Sapphire Gemstone Information
Engagement rings and wedding bands with sapphires and diamond or moissanite accents
The beautiful World of Sapphire Colors
Sapphires can be found in a variety of rainbow colors from the most known blues, to greens, yellows, pinks, red, purples and colorless white sapphires. White sapphires are a great alternative to more expensive white diamonds but usually not as sparkly as a diamond, a more understated gem.
Blue is the most thought after color for a sapphire. With colors ranging from inky blue to azure, there is a blue for everyone. The best and most valuable color for a blue sapphire is not the dark inky blue but a mid-toned hue. The the vibrant “cornflower” hue that is most prized when it comes to blue sapphires.
I also love Montana Sapphires. Montana sapphires are mined in the state of Montana, USA. They are also known as the "Native American Sapphire". Montana Sapphires are available in every imaginable color of the rainbow but most commonly come in green to blue shades. Large Montana sapphires are a rarity and can demand high prices.
Sapphire – in all its rainbow of colors – is the gem given to those born in September or to those born under the sign of Aquarius. Read more about sapphire as a birthstone in this blog post.
Lab created sapphires:
Lab created sapphires are a great alternative to mined sapphires. Duplicating nature's environment, a lab created sapphire grown over time with identical physical, chemical and optical properties to those found in nature.
Chatham produces the best quality stones. Chatham Created Blue Sapphire display a vibrant vivid blue color of a medium-dark tone. It has been faceted to a very high professional lapidary standard and has a very good make, polish and symmetry. It has a clarity rating of Eye Clean Plus (VS), meaning that it can have very minute inclusions that can only be seen with the aid of a microscope. All Chatham Created gemstones are accompanied by a Letter of Guarantee issue.
I also use standard lab created sapphires which are a lower grade than Chatham created gemstones but are more affordable.
White sapphire rings are available with genuine or lab created sapphires.
Major sources for sapphires:
Australia, Cambodia, East Africa, India, Kashmir, Madagascar, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States
I also use lot's of Fair trade sapphires which include sapphires mined in Montana and Malawi. These sapphire are sourced from Columbia Gem House, a true pioneer in the fair trade gem marketplace. They are Fair trade level 1 stones, the highest level. Fair Trade Gems are closely tracked from mine to market to ensure that every gem has been handled according to these strict protocols. The protocols include environmental protection, fair labor practices, health and safety standards, and a tight chain of custody that eliminates the possibility of treated gems or synthetics being introduced into the supply chain.
Shop for Fair Trade sapphires here.
Fair Trade Sapphire from Malawi set in Palladium Engagement Ring
Care for your sapphire:
Sapphires are rated “excellent” for everyday wear. Due to their Moh's hardness of 9 they are very scratch resistant but can be scratched by moissanites and diamonds. Avoid exposure to heat and contact with chemicals.
Clean sapphires regularly as any soap scum residue can quickly makes them look dull and lifeless. To clean, gently scrub with a soft toothbrush and a solution of mild dish soap and warm water, rinse well and dry with a lint free cloth. Or clean in an at-home ultrasonic unit. More jewelry care info is available here.
Sapphire Enhancements:
Most sapphires have been heated to improve their color and sometimes also clarity. Heating is a permanent enhancement, as lasting as the gemstone itself. Heated sapphires can be re-cut and re-polished if needed without affecting it's color hue.
There are also un-enhanced natural sapphires available like the pictured sapphire in the semi-bezel ring below.
Sapphire Grades/ Clarity:
Some sapphire suppliers use a grading that is similar to diamond grading when it comes to clarity/inclusions of the gem (VVS, VS, SI). But more commonly sapphires are graded on a letter scale (B, A, AA) which takes the color saturation, the stones clarity and it's cut and polish into consideration. Grading varies a bit from supplier to supplier and whats an A for one could be a B for another. Grading is always somewhat subjective.
Here a letter grading used by one of my main suppliers for many blue sapphires in commercial standard cuts (non-fair trade sapphires only). The grading for fair trade sapphires I offer is slightly different as colors of sapphires vary based on mining location of gemstones and include more fancy colors like yellow, green, teals and various shades of blues.
Commercial | Commercial quality; variation in color; included | |
Dark Denim | Natural, untreated, medium slightly greenish blue; eye clean to slight imperfections; good cut; good polish | |
Denim | Natural, untreated, slightly greenish blue; eye clean to slight imperfections; good cut; good polish | |
Light Denim | Natural, untreated, light slightly greenish blue; eye clean to slight imperfections; good cut; good polish | |
A | Medium to dark navy, little or no color zoning; slightly included; good brilliance; good cut; good polish | |
AA | Medium navy to royal blue; eye clean; good brilliance; good cut; good polish | |
AAA | Medium navy to royal blue; eye clean; good brilliance; excellent cut; excellent polish | |
B | Dark navy, little or no color zoning; slightly included; good cut | |
Ceylon-A | Medium light to medium blue, little or no color zoning; good cut; good polish | |
Ceylon-AA | Medium to medium dark blue, little or no color zoning; good cut; good polish | |
Bright Blue Fine | Medium navy blue; eye clean; excellent brilliance; excellent machine cut | |
Not all grades are available for each size and cut of blue sapphire.
The genuine white sapphires I use are usually graded AA (unless otherwise noted).
AA grading : near colorless (may be very slightly yellow, grey or blue); eye clean; good brilliance; good cut; good polish.
Let customers speak for us
from 630 reviewsLike many reviewers, I was a little apprehensive about getting my engagement ring online. However I loved the look of the rings and the fact that moissanite was ethical compared to a diamond, so we decided to go for it. My (now) fiancé worked with Konstanze to determine the size of the stone and he was very impressed with her customer service. The finished ring is beautiful, and I could not be happier with the choice to buy from Nodeform.

