Why Sapphires, Rubies and Emeralds Often Outvalue Diamonds
Whilst diamonds dominate the popular imagination, the world's most valuable gemstones belong to an exclusive group known as the "Big Three" precious stones: sapphires, rubies and emeralds. At South Coast Jewellers, we regularly encounter clients across Bournemouth, Poole and the wider Dorset region who are astonished to discover that a seemingly modest coloured gemstone piece is worth considerably more than their diamond jewellery.
The finest sapphires, rubies and emeralds come from very specific geographic regions, and geological rarity combined with restricted supply has created an exceptionally tight market for top-quality stones. In 2026, a fine 3-carat Kashmir sapphire can command upwards of 50,000 pounds per carat, whilst a comparable diamond might fetch a fraction of that figure. Understanding what drives these values is the first step towards recognising hidden wealth in your own collection. If you already know your piece contains diamonds, our diamond selling guide covers the 4Cs in detail.
These gemstones also carry centuries of cultural significance. Rubies are known as the "King of Gems," symbolising passion and power. Sapphires are associated with royalty and divine favour, most famously in Princess Diana's engagement ring. Emeralds were prized by Cleopatra and represent rebirth and wisdom. This emotional connection drives collector demand and supports premium pricing, particularly for pieces with documented provenance.
Sapphire Varieties and Valuation Factors
Many people are surprised to learn that sapphires occur in virtually every colour except red (which is classified as ruby, since both are varieties of the mineral corundum). When evaluating sapphires, professional gemologists consider several distinct varieties.
Blue Sapphires: The Classic Choice
Blue sapphires range from pale cornflower to deep royal blue. The most desirable shade is a vivid, medium-toned blue without excessive darkness or grey undertones. Stones from different geographic origins display subtly different characteristics that affect both beauty and market value.
The Kashmir Sapphire: Pinnacle of Value
Kashmir sapphires, mined briefly in the 1880s from a remote Himalayan location, represent the absolute pinnacle of sapphire quality. These stones display a distinctive "velvety" appearance with exceptional colour saturation, caused by fine rutile silk inclusions that scatter light internally.
Key identification characteristics include a cornflower blue colour with slight violet undertones, a silky almost glowing appearance, and exceptional transparency despite the internal silk. Kashmir sapphires regularly achieve 30,000 to 100,000 pounds or more per carat at international auctions, placing them among the world's most valuable gemstones.
Ceylon and Australian Sapphires
Sri Lankan (Ceylon) sapphires offer excellent quality with better availability, ranging from pale to deep royal blue. Many are heat-treated to improve colour, which is standard industry practice and has only a minimal impact on value. Fine Ceylon stones can achieve 500 to 15,000 pounds per carat depending on quality and size.
Australian sapphires, particularly from New South Wales, tend towards darker blues with slight green undertones and frequently show colour banding. They are generally valued below Kashmir or Ceylon material, but fine examples remain genuinely valuable. Other sapphire colours including pink, yellow, white and the rare padparadscha (a pink-orange variety) each have their own collector following and valuation criteria.
Ruby Valuation: Understanding the Pigeon Blood Standard
The finest rubies display what gemologists call "pigeon blood" red, a pure, intense red with slight blue undertones. This colour description originated in Burma (Myanmar) and remains the benchmark for premium ruby grading worldwide.
Colour, Clarity and Origin
Ruby valuation centres on four key colour factors. Hue matters most: pure red is the most valuable, whilst pink or orange overtones reduce worth. Saturation refers to the intensity of colour, with vivid tones preferred over pale or overly dark stones. Tone should ideally be medium to medium-dark. Finally, distribution of colour throughout the stone should be even rather than patchy.
Burmese rubies from the Mogok region have set auction records, including the Sunrise Ruby which sold for 24 million pounds at Sotheby's. These stones exhibit exceptional colour, often with fine silk inclusions and strong red fluorescence under ultraviolet light. Thai rubies tend towards darker reds with brown undertones and are routinely heat-treated, placing them significantly below untreated Burmese material in value. More recently, African sources in Mozambique and Madagascar have produced some exceptional stones that rival Burmese quality, though the market is still building confidence in these newer origins.
Emerald Valuation: Embracing Natural Inclusions
Emeralds present unique valuation challenges because inclusions, known as "jardin" (French for garden), are expected and even accepted as part of the stone's character. The key question is whether the inclusions affect the stone's beauty and structural integrity.
Colombian Emeralds: The Quality Benchmark
Colombian emeralds, particularly from the Muzo and Chivor mines, set the worldwide quality standard. Muzo emeralds display a deep, intense green with slight blue undertones and are often heavily included but possess exceptional colour, commanding 2,000 to 20,000 pounds or more per carat for fine examples. Chivor emeralds tend towards a slightly lighter green with blue overtones and generally offer better clarity.
Zambian emeralds have gained significant market recognition in recent years, offering deeper, more saturated greens than Colombian stones with noticeably fewer inclusions. They are also less likely to be oiled, which is a positive factor for collectors. Brazilian emeralds show wide quality variation and are typically valued below Colombian or Zambian material.
