Most of the sapphires from Montana are a pale green to blue-green when they are mined, with very limited numbers of deep blues and other fancy colors such as yellow, orange, violet and pink.
Are Montana sapphires valuable?
Montana Sapphire
To be specific, the majority is under 1/2ct and a very limited supply of the sapphires are over 1ct, which makes the stone substantially more expensive per carat. Typical Montana sapphire can cost anywhere from $250-$1500 per carat for under 1/2ct to upwards of $7000 per carat for larger than 5 carats.
What do Montana sapphires look like?
This includes shades of blue, yellow, and pink. Still, Montana sapphires, like many sapphires on the market, often have a “steely” grey component to their color. … Often, they appear blue in daylight and violet to purple in incandescent light. Pale colors shift from sky blue to lavender.
What does a raw Montana sapphire look like?
Montana sapphire deposits produce every hue of sapphire known but in general, they do tend to be light blues and greens, resembling sea-glass or old broken coke bottles.
What makes Montana sapphires different?
One of the most striking differences between Montana Sapphires and Sapphires from other areas of the world is their color. Sapphires from Montana are unique in that they naturally occur in light pastels, unique blue-greens, and smoky grays. So, a Montana Sapphire could be a calming bathwater green or a sky blue-grey.
Where can I dig for Montana sapphires?
Montana’s many colored sapphires are mined in the famous placer gravels in the Sapphire Mountains near Philipsburg about 200 miles northwest of Yellowstone National Park. Most of the sapphires are found in the famed Rock Creek deposit, nicknamed “Gem Mountain.” Gold miners discovered sapphires there in the 1890’s.
How much is a 1 carat sapphire worth?
Sapphires can come as cheap as $25 per carat, to over $11,000 per carat. A blue sapphire around 1 carat is likely to cost from as little as $450 to $1,600, depending on quality.
How rare are Montana sapphires?
Considering that a rough nugget will yield a cut stone only about 1/3 of the original size means that large, fine quality faceted Montana sapphires are very rare. It is uncommon to see a fine quality faceted Montana sapphire weighing over 2 carats, gems over 3 carats are extremely rare.
How can you tell a Yogo sapphire?
Yogo sapphires are unique in that they are free of cavities and inclusions, have high uniform clarity, lack color zoning, and do not need heat treating because their cornflower blue coloring is uniform and deep. Unlike Asian sapphires, they maintain their brilliance in artificial light.
How much are Yogo sapphires worth?
Because of their fine quality, the price differential between Yogo and other fancy Montana sapphires can be significant. Baide said that other Montana sapphires can average about $1,000 per carat, compared with somewhere around $10,000 per carat for a Yogo sapphire.
Why are Yogo sapphires so expensive?
While it is estimated that 5.6 tons (or 28 million carats) of Yogo Sapphires are still in the ground, the excavation of them is costly and difficult, which keeps their scarcity and relative price high. … Anything in the neighborhood of 1 carat or above will be very expensive.
Are Yogo sapphires only found in Montana?
Yogo Sapphires are the only sapphires in Montana still being mined from the primary deposit. Yogo sapphire are typically cornflower blue, a result of small amounts of iron and titanium. They have high uniform clarity and maintain their brilliance under artificial light.
What kind of rock are Yogo sapphires found in?
They are found in a system of igneous intrusions called dikes. There are six main dikes that form the centre of the Yogo sapphire deposit. All are composed of a type of igneous rock called a lamprophyre.
Are Montana sapphires strong?
Montana Sapphire Care
A durable stone with excellent toughness, it also ranks nine on the Mohs scale of hardness. Montana sapphire is not likely to scratch or chip, making it a great choice for daily wear. High heat could damage the stone’s color or clarity. Avoid harsh detergents when cleaning your stone.
Are Montana sapphires natural?
All of the stones are natural and untreated in any way. The last Montana deposit of sapphires worth noting is on Dry Cottonwood Creek, northwest of Butte. These are also alluvial sapphires and were mined in combination with placer gold in the first decade of the 1900’s.
Where do Yogo sapphires come from?
Yogo Sapphires are the most precious sapphires found in North America. They are considered to be among the finest sapphires in the world. These unique gems come from only limited area, named Yogo Gulch, located in the Little Belt Mountains of Montana.