I wanted a new ring for my 25th, and for my 27th I got it (thanks COVID). I spent so much time looking for the perfect ring, a mixture of classic and organic. Not an easy thing to find but Oh I Found It! The Stella band is just perfect, the workmanship is so good in excellent! I spent this weekend standing outside twisting the ring round and round to see all the sparkles! This will not be my last purchase. Thank you for my perfect ring!

This ring Konstanze made is impeccable. It is absolutely stunning and I can't tell you how much I love it and how much it means to me to have a truly one of a kind stone in such a gorgeous setting. It literally hurts my eyes a little bit in certain lights from the sparkle and shine, lol! Thank you for the attention to detail and effort for perfect you put into this ring. You are fantastic!!

The rings Konstanze made for me are beautiful and go together wonderfully even though they were made separately. I was nervous about purchasing jewelry online, but Konstanze made the process easy, made excellent suggestions, and kept me informed throughout. Thank you so much, the rings are perfect!

When I opened the box, the ring was more beautiful than I imagined. It highlights my sapphire engagement ring and provides a band of beautiful, bright sparkle. I absolutely love this ring!!! My husband, who is not a fan of jewelry, really likes the unique design of the two rings.
Konstanze was wonderful to work with – patiently answering my questions and doing everything she could to ensure we got the rings I wanted! I am a repeat customer and will be back again. Thank you Konstanze!!

Great communication through the ordering process and while waiting for the custom order to be completed. The ring turned out beautiful and is very well made. My significant other loves it and has been receiving a lot of great compliments. Very happy with the purchase!

This ring is a lovely piece of wearable art that was particularly meaningful to us, but its simple elegance will move anyone you might give it to. Konstanze was responsive to my changed order (how do you mis-measure a finger you've known for 33 years? I can't answer that) and my stupid questions about which ring might work best (the wearer does surgery, so a traditional engagement stone was not practical for her). I'm not saying that a clandestine measurement of a ring she already wears and a private unexpected proposal is for everyone but this ring definitely worked for me.

This ring is so comfortable, unique, and beautiful. Although it is small, it does not feel fragile. It’s a perfect wedding band to wear with my engagement ring or just on its own.

I'd already bought one of these rings a couple years ago, but I lost a ton of weight and a few ring sizes and used it as an excuse to get another one in rose gold. :) I love how the alexandrite changes colors depending on the lighting and the rose gold compliments the color so well. The ring is unique and beautiful. Thank you, Konstanze!

The ring looks even better than I thought. My fiancee loves it so much. Easy experience from choosing the ring to it arriving at my house.

I bought the Velda ring in rose gold with alexandrite stones and couldn’t be happier! Konstanze helped me determine how it might look as a shadow band with my engagement ring (pictured). It looks better than I even imagined and I am so thrilled! Konstanze was great at keeping in touch, answering questions, and it didn’t hurt that it came so nicely gift wrapped. My husband and I did all our wedding jewelry in-person at our local store (pre-pandemic) and I didn’t know what to expect with an online experience, but it was very personal and turned out perfectly. Thank you!

I cannot express how excited I am about my beautiful ring. It is exactly as anticipated. I ordered a small (4.25) thin (3mm) hammered edge band, with a comfort edge.
The customer service was excellent! Shipping was fast. I love buying from small businesses, but the level of detail and amazing customer contact was phenomenal!

I've been following Nodeform on Instagram for a long time since I've been searching and researching a wedding band to replace the one I got when I first got married. We didn't have a lot of money then, so I just found something affordable on Etsy. Ever since then I've kept my eye out for a better wedding band in the stacking ring style. I'm so glad I did because I absolutely love my Vania Ring! It complements my engagement ring perfectly. And I know it's going to last because of the great quality and craftwork that Konstanze provides.

I ordered the Stella band with random scattered diamonds for my wife's birthday. The ring arrived a week early, more than on time. My wife loves the ring! It is delicate and dainty,and just what she wanted. Konstanze does beautiful work and I am sure my wife will enjoy wearing this ring for years to come. I highly recommend Nodeform.

Bought this exact ring last year for my husband, he’s not used to jewelry of any kind and unfortunately lost it in a camping trip. He loved so much I had to buy it again. Her work is impecable and the quality of the ring is phenomenal. Konstanze Is a great person to do business with, you can tell she really care about the costumer satisfaction and the product. Thank you!
