Sapphire love

Parti sapphires, including the beautiful gemstones from Australia, have been a firm favourite for couples looking for a unique coloured gem for their engagement ring, with gorgeous teal and blue green sapphires being the most popular choice. Each parti sapphire is unique, displaying zones of green, blue, teal and yellow colours. These amazing gemstones look spectacular on their own or paired with diamonds, such as kite shaped, trillion, pear cut, baguette or round. Contemporary take on the classic three stone, or trilogy engagement ring design is on point right now (and we believe will stand the test of time), and parti sapphires look gorgeous highlighted by a sparkling diamond on each side.

Some parti sapphires display an enchanting blend of teal, blue, green and yellow colours, like this 2.07ct oval cut Australian parti sapphire. Image: Lizunova Fine Jewels

As a contemporary Sydney jeweller, we have been seeing a trend of couples moving away from the more traditional diamond as their engagement ring gemstone, and towards coloured gemstone alternatives, which offer more individuality, versatility and value for money. Salt and pepper diamonds, grey spinel, morganite, aquamarine and sapphire are all beautiful choices, but the striking parti or bi colour sapphires really stand out, with many hailing from our own home country, Australia.

Australia is blessed with some of the most unique and exotic gemstones in the world… precious black and white opal, yellow and pink diamonds well as unique and stunning parti sapphires.

When you think of a sapphire, the colour blue may immediately come to mind. However, this incredible gemstone is found in a wide array of colours, varying from black to all shades of blue, to green, yellow, pink, white, orange, violet and purple. These colours, apart from red (known as ruby), blue or white, are referred to as fancy sapphires.

This cushion cut Australian parti sapphire displays a wonderful blend of green, yellow and teal. Image: Lizunova Fine Jewels

Sapphire is a gem quality corundum that is hard wearing, measuring 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it an ideal alternative to diamond in a piece of jewellery worn every day, such as an engagement ring.

Parti sapphires are multi coloured stones that feature colour zones of two or more colours: predominantly blues and yellows - and sometimes greens. The stones are so striking as the colours contrast sometimes vividly, making them a delight for a jewellery designer. These gems are not seen in commercial, mass produced jewellery, where a manufacturer must bulk buy gems that are carefully matched in size, colour and shape. As each parti sapphire is unique, it makes the piece of jewellery, eg an engagement ring, unique to each couple.

Parti sapphires are cut from sapphire crystals that display colour zones of two or more different colours, in such a way that the colours are accentuated and shown off in distinct colour zones, or blended into more even shades. The skill and artistry of the gem cutter is truly put to the test when it comes to cutting parti sapphires! They must first carefully examine the rough, to determine the best cut to transform it into a beautiful stone that shows off its unique colour properties.

The gemstones display different colours when viewed from different angles and in different light sources, making them ideal for people who appreciate gems with personality and individuality.

Australian sapphires are from alkali-basalt related deposits and are very rich in iron content. Most of the stones are dark blue to bluish black due to the traces of iron. Due to varying concentrations of transition elements (e.g. iron and titanium) in the chemical make-up of the parent fluids (sapphire is essentially aluminium oxide) different colours result. The parti sapphires are so special as each stone has a unique combination of zoning and banding.

Zones of teal, green and blue in this oval cut Australian parti sapphire. Image: Lizunova Fine Jewels

We love working with this beautiful, truly unique gemstone, especially, when it's selected for a bespoke engagement ring. We source a selection of sapphires for you to view in person, prior to making this important decision, and talk you through all aspects of the design process.

Check out our ready to wear parti sapphire engagement rings here, or book an appointment with us to view our selection of beautiful loose sapphires, and begin creating your bespoke engagement ring with one of these beauties.