Montana Sapphires Compared to Australian Sapphires: What Sets Them Apart?

[NavneetGems]

Hi everyone,

Since this is the GemologyOnline Forum, we at Navneet Gems are interested in comparing these two sapphire origins and learning about their similarities and differences from the community here. To help guide our understanding, we’d appreciate your insights on a few points:

**• What distinguishes Montana sapphires from Australian sapphires in terms of color?**
Is it accurate to say that parti sapphires (sometimes referred to as the “pharaoh’s eye”) are the hallmark of Australian material, while teal tones are the signature of Montana sapphires?

**• How does the market currently value top-tier Montana sapphires compared to top-tier Australian sapphires?**
For stones of similar top quality around 1 ct, what price difference does the market tend to expect—20%, 30%, 50%? What seems to be the general consensus?

**• How does the supply of Australian sapphires compare with the supply of Montana sapphires?**
We’d love to hear from anyone with experience in both origins who can offer unbiased information—or even just an informed “feel”—for how the markets differ.

For those interested in something rarely seen in Montana sapphire, here’s an example: an 11.61 ct stone we’ve named the *Star of Australia*. You can read more about it here :https://www.navneetgems.com/introducing ... australia/

We’re simply looking to gather perspectives. We’ve been in the industry since 1993, but it’s always exciting to connect with our friends in Australia.

[dchallener]

There are two major kinds of mt sapphires. Yogos are renowned for their beautiful cornflower blue color (or occassionally purple). The sapphires from the other side of Montana are all different colors, though many are steel blue. Some look like an egg with an orange center. Many are bicolor. Yogos occur in hard rock. The others are alluvial.