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Trillion
Origin
Montana Sapphires
Well the name of this sapphire is a dead giveaway, but this sapphire comes from what is dubbed “the treasure state”, Montana. Stumbled upon in the 1860’s during the Gold Rush, prospectors considered these gems to be worthless because no nearby facility could polish or facet the stones. Little did they know, these gems were actually unique. Can you imagine passing up on these?!
Fancy Montana sapphires are primarily located on the western half of the state and are found in three different areas: Rock Creek, Dry Cottonwood Creek, and by the Missouri River near Helena.
Teal Sapphires
Teal sapphires also come from three different locations but with this type of gem, they are found on the other side of the world! Madagascar, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka are where these stones can be found but don’t fret, they are ethically sourced due to mining restrictions. Here at our shop, we pride ourselves on sustainability and community! All of our vetted suppliers and partners practice our similar ethics and purpose. Our shop never low balls our suppliers so that our partners can share their earnings with their local community. Change starts from the buyers being fair and the partners supporting our commitment!
Appearance
Montana Sapphires
Prior to the development of heat treatments, Montana sapphires were pale in appearance which ended up making them not favorable among many. The appearance of a Montana sapphire varied depending on which of the three locations they were discovered. Rock creek sapphires were found to come in a variety of hues including oranges, pinks, greens, yellows, and light blues. In Dry Cottonwood Creek, sapphires were typically a pale blue or green with a slightly frosted surface.
Some sapphires found in the Missouri River had a unique color change element to them because they had trace elements of vanadium in them. In the daylight, the gem would often appear blue and violet to purple in incandescent light. What about those that look pale? They have a lovely shift in color where they go from a sky blue to lavender. Cool, right?! Overall, the general thing that you will notice about Montana sapphires is that they have a “steely” grey component to their coloring.
With this information in mind, should you see suppliers offer Montana sapphires and they don’t bear the characteristics above, chances are these sapphires are not from Montana. Another interesting fact is that most bluish Montana sapphires come under 1ct in size due to the rough size that it is naturally found. It’s rare to find vibrant teals or blues in Montana sapphires without traces of frostiness or haziness. This is the reason why our teal and blue sapphires are from other countries where local minerals create more vibrant colors!
Teal Sapphires
Teal sapphires come in a unique variety of hues of their own that are oh-so stunning. These gems can be a light green teal to a rich deep teal. Teal sapphires can also have a color change effect and when you stumble upon one of those, they are valuable!
At our shop, we have an extensive teal sapphire collection that has colors ranging anywhere from mossy seafoam teal to deep teal! Did we mention that we also offer eye-catching bi-color gems? Our shop specializes in unique colors and patterns so if you don’t see something specific, we may have it hidden in our safe! Not all of our one of a kind gemstones are listed. Let’s just say we have “many hidden secrets”. Feel free to contact us to learn more.
Maintenance & Durability
One thing that both sapphires have in common is their durability and maintenance. Sapphires altogether rank a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and are durable if the proper care is taken. We offer a free cleaning and tightening service for the lifetime of our products and recommend stopping by or shipping it to us every 3-6 months to be inspected. We want to keep your jewelry sparkling and shining!
Cost
Montana Sapphire
Due to the limited resources for the Montana sapphires, a majority of the natural Montana sapphires will be under 1ct. To be specific, the majority is under 1/2ct and a very limited supply of the sapphires are over 1ct, which makes the stone substantially more expensive per carat. Typical Montana sapphire can cost anywhere from $250-$1500 per carat for under 1/2ct to upwards of $7000 per carat for larger than 5 carats. Price is dependent on the quality of the gemstone (i.e. color, clarity, cut, and carat).
Teal Sapphire
When it comes to cost, a teal sapphire piece all depends on the size and coloring of the stone. Our shop offers teal sapphire rings that range anywhere from $750-$15,000 depending on the quality, size, & origin. Typically, international teal sapphires will be less expensive per carat than Montana sapphires at a similar size and quality. This is because the country where the sapphire harbors has larger roughs and the minerals are abundant which allows for more regular consistent growth. We prefer to buy when the season is right and when Mother Nature decides to release the stones! We are not biased with where the gemstones are from as long as our partners practice our similar ethos. There’s sure to be something that suits each sapphire lover’s taste.
What L&P Offers
Here at Love & Promise, we have quite the collection of teal sapphires & rings that are truly one of a kind (literally, no two sapphires are alike)! If there is a particular sapphire shade that you have been longing for, we can certainly do our best to find the one that you are looking for. Don’t see a sapphire ring that you like? Check out our custom design process! We can help create your unique sapphire piece that you can wear for years to come. Feel free to contact us to learn more - we can’t wait to hear from you!
Feel more confident now that you understand the differences between Montana sapphires and teal sapphires? As always, be sure to follow us on our socials, check out our website, and subscribe to our newsletter to see what’s new here at Love & Promise. Catch you next time, Rosettes!
