Natural Sapphires Australia

Natural Sapphires Australia

Sapphire is corundum, the same mineral as ruby, and it occurs in every colour except red, at which point it is called ruby instead. That single fact explains most of what makes the stone interesting. Blue is what people picture, but the pinks, yellows, teals, violets and the rare padparadscha are all the same material, coloured by different trace elements during formation.

We buy from two origins: Australia and Sri Lanka. Both are stated on every stone, along with whether it has been heated.

Sapphire Engagement Rings

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Sapphire Bracelets

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Australian Sapphires

Australian Sapphires →

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Where our sapphires come from

Australian material comes from the Central Queensland and New England fields, and produces the deep saturated blues, the yellows, and the parti and teal stones found almost nowhere else in the world. See our Australian sapphires collection for that material specifically.

Sri Lanka has produced sapphire for over two thousand years and remains the source of the finest light blues — the cornflower tones that set the reference standard for the stone. Ceylon material is also the main source of pink sapphire and of padparadscha, the pinkish-orange variety that commands the highest per-carat prices in the sapphire market. Genuine padparadscha is rare and frequently misrepresented; the colour has to sit in a narrow band between pink and orange, and stones outside it are simply pink or orange sapphire regardless of what they are called.

Heat treatment, stated plainly

The majority of sapphires on the world market have been heat-treated. It is a stable, permanent process used for centuries, and it is not a defect — it improves colour and clarity in material that would otherwise not be saleable. Heated stones are perfectly good stones.

We stock both. What matters is that you know which you are buying, because the price difference is substantial. Every stone in this collection is labelled heated or unheated. Where a stone is unheated it is priced accordingly, and for higher-value pieces we can arrange independent certification.

We do not sell synthetic or lab-created sapphire, and we do not sell diffusion-treated material.

The colour range

Blue remains the most requested, from the deep Australian tones through to Ceylon cornflower. Beyond that: pink sapphire, mostly Ceylon, ranging from pale to vivid. Teal and parti, largely Australian and increasingly popular for engagement rings. Yellow and golden, from lemon through to rich amber. Green, often overlooked and correspondingly good value. Violet and purple, uncommon and worth attention. White or colourless sapphire, used as a diamond alternative. And padparadscha, the rarest and most expensive of them all.

Judging a sapphire

Colour does most of the work. Saturation and evenness matter more than any particular hue being "correct" — a well-saturated teal will often be worth more than a weak blue.

Clarity matters less than with diamonds. Sapphire is typically eye-clean at commercial grades, and inclusions that do not affect appearance do not meaningfully affect value. Silk — fine rutile needles — can actually improve a stone by scattering light through it.

Cut is where a lot of sapphire is let down. Material cut for weight retention rather than appearance ends up too deep and goes dark in the centre. A well-cut sapphire is worth paying for.

At 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is the hardest gemstone in common jewellery use after diamond, which is why it suits rings worn every day.

Visit our Perth showroom

Sapphire shifts colour between light sources more than almost any other stone. A photograph cannot tell you whether a deep blue opens up under daylight or stays closed. We are at Shop 3, 82 King Street in the Perth CBD — call 1300 551 562 to arrange a time.

 FAQ

Australia and Sri Lanka. Australian stones come from the Central Queensland fields and the New England region of northern New South Wales. Ceylon material comes from Sri Lanka's traditional gem-bearing areas. Origin is stated on every stone.

We stock both, and each stone is labelled. Heat treatment is standard practice across the industry and produces perfectly good stones, but unheated material of equivalent colour is rarer and priced higher. We tell you which you are buying rather than leaving it ambiguous.

A pinkish-orange sapphire, almost always from Sri Lanka, and the most valuable variety. The colour must fall within a narrow range between pink and orange. Many stones sold as padparadscha do not meet the definition.

Yes. At 9 on the Mohs scale sapphire is second only to diamond among stones in common use, which makes it well suited to engagement rings and pieces worn daily.

Yes. Most of our custom work begins with a client selecting a loose stone. We design the setting around it — consultation, sketches, 3D rendering, then fabrication. Typically four to eight weeks.

Certification is available for higher-value stones through independent laboratories. Every stone is assessed in-house by our gemmologist regardless, and origin and treatment are disclosed on all of them.

It depends almost entirely on colour, size, treatment status and cut quality. Small heated stones start at accessible prices; fine unheated material and padparadscha run considerably higher. We can work to a budget if you tell us what it is.