Obvious zoning in a sapphire will detract from its overall appearance If you turn the stone over and see zoning, it isn’t viewed negatively unless you can also see it from the top. Really, this is only a problem if the sapphire appears “striped” from the top view, the way it will be set. Put simply, it is the appearance of uneven bands of color. It’s important to know that nearly all blue sapphires exhibit some color ‘zoning’ under magnification, it’s a sapphire thing. Except under the brightest light, the sapphire will look black, dead, with no play of light and color. On the other hand, a sapphire that is too dark, like navy blue, is not desirable. You will actually pay less for lighter colors! Keep in mind, just because the industry says this is “top color” doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy that “ice” blue, or light violet-blue that makes your heart sing. A gemstone that is free of gray or brown hues is considered to be strongly saturated and is more valuable than a gemstone with lower saturation.” We like to think of it as “juicy” color, it will not seem pastel (white tint) or grayish (black shade). The Swiss Gemmological Laboratory defines it like this: “Saturation is a measure of the intensity or purity of a gem’s hue or color. So, for a blue sapphire, what shade of blue is the most desirable color? The gem industry considers a saturated royal blue, that is, a deep vivid blue with a violet (not green) undertone as “top” color. This C comes in at number one for a reason, with colored stones, Color is King.
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