Earlier this month, Pantone—the worldwide authority on color–determined its color of Spring 2014, called “dazzling blue.” As fashion and home décor designs roll out over the coming months, you will surely see lots of this rich cobalt color, and the fall auctions already have a number of “dazzling blue” pieces up for sale.

Perhaps the most dazzling of all is a 7.59 carat Fancy Vivid blue diamond, part of Sotheby’s October 7 Hong Kong auction, Celebrating 40 Years in Asia. As mentioned in an earlier blog, this special auction is also expected to sell an 118.28 carat colorless diamond for a record-setting amount.

With an expected sale price of $19 million, this blue diamond is also expected to break another record for per-carat price for any diamond. Called “The Premier Blue,” the internally flawless blue diamond is larger in size than most shirt buttons, and its size, vivid blue color, and round cut make it exceptionally rare. The round brilliant cut is rarely used in colored diamonds because it is designed to maximize brilliance and lessen the effect of color.  This stone is the largest round brilliant Fancy Vivid blue diamond ever graded by GIA. (Update: the Premier Blue diamond didn’t find a buyer)

The Premier Blue. Image courtesy of Sotheby’s.

While not a blue diamond, this sapphire and diamond ring is an example of why the Kashmir sapphire with its velvety blue appearance is considered by many to be the most desired of all  gems. The 11.81 carat cushion-shaped sapphire in this white gold ring originated the Kashmir mountains, an intersection of three prominent mountain ranges between Pakistan, India and China. The gem’s exceptional appearance suggests that it came from a gem deposit that was exhausted more than 100 years ago.  The gem shows no indications of heat treatment, a common treatment to enhance color or clarity in sapphires. A natural sapphire from Kashmir of this size and quality is exceptionally rare, which is why it is expected to fetch somewhere between $1.2 and $2.0 million at Christie’s first Shanghai auction on September 26. (Update: final sale price was $1,688,389)

Sapphire and diamond ring. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images LTD. 2013.

GIA quality analysis: oval-shaped diamonds weighing from 1.02 to 0.51 carat range from D color, VVS1 to VS1 clarity.

Another important blue diamond is included in Christie’s October 15 Magnificent Jewels auction. As one of three spectacular colored diamonds featured in this sale (read more about the fancy yellow diamond) , this 3.81 carat cushion-cut Fancy Vivid blue diamond is set into a ring and expected to sell for $2.5 to $3.5 million.

A Rare Colored Diamond Ring. Image courtesy of Christie’s Images LTD. 2013.

GIA quality analysis: 3.81-carat cushion-cut diamond is fancy vivid blue, natural color, VS1 clarity (GIA report 2155517964)

While not exclusively blue, the number of sapphires in this colored stone Tiffany & Co. bracelet certainly qualifies it as “dazzling.” This unique flexible strap bracelet is decorated with a rose branch designed from emeralds and yellow sapphires set against a background of round white diamonds. It’s topped off with an “evening sky” composed of emerald-cut sapphires around a crown rose-cut diamond “moon.” The intricate design and detail work makes it a special piece, and is expected to sell between $150,000 and $200,000 at Sotheby’s September 24 auction in New York. (Update: final sale price was $173,000)

Platinum, Diamond and Colored Stone ‘Rose’ Bracelet, Tiffany & Co. Image courtesy Sotheby’s.

Do you love blue diamonds and gemstones? Are you excited to see “Dazzling Blue” take over fashion and home décor trends for next spring?

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Think of every passing year as an opportunity to celebrate with your birthstone. In fact, people have been wearing birthstone jewelry since the 15^th century in Poland, when they were encouraged to own all 12. And while birthstone secrets and lore can be found right here on our blog, today we share what makes YOUR birthstone a powerful statement of your finest qualities.

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September’s birthstone is perhaps most known for the extraordinary sapphire ring worn by Kate Middleton, originally belonging to Princess Diana. Taking a cue from the British royals, celebrities like Penelope Cruz have fueled the colored gemstone engagement ring trend, with sapphire leading the way.

