While everyone’s heard of blue sapphires, there are more colors and types of sapphires than many people realize.
This comprehensive guide explains what sapphires are, what makes them special, and the distinct characteristics of 21 different types and colors of sapphire gemstones.
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What Are Sapphires?
Sapphires are rare, valuable gemstones composed of the mineral corundum, which is itself formed from crystalized aluminum oxide mixed with trace amounts of other minerals.
With a Mohs hardness scale rating of 9 out of 10, sapphire is one of the hardest substances on the planet. This toughness makes it a highly scratch-resistant gemstone that’s well-suited to jewelry.
Sapphires are popular alternatives to diamonds in engagement rings due to their durability and beauty. They symbolize loyalty, wisdom, insight and faithfulness, and are generally more affordable than diamonds.
Sapphire is also the birthstone for September, and the best-selling colored gemstone in the United States¹.
Types of Sapphire Colors
Most of us default to thinking of sapphires as blue, but they come in an astonishing variety of colors and shades, from pink and yellow to white (colorless) and even black. Sapphires that aren’t blue are known as fancy sapphires.
A sapphire’s coloring depends on the trace minerals that were incorporated during its geological formation. This is why sapphires from different regions often have distinctive colors².
The strength of its color is the primary measure of a sapphire’s quality – the more intense and saturated, the higher the stone’s value.
Good to know: Most blue and fancy sapphires are heat treated to improve their coloring. Heat treatment is a standard and accepted practice within the gem trade. Unheated sapphires are far rarer and sell at a premium.
1. Blue Sapphires
Blue sapphires get their coloring from traces of iron and titanium, which produces hues from baby blue to royal blue. The higher these elements are concentrated, particularly iron, the stronger the blue.
Blue sapphires are both the most common and the most desired color of sapphire. A particularly sought-after variety is known as cornflower blue. This term describes a vivid, velvety blue sapphire, sometimes with a hint of violet.
Because the color blue symbolizes loyalty, blue sapphires are a popular choice of stone for couples who prefer non-traditional engagement rings.
2. Pink Sapphires
Pink sapphires are one of the rarest sapphire colors and can be found in only a few places around the world. The main source countries are Madagascar, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar.
Chromium inclusions are the cause of color in pink sapphires, which can yield hues ranging from baby pink to magenta. The best and brightest pink sapphires are desirable alternatives to pink diamonds.
What about red? Technically, sapphires cannot be red. All red corundum gemstones are called rubies, while corundum of any other color is called sapphire. So, in a sense, a pink sapphire is a pale ruby.
3. Yellow Sapphires
Yellow sapphires come in hues from pale lemon to deep gold, as well as green-yellow and brown-yellow. These sunny gemstones are colored by traces of iron. Most fine quality yellow sapphire comes from Sri Lanka.
The ideal yellow sapphire hue is a pure, vivid yellow known as canary yellow. Canary yellow sapphires are sometimes chosen for engagement rings, as they’re more affordable than yellow diamonds.
Compared to many other sapphire colors, yellow sapphires tend to have fewer inclusions. Transparent stones with high clarity and strong color are highly valued.
4. Padparadscha Sapphires
Padparadscha sapphires are a striking hue between pink and orange that’s often described as salmon-colored, or romantically compared to a sunset. Their name derives from the Sinhalese word for the color of a lotus flower³.
This distinctive pinkish-orange color makes padparadscha the rarest color of sapphire in the world. Paadparadscha is also among the most expensive varieties of sapphire, alongside intense blue and pink sapphires.
Padparadscha’s color is caused by traces of iron and chromium. The finest quality gems are found in Sri Lanka. Madagascar is another important source of padparadscha sapphire.
5. Green Sapphires
Green sapphires offer hues from light mint to deep forest green, but are most commonly olive green. Their green color is due to trace amounts of titanium mixed with even tracer amounts of iron and/or vanadium.
The most quantity and best quality of fine green sapphire comes from Tanzania in Africa. Madagascar, Australia, and Montana are other noteworthy sources of green sapphire gems.
Though green sapphires are sometimes compared with emeralds, the two have very different composition and characteristics. For instance, emeralds are much softer than sapphires, while green sapphires are rarely as bright and pretty a green as emeralds.
6. Purple Sapphires
Purple sapphires are the color between blue and red, acquiring their regal appearance from the presence of vanadium. The hue of a purple sapphire can span from soft lilac to deep royal purple.
Pink and blue are common secondary colors found in purple sapphire. Red is another, but rarer to find. Purple sapphires with strong red overtones can sell for nearly as much as rubies of similar quality⁴.
Though purple sapphires are much rarer than blue sapphires, they don’t command the same high market prices as fine quality blues. They are however typically valued higher than yellow and green sapphires.
7. Orange Sapphires
Orange sapphires are colored by a mix of iron and chromium. Their orangeness ranges from pale and delicate to deep and fiery. Some stones have undesirable brown or yellow overtone colors.
