The Cornflower Blue Sapphire from Sri Lanka – Truly Royal!

In the world of gemstones, there are three imperial sisters who has reined over any dynasty and rules. Their status - The three royal princesses of gems have withstood the test of time. They have stood high and proud in value and demand over many years and they are The Sapphire, The Ruby and The Emerald!

Amongst these three sisters, my favourite is the sapphire. This fancy stone can be found in as many colours as the rainbow and sometimes even more than one colour in a stone but if someone tells you that she knows Sapphires but not the “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire, then she is definitely trying to pull a fast one! Don’t waste your time talking to this one! The legendary “Cornflower Blue” is one of the two most coveted colours when it comes to blue sapphire. Many Tai Tais go on a ceaseless hunt for this coveted colour sacrificing much money along the way. In fact, this colour is so rare that it has been said that once you see it, you will not forget it!

But Why Sri Lanka?! While there are also sapphires to be found in the Land of a Thousand Smiles, Amazing Thailand and Madagascar, the stones from these two countries are considered by many Tai Tais to be poor substitutes for the poor. Thai Sapphires appear to be darker (colour wise, Thai Sapphires can sometimes be almost black!!!) than the Sri Lanka ones while the ones mined from Madagascar appear to be less rich and intense in terms of its hue of blue. It also often presents a rather false-grey-ish metallic sheen that the Sri Lanka Sapphires do not have.

So what is this Legendary “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire! What is a “Cornflower”?

A Cornflower but which blue? (Source: www.wikipedia.org)

So when we look for a “Cornflower Blue” Sapphire, do we look for the colour in the centre of the flower or the colour of the petals? In my experience, when you see a cornflower blue you will know. The feeling is like seeing a perfect male specimen naked in the most unexpected of places like a mall on Christmas Eve! It leaves you breathless! Many have gone to the extent of matching the colour with a pantone code and so on but to me, it is really futile because the legendary cornflower comprises more than merely colour. There has to be luster and scintillation, which takes a master craftsman to bring out. Like a man who is good looking who has a great body and possesses a well-developed fire-fighting department! What’s the use of mere looks when you cannot satisfy the woman!?