These sapphires are a medium orangey yellow; strong. The faceted 4 X 3 mm ovals have a combined weight of .50 carats, weighed before setting. They have been heated. Their clarity is VS, very fine quality. Small pin-pricks are just visible to the scrutiny of the close naked eye. However, the beauty of the gem is not diminished in any way. I have set them in four prong hallmarked sterling silver settings with sterling silver butterfly earring backs. The sapphire were mined in Songea, Tanzania, Africa. Tanzania obtains much of its gem wealth from a geological feature known as the Mozambique Orogenic Belt, which contains one of the richest gem loads on earth. The Belt runs in a north-south direction through the eastern part of the country, and it is up to 300 kilometers wide in places. The majority of sapphires from Tanzania are found in three locales: the Umba River Valley in the north, and Tunduru and Songea in the south. Songea, the most productive sapphire mining region in Tanzania, has been worked since the mid 1990s. Most of the buyers left in 1999 for newly discovered deposits in Madagascar. Although two mechanized companies have been working Tanzania in recent years, most of the mining activity is small scale. I purchased these sapphires in 2008. The sapphire are transparent. On 3/7/2020, Gemval, online gemstone appraisers, have estimated that a pair of sapphires with this weight, colour, clarity, cut and shape, to have an estimated retail value of $114.07 USD. This does not include the cost of the material or labor. I will include this along with a copy of the item description from the seller of the gemstones to me. This information is called provenance. The pictures have been enlarged to show detail. There is a picture of the sapphire earrings on a dime for size reference. I have used LED lighting. The sapphires will show orange in muted light, and pure yellow in bright light. Gemstones are creatures of light, especially transparent faceted gemstones. The colour of light you see emits differently in each source of wavelength of light. Do not let the small size discourage you. They can reflect light across a room. Of course, the larger size of sapphires with these attributes would be much more expensive. I make genuine gemstones affordable. This size works well with multiple pierced ears.The sapphire group is 9 on Mohs’ hardness scale and in the corundum group of gemstones. This group consists of pure aluminum oxide, which a long time ago was caused to crystallize into beautiful and splendid gemstones by the pressure and heat in the depths of the ground. Small portions of other elements, mainly iron and chrome, are responsible for the resulting colors and make the basically white crystals a blue, yellow, pink, orange, purple or greenish sapphire. Sapphires occur in all colours, even colorless (white) & black. I purchase my gems from reputable dealers from around the world, usually certified. The majority of gemstones in the market today have been heat treated to improve their color and appearance. Gemstones that have very obvious inclusions that have a negative effect on the overall appearance or durability of the jewelry are never used. Item arrives in a gift box. I used high quality metals in the jewelry settings. These are not silver plated settings. The settings are .925 sterling silver and is the standard for silver. It is called .925 because it is an alloy that is 925 parts out of a thousand silver. It is allowed for the other 75 parts to be other metals (usually copper) to enhance the strength, because pure silver is very soft and not structurally strong enough for many jewelry applications. Other “silver settings” come with different elements in their composition. German/Nickel Silver, which is an alloy consisting of copper, zinc and nickel, contains no silver. Many people have allergic reactions to nickel. Other settings may be called Mexican Silver, Indian Silver, Montana Silver, Pewter, Tin, Pot or Base Metal or simply silver. The content of these are less clear and do not guarantee the quantity or silver content. .925 is the best form of silver. It is durable and has a high sheen. Sterling Silver is considered a precious metal. Inside the gift box, I am including a 1″ X 1″ anti-tarnish tab. This is the same technology used by NASA, The Guggenheim Museum, The British Royal Mint & jewelry manufacturers worldwide. The tab provides protection from tarnish for up to 12 months. It does not leave deposits on items it protects. It is non-toxic, non-abrasive, and will not scratch or harm metals or gemstones. Place tabs in jewelry cases, storage bags or boxes. Each tab protects up to 30 cubic inches of container space. It is recommended to keep your sapphire earrings in the box with the anti-tarnish tab. This will avoid your jewelry from scratching each other. Even the included airtight plastic bag can be used for this purpose. I guarantee my jewelry 100%. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase, return your item and I will refund your purchase price. I do not charge a restocking fee on returned items. You will be pleased to know what a good price you are getting. I am always happy to answer your questions, Take a look at my other items, visit my store and eBay will create a list for you. I am adding new items regularly. Thank you for visiting. Your browser does not support JavaScript. To view this page, enable JavaScript if it is disabled or upgrade your browser.

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