Orange sapphires with pink or reddish overtones are sometimes marketed as padparadscha, but true padparadscha sapphires are far rarer and more expensive.
Saying that, orange is still one of the rarest sapphire colors, which makes it appealing to investors and collectors. Australia and Madagascar are the most important sources of fine orange sapphire.
8. Teal Sapphires
Teal sapphires are relative newcomers to the fancy colored sapphire market. Though less well-known than their more famous blue cousins, their greater rarity often makes them slightly more expensive.
A teal sapphire has a mesmerizing blue-green ocean hue. The finest quality stones are a 50/50 blend of blue and green coloring, which is caused by iron and titanium traces in the gem material.
Teal-sapphire producing regions include Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Montana. Stones from Australia and Thailand tend to have more saturated coloring due to their higher iron concentrations.
9. Peach Sapphires
Peach sapphires combine pastel pink, orange, and yellow hues that arise from the presence of iron and chromium. This coloring lends itself to various appealing descriptions: apricot, coral, sunset, and so on.
Though peach sapphires can resemble padparadscha sapphires, and even originate in the same countries (Sri Lanka and Madagascar), they have have lower color saturation. You can think of them as padparadscha’s paler cousins.
Peach is marketed as a romantic and feminine sapphire color. These gemstones have been steadily gaining popularity in contemporary engagement ring designs, as well as other types of women’s jewelry.
10. Black Sapphires
Black sapphires are colored by iron and titanium, the same elements behind the color of blue sapphires. In black sapphires however, these elements are so highly concentrated that they absorb light.
Unlike blue and other fancy colored sapphires, black sapphires are abundant and quite affordable. Nor do they have the same market appeal, so the use of black sapphires in jewelry remains limited.
A black sapphire looks similar to a more popular black gemstone, black onyx. Since black sapphires are harder and more reflective than black onyx, they may one day gain a bigger following among fans of black gems.
11. White Sapphires
White sapphires are the chemically pure variety of conundrum. When a corundum gem forms without any trace elements to give it color, you get a colorless white sapphire.
Many sapphires contain inclusions, which are tiny mineral growths, fractures, or other flaws within the stone. Being clear and colorless, a white sapphire is more likely to show these flaws than colored sapphires.
White sapphires are sometimes used as diamond alternatives, as they are colorless like diamonds but more affordable. However, diamonds have greater hardness, brilliance, sparkle, and fire.
Types of Sapphires by Origin
Sapphires are found in various locations around the world. The most well-known sapphire-originating locations are Sri Lanka, Kashmir, Burma, Madagascar, and Montana.
The different geological conditions in each of these regions produces sapphires with distinctive colors and inclusions.
Good to know: Though some regions are famous for their beautiful sapphires, this does not guarantee that every sapphire from a certain region will be of fine quality. Always thoroughly assess sapphire quality factors including color, clarity and cut before making a buying decision.
12. Kashmir Sapphires
Kashmir sapphires are highly prized blue sapphires from the Kashmir region of India, known for their striking coloring and velvety, plush glow created by tiny rutile inclusions that softly diffract light throughout the stone.
Genuine Kashmir blue sapphire is the rarest type of sapphire in the world. The original supply was discovered in 1881, and mined to exhaustion soon after. Few new sapphires are found in Kashmir today, and none matching the quality of the original “Old Mine” stones⁵.
This combination of unique characteristics, rarity, quality, and historical significance makes Kashmir sapphires highly sought-after by gem collectors.
13. Burmese Sapphires
Burmese sapphires are sourced from Myanmar, also known as Burma. Though more renowned for its superlative rubies, Myanmar has been yielding high quality sapphires for centuries.
The most coveted Burmese sapphires display a deep royal blue color, though lighter blue stones are also found. Other colors include purple and white, and more rarely, yellow and green.
Myanmar is also an important producer of star sapphires. Burmese star sapphires are of notably fine quality and can reach impressive sizes, with a few select specimens going into the hundreds of carats⁶.
14. Ceylon Sapphires
Ceylon sapphires come from Sri Lanka, which was historically known as Ceylon. Old names tend to stick in the gemstone trade, so blue sapphires from Sri Lanka are still called Ceylon sapphires.
Alongside those from Kashmir and Burma, Sri Lankan sapphires are considered among the world’s finest blue sapphires. Their blue coloring tends to be lighter and brighter, and they often display high clarity.
Sri Lanka also produces padparadscha and other colors of sapphire including pink, yellow, green and orange. The finest grade Sri Lankan pink sapphires are prized for their strong saturation and vibrant hot pink and fuchsia hues.
15. Madagascar Sapphires
Madagascar sapphires come from Madagascar, an island off the coast of East Africa. Sapphire deposits were discovered there in the 1990s, dramatically changing both the local economy and the global sapphire trade⁷.