Kashmir sapphire ring from Tiffany’s.

Like its sister gemstone ruby, sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. Corundum in its purest form is colorless. These colorless sapphires are popular imitations for diamonds, and have made a comeback as accent stones in recent years. Sometimes when trace elements are present in corundum, color happens. The deep blue hue we most often associate with these gemstonnes results from a combination of the elements titanium and iron. Some combinations of elements can result in colors including purple, green, yellow, orange, pink, and black – the so-called “fancy sapphires.” (A ruby is a ruby and not a sapphire, when the mineral corundum contains enough traces of the element chromium to lend the gem a medium to medium dark red tone.)

Multicolor briolette sapphires interspersed on strands of keshi pearls. Image courtesy of Pearl Exporting Company.

Known as one of the “Big Three” of jewelry gemstones (alongside ruby and emerald), sapphire is a popular and affordable choice. When shopping for a this gemstone, the quality of the cut makes a tremendous difference—a well-cut sapphire will maximize the color.

10.64 carats of round sapphires accented with 7.47 carat of brilliant round diamonds set in 18K white gold. Image courtesy of Omi Prive.

The most common cuts are cushion and oval shapes, as well as emerald, princess and trilliant cuts in stones under a carat. When visiting a jeweler, compare the various shades of sapphire side by side to understand the range of qualities available. Most sapphires you’ll see in jewelry stores are treated by heat or lattice diffusion to alter their color. Lattice diffusion can enhance or change the color, but lattice diffused sapphires are considered less valuable than heat-treated ones. A GIA lab report indicates any detectable treatments and confirms if the sapphire you are considering is natural or synthetic.

Assorted colored sapphires from the Dr. Edward J. Gubelin Collection.

Sapphire is one of the most durable gemstones—it has a hardness rating of 9 on the Mohs scale—which makes it relatively easy to care for. Cleaning this gemstone regularly with just a little mild dish soap, a toothbrush and water is enough to maintain its brilliance.

What is your favorite celebrity sapphire jewelry piece?

The post Sapphire: September’s Regal Birthstone appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

Dazzling gemstones lit the red carpet at this year’s 85th Academy Awards on Sunday, February 24^th. Striking gowns enhanced by colored gems topped our list of favorite styles. Bold shades of blue, like those worn by Robin Roberts and Lilly Collins, were flawlessly paired with brilliant blue sapphire jewelry. Here are some interesting facts about sapphires and other blue gems provided by our GIA experts that every colored gemstone lover should know.

Actress Lily Collins wearing an array of beautiful diamond and sapphire jewelry.

Fun fact: The name “sapphire” can apply to corundum of any color (and there are many besides blue, including yellow and pink), as long as it’s not red, which would then likely be qualified as ruby, another corundum variety.

Sapphire

When the trace elements of the mineral species corundum are iron and titanium, the corundum is blue sapphire. It can be a pure blue, but ranges from greenish blue to violet blue.  Only a few hundredths of a percent of iron and titanium can affect the color, and the more iron the corundum contains, the darker the blue.

Russell Shor, GIA’s senior industry analyst, says that blue gems are a constantly evolving trend: “While sapphire will always be popular, high-quality blue sapphire is scarce in the market right now, so tanzanite has regained much of its past popularity for consumers tapping into the trend of vibrant blue gems. In addition, favorably-priced stones such as blue topaz have become in vogue.”

Tanzanite

Fun Fact: Tanzanite is mined commercially only in one area of the world: the Merelani Hills of Tanzania, where it gets its name.

Another magnificent blue gemstone option boasting bold shades of blue is Tanzanite. This gemstone is the blue to violet-purple variety of the mineral zoisite. Its appearance is influenced greatly by its pleochroism, which is the ability of a gemstone to show different colors when viewed in different crystal directions. Tanzanite can be violet blue—similar to a sapphire color—or much more purple. Often, both the violet blue and purplish colors are readily visible in a fashioned stone when it is gently rocked and tilted.

Blue Topaz

Fun fact: Since the 1970s, treatments have brought blue topaz to a broad market.

