How cut affects the value of sapphire
How well a sapphire is cut affects its value and beauty. A well cut sapphire reflects the maximum amount of light and dazzles the viewer with sparkle. A poorly cut sapphire will have uneven facets and will let light escape rather than reflect. Note that when it comes to a gemstone’s cut, the quality affects the vale not the shape.
Because natural sapphire is such a precious material, and it naturally forms in shallow, short crystals, a cutter will often cut it too shallow rather than cut away valuable material. This means that most of the sapphires available are cut in such a way that they are too flat. A sapphire that is cut too flat (called “fish eye”) lets light escape though the bottom rather than reflecting it.
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| Very Poor Cut: We have a slight side view of this sapphire gemstone, allowing us to see how shallow it has been cut. This gemstone reflects very little light. | “fish eye”: This cut is better, but still disappointing. We see sparkle around the edges, but none in the middle. | Mediocre cut: There is more sparkle in this saphire but if you look closely, you will see that the facets are uneven. | Excellent cut: The cut of this sapphire is perfect. light is reflected from each facet inside the stone and the facets are neat and even. |
How size affects the value of sapphire
How color affects the value of sapphire
How cut affects the value of sapphire
Sapphire meaning and symbology
Treatments, synthetics and imitations of sapphire