Discover BIRON® Gems
Lab Created Sapphire : Rare, Blue Beauty
The Blue Sapphire
Photo credit: GIA
The world’s rarest blue gemstone, the blue sapphire is believed to attract abundance and blessings to those who are lucky enough to own one. Revered the world over for its incredible strength — only second to the diamond — the sapphire’s blue colouring and bright lustre, make it one of the most valuable stones.
But, as you well know, getting your hands on a high-quality blue sapphire is difficult.
Natural stones with the deepest, most desirable blue hue are quite rare. What’s more, natural blue sapphires with little to no inclusions are even harder to come by.
However, the lab-grown market is also just as difficult to navigate, with resellers and manufacturers flooding the market with blue sapphires that vary in grade, quality and price.
If you get stuck with a lab-grown blue sapphire that isn’t the right hue, you can’t bring your designs to life. Worse, poor-quality stones can completely discredit the reputation you worked so hard to build.
So if you want reliable access to top-quality blue sapphires and to lead the market with luxury, sustainable jewellery, you’re going to want to learn about how BIRON®’s lab-grown stones can transform your business.
The BIRON® Difference
Photo credit: Inter-pacific
Upon first glance of a BIRON® lab-grown blue sapphire stone, all you will notice is its stunning lustre.
But behind that gem is a laboratory that uses natural corundum to replicate the exact same chemical composition of a natural blue sapphire.
Your current customers will love gaining access to such high-quality, sustainable blue sapphires.
And you can now attract new customers who increasingly value ethically sourced and sustainable gems.
Available in the most desirable shades of royal blue, Kashmiri blue and cornflower blue, the saturation of our blue sapphires is simply incomparable — boasting little to no inclusions.
Backed by 35-years of experience in gemstones sourcing, we are trusted by clients all over the world for both our gemstone and business integrity — inspecting each and every stone before delivery so that you can stay true to your art and fulfil your orders.
Make Your Jewels Stand Out
Photo credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage
They don’t call it royal blue by chance. Worn by kings, queens and nobility all over the globe, the blue sapphire is famous for its regal ties. One of the most famous royal blue sapphires is the engagement ring given to the late Princess Dianna by Prince Charles, which is now worn by her daughter-in-law, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge.
The 12-carat oval blue sapphire, set in 18k white gold and surrounded by fourteen solitaire diamonds, was iconic when Diana wore it, and once again became vogue when Catherine began wearing it.
Today, brides increasingly request blue sapphire engagement rings. But, it’s also the birthstone of September, as well as the gem for the 65th wedding anniversary.
Need more inspiration?
Blue sapphires go incredibly well with red rubies, pink-orange padparadschas and brilliant white diamonds. Check out our 18K gold fine jewellery pieces that are set with BIRON® lab-grown gemstones here.
So, for whatever occasion your customers want to wear blue sapphire, you can now pair your unique designs with the premium quality they expect and the sustainability they desire.
Get in touch with our specialists today to learn more about how we can work together to transform your business.
The More Popular Lab-Grown Sapphire Cuts
Testimonials
I was in awe!
The cut, colour, clarity and brilliance … are no different than the pricier ones at the fine jewellery boutiques at ifc mall.
More About Lab Created Sapphire
What is a sapphire?
A sapphire is a type of hard crystallised mineral known as corundum and comes in a variety of colours, including blue, pink, yellow, and white. The colouration of blue sapphires is caused by the trace element titanium. Sapphires are available in all shapes and sizes, but round and oval sapphires are most popular for their reduction in waste and use in engagement rings.
The most popular sapphire is the world-famous engagement ring worn by Princess Diana and Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. This gemstone is the birthstone for the month of September and is associated with fifth and fourty-fifth anniversaries. Sapphires of different colours are mined from different regions, including Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Thailand, and Australia. Kashmir is well known for producing the rare Cornflower Blue and Kashmir Blue sapphires, the most expensive colours for sapphires and setting high bars for intense saturation against which other sapphires are measured.
This gemstone is one of the most popular gemstones after diamonds for its unique blue colours and durability. It can be polished and shaped in such a way that brings out hue, tone and saturation for the best quality.
Sapphire mine in Sri Lanka. Photo credit: ANDREW LUCAS/GIA.
What are lab-grown sapphires?