Blue topaz is an additional blue gemstone alternative. In nature, topaz is most commonly colorless, and naturally strong blue gems are extremely rare. In the marketplace, however, strong blue shades are plentiful because they have been treated with a combination of radiation and heat to produce blue hues in topaz.

Opals and Emeralds

While blue jewels complemented the Oscars’ stunning couture, several A -listers donning blue gowns opted for other spectacular colored gemstone choices. Jenna Deway-Tatum and Jennifer Hudson wore blue gowns completed by white and black opals, which exhibited a magical blue iridescence. Black opals are rare and considered the most valuable opal variation. Learn more about opals.

Isla Fisher in David Webb carved emeralds and diamond drop earrings.

Isla Fisher was stunning in Emerald earrings, which created a striking contract with her deep blue gown. For more information about Emeralds, check out our post ‘How to Wear and Identify Emeralds’.

Which one of these Oscar gemstone looks was your favorite? Please join us tomorrow for the next segment of our two-part series on Oscar jewels!

The post Colored Gems at the Oscars: Part 1 appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

September’s birthstone, the sapphire, is known for its various shades of blue, however, these gemstones come in every color of the rainbow. A red sapphire is actually a ruby, the September gem’s sibling. Both of these gems are made from the durable mineral corundum. The rare pink orange variety known as padparadscha is especially prized, named after the color of a lotus flower.

Sapphire comes in every color of the rainbow, except red. A red sapphire is actually a ruby, sapphire’s gem sibling.

These gemstones are faceted in all shapes. Star and cat’s eye, two of the varieties sporting unique optical characteristics, are fashioned as cabochons, a domed or elliptical shape meant to showcase its rare optical phenomena. Other sapphires change color in different types of light, but these special stones are considered to be collector’s gems.

The Vagabonde Bleue Ring is set in silver and features 618 diamonds and a 12.46-carat cushion cut blue sapphire center stone. Copyright Fabergé Ltd.

The ancient Persians believed the earth actually rested on a giant sapphire, which made the sky blue. This beautiful gemstone is associated with fidelity and the soul, believed in ancient times to be a pledge of loyalty.

Give her your heart, the moon and the stars with these pavé diamond heart, hammered and satin finished half moon earrings with 26 multi-colored hand-cut sapphire stars.

Check out sapphire in the GIA Celebrates Birthstones exhibit at the GIA Carlsbad campus. Schedule a free tour 24 hours in advance by contacting guestservices@gia.edu; calling 800-421-7250, ext. 4116 or 760-603-4116; or visiting www.gia.edu.

The post GIA Celebrates Birthstones – Sapphire, Token of Loyalty appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

The color blue has inspired poets, songwriters and mankind for centuries. This season, it’s also inspiring plenty of fashion statements, as seen in Vogue, Elle and Los Angeles Times to name a few. It’s no surprise then that blue gemstones are some of the most coveted in the colored gemstone spectrum.

Sapphire, aquamarine and tanzanite are just a few of the popular blue gemstones that can be used to liven up your wardrobe by capitalizing on this season’s trend of bold, beautiful colors.

Sapphire 

Blue sapphire and diamond bracelet set in platinum.

Sapphire (as seen in this bracelet) comes from the mineral corundum and is considered one of the hardest gemstones available, making it extremely durable. The sapphire’s rich blue is one of the leading jewelry trends this year, and has been spotted all over the pages of top fashion magazines as well as the fingers of blushing brides-to-be.

Aquamarine 

Aquamarine and diamond ring set in white gold. Designed and manufactured by Greenwich Jewelers.

Aquamarine is the blue to green-blue variety of beryl. Aquamarine, as seen in this Regal Radiant™ cut aquamarine and white gold ring, evokes the enchanting qualities of a balmy sea.

