The best cabochons are reasonably transparent, with nice smooth domes of good symmetry. This cut is used for star stones, or those not clean enough to facet. Slight premiums are paid for round stones. Ovals and cushions are the most common, but rounds are also seen, as are other shapes, such as the heart or emerald cut. In the market, sapphires are found in a variety of shapes and cutting styles. While a certain amount of silk is necessary to create the star effect in star sapphire, too much silk desaturates the color, making it appear grayish. This is the case with the famous sapphires from Kashmir, which display a velvety blue color with little extinction across the face. In the case of some sapphires, extremely fine silk throughout the stone can actually enhance the value. Buyers should look for stones which are eye-clean, i.e., with no inclusions visible to the unaided eye. In terms of clarity, sapphires tend to be cleaner than ruby. Incandescent lights, whose output is tilted towards the red end of the spectrum, do not do most blue sapphires justice. Sapphires generally look best viewed with fluorescent light or daylight (particularly around just after sunrise and before sunset). Stones which are too dark and inky, or too light in color, are less highly valued. The ideal stone displays an intense, rich blue without being dark or inky. Colorįor sapphire, the intensity of the blue color is the primary factor in determining value. Outside of Asia, such gems are generally termed pink sapphires. In Asia, pink corundums are also considered rubies. The term ruby is reserved for corundums of a red color. Other colors have a color prefix, i.e., yellow sapphire, green sapphire, etc. The term sapphire alone describes the blue variety of gem corundum.
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