4 C's of Sapphires
Learn the 4 C’s of sapphires and how to purchase a quality sapphire with confidence. This buying guide explains color, clarity, cut, and carat weight — the key factors that determine sapphire beauty and value. Discover what to look for when selecting a sapphire engagement ring or loose gemstone, including treatment disclosure and ethical sourcing, so you can invest in a stone with lasting brilliance and timeless beauty.
Color
The more saturated the sapphire is, the higher the market price.
Tone
Is known as the degree of darkness or lightness of a color. Medium is typically the most coveted tone.
Saturation
Saturation is a color's strength or intensity. A large part of a gemstone's value lies in the saturation of its hue. Vivid owns the highest value.
Cut
How the stone is cut affects the overall color distribution and sparkle.
No matter how fine the tone and saturation is, without a good cut, the stone will not sparkle! Love & Promise only carries good to excellent cuts, which is the top 40% of cuts in the market.
The clarity is the number of imperfections on the surface or within the gemstone.
Imperfections in sapphires are quite normal as many minerals get trapped during the formation process. The lesser the imperfections for natural sapphires, the higher the value.
Natural Inclusions
Some common examples of imperfections include feathers, cleavage, cavities, naturals, and fingerprints.
Carat
Typically the higher the carat weight, the higher the price per carat.
Carat
Carat is the unit of measurement used to weigh both diamonds and gemstones. One carat is equal to 200 milligrams or 0.20 grams. Gemstones are price per carat.
Sapphire Density
Sapphire gemstones are denser than diamonds, so the same weight may appear smaller. A 1 carat diamond will appear larger than a 1 carat sapphire because the sapphire material is denser.
4ct 3ct 2.5ct 2ct 1.75ct 1.5ct 1.25ct 1ct 0.5ct 0.25ct
Treatment
The two highest standards of gemstones are heated and natural stones.
Natural Sapphires
