GEMSWORLD | 44 | 2024 SPOTLIGHT 市场聚焦 Coloured gemstone manufacturers are on the same page when it comes to beloved blue sapphires: These gems have become scarcer and highly coveted more than ever, but they are also a great deal pricier. According to coloured gemstone dealers, sapphire prices have generally skyrocketed by 50 per cent to 70 per cent, and as much as 100 per cent for some stones, compared to pre-pandemic times. While this represents solid market demand, it is also indicative of continued tightening of supply at the mines, particularly those of premium-quality stones. Buyers now lean towards top-quality unheated stones of 2 carats to 6 carats since bigger stones have become too expensive, revealed suppliers. Unheated stones are extremely favoured by the Chinese market while US and European customers are more receptive to heated sapphires. Colour and provenance are critical considerations, too. Clients who are on the lookout for the classic deep blue would go for Royal Blue sapphires while those opting for a more intense brilliance would gravitate towards Cornflower Blue variants. Peacock Blue sapphires meanwhile are characterised by their electric blue hues, akin to a peacock’s feathers. Key sources of blue sapphires are Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Myanmar (Burma), Madagascar and Kashmir. High prices notwithstanding, gem companies said buyer interest in sapphires is likely to stay strong, thanks to these gems’ extraordinary allure and history. Sapphires reign supreme in gemstone world 蓝宝石于业界 保持优势 Robust consumer demand for sapphires will continue unabated amid exponential price hikes, thanks to their increasing rarity and innate splendour. 蓝宝石瑰丽无比而且愈加稀有，尽管价格上涨，消费者的需 求依然保持强劲。 | Bernardette Sto. Domingo 杜明高 |
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