Once you find yourself looking for a yellow sapphire gemstone at an unexpectedly low price, there is a high chance that the gemstone was heat-treated. In fact, almost 90% of affordable sapphires in the market today are treated to increase their value. While heat treatment may be widely accepted in the jewelry industry, this technique lowers the rarity, value, and efficacy of the stone.
Knowing how different treated and natural yellow sapphires are from each other is crucial, especially when buying yellow sapphire for investment and astrology purposes.
Why Do People Heat-Treat Yellow Sapphires?
People use heat treatments to enhance the appearance of the gemstone, which may:
- Be pale and lack uniform coloration
- Have visible inclusions
Be unclear
With heat treatment, one can enhance the gemstone’s appearance without changing it completely. However, with heat treatment, the natural beauty of the gemstone is diminished.
Natural vs Heat-Treated Yellow Sapphire
Natural yellow sapphire is a precious stone that occurs naturally in the earth and does not require any treatment for its beauty. It is rare and valuable and holds great importance, especially in astrology. Such stones are pure in nature and are not treated in any way, having a natural color which is elegant and subtle rather than vivid in appearance. Being rare and pure in nature, such stones hold greater value than treated stones and are considered more potent in astrology.
On the other hand, heat-treated yellow sapphire is also a naturally occurring stone, which is treated with heat to give it an appealing color and appearance. It is more vivid in appearance than natural stones and is readily available in the market at comparatively low prices. Such stones do not hold much resale value and are considered less potent in astrology.
The Reasons Behind the High Value of Yellow Sapphires
It is safe to say that if a product appears too cheap to purchase, then something must be wrong. A Natural yellow sapphire, original will definitely cost money because of its rarity and natural development process.
The characteristics of cheap treated gems:
- Intense lemon or golden coloration
- Exceptional clarity without any inclusions
- Consistent coloring throughout the stone
Reasonably low price
Should You Buy Heat-Treated Yellow Sapphire?
It will depend on the intent of the user whether or not to choose the heat-treated yellow sapphire. For someone buying the gemstone solely for use as jewelry, or if cost becomes a major factor, the treated version can be a sensible choice because of its superior color and lower price. But in case one wants to benefit from astrological reasons, acquire a gemstone, or have a lasting value, the real or untreated yellow sapphire should be considered. In terms of astrology, it is highly suggested that one chooses the original and untreated type since, according to experts, it has superior planetary energy than the treated types.
Tips to Get the Real Yellow Sapphire Gemstones
Here are some tips before you buy a yellow sapphire:
- Always opt for a genuine yellow sapphire gemstone
- Look for lab certificates of the gemstone from reliable gemological laboratories
- Stay away from extremely low prices
- Make sure to purchase from an honest dealer
Consider buying gemstones with minimal inclusions; clear stones might be treated
Conclusion
There are plenty of treated gems available in the market, particularly at the lower end of the pricing. Even though heat-treated yellow sapphires might look appealing, they are not as much of an investment or as valuable as the natural ones. If you’re looking for authentic and valuable stones, always consider buying a natural yellow sapphire.
