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Star Quality
Article Autor: Diana Jarrett
The Story Behind the Stone
Which came first – the value of a gem or the gemstone lover? While the jury is still out on that one, it’s clear that in some cases enthusiasm for an adored gemstone by a designer can trigger an upsurge in collecting by the public. And when a jeweler adores a particular gemstone, it’s bound to become linked with their brand.
So it is with Judi Anderson of Bijoux Extraordinaire. Anderson’s appreciation for the potpourri of colors produced in purple sapphire fuels her inspiration for original designs where each unique shade of purple sapphire owns the spotlight. Anderson insists that much of her clientele is colored sapphire savvy. And they may owe that acquired taste to Anderson, who raves, “It’s the hue! I personally am a huge fan of violet and purple colors. I also love the durability of sapphire; it’s a great combination.” Nothing new – while natural purple sapphire is not a recent discovery it is gaining ground as a standout amongst fancy colored sapphires. In fact, fancy purple sapphires turn up as Old European cuts in Edwardian jewels, notes Suzanne Martinez, buyer for Lang Antiques, San Francisco. The red-violet hues appear more often in vintage sapphire pieces, Martinez finds. Gemstone pricing guide publisher, (The Guide) Richard Drucker’s annual “Best Buys in Tucson” presentation at the Tucson Gem & Mineral shows provide a much anticipated industry update. At the 2007 Tucson Shows, Drucker reported a curious shift among leading colored stones sold the previous year. Sapphire earned first place, with the number 5 slot going to fancy colored sapphire. Drucker highlighted the increased demand for purple sapphire, commenting that they are not as yet readily available. Corundum, the general species for sapphire and ruby may be found as a clear crystal, and impurities such as chrome, in corundum create a red gem, or ruby. Sapphire specifically means the blue variety. The rainbow of other colors labeled “fancy colored sapphire”, include the extraordinary lilacs to blue-violets of purple sapphire. Corundum gets the highest grade on a Mohs scale next to diamond, which is an indication of its hardness. Ranking 9 on a Mohs scale indicates sapphire’s extreme durability. Little pampering of this hard stone is required and an owner can expect years of pleasure from their sapphire jewelry, while it looks nearly as new as when they bought it. Where in the world can you find the purple variety? Purple sapphire is produced in Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Thailand, and even Montana. Since the 1990s, Madagascar has produced an enormous quantity of fancy colored sapphire including purple, and this has contributed to its broader recognition. Gemologist Charles Carmona, president of Guild Laboratories, Los Angeles, also serves as World Bank Consultant to Madagascar at their gemology institute. Carmona points out, “Approximately 60 million years ago, Madagascar was part of East Africa. So its gem wealth comes from the same geological deposits.” It’s got Star Quality! The obsession for colored diamonds draped on celebrities at awards ceremonies has attracted buyers for fancy colored sapphire. Because purple and other fancy colored sapphire’s dispersion closely parallels that of colored diamonds, it becomes an affordable alternative to colored diamonds. A fine violet-blue certified natural oval cut sapphire wholesales for $1,200 per carat. By contrast, a similarly toned 8 carat ‘memory erasing’ natural purple diamond ring purchased for the wife of a philandering basketball star set him back by $8 million dollars. The overriding specialty of purple sapphire is the interminable range of purple, lilac, violet, reddish-purples and blue-violets to be found, Bijoux Extraordinaires’ Anderson reflects. “If you’re offered amethyst for instance, you pretty much know what the color will be.” Because nature creates the surprising color combinations discovered in purple sapphire, Anderson envisions an enduring legacy for this jewel which has yet to reach broad public exposure. Graduate Gemologist Diana Jarrett is also a Registered Master Valuer, and a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. Her regular columns appear in the NY Mineralogical Club Bulletin and Colored Stone Magazine. Contact her for appraisals or personal appearances at info@dianajarrett.com. Learn more by visiting her web site www.dianajarrett.com. | ||||||||||||||||||
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