1-carat sapphire: color, weight and quality
Sapphires of about one carat are considered to be one-carat sapphires. When a stone is cut from a rough stone, many factors are taken into account. Above all, the color should be accentuated by the cut. It is therefore almost impossible to obtain a stone with exactly one carat. That is why we also speak of a “sapphire 1 carat” for stones that weigh a little less or a little more than one carat.
Sapphire 1 carat: a colorful selection
Sapphires consist of corundum and come in a variety of colors. They can be white, pink, purple, yellow, orange or green. Red sapphires do not exist, because red corundum is known as “ruby”.
The color of a sapphire depends on the metals it contains. Traces of iron, titanium, copper, chromium or magnesium give sapphires different colors. The padparadscha sapphire, for example, owes its pink-orange color to chromium and iron.
Sapphire 1 carat: light & valuable
The unit “carat” refers to the weight of a precious stone. One carat weighs only about 0.2 grams. Nevertheless, even one-carat sapphires can be very valuable. In particular, blue sapphires and padparadscha sapphires can achieve a high price per carat. Especially if these sapphires are distinguished by a particularly desirable color or exceptional purity, you can expect to pay a high price. These stones are therefore light, but still very valuable.
Use: Ideal for jewelry
The small size in combination with the high hardness (9 on the Mohs scale) make the one-carat sapphires ideal for jewelry. They are suitable as delicate stones on a ring or thin bracelet. Together with other stones, they can be made into beautiful brooches or necklaces.
Depending on the color, sapphires go well with both white gold and silver, as well as with yellow gold. In addition, the sapphire is considered the birthstone for those born in September. A piece of jewelry with this precious stone is therefore the ideal birthday present for those born in September.
Origin & mining sites
1-carat sapphires, just like larger sapphires, come from India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China, Australia, Brazil, Africa (including Madagascar) and North America (mainly Montana). They are usually mined by hand in small mines.
Impact of origin
The origin of the stone plays a role especially for blue sapphires and Padparadscha sapphires. For blue sapphires, the origin affects the price. One-carat blue sapphires from Kashmir are particularly valuable. This is partly because these stones are of high quality. Furthermore, the mines there have already been depleted and sapphires are no longer easy to find there.
In the case of Padparadscha sapphires, the origin plays a role in the naming. The Padparadscha sapphires were first found in Sri Lanka. The name “Padparadscha” comes from the Sinhalese word for lotus flower. Sapphires with a similar color that were found in the Umba Valley are not allowed to be called “Padparadscha sapphire”. They are usually referred to in the trade as “Umba Padparadscha”.
Sapphire 1 carat: hardness and inclusions
Sapphires have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. This makes them only one degree softer than diamonds, which, with a hardness of 10, are considered the hardest gemstones.
Many sapphires have fine rutile inclusions. In some cases, these can lead to optical phenomena such as asterism. Asterism means that the rutile needles are arranged in a star shape. The star sapphire owes its name to this phenomenon.
Treatment of sapphires
To improve their color, sapphires are often heat-treated. The small sapphires weighing 1 carat are no exception. In this type of treatment, the stones are heated in an oven.
Although this type of heat treatment is standard, it still affects the price. An untreated sapphire of good quality will always be more expensive than a treated one. Therefore, the heat treatment is also taken into account in certificates.
Most common cuts
Sapphires are found in smooth cabochon cuts, but much more often in faceted cuts such as oval, cushion, emerald or round.
