Sapphire center supported with 0.70-carat pavé diamonds and set in platinum (PT950).
Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring Option Three
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This ring was custom made with 1.13 carat Octagon cut Blue Sapphire ring set with 0.32 carat Emerald Cut Side Diamonds and 18K White Gold.
Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring Option Four
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This ring is set with Certified, Oval cut, 2.08 carats, Vivid Blue Sapphire Center, and supported with halo 0.32 carats round brilliant diamonds set in Platinum (PT950).
Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring Option Five
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This ring was custom-made GIA Certified 2.03 carat Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring supported with 0.32 carat side diamonds set in 18K Rose Gold!
Currently available for sale: https://www.thainativegems.com/product/gia-certified-2-03-carats-vivid-cornflower-blue-sapphire-diamond-halo-pave-engagement-ring/
Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring Option Six
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This ring is custom made with vintage style 1.47 carats pear shape center blue sapphire supported with 0.14 carats diamonds and 9K yellow gold!
Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring Option Seven
Custom made this beautiful square cushion cut blue sapphire engagement ring set with pavê diamonds and 18K white gold!
What is our Custom Make Process?
- Provide us a design you would like to make
- We will then forward you a ‘rough’ price quotation
- Once the price is agreed upon we start the 3D CAD Design process – an example of what the CAD looks like is provided below.
- Once the design is approved we will custom-make the ring for you. The total time from start the finish usually takes 3 to 5 weeks.
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Thai Native Gems Gemstone Search & Custom Engagement Ring service (Best way to buy gemstones in Bangkok):
If you are in the market looking for the best gemstone and custom handmade engagement ring. Contact Us. Let us know what your budget is and what you are looking for.
From this initial information, we will swiftly find and email you gemstone options available in the market right now. Unlike other traditional or online dealers, I am not looking to sell you anything. But will provide you honest, frank, and objective opinion on what we think is best in the budget you offer.
This service is free, and there absolutely no commitment to buy any of our suggestions. The only thing you have to do is not respond to our email and you won’t hear from us again! So, you truly have nothing to lose!
How do we compile this gemstone list? Our search process is provided below:
1) We first will contact our local gemstone supply network and check if there are any stones that fit your requirement in Bangkok. We have over 50 contacts in Bangkok and will check ALL to make sure we can provide you with the best deal.
2) If not satisfied, we will then check online through our extensive global network sifting though we usually do this in last resort as we prefer seeing the gemstone in person to make sure the color is accurate and as described.
What type of engagement rings can you make and how are they made?
1) We usually set our engagement rings in 18k yellow or white gold or 950 platinum settings. Our rings are all hand-crafted and made by highly skilled Thai craftsmen.
Examples in some of the rings we made you can see on our YouTube channel and are shown below:
YouTube Channel PLAY LIST
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Contact us today to get all your wholesale gemstones, diamonds and jewelry needs. We can Source, Search and Supply anything you require.
What will you get if you contact us
- Start a conversation with us at FB.com/ThaiNativeGems/
- Get wholesale and highly competitive prices of gemstones & diamonds from anywhere through our extensive network of contacts around the world
- All stones sold by us is verified in house by our GIA Graduate Gemologist or certified
- We provide personalized service and NOT the same old “One Size Fits All” Approach
You can learn more by clicking here or image below