Natural Sapphires
Discover Natural Sapphires for bespoke jewellery, stone setting and fine jewellery designs. Shop our calibrated sapphire collection or search a wider selection of individual natural sapphires in different shapes, colours, sizes and specifications
What Is a Natural Sapphire?
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum and is prized for its beauty, durability and remarkable range of colours. Although most commonly associated with blue, natural sapphires can also occur in pink, yellow, green, orange, purple and other shades.
Ruby belongs to the same mineral family, with red corundum classified as ruby rather than sapphire.
When choosing a natural sapphire, colour is one of the most important considerations, alongside clarity, cut, carat weight, treatment and the overall appearance of the individual stone.
Choosing the Colour of a Sapphire
Blue sapphires can range from lighter, brighter blues through to rich and intensely saturated darker tones. The most attractive choice depends on your personal preference, with hue, saturation and brightness all contributing to the overall appearance of the stone.
Natural sapphires aren't limited to blue. Fancy-colour sapphires offer a much broader palette, including pink, yellow, green, purple and orange tones, providing an excellent choice for more individual jewellery designs.
When comparing sapphires, consider the stone as a whole rather than concentrating on a single specification. Colour, cut, clarity and proportions all contribute to how lively and attractive a sapphire appears once set.
Are Natural Sapphires Usually Included?
Natural sapphires commonly contain inclusions and internal characteristics formed during their growth. The type and visibility of these characteristics can vary considerably between individual stones.
Unlike diamonds, coloured gemstones are generally not selected according to a standardised clarity scale alone. A sapphire should instead be considered for its overall appearance, including its colour, transparency, brilliance and how any inclusions affect the beauty of the stone.
Natural characteristics can also provide useful information about a gemstone's formation and should not automatically be viewed as a negative.
Natural Sapphire Treatments
Many natural sapphires available on the market have undergone treatment to improve their colour or clarity. Heat treatment is widely used within the coloured gemstone trade and can enhance the appearance of a natural sapphire.
Other forms of treatment also exist and can have different implications for a stone's value and care requirements.
When selecting an individual sapphire, consider the treatment information provided for that particular stone alongside its colour, cut, clarity, size and overall appearance.
Popular Sapphire Shapes
Round Natural Sapphires
Round cut sapphires offer a classic and versatile appearance, with balanced proportions that can beautifully showcase the colour and brilliance of the stone. They are an excellent choice for rings, earrings, pendants and both traditional and contemporary jewellery designs.
Oval Natural Sapphires
Oval cut sapphires combine elegant, elongated proportions with a larger visual presence, beautifully showcasing the colour and natural character of the stone. Their versatility makes them particularly popular for engagement rings, pendants and bespoke centre-stone designs.
Pear Natural Sapphires
Pear cut sapphires combine graceful curves with a distinctive tapered point, creating an elegant and individual appearance. Their unique proportions make them a striking choice for rings, earrings, pendants and bespoke jewellery.
Emerald Cut Natural Sapphires
Emerald cut sapphires feature clean geometric proportions and step-cut facets that place emphasis on the stone's colour and clarity. Their sophisticated appearance makes them a distinctive choice for engagement rings and contemporary bespoke jewellery.
Natural Sapphires for Jewellery Making
Natural sapphires are an excellent choice for fine jewellery thanks to their combination of beauty and durability. With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, corundum is second only to diamond in hardness, making sapphire suitable for many types of jewellery, including pieces intended for regular wear.
Sapphires can be used as centre stones, accent stones or as part of more elaborate designs, with their wide range of colours providing considerable flexibility for bespoke jewellery.
Whether you're replacing a missing stone, creating an engagement ring or sourcing gemstones for jewellery manufacture, we offer both calibrated sapphires and a wider selection of individual loose stones.
Sapphires for Trade & Private Buyers
We supply loose Natural Sapphires to both jewellery professionals and private customers throughout the UK. Whether you know the exact dimensions and specifications you require or would like some guidance choosing a stone, we're happy to help.
Jewellers can source calibrated sapphires for stone setting, repairs and jewellery manufacture, while private customers can search individual stones for engagement rings, bespoke jewellery and other special pieces.
Natural Sapphire FAQs
Are sapphires natural gemstones?
Yes. Natural sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. Although blue is the best-known colour, sapphires occur naturally in a wide variety of colours.
Are all sapphires blue?
No. Natural sapphires can occur in colours including blue, pink, yellow, green, purple and orange. Sapphires of colours other than blue are commonly referred to as fancy-colour sapphires.
What colour sapphire is best?
There is no single best colour for everyone. Richly saturated colours with good brightness are generally desirable, but the ideal sapphire ultimately depends on personal preference. The overall appearance of the individual stone should be considered alongside its cut, clarity and treatment.
Are natural sapphires treated?
Many natural sapphires are heat treated to improve their colour or clarity. Other treatments can also be used, so it's important to consider the treatment information provided for an individual stone when making a purchase.
Are inclusions normal in natural sapphires?
Yes. Natural sapphires commonly contain inclusions and internal characteristics formed during their growth. Their importance depends on how they affect the transparency, beauty and durability of the individual stone.
Are sapphires suitable for engagement rings?
Yes. Sapphire is an excellent choice for engagement rings due to its beauty and durability. Its hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale makes it particularly well suited to jewellery intended for regular wear.
Can I buy a loose sapphire without a setting?
Yes. The Carat Club supplies loose Natural Sapphires for jewellery making, stone replacement, bespoke designs and customers who want to choose their gemstone before deciding on a setting.
How do I choose the right size sapphire?
For an existing setting, the physical dimensions of the sapphire are particularly important. For a new bespoke design, consider both dimensions and carat weight, as gemstones of the same weight can have noticeably different proportion
Do you supply sapphires to jewellers?
Yes. We supply both trade and private customers, including calibrated and individual loose sapphires for jewellery manufacture, repairs, replacement stones and bespoke commissions.
Find Your Perfect Natural Sapphire
Shop Calibrated Sapphires
Explore our collection of calibrated natural sapphires, carefully selected for their colour, consistency and natural beauty. Available in a range of sizes, they are ideal for jewellery repairs, stone replacement, bespoke designs and fine jewellery making.
Looking for a Specific Natural Sapphire?
Use our extensive search tool to explore a wider selection of natural sapphires. Compare stones by shape, carat weight, dimensions, colour and price to find the perfect sapphire for your requirements.