1.93 ct Emerald-Cut Vivid Blue Sapphire, Sri Lanka

What Actually Matters Here

• ColorVivid Blue

  You can see this

  In a gemstone, color is most of the price and most of the beauty. Judge it in the photographs and video rather than by its name: two stones given the same color can look quite different, and the one you prefer may cost less.

• Tone and Saturation

  You can see this

  Tone is how light or dark the color is; saturation is how strong it is. The most valued colors are usually a medium to medium-dark tone with strong saturation: much darker can look inky in dim light, much lighter can look washed out. A word like "vivid" in the color adds to the price, so check that the video agrees.

• TreatmentHeated

  Heated: heat was used to improve the stone's color or clarity. It is the most common treatment for sapphire and ruby, and the result is permanent. A stone a lab confirms was never heated costs more for the same look.

• Listed OriginSri Lanka

  Matters for price, not for looks

  Where the stone was mined, as its supplier lists it. Only a laboratory's origin report confirms an origin, and many reports state none, so check this stone's report if the source matters to you. A famous origin can add a great deal to the price without changing how the stone looks.

• The ReportGIA

  GIA, an independent laboratory, graded this stone. Its report records what the stone is, its weight and measurements, and any treatment the lab found. Read it before you buy; it travels with the stone.