Certified untreated, unheated natural blue sapphire gems and certified untreated, unheated natural yellow sapphire gems, conflict-free,selected in the sapphire gem mining and sapphire gem cutting centers of Sri Lanka by Bill Kent, Graduate Gemologist Appraiser, specialist in certified untreated, unheated natural sapphire gems. www.sapphires.ca

 

Certified Unheated Natural Sapphire Gems
Your Authentic Choice

 
 
 

Here's Why Your Certified Unheated Sapphire from www.sapphires.ca
is Your Authentic Choice:

You love beauty, originality and true color. You're not blinded by the surface appearance of heat-treated gem stones that have been artificially enhanced in a factory.

Your personal standards demand certified unheated sapphire's authentic color; true color formed by Nature deep within the Earth.

You'll love your unheated sapphire gemstone from www.sapphires.ca

Throughout recorded history, there has never been a worthwhile alternative to gemstone authenticity.

That hasn't changed.

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

sapphire
is the promise of loyalty

sapphire
is the pledge
of fidelity

the gift of sapphire
is the true
symbol
of love
   
 
 
 
 

Definitions:

 
 

Certified Unheated Sapphires:

Sapphire gems free of heat treatment as certified by an independent, "third-party" gemological laboratory. .

 
 
 

Clarity Grading:

Sapphire clarity grades are assigned when a trained, experienced gemologist examines the gem "face-up" under controlled lighting without magnification. .

Sapphire clarity grades are assigned without magnification. Sapphire clarity grades are determined by an inclusion's visibility, or lack of visibility, to the naked eye.. This is the procedure at the major Gem Labs. .

This is in sharp contrast to diamond grading where 10X magnification is required.

The top sapphire clarity grade at American Gemological Laboratory is "Free of Inclusion" . and the top sapphire clarity grade at Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences is "Flawless". . According to the Gemological Institute of America's Revised Colored Stone Grading Lab Manual, . the top clarity grade for sapphire is "Eye clean". .

These grades are assigned when an experienced, fully-trained gem-grader is unable to see any inclusions under ideal lighting conditions and without magnification. .

When examined under magnification, almost all sapphires show some natural inclusions, regardless. of whether these inclusions are visible to the naked eye. So, a sapphire that is honestly graded . "Flawless" or "Free of Inclusion" or "Eye-clean" almost certainly contains inclusions at some level of. magnification. (As do most Flawless diamonds!).

10X is the basis for diamond clarity grading.

Naked-eye is the basis for sapphire clarity grading.

Diamonds and sapphires almost always show natural inclusions if the magnification is high enough.

FL LI1    LI2 MI1    MI2 HI1   HI2 EI1    EI2    EI3
  Flawless Lightly
Included		 Moderately
Included		 Highly
Included		 Extremely
Included
 

Flawless Sapphires show no inclusions to the unaided eye when examined by a trained, experienced grader using an ideal light source. .


Lightly Included 1 (LI1) is the next clarity grade below Flawless.
Lightly Included 1 describes a gem that has just the tiniest inclusion, barely visible to the unaided eye. of a trained, experienced grader..

Lightly Included 2 ( LI2) is similar but with one or two more inclusions, of the same minute size.
LI1/LI2 inclusions are so small that most people cannot see them without magnification, even after. intense scrutiny of the gem. .


Moderately Included 1 (MI1) inclusions are minor inclusions that don't affect beauty or durability. These inclusions are often not visible to the casual observer..

Moderately Included 2 (MI2) inclusions have a slight effect on appearance but do not affect brilliance. These inclusions are often not visible to the casual observer. .
Inclusions in MI1/MI2 gems are so small that many people cannot see them without magnification. .

 

Highly Included 1 (HI1) Inclusions are obvious and have a slight effect on appearance and brilliance.

Highly Included 2 (HI2) Inclusions are obvious and have a significant effect on appearance and brilliance..

 

Extremely Included 1 (EI1) Inclusions are prominent with significant effect on appearance, brilliance and transparency..

Extremely Included 2 (EI2) Inclusions are numerous and prominent throughout gem with severe effect on appearance, brilliance, transparency and durability..


 
 
 

Unheated Sapphires:
sapphire gems whose color has not been thermally-enhanced.

 
 
 

Thermal-enhancement (heat-treatment):
an industrial process engineered to convert.dull gray corundum into the type of sapphire commonly . sold by ordinary gem-dealers and jewelers...

 
 
 

Diffusion Treatment :
high-heat, industrial process plus the addition of titanium.or beryllium. Diffusion treatment of gems is. artificial coloration, either on the surface.of the stone (easy to detect) or penetrating all the way .
through the stone.(extremely difficult to detect). By eliminating ALL heat-treated gemstones, we . eliminate ALL.diffusion-treated gemstones. .

 
 
 

Cornflower Color
Cornflower plants grow wild in the mining district of Ratnapura; their flowers are. beautiful, deepest, . richest blue with a unique warm glow..

In Sri Lanka, the term cornflower has a very specific meaning when describing blue sapphire. Cornflower color sapphires are very rare and highly valued. .

