Guides
Everything you need to know about Teal Sapphires
Discover our ultimate guide to Teal Sapphires with expert gemmologist, Susannah.
3 minute read | Words by Angeli
If you’re a lover of the stunning Sapphire, then you may already know that Sapphires come in a rainbow of hues! With the most well known being the enchanting Blue Sapphire. But, there is a new kid on the block - the Teal Sapphire!
The Teal Sapphire is a lesser-known gemstone, blending deep ocean blue and vivacious green, making it a stunning and rare gemstone and the perfect choice for a unique engagement ring, earrings or a necklace. Excited to find out more? Read on to discover everything you need to know about Teal Sapphires!
What is a Teal Sapphire?
Just like all Sapphires, Teal Sapphires are part of the Corundum gemstone family. They are natural gemstones that are formed by nature over millions of years, with each one entirely unique. Like most gemstones, they can be found within primary deposits (in the case of corundum, this can be within metamorphic or igneous rock formations) and also from a secondary deposit (often corundum is found within alluvial sources e.g riverbeds)
Sapphires are what are known as gemstones, this simply means that in their ‘pure’ state of aluminium oxide, they are completely colourless! And it is thanks to transitional chemical elements present in the earth during crystal formation, that we have the many vibrant shades of Sapphires that we all love (including Teal)!
In the case of the Teal Sapphire, their stunning blend of deep blue and green comes from the presence of both Iron & Titanium (Fe + Ti). Depending on where they originate, Teal Sapphires can come in different shades with varying intensities of blue, yellow and green tones.
Where do Teal Sapphires come from?
Teal Sapphires can be sourced from a number of countries. At Fenton, we source ours from Australia, Sri Lanka & Thailand as these countries meet our strict sourcing parameters.
Depending on where a Teal Sapphire originates from determines its colour. Gemstones from Australia and Thailand typically have a higher iron content resulting in a richer colour.
How to choose a Teal Sapphire?
While the quality of diamonds is usually determined by the 4 C’s, there is no universal grading system for coloured gemstones, However, we can use the below principles as a framework. When choosing each Teal Sapphire, here’s what our expert gemmologists look for…
Clarity
As creations of nature, all gemstones will have unique clarity characteristics, which can sometimes be visible to the naked eye. Examples of these are colour zoning (often with yellow and colourless bands), silks (very fine needle-like inclusions, which run parallel to one another or in more than one direction), and feathers (fingerprint inclusions). At Fenton, our Teal Sapphires are typically eye-clean, this means that they will have no inclusion visible to the naked eye.
Cut
The chosen cut of a Teal Sapphire is really important to best show off the different colours inside your stone! At Fenton, we recommend a brilliant cut, such as an Oval, Round or Cushion, to best maximise the reflection of light. This is how you’ll really best see the different blue or green tones within your gemstone. However, we can also source other cuts such as Emerald, Pear and Marquise Teal Sapphires.
Colour
Arguably, the most important factor when choosing your Teal Sapphire has to be its colour! Did you know that the colour’s name comes from a bird species called the ‘Common Teal’, due to its characteristic blue-green stripe around its eyes? Formed in nature, its majestic colour comes from the presence of Iron and Titanium (Fe + Ti) at the time of its formation.
In fact, the most valuable Teal Sapphires on the market have an even 50:50 split of green and blue. However, the majority of Teal Sapphires in the market will generally have blue as its primary colour and green as its secondary colour or green as its primary colour and blue as its secondary colour. When choosing between the two, it comes down to personal preference. Teal Sapphires are also sometimes incorrectly referred to as ‘Parti-sapphires’. These are Sapphires that have distinct colours in different sections of the gemstone, while Teal Sapphires have a fluid blend of green and blue.
The beauty of a Teal Sapphire is also how differently it can look under certain types of light! This is because different types of light have different proportions of wavelengths. For example, daylight contains more blue, so your Sapphire may appear bluer in the sunshine! Alternatively, your Sapphire may look greener under artificial light. The time of day can also affect how your Sapphire can look, depending on the lighting conditions.
Are Teal Sapphires suitable for everyday wear?
Great news - Teal Sapphires are perfect for everyday wear! Teal Sapphires are extremely durable, at a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Teal Sapphires are also tough gemstones, which means they’re more resistant to chipping.
If you are someone who is often on the go, busy with their hands (or a little clumsier), Sapphires are the perfect gemstone to wear every day.
How much do Teal Sapphires cost?
As with all gemstones, it is not uncommon for Teal Sapphire prices to vary greatly, depending on their colour, cut, clarity and weight! Additionally, as Teal Sapphires are a rarer gemstone, they demand a slightly higher price point vs more abundant colours of Sapphires, such as Blue and Yellow. As a guideline, they are typically around 10-20% more than the other Sapphires which you will find on our website.
For example, an oval cut Teal Sapphire Trilogy ring, in our original 8x6mm size will be around £3,150.
If you would like to find out more about the cost of a bespoke piece of Teal Sapphire jewellery from Fenton, we would be delighted to help. Simply submit a bespoke enquiry form here, or contact our concierge team via Whatsapp, email or call. We are always happy to work within your budget and advise on the best possible options in terms of design and gemstone size for you.
Teal Sapphire engagement rings
A question we often get asked is if Teal Sapphires are a good choice for an engagement ring - we’d have to say YES! They’re a durable gemstone, perfect for everyday wear and offer a stunningly deep and lustrous colour. Pair with Diamonds for an additional sparkle in your Teal Sapphire engagement ring with Trilogy, Vintage or Halo design.
Check out one of our favourite Teal Sapphire engagement rings we’ve created for a customer, featuring a stunning Solitaire oval cut stone with a knife-edge band.
Bespoke Teal Sapphire Jewellery
From Teal Sapphire rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces, whatever jewellery you’re dreaming of, we can make it a reality. Similar to the bespoke engagement ring process, if you want to create your own bespoke Teal Sapphire jewellery, submit a bespoke enquiry via the form here. Alternatively, you are welcome to Call, Email or Whatsapp here to speak to our bespoke team.
It’s good to note that as Teal Sapphires are creations of nature, every gemstone is uniquely formed so no two gemstones are the same. Every Teal Sapphire stone is unique and beautiful in its own way, showing a one-of-a-kind combination of colours.
Therefore, we cannot colour match a Teal Sapphire with an image taken online or from a stone found at other jewellers but will source based on references. We recommend being as open-minded as possible when looking for the perfect stone. We will source a range of gemstones for you to select from, so you can ensure your Teal Sapphire is the perfect one for you!
Click here to speak to our expert concierge team about Teal Sapphire Jewellery.
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