Question 1

Are Madagascar sapphires as good as Ceylon sapphires?

Accepted Answer

Fine Madagascar sapphires can match Ceylon stones in colour and clarity, and the two can be so similar that laboratories sometimes find them difficult to separate. Some buyers still prefer a Ceylon origin on the report, and that preference can affect price. For jewellery, the individual stone's colour, clarity and cut matter more than the country named on the report.

Question 2

Where in Madagascar are sapphires mined?

Accepted Answer

Major sapphire areas include Ilakaka and the surrounding region in the south, the Ambatondrazaka area in the east, where a large find was made in 2016, and basaltic deposits in the far north. Much of the mining is artisanal, and output from individual deposits can rise and fall quickly as new areas are discovered and worked out.

Question 3

Are Madagascar sapphires heated?

Accepted Answer

Most are, as with sapphires from other sources. Heating improves colour and clarity and is widely accepted when disclosed. Unheated Madagascar sapphires with fine colour are available but command a premium. Confirming that a stone is unheated requires laboratory testing, and for pink and orange stones buyers should also make sure the report addresses beryllium diffusion.

Question 4

Can a lab tell a Madagascar sapphire from a Sri Lankan one?

Accepted Answer

Often, but not always. Laboratories use inclusions, trace-element chemistry and spectroscopy to form an origin opinion, and some Madagascar and Sri Lankan sapphires overlap in all of these. In such cases a lab may give a more cautious opinion or decline to state origin, and different labs can occasionally reach different conclusions on the same stone.

Madagascar Sapphires