Upon their introduction to international markets, Madagascar blue sapphires were often mistaken for Kashmir, Burmese, or Ceylon sapphires. Suddenly, the world had a new major source of fine blue sapphire.
Madagascar is a large island that supports a large variety of sapphire mines. Aside from blue, these yield a wide color spectrum that spans pink, orange, green, white, yellow, and padparadscha.
16. Montana Sapphires
Montana sapphires are famed as the best in the United States, and Montana is the country’s largest source of sapphire production. Though some Montana sapphires show high saturation, most are on the paler side.
The finest Montana sapphires come from the Yogo Gulch⁸. They’re typically small, rarely reaching more than half a carat. Yogo sapphires are scarce and highly sought after by collectors.
Blue sapphires from different Montana locations can reach higher carat weights, and tend to be a lighter, more grayish blue. Other Montana sapphire colors include green, yellow, pink, purple, teal and bi-color.
17. Australian Sapphires
Australian sapphires are less well-known on the world stage. Though sapphire was discovered way back in the 1800s, Australia today is far more renowned for colored diamonds and opals than sapphires.
Blue sapphires from Australia are typically high in iron, which produces a darker color that’s sometimes close to black. Lighter, more vibrant blues are also possible, as are stones in blue-green, green, teal, and yellow hues.
Australia is a leading supplier of parti-colored sapphires, with many gems displaying distinct and attractive color zoning. They usually feature hues of blue, green, and yellow – sometimes all three within the same sapphire.
Types of Sapphires by Phenomena
In the gem trade, stones that exhibit extraordinary optical effects are known as phenomenal. Several different types of phenomena have been observed in sapphires.
18. Star Sapphires
A blue star sapphire cabochon
Star sapphires display asterism, also called the star effect, which gives the appearance of a star shape inside the stone. This rare phenomenon is usually caused by light refracting off strands of rutile (titanium dioxide)¹⁰.
A six-rayed star is the most common, though you can occasionally find a double star sapphire with twelve rays. For its asterism to be visible, the sapphire must be polished into a round cabochon instead of a faceted gem.
Black star sapphires are an especially renowned and mysterious type of star sapphire. The stars in black star sapphires result from gold-colored hematite, creating striking black-and-gold coloring.
19. Parti Sapphires
Parti sapphires display color zoning, meaning that different sapphire colors occur within the same gemstone. They’re also called bi-color sapphires, or polychrome sapphires when they exhibit more than two colors.
This phenomenon occurs when corundum gem material forms with different color-causing elements in different locations. The lines between color zones can be sharp and distinct, or more “fuzzy”.
No two parti sapphires are alike. They are popular among jewelers and consumers who prefer non-traditional sapphire jewelry designs.
20. Color Change Sapphires
Color change sapphires are especially rare and valuable because they absorb different light wavelengths under different lighting conditions, causing them to appear one color by daylight or fluorescent light, and another by incandescent light.
This phenomenon is known as the alexandrite effect, and it’s caused by trace elements within the gem material. Blue-to-purple is the most common color change effect. Sapphires can also display changes of purple-to-pink, green-to-red, and yellow-to-green.
Color change effects in gemstones are usually subtle, which makes sapphires with dramatic color-changing properties much scarcer and more desirable.
Bonus Sapphire Type
21. Lab-Grown Sapphires
Lab-grown sapphires, created in laboratories, are a popular and affordable alternative to natural sapphires. They’re chemically identical to natural sapphires, even using the same color-producing trace elements.
However, there are other important differences. Natural sapphires are formed within the Earth, and bear “birthmarks” of geological activity such as inclusions and other variations within their gem material.
With lab sapphires, growth conditions can be precisely controlled, yielding stones of greater clarity and uniformity. This is a plus for some, but can deter others who prefer the unique character of a natural sapphire.
Ready to learn more about precious gemstones? Take a look through our guides to the different types of rubies and types of emeralds next!
Sources
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- Ruby & Sapphire. “Ruby & Sapphire • Judging Quality & Prices • Part 1.” January 1, 1997. ruby-sapphire.com
- Christie’s. “Blue gems beyond the snow: a collecting guide to Kashmir sapphires.” October 27, 2025. christies.com
- Ganoskin. “Introduction to Burmese Sapphires.” October 15, 2016. ganoskin.com
- Lotus Gemology. “Madagascar Ruby & Sapphire — Ruby & Sapphire — A Gemologist’s Guide.” January 1, 2017. lotusgemology.com
- International Gem Society. “Why We Love Montana Sapphires and Yogo Sapphires.” July 13, 2022. gemsociety.org
- Gemological Institute of America. “Seeking the Legacy of Australian Sapphire.” December 14, 2015. gia.edu
- Estate Diamond Jewelry. “Complete Guide to Star Sapphire.” February 27, 2023. estatediamondjewelry.com
- Custom Made. “Lab vs. natural sapphire.” June 14, 2023. custommade.com