What Makes A Stone Valuable? Why Is Sapphire So Expensive

What makes a stone valuable?

Beauty, rarity and durability are the three factors that help define the value of a gemstone. With sapphire being the most durable coloured gemstone (9 on the MOH scale) this naturally is more valued than other gemstones and helps explain why is sapphire so expensive.
The rarest coloured sapphire is the Padparadscha (salmon/sunset colour). This beautiful colour is seen in a very small percentage of sapphires, we estimate about 1%, hence commands a price premium. And finally beauty is in the eye of the beholder which is why we encourage you to choose the sapphire that speaks to you!

Sapphire grading

There is currently no standard grading system for sapphires (or any coloured stones, outside of diamonds) because of the subjective nature of colours! But below we give you the factors that the industry uses to try to describe these precious stones.

Colour

Colour is subjective and even lab to lab a stone may be graded differently. Colour interpretation is different from one person to the next, which is why a standardised grading system for coloured stones is basically impossible. In an attempt to create a more objective system for grading colour, we look at hue, tone and saturation. At the end of the day it must be pleasing to your eye, and should be your first priority when selecting a sapphire.

Hue

The gemstone’s basic colour. However this is not usually as simple as one colour and will often be described as, for example, “greenish blue”. Describing the secondary (“greenish”) and then primary (“blue”) colours seen.

Tone

How light or dark the colour/hue is. From light, medium and dark to once again, anything in between.

Saturation

Describes how intense the colour/hue is. Descriptors used here are vivid, strong, medium, fair and weak and it is essentially describing the extent to which the hue is masked by brown or grey.

Clarity

Sapphires almost always have some internal visual inclusions, but more often than not these can only be seen with a loupe (eyepiece with 10x magnification). If you can’t see an inclusion without the magnifier it will be graded as “eye clean”, and if you can’t see an inclusion using the loupe magnifier either it will get the top “loupe clean” grading. While inclusions can take away from the beauty of the sapphire in the beholders eye, they can also actually add to it. On two accounts. Firstly because they may help to scatter light within the gemstone which actually increases its ‘brilliance’ (ie. the amount of light bounced out from the stone, or in layman's terms its sparkle & shine!) And secondly because an inclusion is so unique to each sapphire it acts like a fingerprint in your stone - there really is no other like it! Some inclusions can look pretty darn cool, and given they are all part of the natural forming process, gives you extra assurity that the stone has been made by Mother Earth.

Cut

The term ‘cut’ can refer to several things when applied to sapphires, such as faceting style or finished shape of the stone. Here at Hart & Halo, we like to keep it simple, so we refer to the shape - and even then, like to use the shape names you are familiar with! Sapphires often come in unusual, asymmetrical shapes so we do our best to describe the closest one. The reason for this is several - cutters (lapidary’s) have many things to consider when cutting rough. How to maximise colour and brilliance (light reflected out of the stone), they are generally shaped to conserve as much material as possible, they will try to minimise undesirable inclusions and of course, customer demand for certain cuts can impact the decision.

The bottom line.

At the end of the day, what matters most is how the sapphire appeals to you. We present to you hard, durable stones and it is over to you to decide which one you find most attractive. Which would spark joy each time you looked at it. Bring flooding happy memories and speak to your soul. It can be very hard but it also might be easy - much like choosing a partner perhaps 😉

Danielle P.

23:35 29 Aug 25

I absolutely love my ring from Hart and Halo. Celeste is more obsessed with sapphires than I am and provides a truly unique piece at a great price. I look forward to my next design and piece with her ☺️ I highly recommend her and her business to anyone wanting something a bit special and unique just to you.

karma G.

11:16 27 Aug 25

My ring is well made and beautiful.
Celeste was extremely patient, knowledgeable and kind. She helped push when I needed a push to make a decision. The result is a wonderful family heirloom. Im so pleased we worked together.

Angie M.

04:34 22 Aug 25

Easy process & detail was on point. Very happy with end result. Thank you Celeste & team.

Paul N.

05:07 17 Aug 25

From the very start to finish, our experience with Celeste was nothing short of amazing. She took the time to truly understand Jade's vision and guided her through every detail of the design process with warmth, patience, and genuine passion for her craft.
The craftsmanship is amazing, every angle of the engagement ring sparkles beautifully, and the attention to detail is second to none. It’s clear that Hart and Halo take great pride in their work, creating not just jewellery, but treasured pieces that tell a story.
Communication with Celeste was excellent throughout the entire process, with regular updates and reassurance that the ring was in the best hands. The final piece exceeded all our expectations and it’s more stunning than we could have ever imagined, and my partner has received endless compliments on it.

Even the process of getting a few touch ups on the ring was simple. Celeste took great care of us and even though we hadn't worked with her before, she was well read on our journey and already had all the details she needed. Very kind and professional.

We are both so grateful for her skill, professionalism, and care. From the moment you meet Cleste you feel comfortable and she makes you feel at home. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Hart and Halo to anyone looking for a truly special, custom-made piece. They truly care and can turn dreams into reality.

Jade and Paul

Stigma ..

20:24 14 Aug 25

Love my 1 of 1 necklace. I was able to be hands on with this and got it exactly how I wanted it. Thanks.

Kelly R.

19:26 11 Aug 25

Meeting Celeste was a via a very random click on a Facebook post and realising it was meant to be. Right from the beginning, Celeste was open and honest and genuine. For her jewellery, for her creativity, for her passion in what she does. Sometimes we meet people that we just click with, so though this journey created a beautiful piece of jewellery that symbolises a new beginning for me, this journey also created a fabulous connection with someone like minded. Bring on the next piece!
I can’t recommend Hart & Halo enough. For everything you could possibly need - valuations, resizing, remodelling, cleaning.
This has been such a pleasure 🧡

Mary A.

23:00 10 Aug 25

Working with Hart & Halo was wonderful. Great service. We're so pleased.

Tayla B.

07:39 19 May 25

This was my first time having an engagement ring let alone designing it. I thought it was just a basic design but found out there are soooo many details that go into a rings. Celeste made it so easy to understand all the terms and help me decide what would look best for what I wanted. Being able to go and sit with her at her gorgeous home with her fur babies (huuuuuge plus for me) was so calming and much nicer than going into a busy store and feeling rushed to decide. Celeste was so knowledgeable and made me feel at ease that I would get exactly what I wanted and I did truly. I later on added a detail in and I was made to feel like this was normal and not at all a hassle for her. She kept my partner updated at all stages and having a payment plan made it easier to achieve than paying it all in one go. Could not recommend going and customizing your dream ring for whatever the occasion enough. I'm so glad I changed my mind from buying from a store to Celeste. An engagement ring especially is very special and you want the process of designing it to feel that way and Celeste definitely did that. So again, for millionth time, thank you so so much. So so happy with my ring!

Dazzle E.

21:13 06 May 25

I couldn’t be happier with my experience with Hart & Halo. Although everything was handled online, Celeste understood exactly what I had in mind for the engagement ring and brought it to life beautifully. The entire process felt personal, smooth, and easy.

The ring turned out even better than I imagined and made our proposal even more special. Thank you for the exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. I highly recommend Hart & Halo to anyone looking for a meaningful and well-crafted piece.

Candace T.

03:12 02 May 25

Super stoked with the total experience and the outcome of my dream come true ring. The whole process from start to finish was a breeze! Communication & options available was excellent - made me feel comfortable in my choices, with no compromise. Highly recommend!

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What makes a stone valuable?

What makes a stone valuable?

What makes a stone valuable?

Sapphire grading

Colour

Hue

Tone

Saturation

Clarity

Cut

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