Sapphirine Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

What is Sapphirine?

Sapphirine has loaned its name to the sapphirine mineral supergroup, which contains three subgroups, including the sapphirine group.

Is Sapphirine a Type of Sapphire?

Despite its name and most well-known color, sapphirine is a gem species distinct from sapphire. However, like sapphire, it too occurs in more colors than blue, albeit rarely. These colors include shades of violet, purple, green, pink, and brown. In 2007, a red variety was discovered in Tanzania. In addition, sapphirines can show very strong trichroic colors depending on the viewing angle.

What is "Sapphirine Chalcedony"?

The term "sapphirine" has sometimes been applied incorrectly to blue specimens of chalcedony, crystalline quartz, and spinel. One specific usage in art history persists. The gemologist Fred Gray writes that the ancient Greeks created scarab-like seal rings and particularly favored light blue chalcedony. In recent times, this material received the French name of "sapphirine."

Does Sapphirine Make a Good Jewelry Stone?

With a hardness of 7.5 and poor or indistinct cleavage, sapphirines would make good stones for everyday jewelry wear, especially if you like their classic blue appearance. Unfortunately for jewelry connoisseurs, facetable crystals are exceedingly rare. On the other hand, most gem-quality rough is generally eye clean (although small).

Sapphirines occur most often as transparent grains,

How to Identify Sapphirines

Sapphirine's refractive indices (RI) are close to those of idocrase. However, sapphirines have a biaxial negative optic character, while idocrases usually have uniaxial optic characters. (Please note that idocrase may be anomalously biaxial). Sapphirines also exceed idocrase in specific gravity (SG).

An unusual, 1.54-ct, oval-cut, purplish-pink specimen from Sri Lanka (initially reported as idocrase) had the following properties: 

• RI = 1.701-1.707 with a β = 1.705.
• Birefringence = 0.006.
• SG = 3.51.

The rare red sapphirine from Tanzania reportedly has the following luminescent properties under ultraviolet light (UV):

• Longwave UV: dull red.
• Shortwave UV: weak orange.

What's the Difference Between Sapphirine and Serendibite?

Serendibite, another rare mineral in the sapphirine supergroup, also occurs very rarely in gem-quality condition. Since the 1990s, faceted serendibites have begun to appear on the market. While sapphirines and serendibites may appear very similar and have overlapping properties, sapphirines usually have higher RIs and hardness.

Are There Synthetic Sapphirines?

Scientists have synthesized sapphirines for geological research. However, there is no known jewelry use for this material.

There are no known gem treatments for sapphirines.

Where are Sapphirines Found?

Madagascar and Sri Lanka are the principal producers of gem-quality sapphirines.

Other gem-quality sources include the following:

• United States: Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan; Lake Superior, Minnesota; Milford, Utah.
• Australia; Canada; Czech Republic; Greenland; Italy; Japan; South Africa; Sweden; Tanzania; Thailand; Scotland, United Kingdom.

How to Care for Sapphirine Jewelry

Sapphirines require no special care. You can clean them safely with mechanical cleaning systems.