Febraury 2021
The only primary colour in the cool spectrum, blue creates another cool colour green when combining with yellow. The blue-green hue has a calming and relaxing attribute while incorporating the cheerfulness and energy of the warm colour. Teal sapphire, a bicoloured gemstone of the corundum family, has gained momentum among the younger generations for engagement rings in recent years thanks to its magical blue-green colour combination, durability, scarcity, preciousness, uniqueness and affordability.
Colour holds a special place in the quality factors of gemstones - colour, transparency, shape, cut, carat weight, etc. Navneet Agarwal, marketing manager of Navneet Gems and Minerals, said: “Mostly, all the gemmological descriptions are important just like any other coloured gemstone. The best teal sapphires in terms of the important factor ‘colour’, is how close it is to a mermaid sapphire.” ‘Mermaid sapphire’ is a subset of teal sapphires that presents a 50-50 ratio of blue and green colours, according to the Bangkok-based gemstone supplier.
A survey conducted by the company early in 2020 showed that 90 percent of women under 30 wanted their engagement ring to be unique, of whom 35 percent who want sapphires as their centre stone see teal sapphires as a great possibility. Besides the unique blue-green colour combination, durability adds a wow factor to the gemstone.
As a corundum variety, teal sapphire has a hardness of nine on the Mohs scale, making it an ideal choice for intricate faceting in order to maximise its brilliance. Agarwal told Hong Kong Jewellery that teal sapphire is mostly used as cut stones for the unique engagement ring concept, which makes cabochons not suitable at the moment.
A durable gemstone celebrating eternal love, teal sapphire comes as an affordable alternative to its popular counterparts such as blue sapphire or Padparadscha at an average of 50-60 percent lesser. For instance, according to Navneet Gems, the average price of a one-carat ‘cornflower’ blue sapphire is US$400-$600, a Padparadscha of a comparable size and quality shall be US$800-$1,200, and US$100-$300 for a teal sapphire. Mermaid sapphire shall command a higher price than its teal counterparts.
Despite the competitive prices, teal sapphire has appreciated in value as a consequence of growing popularity, said Navneet Agarwal.
Roughs of teal sapphire are mostly ethically mined from the United States, Australia and Africa. For Navneet Gems and Minerals, for instance, the gemstone is primarily sourced from verified mines in Australia, with some from Montana, Nigeria and Madagascar. “We have personally inspected and have made sure that they are devoid of local conflict, child labour and slavery,” said Agarwal when addressing to the sustainability issue which is a rising concern amongst the gem trade as well as consumers nowadays.
According to Agarwal, followers of teal sapphire are everywhere, with the United States, Australia, and some European countries being the hottest spots. “In Asia, Singapore and Hong Kong are the leading markets where teal sapphire is receiving very well,” he added.
Scores of luxury consumption reports have suggested that younger generations are craving authenticity, uniqueness and sustainability, which seems to promise a rosy future for teal sapphire. On the trade side, Agarwal believes that the gemstone has a brighter outlook going forward. “Current buyers are always looking for investment value, anything that is new and undervalued will be well received,” he says. (Photo courtesy: Navneet Gems and Minerals)
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