White sapphire, the December birthstone, has grown in popularity over the last five years as an excellent diamond alternative. We will cover the different qualities, prices, color undertones and more!
If you are looking to create a custom sapphire engagement ring, send us an email at info@fineandflux.com and we will send you a quote. You can also view our ready to order ring designs here.
The most important thing to know before purchasing a white sapphire is understanding how we grade the qualities. Similar to diamonds we look for excellent cuts, colorless stones and high clarities.
1) The Color
The color is one of the most important factors when purchasing a white sapphire because they commonly have light to strong undertones of color through out the stone in a variety of shades. For example you can find them with yellow, pink, blue or even silver undertones. Some of these can give a very beautiful & unique look, but only if that is what you are looking for. If you are looking to replicate the appearance of a diamond, you always want to make sure that your stone is as close to colorless as possible.
Depending on the color of gold you are using, having a slight undertone may not actually be a problem. For example if your sapphire has a faint tint of yellow and you are planning to set it in yellow gold, the sapphire will absorb the color of the metal it is set in. The dilemma will come when working with metals such a platinum. This is a metal with a very white appearance, which will contrast and even enhance the undertones of your sapphire, so if your stone is in the slightest bit colored, it could give a very undesirable esthetic, if that is not what you were looking for.
2) The Cut
Often when clients are purchasing white sapphire, they are buying it as a diamond alternative. They still want that diamond appearance but with ought the high price tag. Whatever the reason, clients need to know that sapphires and diamonds are often not cut in the same way. Diamonds will be cut in the standard "Brilliant cut" and sapphires will be cut as "step-cuts", which is more commonly used for gemstones of all types. Why this is important is because if you want a stone that will appear as a diamond, having a white sapphire that has a step-cut will look different to the trained eye.
More and more sapphires, especially those of higher qualities are now being cut with the more modern brilliant cut however it should still be known to clients that they are not as readily available and should always be requested. We even recommend that if this is the style you would like, to always give us longer delays (3-5 weeks instead of 2-4), in the case we may need to import more sapphire options for you.
Lastly you also want to make sure the stone has an even cut, to allow for maximum brilliance. If a stone is not well cut it will affect the dispersion of light through the stone, making it sparkle less and dull.
3) The Carat
White sapphires in the 1-2ct range are generally easy to find. Its once we go above the 2ct range into the 3ct that they start to become increasingly harder to find.
A common treatment for sapphires is heat treatment. Where gemstone manufacturers will, as it sounds, heat the stones. This treatment is a standard technique used to alter or enhance the color of a sapphire. White sapphires are significantly less valuable then their blue counterparts, this is why high quality white sapphire over the 3ct range will more often then not be heated to turn a range of blues. This will allow vendors to fetch higher prices for their stones. As a result finding white sapphire in the 3ct+ range can be more difficult and require more time.
White sapphire prices
What sapphires are easily 1/5th of the price of diamonds, making a fond choice for young couples.
For 1-2ct sapphires you are looking at the 500-3K per carat price range, anything over the 3000$ X carat range you are most likely over paying. Of course like anything, the lower you go, the lower the quality. At the 500$ range, the sapphires will have stronger color undertones and less even cuts. This is why for engagement ring we recommend staying with stones within the 1.5-3K/ct$ price point
Personalized Engagement Rings
Creating a personalized engagement ring is easy! All you need to do is get in touch, by sending us a quick email with a brief description of what style you'd like and budget. Then we will source multiple stone options for you to choose from. Once chosen we will then move onto the 3d designing of your ring, wait for your approval and then we will start fabrication and ship it out!
The complete process takes between 2 and 4 weeks. Free ring sizers expressed shipped to you and complimentary engravings included in every design.
You can also view our ready to order designs here. All our ready to order engagement rings can be personalized upon request.