Blue Sapphire is the Backbone of the Jewelry Market in 2025

This year, sellers at the Tucson Gem Shows reported observing a markedly different energy from their clientele. Rather than chasing the next new thing, dealers said that their buyers are noticeably calmer, more settled, and not interested in fads. They reported that the gem selling the most consistently is the timeless blue sapphire. 

The last decade has been a dynamic one for the gems and jewelry industry. Gemstones that previously were obscure suddenly became wildly popular. While specific trends often went as swiftly as they came, there was a pattern - people were gravitating towards gems with unusual colors or interesting clarity features. 

Many interpreted this as an expression of a fundamental need in the populace to display their uniqueness. Buyers broke away from the four traditionally most popular gemstone choices: colorless diamond, red ruby, blue sapphire, and green emerald. Instead, they wanted to wear gems that were anything but conventional. Some of the stones that experienced sudden spikes in demand were the gray spinel, the teal blue Montana sapphire, the electric blue Paraiba tourmaline, the color-changing alexandrite, the purple rhodolite garnet, and highly included diamonds called salt and pepper stones. 

These were exciting years for people in the trade, but it also caused a great deal of stress amongst sellers. Not only did they have to keep up with trends, but they also had to avoid over-stocking so they wouldn't have excess inventory left over if/when demand suddenly evaporated.

Interestingly, the initial impression given off by many of the sellers was one of whiplash. When asked what gemstone was selling best, the majority of dealers only sheepishly admitted to the sapphire, rather than some niche gemstone species, after some encouragement. When told that other colored gemstone dealers were saying the same thing, they expressed a combination of shock and relief. 

Ivan Hackman of Intercolor was not part of this group. He confidently declared "the easiest stone for us to sell is blue sapphire. Blue sapphires are harder to find than the fancy colors, especially top color. No heat blue sapphire is almost impossible to find."

It turns out that sapphires of all sizes are selling well. At Tim Roark Inc., representative Malinda Daniel said, "blue sapphire is a staple. Everyone knows what it is. It is an affordable colored gem and we are selling lots of matched melee sets." 

The director of Punsiri Gems, Punsiri Tennakoon, wholehearted agreed with Daniel, saying "we are selling our Sri Lankan medium intensity stones under ten carats the fastest." He added that he is seeing more interest in single gemstones, rather than pre-matched collections. White Color Gems sells both Sri Lankan and Madagascan sapphires and representative Kapil Mathur concurred with Daniel and Tennakoon, saying that his clients are purchasing single gems ranging in weight from one to five carats.

One of the biggest markets within the jewelry industry is the wedding category. Gregg Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Imports observed that the popularity of blue sapphires as engagement stones has risen notably. His sapphire inventory, he says, "always sells. Demand is really steady." Bryan Lichtenstein of 3090 Gems also shared his thoughts regarding engagement rings - "people now see a colorless three to five carat engagement stone and assume it is a synthetic diamond. This has led some to turn to other gems like sapphire." 

Not all primary engagement stones are round. At the M.S. International, Inc. booth, Rahul Sacheti proudly showed off a pair of heart-shaped sapphires which, he said, would an extra dose of romance to any engagement ring.

One point stressed by many sellers was that not all blue sapphires are created equal, even those which have similar apparent color. Hackman explained that sapphire has "location-specific traits". Some of these traits, he said, are subtle shades of blue, but, there are also distinctive clarity features which matter to educated collectors. 

Adam Levy of Adasco Designs stated that the interest in blue sapphire is helping popularize other blue gems as lower-cost alternatives. Describing his recent sales, Levy said, "its blue, blue, blue! Blue sapphire and aquamarine. People choose aquas for a bigger statement because, economically, you can do that." At the Bernie's Gems booth, Patricia Stoecklein added blue zircon and tourmaline to this list. Going even further, Don Rinner of DJ Rinner, claimed that non-transparent blue gemstones like turquoise are enjoying increased recognition.

Citing the rapid changes in gemstone trends in past years, many are cautious of making predictions for the future. However, the consensus amongst most sellers is that the current popularity of blue sapphire differs from other trends in that it is a true classic that has been one of the most highly desired gemstones for thousands of years. This deep history, they say, is no mistake. Beyond the appeal of rich blue hues, sapphire is the second most hardy gemstone after diamond, making a perfect choice for jewelry that people want to enjoy wearing on a daily basis. What you can be sure of is that there will always be a place for blue sapphire in the colored gemstone market.