Photo courtesy of Greenwich Jewelers 

Tanzanite

Winner of the 2006 Tanzanite Celebration of Life Jewelry Design Awards

Tanzanite is a relative newcomer to the precious gemstone scene, having been discovered in 1967 in Northern Tanzania. Tanzanite, like the lovely cobalt shade of this 6.99-ct pendant, is a variety of the mineral zoisite. While it can appear very similar to a sapphire, tanzanite is typically a more violet shade of blue, and due to its soft nature needs to be treated with more care.  Tanzania remains the world’s only known source of this stone.

Photo courtesy of the Tanzanite Foundation

The post True Blue in Fashion appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

September’s birthstone, sapphire, is unique among gemstones. It is a very hard gemstone, second only to diamond. Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum. While other stones are known for their singular hues, sapphires come in a variety of colors.

The most preferred color is blue, which ranges from very light to very dark violetish blue to greenish blue.  Other colors for sapphires are pink, purple, yellow, orange, pink-orange, green, black and colorless. Color-change sapphires alternate from violetish blue in daylight to deep reddish purple in incandescent light.  The red variety of corundum has gone by another name since antiquity– ruby. Sapphires are generally found in Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Australia, and the United States (Montana).

Sapphire has a long and rich history. Museums, auction houses, and gemology publications have documented that as far back as 800 BC, sapphires were believed to reflect heaven and ward against evil. An abbess during the Renaissance era, Mother Hildegard, wrote in her book “Physica” that sapphires have the capacity to strengthen intellect and provide healing properties. More recently, sapphires have graced royalty, like the engagement ring that Prince Charles gave to Lady Diana, and continue to be seen today on fashion models and celebrities.

Birthstone lists have been around for centuries. In 1912, the National Association of Jewellers chose sapphire for the month of September. Sapphires sometimes have inclusions that create a star effect called asterism. These tiny slender fibers cause light to reflect in a star-shaped pattern. The stars can have four, six, or even twelve rays extending from a single point. Suitably, these are called “star-sapphires.”

It is a standard practice in the gem industry for sapphires to be heat-treated. This process leads to intensified color and can remove inclusions. Some sapphires are diffusion treated which artificially intensifies the gem’s color. Sapphires should only be purchased from a trustworthy jeweler and any treatments should be fully disclosed to the buyer. Any significant purchase of a sapphire should be accompanied by a GIA Colored Stone Identification Report which will confirm that your stone is, in fact, a sapphire, identify any known treatments, and even indicate its geographic origin.

The post September Birthstone: The Sapphire appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.

September’s birthstone is one of our favorite gemstones at GIA –sapphire. Sapphires have been long associated with royalty and romance (hence the engagement ring of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, and The Royal Couple – William and Katherine!). Sapphires also are said to symbolize fidelity and the soul. “Sapphire” comes from the Greek word “sappheiros.” Sapphires come from the mineral corundum and come in every color but red, since red corundum is known as the other popular gemstone, ruby!

At GIA, we love the lore of blue sapphires. Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant blue sapphire, and the reflection was why the sky was blue.

If you’re shopping for blue sapphires, you’ll find the finest quality sapphires have a strong medium blue color, rather than a dark navy color or a pale pastel shade. And those that are slightly violet are more coveted than those that are slightly green.

Sapphires are most common in cushion and oval cuts and are generally more affordable than the comparable quality ruby, emerald or diamond.

All colors of sapphires are mined in Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Kenya. Recently, Madagascar has been an important source for blue, pink and other-colored sapphires. Kashmir and Myanmar are known to mine fine blue sapphires of high quality that are sought after by collectors since they are rare.

Sapphire has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, just one level belowdiamond in gemstone hardness. Sapphires are very durable and should be cleaned with mild dish soap in warm water. Use a toothbrush and scrub behind the stone where dust can collect.

Be aware that there are sapphires in the marketplace that are “synthetic” (man-made) or “treated” (artificially enhanced, often to improve color), and these should cost significantly less than natural sapphires.  Any synthetics or treatments  should be disclosed by the jeweler, and a valuable sapphire should be accompanied by an independent laboratory report.

Read more about the sapphire and other gemstones in our interactive gemstone guide.

The post All About Birthstones: Blue Sapphire for September appeared first on GIA 4Cs Blog.