Unfortunately, the term has become meaningless because many dealers in North. America use the term to describe virtually any blue sapphire.

 

Kashmir Color
Considered by many connoisseurs to be the ultimate sapphire color. To the best of my . knowledge, . the mines in Kashmir have been closed for decades. Once in a while, an. . "estate" piece shows up, . usually at auction in one of the big auction houses such as.. Sotheby's. Kashmir sapphires are . beautiful, no question. . . .

They're also so rare they're almost unattainable by ordinary mortals. I've only seen a . few in a lifetime spent in the gem trade. I've never owned one.. . .
 
 

"Natural" Sapphires:
sapphire gems found in the.earth as opposed to . synthetic stones made in a factory.. .
The Term "Natural" does.not mean freedom .
from treatment.. .
Almost all natural sapphire gems .are thermally-. enhanced but are.still called "natural" because, . before.treatment, they came from a mine rather . than.a factory..

Every sapphire gem on www.sapphires.ca is
Natural:
mined from the Earth
AND
Unheated:
free of thermal-enhancement
AND
Untreated:
free of diffusion and clarity-enhancement.

 

Sapphires,
blue as evening’s sky and.
bright as mid-day arc above this earth.
and.
Golden sapphire; .
sweet yellow gold: warm sunlight.
In cool crystal form..

"Bill Kent's passion, knowledge and appreciation for sapphires made my entire purchasing experience a pleasure!  I was so impressed that his ultimate goal was for me to love the stone. 

The stone arrived and it was fabulous!! 

He also provided me with an appraisal and lab certificates proving authenticity.  After searching many high-end jewelers for nearly two years, I can say that my experience with Bill Kent was superb: a beautiful, natural, unheated sapphire; a very fair price and efficient service from start to finish. 

Thank you so much and I look forward to doing business again!"

Mary Beth Greene, Fairhope, AL

How Do We Know These Are Unheated Sapphires?

Valuable information from Canada's most experienced
gemologist/specialist.in unheated, untreated sapphire gemstones:.

Heat treatment of sapphire modifies the gem's internal structure.

Heat treatment also modifies the natural variations.in structure and composition known.as 'inclusions'...

.
Silk indicates no heat treatment The type of inclusion known as "Silk", when intact and unaltered,.indicates unheated sapphire. .
Silk is.the term for the mineral named 'rutile' which. forms microscopically.thin strands within . sapphires..This photograph.shows intact, undamaged . silk (highly-magnified). Unaltered silk is.the natural indicator of unheated . sapphire. .

 

Every sapphire on this site is a unique.creation of nature, containing its own, one-of-a-kind.pattern of.natural, unaltered inclusions.indicating.freedom.
from heat-treatment...

.

 

My name is Bill Kent. My life's work has been grading,
evaluating and importing valuable.gemstones...

lUsing a precise gemological microscope, I select.Microscopic examination
unheated sapphires,.primarily in the higher clarity grades..
.
I identify, and guarantee,.the unheated status of sapphires.based on very, very slight inclusions... After my study of each gem, it's submitted to an Independent Gemological.Laboratory for further testing. .


Visual examination and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) conclusively determine every sapphire on www.sapphires.ca is an.unheated . sapphire. .

Unheated sapphires are unique gems, treasured throughout history for their Rarity and Authenticity. Their beauty is created by Nature, not by human manipulation.

But not everyone cares about natural beauty. Most consumers and jewelers don't care (or maybe they just don't know) they're buying a heat-treated sapphire.

For people who don't care, there is a never-ending supply of enhanced stones, modified and manipulated to mimic untreated gems.

But for those of us who prefer natural sapphire beauty, free of "enhancement", unheated sapphires become rarer by the day.


GIA

Graduate Gemologist (GIA). comprehensive. training in.Gem . Identification and. Grading with . Certificate in.Gem . and Jewelry . Appraisal and . advanced study of . Gem Treatments...

 


AIGS










Education at Asian Institute of Gemological.Sciences,.Bangkok, . Thailand included.Advanced.Techniques for .determining Gem. Treatments and . Gem Identification.


Inclusions in Sapphires

When examined under a gemological microscope, virtually every gemstone
reveals inclusions.Small (microscopic) inclusions have almost no impact on the value
of colored gems, including sapphires.

Large inclusions reduce value. If inclusions are large enough, value is reduced by eighty or ninety per cent.

 

 
 
 
 

Frequent travel to the mines of Sri Lanka is essential to select
superior-quality.unheated sapphire gemstones. .
Here we're using.the ancient technique to recover rough gem crystals from gravel . excavated.from the mines--the first step in the long journey your untreated .sapphire.travels to you..

 
 




"Rough Sapphire" : uncut, unpolished sapphire crystals found in the mines.
.

Sri Lanka is the island-nation near the southern tip of India and is the world's primary producer of superior quality sapphires.

Sri Lankan origin doesn't indicate freedom from treatment. Heat treatment of sapphire is now widespread in Sri Lanka.

