Are Yogo Sapphires valuable?

Are Yogo Sapphires valuable?

Yogo Sapphires are the most precious sapphires found in North America. They are considered to be among the finest sapphires in the world. These unique gems come from only limited area, named Yogo Gulch, located in the Little Belt Mountains of Montana.

Where can I find Yogo Sapphires?

Yogo sapphires are mined in Montana at Yogo Gulch, 12 miles southwest of Utica, 45 miles west-southwest of Lewistown and east of Great Falls. The yogo sapphire mine site resides inside Judith Basin County and was carved out from parts of western Ferguson and eastern Cascade counties.

What is special about Montana Sapphire?

Most notably, these sapphires generally lack color zoning, a common phenomenon in sapphire. As a result, these are very fine and untreated specimens, and collectors seek out large, rare sizes. At 0.65-ct, this Yogo sapphire is large for its locality, and displays the typical deep cornflower blue. Image by Montanabw.

What does a Yogo sapphire look like?

Yogo sapphires are typically cornflower blue, a result of trace amounts of iron and titanium. They have high uniform clarity and maintain their brilliance under artificial light. Because Yogo sapphires occur within a vertically dipping resistive igneous dike, mining efforts have been sporadic and rarely profitable.

Are Yogo sapphires still mined?

History and Information about Yogo Sapphires Because Yogo sapphires occur within a vertically dipping resistive igneous dike, mining efforts have been sporadic and rarely profitable. It is estimated that at least 28 million carats (5.6 t or 5.5 long tons or 6.2 short tons) of Yogos are still in the ground.

Are Montana sapphires good quality?

Unique colors, high clarity, USA-born status, and great durability make Montana Sapphires shine. Montana Sapphires are part of the larger gem family “corundum.” Corundum is a hard stone, at a 9 out of 10 on the Mohs scale, making it very durable to wear in jewelry.

How can you tell if a Montana sapphire is real?

You can identify a real sapphire by quickly fogging it up. Track how long it takes the mist to disappear completely. If it is natural stone, the mist will disappear within a few seconds. On the other hand, if a sapphire crystal is synthetic, it will take a few more seconds to disappear.

Do Montana sapphires sparkle?

The ring turned out even more beautiful than we could have imagined. The way Jeff cuts their stones gives them more brilliance than you can find in most places. We’ve never seen a sapphire sparkle this much.

Who owns the Yogo mine?

Don Baide
Because of this, we are ecstatic to announce: Don Baide has purchased the Vortex mine and will begin operations soon. For a full explanation of the one of a kind geological formation as well as the entire history of the mine, read through our Sapphires of Montana page and our Yogo Sapphire Gemology article.

Where can I find a Montana sapphire?

Montana’s many colored sapphires are mined in the famous placer gravels in the Sapphire Mountains near Philipsburg about 200 miles northwest of Yellowstone National Park. Most of the sapphires are found in the famed Rock Creek deposit, nicknamed “Gem Mountain.” Gold miners discovered sapphires there in the 1890’s.

Are darker or lighter sapphires more valuable?

The most valued blue sapphires are velvety blue to violetish blue, in medium to medium-dark tones. Sapphires with these qualities command the highest prices per carat. Less valuable blue sapphires might also be grayish, too light, or too dark.

Why is Montana sapphire so expensive?

Montana Sapphire Due to the limited resources for the Montana sapphires, a majority of the natural Montana sapphires will be under 1ct. To be specific, the majority is under 1/2ct and a very limited supply of the sapphires are over 1ct, which makes the stone substantially more expensive per carat.

Are dark sapphires more valuable?

How do I clean a Montana sapphire?

The best way to clean your sapphire jewelry is with warm soapy water and a soft brush, avoiding soaking the stone. Always avoid harsh detergents, and never clean your jewelry with solvents such as alcohol, acetone or paint thinner.

What are padparadscha sapphires?

Padparadscha sapphire is a special variety of gem corundum, featuring a delicate color that is a mixture of pink and orange – a marriage between ruby and yellow sapphire. The question of just what qualifies for the princely kiss of “padparadscha” is a matter of hot debate, even among experts.

Where are the best sapphires found?

The locality considered to produce the finest blue sapphires in the world is Kashmir, India. These amazing stones are mined at 16,500 feet in the Zaskar region. Kashmir blue sapphires are known to have a velvety or sleepy quality that is very desirable.

Are dark sapphires less valuable?