I've heard sapphires are more fragile and aren't for everyday wear.
Actually that isn't true. Sapphires are a 9 on the hardness scale. For reference a diamond is a 10. Sapphires can be worn everyday. The fragility depends more on the type on mounting.
What does it mean if a sapphire is heated, treated versus untreated?
Throughout history, it has been a common practice to treat sapphires in some way to enhance their color and clarity. There are various temperatures that sapphires are heated to from 400 degrees all the way to 1700. And are also chemical treatments. All of these techniques improve a sapphire’s color and clarity. Untreated sapphire means the stone has not undergone any processes to increase quality.
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What is the difference between natural and treated sapphires?
A sapphire can be listed as “natural” simply because it is not lab created. However, “natural” does not mean the sapphire has not undergone any alterations. The key term is “untreated,” meaning a sapphire is natural (not lab created) and has not been subject to any chemical or heat treatments. Approximately only 0.5 - 1% of the sapphires discovered are of gem quality without treatment. Natural untreated sapphires are far more uncommon and valuable than treated and chemically altered stones.
Are dark or light colored sapphires considered higher quality?
Generally speaking, darker sapphires are more desirable. Although, its more about the saturation of color. If they go too dark they can run black and that's also not desirable. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference.
