Cornflower Blue Sapphire: What you Need to Know Before Purchasing Them
I was spending my last weekend at one of the amazing maze gardens in Melbourne, Enchanted Adventure Gardens and I encountered a beautiful field of cornflowers. I couldn't stop taking photographing those beautiful flowers. The four colours, blue, lilac, pink, and white were mixed on the flower beds. This encounter made me rethink why the cornflower blue is so much attached to blue sapphires. Last few days I did quite a bit of research to find answers to the following question. I surfed through the Internet for reliable information on this particular subject, and in the process, I also consulted a couple of veteran gemological sources as well. Here's what I found.
Is Cornflower Blue the best Colour for a Sapphire Gemstone?
The simple answer is it depends on the perspective. And even if you settle on the colour, the quality and the beauty of a sapphire gemstone depends on a number of factors other than the colour, or in this case hue. Which is just one of those factors. No matter what type of blue you have from the dozens of different blue shades, if the gemstone has a good saturation, lustre, clarity, and most importantly if you like the colour, then that is the best colour for your sapphire.
Why is the Cornflower Blue Popular in Contrast to Other Versions of Blue?
Cornflower is one of few flowers having a true blue hue. The main idea of classifying sapphire gemstones as cornflower blue is to indicate that the gemstones do not have other dominant hues in them. Blue sapphires from certain origins could have more than one dominant colour. Apart from the primary blue colour, they can have purple, green, or black as well. The Cornflower blue sapphire stands apart from other blue sapphires in this regard, as its colour is associated with the natural blue of nature.
Are Cornflower Blue Sapphires More Expensive?
The price of the gemstone is determined by a number of factors. The colour alone would not give an edge to a sapphire gemstone, whilst it remains an important factor. Given that all other factors are the same, the difference between a cornflower blue sapphire and a royal blue sapphire price is subjected to the opinions of the seller and the buyer and also there is no true division here. Some merchants promote what they have and some merchants promote what the market is asking for. My final conclusion is that the wearer of the jewellery should have the final judgement based on her preferences.
How to Confirm the Colour of the Gemstone is a Real Cornflower Blue?
The best way (but the less practical way) is to compare your gemstone with a real blue cornflower in broad sunlight. However, technically a blue sapphire gemstone is considered a cornflower blue if it is false within a range of blue shades. This means that a gemstone certified as a cornflower blue might have a slightly different hue than a real flower. Something I noted during my photography session is that the real colour you see with your naked eyes is a little bit lighter than how it appeared in my photographs. This may be because of the automatic white balancing in my camera. (disclaimer: I'm not a professional photographer :) ). The easy method is to compare a picture of a blue cornflower with your stone but remember to do this in a well-lighted place, preferably in a shaded place in the outdoors. To be sure it is best to have your gemstone checked by a certified gemologist or a jeweller who specialises in sapphire stones.
Other Popular Sapphire Colours From Nature?
Sapphire comes in all sorts of colours, some of which are unimaginable. The colour of a gemstone is a result of some other minerals being present in very small quantities. Thus, in natural conditions, there are unlimited possibilities for this to happen. Check the following video for a lilac sapphire ring we made a couple of months ago. The colour is very similar to the colour of lilac cornflower. Not only that, I was surprised by the amazing similarity in the colour of pink cornflower and padparadscha sapphire colour. Padparadscha sapphires are named after the colour of the lotus flower and are very rare and expensive, and is another sapphire stone named after a flower and its colour being inspired by nature. So if you are looking for a top-quality blue sapphire the Cornflower is among the top choices, just be aware of your sources.
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