Montana Sapphires
There are two main reasons why I love Montana
– They come in a variety of candy coloured hues
– They are fully traceable and ethically sourced.
Montana Sapphire Colours
Montana sapphires are most commonly known for their blue and green colours. I love the huge variety of shades from teal to navy. They also, however, come in the most gorgeous selection of purples, oranges and yellows too.
Typically, the Yogo region in Montana is famous for its blue-green colours, whereas, other areas are the source of these more fancy coloured gems.
Sustainability of the Sapphires
Easily traced from mine to market, these beauties have an exceptional provenance that’s hard to beat.
Consideration for the environment is a high priority in the mining process.
Plus, being mined in The USA means you don’t have to worry about child labour, poor wages, and human rights abuses that have become synonymous with gemstone and diamond mining further afield.
What Areas of Montana do the Sapphires come from?
You can find these precious gems in four primary areas of Montana (understandably named The Treasure State). These include Rock Creek, Yogo Gulch, Dry Cottonwood Creek, and along the Missouri River northeast of Helena.
The History of the Montana Sapphire
During the gold rush period of the 1860’s, men and women searching for gold nuggets kept coming across what they thought were pesky blue and green pebbles and threw them back to where they found them.
It wasn’t until a man names Ed ‘Sapphire’ Collins suspected they might be valuable and forwarded some rough samples to Tiffany and Co in 1895. Upon inspection, Tiffany & Co. were quick to purchas the entire package
and let it be known that the sapphires were of exceptional quality.
Suddenly the prospectors turned their attention to the plethora of rough they had previously been tossing away, as they learned that the mining of these precious beauties was far more lucrative than gold.
Montana Sapphire Sizes
Commonly they come in small sizes and it is rare to find one of good quality that is more than 2 carats.
Durability
Made up of a mineral known as corundum, they score high on the MOHS scale of hardness, coming in just below diamonds with a hardness score of 9.
The above considerations make these sapphires the perfect choice for your ethical engagement ring.
Get in touch to find out more or to discuss using one of these beautiful gems in a bespoke ethical engagement ring.
