Types of Sapphires: The Ultimate Guide by Color & Origin

Sapphires have captivated lovers of natural beauty for thousands of years. These precious gemstones are found in a rainbow of hues, including the iconic blue sapphires, and have been sourced all over the world. Some sapphires even contain multiple colors, or rare inclusions that make them shine like silk.
Many cultures throughout history have looked to sapphire for guidance and spiritual enlightenment. You might know it as Princess Diana's engagement ring or the September birthstone.
What Are Sapphires
Sapphire is one of the big three colored gemstones: Sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. Sapphire is a member of the corundum family of minerals. It consists of aluminium oxide with trace amounts of other minerals. Though sapphires are known for rich blue shades, they come in nearly every color.
Sapphires are nearly as hard as diamonds, clocking in at a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. The Mohs scale measures a mineral’s resistance to scratching: if two minerals collide, the harder mineral will scratch the other. Sapphire can only be scratched by diamonds or other sapphires, making it an excellent choice for durability and everyday wear.
Whether you’re shopping for a non-traditional engagement ring or adding to your unique jewelry collection, read on for everything you need to know about types of sapphires.
Shop All Sapphires on Sarah O. Jewelry.

Types of Sapphires by Color
Sapphires are famous for their brilliant blue gems, caused by trace minerals within the corundum crystal structure. Sapphires that aren’t blue are also called “fancy” sapphires, and are found in practically any hue except for red. That's because red corundum gemstones are called rubies! Learn more about the other colors of sapphires below.
Blue Sapphires
When picturing a sapphire, most people imagine a blue stone. This is the most iconic and traditional color for sapphires. Blue sapphires also have sentimental meaning as September’s birthstone and the gemstone for 45th wedding anniversaries.
Blue sapphire shades range widely, from pastel blues to deep navy. Popular varieties include cornflower blue sapphires, royal blue sapphires, blue jeans sapphires, and velvet blue sapphires.
Pink Sapphires
Pink sapphires range from a soft blush hue to hot pink and deep magenta. The deeper the pink color, the rarer the sapphire. These stones are often found in Sri Lanka and Madagascar—read more about sapphire origins further down this article.
Padparadscha Sapphires
Padparadscha sapphires are a vibrant pink, leaning orange. This rare variety of sapphires is named for the Sinhalese word for a lotus blossom, because the unique blend of colors resembles the color of aquatic lotus petals. These stones also resemble the colors of a vibrant tropical sunset. Padparadscha sapphires are mostly mined in Sri Lanka.
Yellow Sapphires
These warm-hued sapphires range from bright and sunny to deep golden yellow. Extreme versions of yellow sapphires are near-colorless light yellow, or rich orange sapphires.
Because of their color, yellow sapphires can closely resemble fancy yellow diamonds. Yellow sapphires are often heat-treated to enhance vibrancy—scroll down to learn about heated vs unheated sapphires.
Green Sapphires
Green sapphires are a rare corundum variety that usually have a secondary tone of blue or yellow. Green sapphires range from light mint green, to medium green, to vivid green. The green hues found in sapphires have a distinct look that sets them apart from alternatives like emerald green or peridot green.
These earthy and unique stones are prized for non-traditional jewelry, and are often found in Australia or Montana.
Teal Sapphires
These sought-after gemstones are also referred to as peacock sapphires or parti-color sapphires. Teal sapphires contain a blend of blue, green, and sometimes yellow hues.
Teal sapphires feature a blue-green feathered effect in the center of the stone, giving them a stunning and multi-dimensional look. Sapphires from Montana are known for teal colors.
White Sapphires
White, or colorless, sapphires shine bright like a diamond. Some white sapphires appear pure white in daylight, but have a slight hue that’s visible in the shade. White sapphires are much more affordable than diamonds in large carat counts, making them a popular alternative to diamonds.
Purple Sapphires
These unique sapphires range from soft lilac to deep, saturated plum. Popular purple sapphire shades include lavender and violet. Purple sapphires have a soft, ethereal appearance that makes them the perfect choice for otherworldly jewelry.

