The Story Behind the Stone: Why Sapphires Aren’t Just Blue

If you think of a sapphire, you probably picture a deep, velvety blue gemstone, - something like Princess Diana's engagement ring, right? 

And you wouldn't be wrong — blue is the colour most closely associated with sapphire. But sapphires can actually be found in a surprisingly beautiful range of colours.

Pink, yellow, green, orange and even purple sapphires all exist.

Thats because 'sapphire' is just the name of the gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, (and the famous blue colour comes from tiny amounts of iron and titanium within the stone)

So what about all those other colours?

Different trace elements create different colours. For example, chromium can produce beautiful pink shades, while iron can contribute to yellow and green colours.

And then there is one particularly special variety: the Padparadscha sapphire.

Usually described as a delicate pinkish-orange or peach colour, Padparadscha sapphires are among the most sought-after and distinctive members of the sapphire family. The name itself is thought to come from a Sanskrit word associated with the colour of a lotus blossom. Once you see one, you understand what all the fuss is about.

Sapphires also have an impressive reputation for durability. At 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, they sit just below diamonds, making them well suited to jewellery that is designed to be worn regularly.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about sapphires is that there really isn't one “sapphire colour”.

From the deepest midnight blue to delicate pink, sunny yellow and unusual peachy-orange, they can be wonderfully varied.

So next time someone says “sapphire”, don't automatically picture blue.

Take another look.

There might be a whole rainbow hiding in the jewellery box.

You can explore each of the sapphires shown above by clicking on each image. And you can see the whole sapphire range by following this link.