Sapphire

Wholesale sapphire — buying guide for the trade

Corundum's blue (and rainbow) face. The most commercially important coloured stone in fine jewellery, with origin and treatment driving price more than any other factor.

Key properties

Mineral

Corundum (Al₂O₃)

Hardness

9 (Mohs)

Key origins

Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Madagascar, Kashmir, Thailand, Australia

Typical treatments

Heat (standard), beryllium diffusion, lead-glass filling

What to look for when buying wholesale

• Insist on a recent independent lab report (SSEF, Gübelin, GIA, GRS, AGL) for any stone above ~USD 3,000.
• Origin commands a premium: Kashmir > Burma > Sri Lanka (unheated) > Madagascar > everywhere else.
• Confirm "unheated" in writing — it can multiply value 2–10×.
• Beware beryllium-diffused fancy colours: declared and priced very differently.

Certification guidance

SSEF and Gübelin lead for high-end. GIA is the global benchmark on origin and treatment. GRS is widely accepted in the Thai trade — read the treatment line carefully.

Treatment disclosure

Standard heat is the trade default and disclosed but not penalised. Beryllium diffusion, lead-glass filling and surface coatings must always be disclosed and priced far below natural.

Typical wholesale price tiers

Prices are indicative wholesale-to-trade ranges. Actual offers depend on origin, certification and supply at the time of enquiry.

Cuts and shapes

Sapphire is faceted into the same core shapes seen across coloured stones and diamonds — round, oval, cushion, emerald-cut, pear, radiant, princess, asscher, marquise and heart — plus antique cuts such as old mine and old European, most associated with period diamond jewellery. See the full Cut Library →