Why choose an unheated sapphire?
Sapphires, which are the third hardest mineral on the Mohs scale of hardness, are part of the corundum family.
Sapphires exist in different colors, the best known of them being blue, pink, yellow and orange….
Natural sapphires, also known as "untreated sapphires" are not necessarily "unheated", because "unheated" and "untreated" should not be confused!
By “natural” or “untreated”, we are talking about a sapphire that has not undergone any treatment….
But what is the treatment of a sapphire?
Some low-quality sapphires are treated to artificially improve their color: Treatments by irradiation, by laser, by dye, by surface diffusion, by filling or by any other laboratory method modifying their appearance, their color or their purity.
This type of treatment must be announced to the customer and must appear on the invoice.
Stones that have undergone such treatment are no longer considered natural.
But what is an unheated sapphire?
A heated sapphire is a sapphire that has undergone heat treatment at temperatures between 1000 and 1300 degrees (without adding heavy elements).
The inclusions then dissipate in the sapphire which gains in purity. The color also intensifies and becomes uniform.
Only rare sapphires are naturally pure and colored at the same time. Toasting is therefore considered a natural and necessary embellishment technique that does not need to be specified on the invoice.
On the market, nearly 95% of sapphires are “heated”. This explains why “unheated” sapphires are extremely fashionable and highly sought after.
Their color and their inclusions are natural and have not undergone any modification by the hand of man.
There is a nomenclature in the prices of unheated sapphires, the most expensive being the blue color and the orange color called "Padparadsha", then follow, pink, yellow and purple sapphires.
Unheated sapphire has natural inclusions such as butterfly wings, fine rutile needles, color zones and bands….
Unheated sapphires trade at higher prices, this must be specified on the gemological certificate that will be issued to you upon purchase. Pierres de Julie specializes in sapphires and more particularly unheated colored sapphires.
Why opt for an unheated sapphire?
First of all, it is good to know that a heated sapphire is a sapphire which has undergone heat treatment at temperatures between 800 and 1300 degrees (without the addition of heavy elements).
The inclusions then dissipate in the sapphire which gains in purity. The color also intensifies and becomes uniform.
On the market, nearly 95% of sapphires are “heated”.
Toasting is therefore considered a natural and necessary embellishment technique that does not need to be specified on the invoice.
As you will have understood, only rare unheated sapphires are naturally pure and colored at the same time.
This explains why “unheated” sapphires are extremely fashionable and highly sought after.
Their color and inclusions are natural and have not undergone any modification by the hand of man, the most expensive coming from Kashmir, Burma and Ceylon, not to mention Madagascar.
Unheated sapphire has natural inclusions such as butterfly wings, fine rutile needles, color zones and bands….
Unheated sapphires trade at higher prices, this must be specified on the gemological certificate that will be issued to you upon purchase.
All stones sold by Pierres de Julie are delivered with a laboratory certificate (LFG or Gem Paris)
If you are interested in sapphire, do not hesitate to discover what Les Pierres de Julie offers in store…
We are also available for any free expertise of your sapphire jewelry, for this you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.
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