FINE JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & COINS 26th March 2025 at 12pm

SAPPHIRE LIVE AUCTION OF FINE JEWELLERY, WATCHES, SILVER & COINS • WEDNESDAY, 26th MARCH 2025 AT 12PM 6 Burmese sapphires are among the most coveted coloured gemstones in the world. Blue sapphire is coloured by a combination of iron and titanium. Three impor tant quality factors that affect value in sapphire are colour, clarity and quality of cut. The highest value stones have a good rich colour, they are relatively free from inclusions and have a bright, lively appearance. Preferred sapphires have strong to vivid colour saturation, regardless of hue. Sometimes giving a lit from within appearance. The Ancient Greeks believed sapphire gave guidance to the wearer while Buddhists believed it brought spiritual enlightenment. Sapphire can be found across the globe from the mountains of Montana, USA to Australia to Madagascar. Blue was a colour that had connotations to wealth, regality and power. Lazurite was the one the most expensive natural dyes, regularly impor ted from Asia across the Silk Road dating back 6.000 years. They have been synthetised since the late 19th century with the Flux method and the early 20th century, when French chemist Auguste Verneuil developed a process now called The Verneuil Flame Fusion process. Sapphire, like diamond, has some industrial applications as the jewel bearings in mechanical timepieces. Car tier also use synthetic sapphires as a decorative feature on the crowns of their watches. B U R M E S E