In this article
GemStore team — written by the people who list and pack every stone.
Reviewed on
Purple sapphire is the same mineral as blue neelam and red yaqoot: corundum, coloured violet to purple by trace elements. If you have never bought a coloured stone before, you do not need to learn gemology. You need to know four or five things to look at, and which claims to ask a seller to put in writing. Here they are, in the order we would check them.
1. Look at the colour in more than one light
Purple sapphire ranges from soft lavender to deep violet and reddish-purple. The most valued stones show a rich, even colour that is neither washed out nor so dark it looks black. View the stone in daylight and under a warm indoor bulb: some purple sapphires shift noticeably between the two, and you should be happy with both. Uneven colour bands visible from the top lower the value.
2. Check clarity with the naked eye
For a first purchase, aim for a stone that looks clean at normal viewing distance. Fine needles or small crystals seen only under a loupe are normal in natural sapphire and even help confirm it is not synthetic.
3. Ask about heating
Heating is a standard, stable treatment for sapphire and is widely accepted. An unheated stone of the same appearance costs more. The important thing is that the seller tells you which it is, in writing.
4. Make sure it is sapphire
Glass and dyed material are the common stand-ins. Glass shows round bubbles under a loupe and warms quickly in your hand, while sapphire stays cool and shows angular inclusions. A flawless, vividly coloured, cheap stone is a reason to slow down.
5. Think about how you will wear it
At 9 on the Mohs scale sapphire is one of the hardest gems, so it is an excellent everyday ring stone and keeps its polish for years.
What it will cost
Colour strength and evenness drive price first, then clarity, treatment status, cut and size. We price every stone individually.
A note on astrology
In South Asian astrology purple sapphire is linked with Saturn (Shani) and is traditionally worn for calm and clear thinking. These are beliefs, not guaranteed results. If astrology is your reason for buying, agree weight, metal and finger with your astrologer first; our rashi guide explains the usual pairings.
The three things to confirm before paying
The stone is natural, any treatment is written down, and the weight is the cut stone's weight. We inspect every stone against those points and photograph each one alone. Browse purple sapphire, or compare tanzanite and black agate. Our Urdu-English gem names page helps with trade names, and Cash on Delivery reaches Lahore, Karachi and every other city.
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