Timeless Treasures


Home
Gem Settings
Search All
For Pearls
Browse All
Antique Gemstones set in Contemporary Jewelry
Custom Jewelry

Earrings Styles (Dangles)

Rings (without gemstones)
14kt Gold
10kt Gold
Sterling Silver
Chain
14kt Gold
Gold Fill
Sterling Silver
Custom Bails
Custom Bails for Pendants and Chain

Hand Carved Scrimshaw Pendants

Pearl Settings

Tie Tacks

Contact us

For Customers outside of USA

One Gorgeously Colored Handcrafted Antique Genuine Natural Faceted Three-Quarter Carat Neon Red-Rose Sapphire Oval Cut Precious Gemstone from Russia.

CLASSIFICATION: Faceted Neon Red-Rose Sapphire Oval.

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

SIZE: Length: 5mm. Width: 4mm. Depth (Thickness): 3mm. All measurements approximate.

WEIGHT: Approximately 0.73 carats.

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

DETAIL: A gorgeous, delicately colored natural red rose sapphire precious gemstone from the Southern Ural Mountains of Siberia, 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 magnificent - a bright, almost neon red with rose-violet undertones. The color is popularly know as "padparadsha" red, and bothe the intense hue and the fiery sparkle are remarkable. The color is quite exquisite, the sparkle diamond-like in intensity. However it is obviously not a flawless specimen. Though the gemstone is absolutely transparent (not cloudy), there are a few very small colorless inclusions which can be made out in these 500% photo enlargements here - or with a jeweler's loupe - including a very slight seam of colorless crystalline material.

However these blemishes are not at all easily discerned by the naked eye, certainly under casual scrutiny. Though it is not difficult to spot these very small blemishes in these 500% photo enlargements, to the naked eye it simply is a very beautiful, good sized, quite vividly colored red rose sapphire oval with a lot of sparkle. Padparadsha Red sapphires are amongst the most rare of all colored sapphires, and this particular specimen is very beautiful. High quality padparadsha red sapphires such as these are increasingly difficult to acquire at anything approaching a reasonable price. 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.

This exquisite precious gemstone is completely transparent, appearing almost as if it was a delicately carved mirage constructed of neon red-rose pink colored glass. It has every bit as much sparkle and brilliance as a diamond - it is really a very flashy gemstone. However the trained eye will easily discern from the photo that the gemstone has been hand-crafted. 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.

Despite the fact that this gemstone has great luster and sparkle, and to the eye is completely transparent, again, it is not absolutely without flaw. True, any blemishes it possesses are not really visible to the naked eye, and the gemstone can be characterized at a minimum, to use trade jargon, as "eye clean" or "near eye clean". Under casual scrutiny to the unaided eye it is indeed without blemish. Even magnified here in these photo enlargements these blemishes are not immediately obvious. However if you examine the photo enlargements carefully you can easily pick out the couple of slight imperfections within the gemstone, and as well occasional irregularities in the faceting and finish. Of course 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".