The Australian Sapphire Blues

By Morgan Beard, Editor-in-Chief

Related Links

• In Search of the Yellow Brick Road (2001 ICA Congress in Australia) • Bonding with CIBJO

As hosts of the 2001 ICA Congress, the gem dealers of Australia took the opportunity to educate members about their native gemstones in a series of seminars. Topics included opal and cultured pearls, of course, but one subject where the Aussies really wanted to set the record straight is sapphire.

On the international market, the term "Australian sapphire" has become synonymous with dark, almost black, undesirable material. The truth is that Australia has produced some real beauties, say dealers.

"While the best Australian blues cannot be compared to the best from, say, Sri Lanka, it would be a mistake to say Australia does not produce fine blue sapphire," said Terry Coldham, gemologist and gem dealer, in his presentation on Australian sapphire. The main reason that Australian sapphire has its current reputation, he added, is because of the practices of Thai dealers.

"The importance of Australian sapphire in the development of the modern Thai gem and jewelry industry is something often overlooked these days," he said. "In the early 1970s, the two main gem products exported by Thailand were Australian sapphire and Thai ruby."

The Thais ended up representing Australian sapphire on the world market, he continued, and the result didn't favor the Australians. "As we all know, in selling, perception is everything. Unfortunately, sapphire sold as Australian does not sell as well as sapphire sold as Thai, especially in Thailand. So over the years, a situation quickly developed where the darker, greener, and black sapphire was sold as Australian, whilst the finer blues were sold as Thai, or even as Pailin."

Even as Australian sapphire miners are working to change the gem's image, Coldham noted that the Thais' role wasn't all bad. " . . . Australian miners, whilst often resenting the Thai monopolization of their product, may well ask themselves if the demand for Australian sapphire would have been so great without the Thais."

Australian sapphire is found mainly in volcanic formations, which accounts for their tendency to be dark. The majority of the commercial-grade production from Australia is blue, although there are also some nice yellows, greens, and parti-color gems. Most of the blues cut in calibration are under ¾ carat, although large sizes are found.

• Read about the International Colored Gemstone Association (ICA) congress in Sydney this past spring in In Search of the Yellow Brick Road.
• Learn more about the International Confederation of Jewellery, Silverware, Diamonds, Pearls and Stones (CIBJO) recent meeting with the ICA congress in Bonding with CIBJO.