What's That Rock?Sapphire
Corundum in any color except red. Blue is best known, but yellow, pink, green and colorless sapphires also exist.
How to identify Sapphire
- Very hard
- Heavy for its size
- Hexagonal crystal shape or rounded pebbles
Often confused with
- Blue topaz
- Iolite
- Tanzanite
- Blue spinel
- Blue glass
Real or fake?
- Most sapphires are heat-treated; this is normal and accepted
- Lab-grown sapphire is common and nearly identical; only a lab can tell
Is Sapphire valuable?
Value varies hugely; use a gem lab report.
Typical retail prices
Cut gemstone$100–2,500per carat
Fine untreated sapphires above one carat can cost many thousands of dollars per carat.
Typical retail ranges in US dollars, compiled from public dealer and marketplace listings in October 2026. Real prices vary widely with quality, size and origin. This is general information, not an appraisal.
What changes the price
- Color: vivid medium-blue 'cornflower' is the top grade; pink, yellow, green and orange 'fancy' sapphires have their own markets
- Clarity and size: eye-clean stones are valuable, and each carat costs more as size grows
- Treatment: heating is routine; beryllium or glass-filled stones are much cheaper
- Origin: untreated Kashmir, Burmese and Sri Lankan stones with a lab report cost the most
- Synthetic sapphire is widespread and looks the same
Uses
- Jewelry
- Watch crystals and industrial windows
Care
Very durable. Safe to wash.
Identifying a stone from a description or a photo is an estimate. Many stones look alike. Ask an expert or a gem lab before you buy, sell or rely on an identification.
Updated October 2026