Parti Sapphires

Much like the gemstone Ametrine, Parti Sapphire is a fusion of both Blue and Yellow Sapphires.  This colour zoning is completely natural and is one of the few phenomena unable to be replicated in a lab.  The term ‘Parti’ refers to the bi-colour nature of the stone, presenting a third colour when viewed.  The bond between the Blue and the Yellow zones goes down the atomic level, with no discernible difference between the two apart from the colour.  Both Blue and Yellow in Sapphires are caused by Iron (Fe) inclusions, with only a single electron difference between the two (Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺).  This means that the material is whole, and if you were to examine the crystal on the crystallographic level, you will not notice any difference at the divide between the two colours.

Parti Sapphires can be found all over the world; Africa, Asia and, from Australia.  Australia has by far the largest availability of Parti Sapphires.  Technically speaking, a bi-colour Sapphire is not a Parti Sapphire unless it throws that third colour, but the market tends to refer to any Blue and Yellow Bi-colour Sapphire as Parti.  Like all Sapphires, Parti Sapphires can be Heat Treated, to remove silk impurities; these impurities often appear as a milky cloudiness which can impede vision throughout the stone.  Some Parti Sapphires that are found, do not have this silk present in sufficient amounts to warrant Heat Treatment, this means they can be cut and marketed as completely Natural, Unheated stones.  Parti Sapphires, whilst unique and highly unusual, are not extremely highly regarded on the marketplace – this means that the price for these stones is somewhat low compared to other Sapphires.  Bear in mind that this does not detract from the beauty of these stones.  You can get a great bargain for a fantastic stone this way!

Parti Sapphires share the same benefits as all Sapphires.  They have a Moh’s Hardness of 9.0, second only to Diamonds; this makes them fantastic choices for use in rings.  They are highly resistant to knocks and shocks, they are also very resilient against vibrations, so they can be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner.  They are bright, colourful stones, with a high brilliance and polish, so they can be great for use in everyday jewellery and cleaned intermittently.  Finally, due to their hardness, they are extremely durable and can be expected to last decades in a ring.  You can’t go wrong with any Sapphire!