Quick question about royal blue colour in sapphires

[Macky]

So today I was speaking to one of my vendors and he wrote me this when I asked him about the royal blue of one of his sapphires: 'All royal Blue Sapphire looks black with blue shimmer coming out of it.'

Could someone please confirm if that is true? Seems a bit suspicious to me. I thought royal blue in sapphires meant BLUE. Thanks!

 

[ExoticGems]

This is not true royals blues can be dark but not all royals blues are dark. if you do a quick google search you can see a range of royals blues most of which are a intense blue color that is not overly dark.

 

[Macky]

Yeah I know- I've obviously done that! He claims in an earlier comment that from a distance all royal blue looks black... I find that hard to believe!

 

[ExoticGems]

he is not telling the truth, from a distance or up close good royals blues will simply be a intense blue color not black unless they are lower in quality. I've never owned a royal blue sapphire but I've seen many of them in person and even from across a room their blue is very distinguishable.

 

[Macky]

Yes- that's exactly what I thought!!!! And that's pretty much what I told him. Lol.

 

[ExoticGems]

I wouldn't purchase from him, he may be uninformed or trying to sell you a stone he cannot sell under the name royal blue which it most likley isn't.

 

[Macky]

I agree.

 

[normanintheskywithsapphires]

What could be 'royal blue' in being 'black'?

 

[Arcadian]

There's tons of older threads on sapphires color.

here's a good one https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/grs-royal-blue-vs-just-blue-sapphires.200291/

I think its worth a look in the archives

 

[Seaglow]

I have seen reports by labs who can indicate a notation as "Royal Blue" such as Lotus and GRS and in most cases, they are indeed dark. Not a bad dark, the description of almost black with blue shimmers can be accurate and beautiful at the same time in some lighting conditions and though hard to imagine, mesmerizing at top quality stones. The stones that are dark for "Western standards" can be sought after in Asia. As @Burmesedaze said in another post, the Royal Blue is on the dark side - the color long-time dealers in Myanmar and Thailand would consider Royal Blue color.

This is a Royal Blue with a Gubelin report. Imagine it is some lighting condition, it can look darker.

 

[Seaglow]

Another photo with a Lotus report of Royal Blue.

 

[Macky]

Another photo with a Lotus report of Royal Blue.

Is it accurate his description then? 'All royal
blue looks black with blue shimmer coming out of it?'

 

[Burmesedaze]

Is it accurate his description then? 'All royal
blue looks black with blue shimmer coming out of it?'

No, not all. It's true that some considered "royal blue" locally have more black than blue without a strong light source. But there are dark royal blues that have more blue glints than black. It's hard to describe, you just have to train your eyes with seeing more gemstones.

My jewellers I'm closest to locally always dissuade me from buying the overly dark royal blues with more black than blue. But they do stock up, because there is a demand (not just from the locals, but also foreigners) and the darker ones do come in larger sizes (at least they percolate to the local market rather than heading straight overseas).

A sapphire mine owner here that owns the concession for the current top producing sapphire mine here in terms of quantity production has plenty of dark royal blues, but many run too dark. They also find 30 - 40 ct size regularly, but they are more black than even dark blue so no one buys them.

 

[Seaglow]

Is it accurate his description then? 'All royal
blue looks black with blue shimmer coming out of it?'

In brighter lights, it will be more blue. But not all lighting conditions. It can be dark in some lighting conditions IMHO.

 

[Macky]

Plus, won't it look much darker when set??

 

[T L]

Royal blue, just like terms pigeon blood red, cornflower blue, cobalt blue, etc... are metaphors used to describe color. The problem is that they're subjective depending on the vendor or the lab assigning them.

To your vendor, his idea of royal blue is his opinion, so he's not exactly wrong as there is no widely approved standard for these metaphors.

I would go by saturation and tone levels as defined by an objective lab like AGL.

 

[valeria101]

I never use the term 'Royal Blue' because I am not sure what it means. I can love convincing saturation in extreme dark or light tones [& gray - some days]. Prices are somethign else - bow to The Market - whoever that is ...

A couple of the great labs would issue reports with the label 'Royal Blue' applied in a relatively standardized manner (AGL, GRS - check please). As far as I know their standards do not overlap perfectly - be it in the parameters of the colours, or the procedures etc.; although it might sound obvious that having more than once formal standard for 'Royal Blue' rather deafeats the bona fide purpose ... My vote goes to: WWW

2c

 

[pyramid]

I agree with your jewelry vendor. I would not say black but I think on Royal Blue as Navy Blue with blue shimmers. I see them a bit like a garnet in the way it is wine coloured and then you see shimmers of red from it. Stones that look blue to me all over are more lighter sapphires and not what I think of as royal blue, more a mid blue. Think of Kate Middleton's ring that is royal blue.