Types of Sapphires by Origin
Sapphires are found all over the world; many popular varieties are mined in Asia, Africa, Australia, and the United States. Different regions are known for their gems’ unique qualities, with geology playing a role in color, inclusions, sparkle, and more. Keep reading to learn more about why your sapphire’s origin matters.
Montana Sapphires (USA)
Montana is one of the only places in the United States where sapphires can be mined. Montana sapphires are known for their ethical sourcing, and are often mined artisanally in places like Rock Creek and Yogo Gulch. These stones exhibit brilliant sparkle and unique colors ranging from blue to green to yellow.
Kashmir Sapphires (India)
Kashmir sapphires were mined primarily from the late 19th to early 20th century. Today they are exceptionally rare—among the world’s most valuable gemstones—and prized by collectors. They’re known for their velvety blue color, soft glow, and silky texture due to fine rutile inclusions (tiny needle-like imperfections).
Burma (Myanmar) Sapphires
Burma sapphires are known for their rich royal blue color with high saturation (color intensity) and brilliance. These stones are often untreated or minimally treated in order to preserve their natural hue.
Sri Lankan (Ceylon) Sapphires
Sri Lanka is a popular sapphire producer, famous for bright blue, pink, yellow, orange, and green stones. A popular variety from this country is the Padparadscha sapphire, which looks like a Sri Lankan sunset.
Madagascar Sapphires
Madagascar is a newer, prolific source of sapphires, with mining efforts beginning in 1991. These stones are known for their ethical mining practices, and are often more affordable than sapphires from other origins.
Thai & Cambodian Sapphires
Thai & Cambodian sapphires are another popular, affordable choice. These stones come in a range of shades, including blue, green, and pink. They often heavily treated to enhance color, creating beautiful hues at an accessible price point.
Australian Sapphires
Australian sapphires are prized for rich earthy tones. They often feature strong color zoning—distinct areas of different colors within the stone. Australian sapphires are an affordable choice, with many stones being heat-treated to improve color and clarity.

Phenomenal / Specialty Sapphire Types
Sapphires don’t just come in a range of colors. They’re also found with a variety of special visual effects. These stunning stones get their unique look thanks to inclusions, color zoning, cut, and more. Keep reading to discover these stunning and non-traditional stones.
Star Sapphires (Asterism)
Star sapphires are cabochon-cut sapphires that display a star-like effect called an asterism. They’re cut and polished in a rounded style, rather and faceted, that allows a 6- or 12-rayed asterism to shine through in certain lights.
Asterism is caused by rutile needle inclusions that give a silky effect and cause light to reflect in a star pattern. This pattern is most visible under direct light, and can shine in many colors including blue, pink, gray, and black. The red version of this stone is known as star rubies.
Starbrite Sapphires
Starbrite sapphires get their name from their cut, developed by gem cutter John Dyer. This proprietary cut features a brilliant pattern of light and dark areas that radiates like a starburst. The unique faceting style creates this optical illusion, which can also be applied to other gemstones.
Silky Sapphires
Silky sapphires, like star sapphires, get their soft glow from fine mineral rutile inclusions. Kashmir sapphires are known for this velvety texture. While silk can enhance the beauty of a stone, if the inclusions are too heavy it can reduce the transparency.
Color-change Sapphires
These rare and valuable stones change color in different lighting conditions. For example, a sapphire may appear blue in daylight, but violet or purple in incandescent light. This effect is most often seen in Tanzanian or Sri Lankan sapphires.
Parti-color Sapphires
Parti sapphires display two or more distinct colors, like blue and green or yellow and orange. Depending on the color zone, colors can appear distinct or layered and complex. These one-of-a-kind stones are mostly found in Australia and Montana.
Heated vs Unheated Sapphires
Many affordable sapphires are also heated. That’s because sapphires can be treated with heat to improve the color. This process can achieve desirable shades that would otherwise be found in a more expensive stone.
Heated sapphires are still valuable, as sapphires are also prized based on their cut and clarity. However, the brilliant shades found in natural, unheated sapphires make them beloved by gem collectors.
Sapphire Care and Cleaning
At a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, sapphire jewelry is resistant to scratches and chips. This makes it a great durable option for everyday wear. However, consider that inclusions, such as in silky sapphires or asterisms, will affect the stone's durability. For any type of sapphire, regular care and cleaning can help your gemstone sparkle for a lifetime.
Regularly clean your jewelry with warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid using harsh detergents on your sapphires. Never clean with solvents such as alcohol, paint thinner, or acetone, as these can damage the stone. Finally, make sure to check stones frequently to ensure their setting is secure.

Ready To Choose Your Sapphire?
Sapphires are one of the most diverse gemstones in the world, with many colors and effects available. They have been prized throughout history for rings, earrings, necklaces, and other jewelry.
When shopping for sapphires, consider what factors are most important to you. That could include color choice, durability, budget, or mining practices.
For example, if you plan on wearing your ring daily, an Australian sapphire with minimal inclusions is an excellent and durable choice. But if you’re shopping for jewelry with a statement stone, a star sapphire is a classic and show-stopping option. Montana sapphires are a popular all-around choice for their balance between ethical mining, stunning colors and effects, and durability.
Discover more stunning pieces in our limited-edition hand-mined Montana sapphire engagement collection today.


Make the moment yours with non-traditional sapphires, emeralds, colored diamonds, and more.