Treatment Status and Its Impact on Value
Unlike diamonds, most coloured gemstones undergo some form of treatment to enhance their appearance. Heat treatment in sapphires and rubies is widely accepted and has minimal impact on value for standard heating. Oil or resin filling in emeralds is a traditional treatment that fills surface-reaching fractures, described by laboratories as minor, moderate or significant. Diffusion treatment and irradiation are less accepted and can significantly reduce a stone's value.
The critical point for sellers is that unheated, untreated stones command the highest prices. A natural, unheated Burmese ruby will achieve many times the value of an identical-looking heated Thai stone. This is why laboratory certification of treatment status is so important for valuable coloured gemstones. With over two decades of specialist experience, South Coast Jewellers can help you understand treatment status and its impact on your stones' value — our professional testing equipment and gemological knowledge mean you receive an accurate assessment, not a guesswork offer.
Why Geographic Origin Can Multiply a Gemstone's Value
Origin determination can dramatically affect pricing. A ruby certified as Burmese might be worth ten times more than a visually identical stone of unknown or less prestigious origin. This premium reflects the rarity of historic sources (many are now depleted or politically restricted), the quality reputation associated with certain locations, and the strong collector and investor preferences that drive the market.
Modern gemological laboratories use sophisticated techniques to determine origin, including spectroscopy to identify trace elements, microscopic inclusion studies, and chemical analysis compared against known reference samples. For valuable coloured gemstones, origin certification from recognised laboratories such as the Gubelin Gem Lab, SSEF, GIA or Lotus Gemology is essential. A certificate can add 30 to 100 per cent to a stone's value, making the cost of certification well worthwhile for gems valued above 5,000 pounds.
How to Identify Potentially Valuable Coloured Gemstones
Before seeking professional evaluation, you can perform a basic initial assessment of your own jewellery.
Visual Clues Worth Noting
Look for vivid, appealing colour that appears uniform throughout the stone. Check whether you can see through the stone clearly and whether any visible inclusions detract from its beauty. Size matters significantly: stones over two carats become exponentially more valuable, though even smaller stones can be worth a great deal if they exhibit exceptional quality.
Consider seeking a professional assessment if your stones display exceptional colour saturation, are over one carat for rubies and emeralds or two carats or more for sapphires, are mounted in platinum or high-carat gold settings, come with any historical provenance or family history, or appear to date from the Victorian, Edwardian or Art Deco periods. If you have inherited gemstone jewellery and are deciding whether to keep or sell, a professional valuation is particularly important to inform your choice.
Stones Commonly Confused with Precious Gems
Be aware that certain stones are frequently mistaken for their more valuable counterparts. Amethyst can resemble sapphire, citrine may be confused with yellow sapphire, and garnet often looks like ruby but is significantly less valuable. Conversely, some stones are routinely undervalued: spinel (often confused with ruby) can be quite valuable, tsavorite garnet can rival emerald prices, and Paraiba tourmaline is an extremely rare copper-bearing stone that commands extraordinary sums.
The Role of Settings and Period in Gemstone Jewellery Value
The setting of a coloured gemstone can add substantially to its overall worth, particularly when the piece dates from a notable design period. Art Deco pieces from the 1920s and 1930s, with their geometric designs and calibre-cut gemstones, are highly sought after. Victorian pieces with romantic designs and rose-cut diamonds, and Edwardian platinum work with its characteristic delicacy, all command premiums above the value of their stones and metal alone. Our antique Georgian jewellery guide explores how period attribution affects pricing.
Signed pieces by notable makers such as Cartier, Van Cleef and Arpels, or Bvlgari add yet another layer of value. Even lesser-known but respected British jewellers can lift a piece well above its intrinsic material worth if their work is recognised by the collector market. If your gemstone piece also features a precious metal setting, understanding how gold valuation works helps you appreciate the full picture — the metal and the stone each contribute to the total offer.
Get Your Coloured Gemstones Professionally Valued
Understanding the complexities of sapphire, ruby and emerald valuation empowers you to recognise potentially valuable stones in your collection and make informed decisions about selling or insuring them. These gemstones often represent generational wealth, passed down through families without full recognition of their true worth.
At South Coast Jewellers, we bring specialist gemological equipment and decades of market knowledge directly to your home across Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Southampton, Portsmouth and the entire South Coast. Our enhanced DBS-checked staff are fully insured, and every item is assessed individually — we look for maker, age, and condition premiums above scrap value, recognising designer, antique, and collectible worth that less experienced buyers routinely miss. Unlike general jewellery buyers who might dismiss coloured stones as low-value, we recognise and properly value exceptional sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Our clients regularly discover that what they thought was "grandmother's old ring" contains a gemstone worth far more than expected. We actively encourage you to get multiple quotes — we are confident our prices compete.
Whether you are curious about a family heirloom, considering selling inherited gemstone jewellery, or simply want to understand what you own, a professional evaluation ensures you have accurate information about quality, origin and current market value. Book a free home-visit valuation or contact us to discuss your coloured gemstones with one of our specialists.