Sapphire

Responsibly sourced sapphires from Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Australia and Malawi. Nineteen48 works directly with a trusted network of miners and suppliers to ensure all sapphires are sourced through a fair and transparent supply chain.

Sapphires are a popular gemstone due to the spectrum of colours they come in. From traditional rich blue to pale azure, you can also find violet, yellow, green, teal, orange, pink... any colour except red.

Sapphires are part of the corundum family.

Red corundum is ruby, however there is no official classification for this. If you are looking for a red ruby or a pink sapphire, do broaden your search to look for both.

Nineteen48 sapphires are responsibly sourced from Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Many of Nineteen48's sapphires come directly from their own artisanal mine near Kuruwita. Others are sourced through a long-established network of local Sri Lankan miners, with whom strong and trusted relationships have been developed over the years.

Australian sapphires are supplied by Capricorn Gems and Malawi sapphires are provided by Fair Trade Gemstones.

Nineteen48, Capricorn Gems and Fair Trade Gemstones are members of the Ethical Gem Suppliers.

Gemstone mines in Sri Lanka are typically artisanal operations, with small teams of miners using hand tools and other basic equipment to extract the gem-bearing gravel from either open-pit (surface) or relatively shallow shaft (underground) mines.

Sri Lanka is a country where gemstone mining is an integral part of the history, heritage and culture. It has long been renowned for its abundance of gem varieties, the most celebrated of which is the Ceylon Sapphire. Other gemstones found in Sri Lanka include topaz, spinel, garnet, amethyst, aquamarine and moonstone.

The gem-mining operations in Sri Lanka are exclusively artisanal or small-scale in nature. The mining is typically carried out by small teams (6-12 people) using hand tools and minimal mechanisation. The traditional mining methods have been refined over generations and are proven to be safe and effective.