Sapphires are precious stones that come in many colors, but some types are super rare and very pricey. These include colors like the deep blue of Kashmir sapphires and the sunset hues of Padparadscha sapphires.

Finding these sapphires can be like a treasure hunt because they’re not just lying around everywhere. The most sought-after ones are often from specific places and have special and eye-catching colors.

Valuable Sapphires and What Makes Them So Rare

Some types of sapphires are super hard to find and cost a lot of money because of their special and rare qualities. We’re going to take a look at these rare sapphires, what they look like, and why they’re so hard to find.

Padparadscha Sapphire

Padparadscha sapphires are known for their amazing mix of pink and orange colors. These gems can have colors ranging from soft, light shades to deep, rich tones, with the most sought-after ones showing a bright, even mix of pink and orange.

These sapphires are super rare because they need just the right mix of chromium and iron to get their signature color. Finding one is tough because this mix doesn’t happen often, which is why these sapphires can be quite pricey.

The name “Padparadscha” is actually from the word for “lotus flower” in Sinhalese, the language of Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka used to be the only place you could find Padparadscha sapphires. But now, Madagascar and Tanzania are also known for these gems.

Kashmir Sapphire

Kashmir sapphires are famous for their deep, velvety blue color that looks like no other sapphire. This dreamy quality often comes with tiny inclusions that make the color even more special, and some stones have different shades of blue in them.

These beautiful sapphires are super rare because the mines in Kashmir, India, where they were found, don’t have many left since the early 20th century. This means that there aren’t many of these stones out there, making them very valuable.

When cutting Kashmir sapphires, jewelers try to save as much of the stone as possible because they’re so rare. Even if the shape ends up a bit different, the right setting can make these gems look absolutely amazing.

The only place these sapphires were found is in the Zanskar Range of Kashmir, India. They started mining there in the late 1800s, but by the early 1900s, there weren’t many sapphires left to find.

Ceylon Sapphire

Ceylon sapphires from Sri Lanka are famous for their beautiful range of colors, not just the classic blue. They also come in pink, yellow, orange, green, and purple, making them really stand out.

These sapphires are often a lighter, bright blue, which people sometimes call “cornflower blue.” The color can be light and soft or deep and rich, but the best ones have a strong, even color all over.

Finding a high-quality Ceylon sapphire is pretty rare. Thus, these sapphires are very valuable, especially because they’re known as some of the best sapphires you can get.

Ratnapura, a city in Sri Lanka, is famous for its sapphires. It’s known as the “City of Gems” because of its long history with these beautiful stones.

Montana Sapphire

Montana sapphires come in a range of colors. Unlike other sapphires, they hardly have any inclusions, making them look super clear and almost perfect.

These gems are super rare because they only come from one place: the state of Montana. Since there’s just this one spot where you can find them, and it’s been mined a lot, there aren’t too many of them left to dig up.

One cool thing about Montana sapphires is they’re usually smaller than other kinds. It’s really rare to find a big one that’s more than 2 carats, which makes any large Montana sapphire extra special.

Pink Sapphire

Pink sapphires sparkle in all sorts of pink, from soft pastel to bold magenta. The mix of chromium and iron inside the stone decides the exact shade of pink you see.

Finding a bright pink sapphire isn’t easy because the perfect blend of trace elements is rare. This makes the really vivid pink sapphires very special and sought after.

Some pink sapphires can change how they look from different angles, thanks to something called pleochroism. This cool feature makes them even more interesting and beautiful.

Places like Madagascar and Sri Lanka are well-known for their pink sapphires. Each place offers its own unique shade of pink, making every stone a treasure.

Orange Sapphire

Orange sapphires shine bright with their vivid orange color, which can range from soft pastel to deep reddish-orange. This amazing color comes from a mix of elements like iron and chromium inside the stone.

Finding an orange sapphire is pretty rare because getting the exact mix of elements for the perfect orange is uncommon. This makes orange sapphires more special and often more valuable than some other colors.

The most prized orange sapphires have a deep, rich color. While lighter orange sapphires are still beautiful, the darker ones are the hardest to find and cost the most.

Orange sapphires are found in a few places around the world. Sri Lanka and Madagascar are known for them, but you can also find these gems in Tanzania and Australia, though they might not always be as bright.

Green Sapphire

Green sapphires come in a range of green shades, from light, fresh green to dark, forest tones, and even touches of yellow or blue. The cool green color comes from iron and titanium inside the stone.

Getting the perfect green in a sapphire isn’t easy because it needs just the right mix of iron and titanium. That’s why vivid green sapphires are pretty rare and really sought after.

The deepest green sapphires, with their rich color and sparkle, are the most valuable. Lighter greens are more common, so they’re usually not as pricey.

You can find green sapphires in a few places, like Sri Lanka, Australia, Thailand, and Madagascar. Each place has its own unique shade of green, making every sapphire special

Bi-Color Sapphire

Bi-color sapphires are super cool because they have two different colors in the same stone. You might see a sapphire that’s half blue and half yellow, or even one that changes from blue to green.

These gems are pretty rare because it’s not easy for nature to make a stone with two distinct colors. This means when you find a sapphire with colors like blue and pink or blue and green, it’s something really special.

You can find bi-color sapphires in a bunch of places around the world. Some countries known for these gems include Sri Lanka, Madagascar, and even the United States, each offering stones with unique color mixes.

Color-Change Sapphire

Color-change sapphires are amazing because they can change color depending on the light. This happens because of special elements inside the stone.

These sapphires are pretty rare because they need a special mix of elements to change colors. That’s why finding one is a big deal and they’re considered really valuable.

A cool fact is that color-change sapphires were first found in the 1800s in Russia. This discovery was a big surprise and made a lot of people interested in these special gems.

You can find color-change sapphires in places like Sri Lanka and Madagascar. Each place has sapphires that change colors in their own unique way, making every stone special.

Star Sapphire

Star sapphires have a cool feature called asterism, which is a star shape that seems to move inside the stone under light. This happens because tiny, needle-like bits inside the stone bounce the light back in a star pattern.

These gems are pretty rare because not all sapphires show a star. It takes a special mix of elements and conditions to create those tiny needles that make the star shape, so finding one is a big deal.

Star sapphires aren’t just blue; they can be all sorts of colors like yellow, pink, and even black. Each color has its own look, making every star sapphire different and interesting.

You can find star sapphires in a few places around the world. Sri Lanka is famous for its beautiful blue ones, but Thailand, Madagascar, and Australia also have them in various colors.

Burmese Sapphire

Burmese sapphires are known for their rich, deep blue color that looks almost royal. They get their stunning color from tiny bits of titanium and iron in their structure, making each stone look incredibly vibrant.

These beautiful stones are really hard to find, which makes them very valuable. Most of them come from the Mogok Valley in Myanmar, a place famous for sapphires, but there aren’t many left that are easy to get to.

What’s cool about sapphires from Myanmar is that they don’t just come in blue. They can also be pink, yellow, orange, and even green, showing off a whole rainbow of colors.

Finding a Burmese sapphire is pretty rare because the best spots for mining them are almost all used up. This makes every Burmese sapphire found even more special and sought after by people all over the world.