Geological mapping
The origins of green sapphires
Whilst found in a variety of locations, the most notable sources of green sapphires include; Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Madagascar. As referenced above, the appearance of a gemstone will vary greatly with geography. Typically we would expect Australian green sapphires to be darker in colour whilst those found in Sri Lanka or South Africa tend to be paler in colour.
Green sapphires are typically found in alluvial deposits and are therefore seldom the primary mineral being mined. Consequently they are most often found at smaller artisan mines, where no one stone is being saught after. These mines operate in a lower impact way than larger scale mines and the sourcing of such stones is mines often based on more speculative sifting sifting of gravel in the hope of unearthing one of many gemstone types.
Our expedition to Sri Lanka, one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to sustainable mining practices, provides a rich insight in to the ways in which sapphires can be sourced.
Sri Lanka Expedition 2022