JCK Tucson 2019: Snatch Up This Stone When You See It

Bicolor curious?

JCK asked this question of readers back in November when we published a Colored Stone Special Section as a supplement to the November/December issue. We were referring to bicolor sapphires, one of a handful of gem types we’ve identified as must-haves for your shopping list as you hunt for material at JCK Tucson and beyond.

As we pointed out in the article, there’s a growing demand for bicolor sapphires among studio designers and small, gallery-format stores that cater to millennials. It’s a stone that ticks all the boxes as far as what’s important to this demographic. For starters, bicolor (also known as parti) sapphire is the antithesis of cookie-cutter.

Columbia Gem House bicolor sapphire — *A trio of bicolor sapphires from Columbia Gem House (which is exhibiting at the AGTA fair in Tucson)*

While the two-tone effect is often perceived by the jewelry trade as a drawback, it’s captivating to millennials because they tend to perceive “flaws” as appealing reflections of the stone’s natural, pre–supply chain state. As a bonus, the prettiest bicolor sapphires come from parts of the world that are thought to have less nefarious mining practices than others.

“You see blue sapphires a lot, along the lines of Kate Middleton/Princess Diana’s engagement ring,” says Scottsdale, Ariz.–based jewelry designer Meredith Young. “While there is a lot of perceived value in traditional blue sapphires, a pair of free-form parti sapphires take it to the next level in uniqueness with their gold/green flashes.”

Meredith Young bicolor sapphire ring — *Webb diamond ring with free-form sapphires in sterling silver, $5,240; Meredith Young*

Intrigued? Here’s the least you need to know:

The prettiest specimens come from Australia and Africa
Large bicolor sapphires are hard to come by—if you find one, don’t hesitate
Really gorgeous ombré sapphire slices are coming out of Montana
You’ll see heat treatments, but a unique twist is that some bicolor stones are heated to accentuate the weaker color, not mask it (as is commonplace with “regular” sapphires in an effort unleash a more saturated, evenly distributed shade of blue, pink, etc.)