As huge fans of sapphire, we were considering writing a blog post to wax lyrical about this wondrous gemstone, when we came across an article on the subject by the world-famous expert, Richard W. Hughes.

Having read Richard’s piece, there was very little point in trying to better it, so we decided to simply bring it to our readers’ attention.

If you don’t have the time to read the entire article, here are a few of our favourite snippets.

“an analysis of [sapphire’s] features requires more than just a formula, just as fine cooking involves not simply ingredients and a recipe”

“one man’s Miles Davis might be another’s Kenny G”

“There is a definite market ranking for sapphire according to origin. It unfolds as follows:

1. Kashmir
2. Mogok, Burma
3. Ceylon
4. Everything else”

“The Kashmir mine has produced jack-doodle since the 1930’s. And the lion’s share of production came out during a half-breath period of just seven short years – from 1881–1887.”

“The finest Kashmir stones shine the blue fantastic in all lights, be it candles in that romantic little downtown French bistro, or beneath the garish fluorescents in a suburban supermarket’s meat department.”

“The blue of the finest Mogok stone is something beyond vivid, beyond intense, into a realm where blue, black and lust intermingle.”

“Some Mogok blues are so very intense that they suffocate. But even these are still interesting in the proper light.”

“the color of certain Ceylon blues has an ocular attack unlike any other in the sapphire world. It slashes the eye like a razor”

“Let me say it again – the finest stones from Serendib can blow with any blues on the bandstand.”

We strongly recommend that you read the original piece which can be found on the Pala Gems website.

https://www.palagems.com/sapphire_connoisseurship.htm

Lastly, the expert’s conclusion is this:

“And just what, pray tell, would the perfect sapphire look like? My dear friends, that would be akin to finding the perfect woman or man. Leave D-Flawless to the gem of the common man – it doesn’t exist in sapphire. Don’t seek perfection, just look for something you can spend the rest of your life with”

We could not have said it better ourselves.

You can find a selection of our blue sapphire here.