The facts
What sapphirine actually is
Sapphirine is classified as sapphirine, with the composition (Al,Mg)₈(Al,Si)₆O₂₀. It crystallises in the monoclinic (2M polytype) or triclinic (1A) — both exist, which is why sources disagree system.
Colour comes from attributed to Fe²⁺–Ti⁴⁺ intervalence charge transfer with an Fe²⁺–Fe³⁺ contribution, though no sapphirine-specific spectroscopic paper was located, which is also what a laboratory looks at when it is asked whether a colour is natural.
Refractive index 1.701–1.734. Specific gravity around 3.40–3.58. Cleavage: fair {010}, poor {001} and {100}. Those three numbers separate it from most of what imitates it.
Where sapphirine comes from
Sapphirine is produced at Fiskenæsset and the Aappaluttoq ruby mine, Greenland, Bekily and Sakeny, Madagascar, Mangari, Taita-Taveta, Kenya, Upper Hunza Valley, Pakistan and Mautia Hill, Tanzania (orange-red variety).
The locality is part of the description, not a footnote — two stones of the same weight from two of these places are not the same stone.
How sapphirine is treated
Untreated. Despite the name it is not related to sapphire. Almost always opaque to translucent; transparent facetable material is exceptionally rare and usually under a carat. The orange-red Tanzanian variety is a separate collector curiosity.
Treatment changes value, sometimes by a multiple, so it belongs in the description before the price and not after the sale.
What sapphirine is confused with
In the trade sapphirine is most often mistaken for, or substituted by, Sapphire, Iolite, Spinel, Kyanite or Benitoite.
The separation is rarely a matter of opinion: refractive index 1.701–1.734 and specific gravity 3.40–3.58 settle most of it in a minute, and magnification settles the rest.
What sapphirine is used for
Demand for sapphirine comes from mineral collecting and jewellery, which is why one price per carat never covers it.
We quote each application in the unit that trade actually buys in, by the specimen or by the carat.
Durability and care
Hardness 7.5; cleavage fair {010}, poor {001} and {100}. That combination decides what it can safely be set into.
With no cleavage plane to worry about, the practical limit is abrasion rather than breakage, and it takes daily wear well.
Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners on anything fracture-filled, stabilised, dyed or visibly included.
What sapphirine costs
As a guide, sapphirine trades around $100–3,000/ct for transparent faceted material.
That is a range, not a quote. Colour, size, clarity, cut and origin move the figure a long way inside it, and the only honest price is one given against a specific stone. Send us what you need and we will price it.
Questions
Is sapphirine treated, and how?
Untreated. Despite the name it is not related to sapphire. Almost always opaque to translucent; transparent facetable material is exceptionally rare and usually under a carat. The orange-red Tanzanian variety is a separate collector curiosity.
Where does sapphirine come from?
Fiskenæsset and the Aappaluttoq ruby mine, Greenland, Bekily and Sakeny, Madagascar, Mangari, Taita-Taveta, Kenya, Upper Hunza Valley, Pakistan and Mautia Hill, Tanzania (orange-red variety). Origin affects price, so we name the locality rather than the country on every quote.
Is sapphirine hard enough to wear every day?
Yes. At 7.5 on the Mohs scale with no cleavage plane, it handles daily wear well. The practical limit is gradual abrasion rather than chipping.
How much does sapphirine cost?
Indicatively $100–3,000/ct for transparent faceted material. Colour, size, clarity and origin move the price a long way within that, so treat it as a range and ask for a quote against a specific stone.
What is sapphirine confused with?
Most often Sapphire, Iolite, Spinel, Kyanite and Benitoite. A refractive index of 1.701–1.734 and a specific gravity near 3.40–3.58 separate it quickly.
Related stones
Looking for sapphirine?
Tell us the size, the quality and what it is for. We source it, photograph it and quote it — with the locality named.
Ask about sapphirine