Australian Sapphires, World Renowned For Their Quality

This gorgeous piece is the ‘Iris’ Australian Sapphire & Diamond Ring, featuring a stunning emerald-cut 1.47ct Australian Blue Sapphire.

Australia is one of the best geographical locations for precious gemstones - none so captivating as the Australian Sapphire. The mines of Australia have produced more blue sapphires than any other source in history and are highly valued because of their unique colour composition. This gorgeous and unique Australian gemstone makes for a truly mesmerising piece of jewellery that is sure to get heads turning. At Jason Ree, we specialise in handmade and bespoke jewellery with ethically sourced gemstones from across the country, including the precious Australian Sapphire.

What colour are Australian sapphires?

Arguably most-special of their kind, Australian sapphires are definitely the most unique. Sometimes called 'parti sapphires', they are unusual in often having multiple colours within them. Australian sapphires are predominantly blue and take their colour from the high iron content found on the Australian continent. However, you can get any colour of the rainbow in an Australian Sapphire as they come in all the colours found in our native landscape - bright yellows, deep blues, moody teals, vivid greens and any mix in between.

Featuring a stunning color-shift Australian sapphire, the "Gumleaf" Australian Sapphire Ring is imbued with all the uniqueness and beauty of the Australian landscape.

Are Australian sapphires good quality?

Australia has held a solid reputation for top quality Sapphires for a long time. The quality of sapphires is partly defined by what are called inclusions inside the gemstone, something that is absent from diamonds. These can be tiny (too small to be visible without a jeweller's magnifying glass) gems trapped inside the large stone, or subtle variations in the colour or the structure of the crystals. The inclusions found in a sapphire are intrinsic parts of that sapphire's makeup, clarity and quality. Australian sapphires can be especially beautiful - an example being sergeant stripes, incredibly thin and subtle lines of colour set perfectly at angles of 120 degrees, something unique to sapphires. 

Additionally, Australian Sapphires are an extremely durable stone with a hardness of nine on Mohs' scale, which makes them an extremely versatile and high quality piece for everyday wear.

Where do Australian sapphires come from?

Scientists believe most sapphires started forming 150 million years ago, condensed in igneous rock deposits being superheated and crushed in the molten lifeblood of our planet. The two main sources are New England in northern New South Wales and Anakie in central Queensland. Australian sapphires are mostly found in Inverell, in the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, and in the towns of Emerald, Sapphire and Rubyvale in Queensland. There is no consistent commercial mining of Sapphires in Australia. Instead, they are found by individual fossickers panning riverbeds in South-West QLD & North-West NSW. On-going drought in Australia has meant that they are increasingly hard to find.

What makes Australian Sapphires unique to other regions? 

Our Mini ‘Anja’ Australian Blue Sapphire & Diamond earrings featuring deep blue Australian oval-cut sapphires with a delicate white diamond Halo is a popular choice.

Sapphires have always been a popular choice of gemstone, but what makes the gems found in Australia so special? Well firstly, as touched on above Australian sapphires have a unique appearance, with a spectacular range of colour combinations to choose from. The second reason is Australian Sapphires are naturally saturated, whereas sapphires from other regions like Sri Lanka undergo extensive heat treatment to darken the colour of the stone. In the second half of last century, Australian Sapphires lost a bit of their demand as other countries could use heat treatment to produce deeply coloured stones at a much lower price point than the natural ones in Australia. However, very quickly people realised the value in the beauty and authenticity of earth’s natural creations, favouring the unique composition of Australian Sapphires over artificially manipulated ones.

How valuable are Australian Sapphires?

The Australian sapphire is extremely valued by gem collectors, jewellers and wearers alike. The crystals can vary in size which may influence value, but the average sapphire measures to be about three carats. Other factors influencing the value of Australian Sapphires include the colour, the patterns, the cut and the clarity. As the global jewellery industry becomes more enthralled by the intricacies of this gemstone, demand for Australian Sapphires has skyrocketed in recent years, making an Australian Sapphire piece a standout in any collection.

What do sapphires mean?

As with all precious stones, sapphires are as complex as people. At Jason Ree, we believe each individual has their own connection to what a sapphire means. For an engagement stone, sapphires resonate on lots of different levels with our customers because it is durable, everlasting and you don't get two Australian sapphires that look the same.

The Sapphire is known to represent prosperity, beauty and inner peace, which makes it a beautiful and symbolic gift for any occasion. They also have a long history and connection with royalty since the elite of Ancient Rome and Greece adorned themselves with sapphires to protect from harm and envy, as well as signify their wealth.

This showstopper piece is the "Raindrops" Australian Sapphire & Diamond Ring with an breathtaking  6.12ct natural Australian Colour Change Sapphire.

Here at Jason Ree, we deeply value using stones ethically sourced directly from local miners across Australia, ensuring all Sapphire stones are of top quality and colour in our jewellery. Each stone is hand-selected and only the best make the cut.