One Vividly Colored Antique Handcrafted Genuine Natural Faceted One and One-Half Carat (Plus) Rose Pink Sapphire Oval Cut Precious Gemstone from Russia.

CLASSIFICATION: Faceted Rose Pink Oval Cut Sapphire.

ORIGIN: Southern Ural Mountains (Siberia, Russia). 19th Century.

SIZE: Length: 8mm. Width: 6mm. Depth (Thickness): 3 1/2mm. All measurements approximate.

WEIGHT: Approximately 1.58 carats.

NOTES: Upon request we can set your gemstone as a ring, pendant, or earring.

DETAIL: A stunning, gorgeous, sparkling, vibrantly colored natural rose-pink hued sapphire precious gemstone from the Ural Mountains of Russia. The gemstone was hand crafted and faceted by a 19th century Russian artisan, part of an heritage renown for the production of the elaborate gemstones and jewelry of the Czars of Medieval, Renaissance, and Victorian Russia. The color is absolutely incredible, a sparkling, gorgeous and vibrant hue somewhere between pink and rose. This incredible gemstone has all of the brilliance of a diamond, sparkling under any light source! It is really a phenomenal gemstone, guaranteed to make some extremely excited. The color is almost "neon", very bright, very intense, with flashes of baby pink. This incredibly vibrant hue imparts exceptional character and great visual appeal. The shade of rose could perhaps be best likened those occasional roses which are in color a cross between pink and rose. The gemstone looks ever so much like a sparkling, rose-hued diamond.

It's a real sparkler, and pink sapphire is definitely much in demand. This is obviously not a flawless specimen. Though the gemstone is absolutely transparent (not cloudy), there are some very small colorless inclusions which can just be made out with a 5x jeweler's loupe (or in these 500% photo enlargements). But to the eye, it simply is a very beautiful, rather large, vividly colored rose-pink sapphire with a lot of sparkle. Good quality uncommonly hued ("fancy color") sapphires are in high demand, and can be quite costly. Unfortunately most seemingly flawless, transparent "sapphires" sold even by the largest and most reputable retailers in the United States are synthetic (read the fine print; and the same is true of emeralds and rubies). However the Southern Ural Mountains of Russia have been producing good quality, natural sapphires for centuries.

The trained eye will easily discern from the photo that the gemstone has been hand-faceted. The coarseness of the 19th century faceting is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment. Unlike today's computer controlled machine processes, the cut and finish of gemstones such as these is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-faceted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones. As stated, this exquisite precious gemstone is completely transparent, appearing almost as if it was a delicately carved mirage constructed of pastel pink colored glass. It has every bit as much sparkle and brilliance as a diamond - it is really a very flashy gemstone.

The tiny little colorless inclusions which though not visible to casual scrutiny, can be made out upon close inspection, are really not any where near as obvious as they are here in those photo enlargements. As well, the trained eye will easily discern from the photo that the gemstone has been hand-faceted. The coarseness of the 19th century faceting is considered appealing to most gemstone collectors, and is not considered a detriment. Unlike today's computer controlled machine processes, the cut and finish of gemstones such as these is the legacy of an artisan who lived two centuries ago. Such antique hand-faceted gemstones possess much greater character and appeal than today's mass-produced machine-faceted gemstones.

These characteristics are not only expected of hand-finished gemstones, you must also consider that two centuries ago the mining techniques even theoretically possible, let alone commonly practiced, did not allow the ultra deep mining operations which are so commonplace today. Two centuries ago mankind was more or less limited to surface deposits or near surface deposits of gemstones. Higher quality gemstones which today are routinely mined from beneath hundreds of meters, even kilometers beneath the earth's surface, were simply inaccessible then. So antique gemstones must be appreciated as antiques first, gemstones second. The relatively superlative quality of contemporary gemstones routinely mined from deep beneath the earth's surface today were simply not accessible two centuries ago, or at least, only rarely so. However for most, the unique nature and character of antique gemstones such as this more than makes up for included imperfections which by and large, are (if at all) only visible under high magnification.

HISTORY: Mentions of sapphire in ancient references reach well back past 800 B.C. Certainly the ancient Greeks, Persians, and Romans all knew of blue sapphires and employed the precious gemstones in their jewelry. In the world of the ancient Mediterranean, priests and sorcerers honored the sapphire above all other gems. As the centuries passed, European royalty came to highly favor sapphires believing the stone would provide protection from harm. In the medieval world blue sapphires were believed to represent heaven, and thus the precious gemstones were widely used in ecclesiastical jewelry. Sapphires are a member of the corundum family, as are rubies, and as such sapphires are considered one of the most valuable of precious stones. They are also extremely hard, second only to diamonds, and so are very popular as gemstones for rings and pendants. Sapphires are mined in Thailand, Ceylon, Burma, Australia, Madagascar, Russia, South Africa, China, Afghanistan, and in Montana and North Carolina.

SHIPPING OPTIONS: All purchases are backed by an unlimited guarantee of satisfaction and authenticity. If for any reason you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase, you may return it for a complete and immediate refund of your entire purchase price. Most of these antique gemstones were originally part of two collections, one originating in India principally composed of gemstones originally mined in India, Burma, Ceylon, and Siam, and then hand faceted in India. The addition of a second accumulation of antique gemstones originally mined in the Urals in the mid to late 19th century (including alexandrite) completed the collection. These gemstones as well were hand finished. The Urals have been one of the world's major sources of precious and semi-precious gemstones for many centuries. As well, additional specimens are occasionally acquired from other institutions and dealers in Eastern Europe and Asia. These antique gemstones are now in the United States and are available for immediate delivery.

We ship inventory from the USA order fulfillment center near Seattle, Washington. Your purchase will ordinarily be shipping within 48 hours of payment. A certificate of authenticity is available upon request. We prefer your personal check or money order over any other form of payment - and we will ship immediately upon receipt of your check (no "holds"). We will accept PayPal payments. Please see our "ADDITIONAL TERMS OF SALE".