 
 
 

A note about gem mining in Sri Lanka:

Mining practices in Sri Lanka are government-regulated to reduce negative environmental and social impact. Use of Heavy-equipment and strip-mining are prohibited. All the mining operations I'm familiar with are small operations in which each participant shares in the profit of the venture.

Mine shafts are dug using hand-tools. When the underground source-gravel is located, the gem-bearing gravel is scooped into wicker baskets which are either carried or thrown in-relay up to the surface. Once the gravel is above-ground, rough sapphire crystals are separated by "panning" in water--similar to panning for gold.

Sapphire crystals are heavier (higher specific-gravity) than most gravel so sapphires sink to the bottom of the wicker basket, while the gravel is washed over the side. This process is repeated until only rough gems remain.

It's fair to say that sapphire mining in Sri Lanka is ethical; it's done with safeguards for the environment and with a tradition of sharing in the profit when gems are found. But it's still dangerous and sometimes yields nothing for the people who take the risks.

 

 
 
 

Canadian and American Clients: Your gem purchases are free of taxes, customs fees and shipping charges. .

You pay nothing extra.

 

Canadian Clients receive all items "taxes and shipping included".
.

American Clients: Your gems are free of import taxes, customs duties and shipping charges.

Plus, you receive an Export Discount of 5%.


International Clients: You receive an Export Discount of 5%.

 

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The Canadian Dollar has gained strength and now I can purchase gems in Asia at

much better prices. So I'm passing this saving on to you.

 

Effective immediately, all items are reduced by 12% from list price. Please subtract

12% from prices shown on-site. All Canadian, American and International Clients

immediately qualify for this benefit.

 

The Export Discount of 5% for American and International clients is calculated after

subtracting the 12% price reduction.

 

Please contact me at billkent@islandnet.com  with any questions you may have.

 

I'm often travelling so, please forgive if I'm slow to respond when you email or phone. Thanks!

 

 

Returns

Every sapphire on this site comes with a 30 day, full-refund return policy.

I ask only that you return the gem in its original condition and that it hasn't been set into a piece of jewelry prior to its return.

If you'd like more information about returns, please contact me at: billkent@islandnet.com

 
 
 
My Profile
       
           
 

Bill Kent G.G.

  

..Professional buyer in the gem-cutting and mining areas of the world since1972.

 

 
 

 

 
                 
  Member  

American Gem Trade Association

AGTA Members are proud to uphold the highest ethical standards in their business practices, agreeing to the Association's strict Code of Ethics and full disclosure of gemstone enhancements.

 Member  

National Association of Jewelry Appraisers

Strict standards of gem valuation are required of members of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers. I've applied these strict standards to all of the items on this site.

 
 

Training

  

Graduate Gemologist (G.G.) with Appraisal Certificate
(Gemological Institute of America)

Professional education and recognition from the leading Gemological Institute guides my selection process and ensures the untreated status of your sapphire.

 
Advanced Training
 

...

Gem Grading and Appraisal Certificate
(Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand)

Advanced, specialized, in-depth education in the separation of treated and untreated sapphires further protects your investment in your untreated sapphire.

 
                 
 
 

Why Do I Specialize in Unheated, Untreated Sapphires?   

Because authenticity is crucial to me. For me, gem-treatment is a deal-breaker, no matter how attractive a stone may seem.

In fact, 20 years ago I left the gem business because I couldn't accept thermal-enhancement.

Thermal-enhancement is the high-heat industrial process engineered to convert dull gray corundum into the type of sapphire commonly sold by jewelers and gem-dealers.

Then, on a research trip to Thailand, I discovered the Asian Institute of Gemmological Sciences. So I went back to gemology school in Bangkok, ground-zero of the gem-treatment industry. I studied at the Asian Institute of Gemmological Sciences, Thailand, under the expert guidance of Kenneth Scarratt, one of the most distinguished gemologists and researchers in modern gemology. He taught me to identify and separate unheated sapphires from enhanced stones.

After intenstive study, I spent months searching and found a few unheated sapphires; gems completely free of artificial color, enhancements and treatments. I saw a way to return to gems and still maintain high standards and ethics: specialize exclusively in untreated gems.

And that's what I do.
 
 

William Kent Corporation

P O Box 5544 ...Victoria.. BC ..Canada .V8R 6S4

Tel: ..250-595-6024 In Canada call toll free: 1-800-656-5368

email:billkent@islandnet.com.www.sapphires.ca

. your best source for untreated sapphires .

  
 
 

A note about www.sapphires.ca:

I'm responsible for everything that happens here.

I select the gems.

I guarantee each gem's authenticity and freedom from treatment.

I guarantee the accuracy and truth of every statement and description.

I guarantee satisfaction or money-refunded.

My membership in the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers and The American Gem Trade Association requires the highest ethical standards. It requires full disclosure regarding gem-treatment.

And it means: no "sharp" business practices, no "gray areas", no misrepresentation,
no exaggerated claims. Just the straight goods and honest dealing.

Sincerely,

Bill Kent

 
 
 
 
 
unheated pink sapphires  unheated white sapphires

 

  
 
 
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