FAQs

Heat treating is the process if exposing the raw sapphire to heat of varying levels in an effort to remove “silk” from the stone to better allow the light to pass through the crystal. This has no effect on the structural integrity of the stone it is simply a method of removing impurities.

Sapphires are heat treated to improve both their color and clarity. Heat treatment is a natural process that is similar to the intense heat that sapphires experience while forming within the earth. No chemicals are a part of this process, and no foreign materials enter the sapphire. The improvement in clarity and color for the sapphire is permanent. As this is a natural treatment, it is widely accepted and used for sapphires.

None... nada, zip, zero, zilch... did we mention - NONE.

Bradley Gems sapphire's are hand-picked to have the optimal quality of clarity, color and sparkle. The only treatment our sapphires undergo is heat treatment, as do 99% of sapphires. This is natural and permanently enhances the color and clarity of the sapphire, by removing “silk” from the stone to better allow the light to pass through the crystal. All our sapphires in stock are labelled to show Heat Treatment or None.

Some treatments to be aware of:

Beryllium Treatment: This is a process involving beryllium which are introduced to the sapphire and penetrate it. Through this treatment, the color of the sapphire is enhanced and saturated further. It can be used to intensify the colors of orange, yellow and other lower-grade sapphires.
Bradley Gems does not treat in this way or stock any sapphires that are beryllium treated.

Surface Diffusion: In this treatment titanium is used to coat the sapphire so that the color and the brilliance is enhanced. The treatment does not penetrate as deeply as the beryllium treatment. Repolishing the stone later may remove part of the chemical enhancement and lighten the color.
Bradley Gems does not allow any sapphires to have surface diffusion treatments.

Cavity Filling: In this treatment, cobalt infused glass is used to fill cracks and fissures that are from the top of the sapphire through within it. The glass fills the cavities in the sapphire and the cobalt retains the blue of the sapphire.
Bradley Gems does not allow any sapphires to be treated by filling cavities.

Most definitely, we completely understand that sapphires look the best in natural light, and it is the most accurate way to understand what the gemstone looks like in person. To this end all of the videos we take of our gems are taken in natural light, with no color enhancement at all. 360degree rotational images are taken in a light box, this is done to give you a detailed view of the standard of cutting, however this is the only artificial light used.

We are a whole trade supplier of Australian Sapphires, while we have sent pieces out on approval in the past, unfortunately due to the high volume of requests, we have had to stop this process. We do instead offer a 100% refund policy (even if you simply change your mind) to ensure that the risk is completely removed from your purchase.

Custom cutting sapphires is something that we do, however this is restricted to the availability of a suitable piece of rough stone to suit the desired outcome. We will always seek to get the very best out of each piece of rough, and as such avoid grinding away good crystal to achieve a specific desired outcome, however we do have extensive inventory of rough material so there is a fairly good chance that we can identify a suitable piece. Feel free to ask.