This Year Give Her Sapphires for a 45th Wedding Anniversary Gift

45 years as man and wife. That’s almost half a century. Bet you’re feeling proud of such an achievement. And so you should be, because 45 years is a considerable length of time. Over the years a number of themes have become associated with certain wedding anniversaries and this year it’s the turn of sapphires.
Sapphires are the traditional and also the modern theme for 45 year wedding anniversary gifts for her, and we hope you’ve got some spare cash, because sapphires aren’t going to be cheap. All the more reason to take care when you do your shopping and buy her a sapphire that is real. Now you’ve found your way here you won’t have to worry, because we’re going to share some tips.

45th Anniversary Gift Ideas for Her

How to pick the perfect blue sapphire for a 45 year wedding anniversary gift

Second only to diamonds in terms of hardness, sapphires are also one of the most expensive precious stones. It’s important to understand how to value the quality of the sapphires you’re buying, in order to get the best stone you can afford. It’s also important to be smart with your shopping, to ensure you don’t get ripped off.
There are many different colored sapphires, but the most popular of all are blue. Picking the perfect sapphire can be a little confusing. Not so if you follow the rule of the 4 C’s.

• Carat – This is a measure of weight. It is usually the larger gemstones that are more difficult to come by, which usually makes them more expensive. The weight also varies between different colors. For example, it is far easier to find yellow sapphires greater than 5 carats, whereas blue ones of such a size are a little more difficult to find.
• Color – Value a sapphire’s color will depend on the saturation, or how pure or intense the color appears. You should be looking for a sapphire with a higher level of saturation, if you want to give her the best.
• Cut – This is what gives the sapphire its sparkle. A natural sapphire dug out of the ground, will need to be faceted and polished, after which it will be given a cut grade. The grade will take into account the symmetry, brilliance, extinction, and windowing of the cut.
• Clarity – As with many gemstones, sapphires often have a few inclusions. If there aren’t any inclusions this should raise your suspicions. As it’s highly likely the sapphire is synthetic. Many of the inclusions will be invisible to the naked eye, and it takes an expert to find them. Clarity is judged on the size, location, and the number of inclusions.

Where do sapphires come from?

Sapphires are only mined in a few areas around the world, and these include Sri Lanka, Burma, and Madagascar. Wherever the sapphires are mined, each will be unique in terms of quality and quantity. Kashmir, for example, no longer has productive mines, which means that a Kashmir sapphire will be extremely rare. They are very sought after though, because their sapphire colors are considered to be the best. Australia is also known for sapphire production, and produce sapphires with a dark-blue hue.

Be a savvy shopper when picking a 45 year wedding anniversary gift for her

Armed with a little extra knowledge regarding the various qualities of sapphires, it’s time to pass on some advice, before you start to shop.

• Set a budget and stick with it – It’s important to know how much you’ve got to spend before you fall in love with a sapphire. Prices can range considerably, from $50 per carat, to more than $10,000. The most expensive sapphire ever sold went for a staggering $135,000 per carat. Which is possibly a little steep for a 45th wedding anniversary gift for her. Prices are determined by quality, and color is king.
• Decide on a setting – The cool tones of silver and white gold compliment blue sapphires best of all. Yellow gold suits Padparadscha sapphires best as they have a pink-orange to orange-pink hue. Pink sapphires work equally well with silver and gold.
• Be very wary of buying a fake – Choose to buy your sapphires from a less than reputable seller and you may find yourself buying a stone that only looks like a sapphire. Many have tried to pass off tanzanite, blue tourmaline, and blue spinel as sapphires.
• Choose a reputable dealer – A well-known brand name is a good place to start. If you’re shopping at a local jeweler you’d be wise to ask for certification. If the jeweler is legitimate there will be no problem, and they will be only to happy to present you their certification from the GIA or another official gemstone society.
• Consider loose, wholesale sapphires – Retailers are well known for driving the price of gemstones. And you can’t really blame them as they have to make a profit. A retail wholesaler, on the other hand, will be able to sell loose stones at a very competitive price. Buying loose stones means you can have a customized piece of jewelry made specially for your lovely lady wife.

Our best piece of advice is to go for quality, rather than quantity. You might think that a huge gem will be the only way to go, but if it’s of inferior quality it will look far less impressive sat on your wife’s finger, hanging around her neck, or dangling from a pair of earrings.