Photo credit: IAN MEARS PHOTOGRAPHY
Lab-grown sapphires are man-made gemstones that are grown in a laboratory under controlled conditions. The chemical, physical and optical properties are identical to their natural counterpart, making sapphires created in a lab, real gemstones. Artificially created processes mean they can have little to no inclusions and often present as completely clean to the naked eye. They can also differ in colour and saturation. Lab-grown gemstones are eco-friendly and humane as they are unmined.
Natural sapphires are found in the earth and mined. They are formed through natural processes whereby different impurities result in different colour, clarity and shape.
What are the benefits of created sapphires?
Synthetic sapphires created in a lab can capture the clarity of the gemstone to its fullest. The hard durability that is known for alongside diamond is created through lab-grown processes that also affect the 4C’s — colour, clarity, cut, and carat.
Large natural blue sapphires may be more readily available than natural rubies, but lab-created sapphires ensure demand is met for wholesalers, suppliers, retailers, jewellery brands and designers. It can be created in bulk and at a lower cost that does not affect the earth.
The vivid colour saturation for which blue sapphires are particularly known can be obtained while retaining the same chemical, physical and optical properties as those of a natural sapphire.
Miranda Kerr. Photo credit: ELLE.
How are artificial sapphires made?
Czochralski method. Photo credit: INSTITUTE FOR SINGLE CRYSTALS.
Artificial sapphires can be made in a laboratory through multiple processes.
The flame fusion or Verneuil method is a melt process that applies a high-temperature flame to powdered chemicals that drop and melt onto a rotating platform. This produces synthetic crystals and is one of the most common and least expensive methods to make gemstones.
BIRON® gemstones are not produced using this method because with each drop a ripple effect will be created with the resulting rough having a lighter colour in the middle and darker colour at the outer rim. Stones that are cut from such roughs will reflect this uneven distribution of colour.
Two more time consuming and expensive methods are the flux melt method and the hydrothermal method. These are both solution processes where crystal growth is formed by dissolving nutrients in a solution and cooling to form synthetic crystals.
The hydrothermal method more accurately mimics the conditions found deep in the earth with heat and pressure. This is the method used for producing the sapphires under the BIRON® brand, as it has a more predictable outcome.
FAQs on Lab Made Sapphire
Are lab-grown sapphires real?
Yes. Sapphires created in a laboratory have the same properties as natural sapphires. Blue sapphires include a natural trace element called titanium that gives the gemstone its velvety blue hue. Lab-grown sapphires are real and unmined and have the same optics and physical form as a natural sapphire.
Are lab-created sapphires valuable?
Yes. Lab-grown sapphires are equally valuable for their hard durability and range of colours. Hue, tone and saturation can be achieved in greater quantities that cater to designers, jewellery brands and retailers that cater to the engagement ring industry.
Sapphires created through man-made processes can be 100% consistent with naturally-mined gemstones. These gemstones hold a high-quality finish at a fraction of the price and have strong roots in eco-sustainability and humanitarianism.
Are lab sapphires as durable as mined sapphires?
Yes. Man-made sapphires grown in a laboratory have the exact same durability as that of natural sapphires. Their chemical, physical and optical properties are identical.
Do manufactured sapphires contain inclusions?
Created sapphires grown in a controlled environment have a synthetic blue that replicates the natural brilliance of a natural sapphire. A pure gemstone can be made through the artificial process, but inclusions can also still occur, just fewer than natural sapphires.
What are the differences between lab, natural, and simulated sapphires?
Synthetic sapphires are real gemstones that hold identical chemical composition, optical and physical characteristics as natural sapphires. They are real but unmined, are shaped from lab rough stones and similar to the natural ones, lab-grown blue sapphires usually do not have inclusions.
Natural sapphires grow in the earth naturally and are mined. They are found in the rough and include visual variations due to the gemstone’s unpredictable growth process and mineral composition. Natural sapphires are never treated for cracks but are often heat-treated for colour enhancement before being put on the market. Unique natural rare gemstones are available for sale on our platform.
Simulated sapphires, also known as imitation, are not the same as lab-grown sapphires, due to their difference in composition. They are physically and chemically different, constituted of man-made material that can be of natural or artificial origins. Imitation gemstones are significantly cheaper than synthetic or natural gemstones and can look like natural or lab-created ones.
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