|  |  While there is plenty of attention on the wedding fanfare, the focus for many is on the blue sapphire ring bride-to-be Kate Middleton received as her engagement ring from Prince William. The ring, originally William's mother Princess Diana's, has an oval blue sapphire set in 18K white gold surrounded by diamonds. It stunned women when Diana received it in 1981. And, it's stunning women again as it sits on Kate Middleton's finger. Women LOVE sapphires! |
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Sapphires have been one of the annual top selling colored gems for as long as statistics have been recorded. Why, you ask? I could give you a lesson in colored stones based on rarity, durability, beauty and provenance. Personally, I think it's all in the beauty. The color draws me in. A pool of royal blue. Notice the emphasis on royal?
A girl can have whatever shade of blue that strikes her fancy. There are all shades of blue. Darker blues with undertones of green, lighter pastel blues, cornflower blues, denim blues and all blues in between. If a girl can't find a blue sapphire that pulls at her heart then maybe she's not a blue girl at all!
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My favorite blue sapphire is a Sri Lankan sapphire that we refer to as cornflower blue. These gems are also called Ceylon sapphires. Both names refer to the name of the country. Roger was in Sri Lanka in the early 80s. It's a country rich in gems, beaches and beauty. Sapphire rough is not allowed out of Sri Lanka due to recent laws. Roger buys gems that are poorly faceted and works his magic recutting them.
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 There have been recent finds in Madagascar of blue sapphires and Roger acquired the rough for this sapphire during his June 2008 trip to Madagascar. This is from an independent sapphire mine in Illakaka. Roger buys from locals that mine on their own property rather than from the large scale mining operations that strip the land. Roger Dery Gem Design supports sustainability and transparency of origin. |
