Use this chart when you need a fast answer to how much sapphire costs in 2026. Ranges are per carat in US dollars for one to three carat Ceylon (Sri Lankan) goods unless noted. Wholesale FOB export sits far below jewellery-store tickets; always match the tier to your quote.
Sapphire price chart 2026 (USD per carat)
Indicative ranges for calibrated one to three carat Ceylon sapphire (USD per carat). FOB = export wholesale from Colombo unless noted as retail. Parcel commercial goods often sit below calibrated floors. Verify against current Gemports quarterly tables and the stone in hand.
| What you are buying | Treatment | Typical range (USD/ct) | Buyer notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue, commercial jewellery grade | Heated | $80–$300 | FOB export band. Pale colour, included, or native cut common. |
| Blue, commercial jewellery grade | Unheated (uncertified) | $120–$450 FOB | Included or native-cut goods sold as no heat without GIA/SSEF. Common in Ratnapura domestic trade. |
| Blue, fine manufacturing | Heated | $300–$1,200 FOB | Stronger face-up colour; Gemports B2B ref. for vivid heated blues can run higher on top goods. |
| Blue, fine with major-lab papers | Unheated | $800–$4,000 FOB | SriLankaExport fine-to-extra-fine band. Top of range needs GIA or Gübelin no-heat. |
| Blue, strong retail selection | Heated | $2,400–$5,000 | Example: 1.5–2.4 ct Ceylon blues at The Natural Sapphire Company. |
| Blue, collector / large fine | Unheated | Size-dependent; $12,000+/ct on large fine goods | Example: 10+ ct unheated Ceylon blues at specialist retailers. |
| Padparadscha, commercial jewellery grade | Heated | $150–$500 FOB | Pale or uneven pink-orange; weak face-up balance common in parcels. |
| Padparadscha, fine manufacturing | Heated | $600–$3,500 FOB | Calibrated 1–3 ct with recognizable pink-orange face-up; heated is the market default. Verify colour-call and treatment on the stone in hand. |
| Padparadscha, commercial | Unheated (uncertified) | $400–$1,500 FOB | Dealer claims no heat; no GIA/SSEF padparadscha confirmation. |
| Padparadscha, fine with major-lab papers | Unheated | $3,000–$15,000 FOB | GIA-confirmed pink-orange; retail often higher (e.g. 4 ct Sri Lanka near $12,000/ct on gemstock.org). |
| Pink, commercial jewellery grade | Heated | $50–$200 FOB | Pale, included, or parcel/melee. Mixed lots can dip below $50/ct. |
| Pink, fine manufacturing | Heated | $150–$600 FOB | SriLankaExport commercial-to-fine band for calibrated 1–3 ct. |
| Pink, commercial | Unheated (uncertified) | $80–$250 FOB | Pastel Ceylon parcels; dealer claims no heat without major-lab report. |
| Pink, fine with major-lab papers | Unheated | $600–$3,500 FOB pastel; $1,500–$7,000+ vivid | Saturation drives the spread. |
| Yellow, commercial jewellery grade | Heated | $50–$200 FOB | SriLankaExport commercial band. Pale lemon or modifier-heavy goods. |
| Yellow, fine manufacturing | Heated | $200–$900 FOB | Stronger golden or vivid yellow face-up; calibrated 1–3 ct. |
| Yellow, commercial | Unheated (uncertified) | $80–$250 FOB | Light canary parcels; dealer claims no heat without major-lab papers. |
| Yellow, fine golden | Unheated | $800–$3,500 FOB; $1,500–$7,000+ vivid | Deep golden unheated yellows with cert. |
| Purple / lilac, commercial jewellery grade | Heated | $50–$200 FOB | Pale lavender or greyish-violet parcels. |
| Purple / lilac, fine manufacturing | Heated | $150–$500 FOB | Calibrated stones with clean face-up violet or lilac. |
| Purple / lilac, commercial | Unheated (uncertified) | $80–$300 FOB | Very common in Ceylon gravels; soft lilac native cuts. |
| Purple / lilac, fine with major-lab papers | Unheated | $400–$2,500 FOB pastel; $1,500–$5,000+ saturated | Lavender trend stones with strong face-up colour. |
| Parti / bi-colour, commercial jewellery grade | Heated | $80–$250 FOB | Weak colour zoning or muddy split after heat. |
| Parti / bi-colour, fine manufacturing | Heated | $200–$800 FOB | Distinct blue/yellow or blue/green zones after heat. |
| Parti / bi-colour, commercial | Unheated (uncertified) | $100–$350 FOB | Natural colour bands; yellow/blue or teal zoning in local parcels. |
| Parti / bi-colour, fine with major-lab papers | Unheated | $400–$2,500 FOB; $800–$6,000+ retail | Sharp zone boundaries, eye-clean, design-grade stones. |
Quick answers: how much is a sapphire?
- How much is a blue sapphire? Commercial heated Ceylon blue runs about $80–$300/ct FOB. Fine heated $300–$1,200. Fine unheated with major-lab papers $800–$4,000 FOB. Retail heated blues often $2,400–$5,000/ct for strong 1.5–2.4 ct stones.
- How much is a pink sapphire? Commercial heated pink $50–$200/ct FOB; fine heated $150–$600. Unheated commercial pastel $80–$250. Fine unheated with papers from about $600/ct pastel to $7,000+/ct vivid.
- How much is a yellow sapphire? Commercial heated $50–$200 FOB; fine heated golden $200–$900. Fine unheated golden $800–$3,500+ FOB depending on saturation.
- How much is a purple or lilac sapphire? Commercial heated $50–$200 FOB; fine unheated lavender with papers $400–$5,000+ depending on saturation.
- How much is padparadscha sapphire? Commercial heated $150–$500/ct FOB; fine heated $600–$3,500. Uncertified unheated commercial $400–$1,500. Fine unheated GIA-confirmed $3,000–$15,000/ct FOB; retail often higher.
- How much is a parti or bi-colour sapphire? Commercial unheated colour-zoned goods $100–$350 FOB; fine unheated with sharp zones $400–$2,500 FOB and $800–$6,000+ at retail.
Three price layers (do not mix them)
- FOB Colombo / export guides (SriLankaExport.com): wholesale orientation for faceted goods leaving Sri Lanka. Lowest bands; often parcel-based.
- Gemports quarterly tables: B2B maximum opening references for eye-clean ovals meeting strict colour and cut rules. Used in Bangkok and Asian dealer trade.
- Retail listings (gemstock.org, The Natural Sapphire Company, specialist dealers): individual stones with margin. Often two to five times above FOB when colour and papers are strong.
Commercial vs fine, heated vs unheated
Price is set by quality tier and treatment status together. Commercial means included, windowed, or native-cut parcel goods. Fine means eye-clean face-up colour and balanced proportions. Heated is the market baseline; unheated carries a premium when confirmed by a major lab. Uncertified unheated commercial is common in Sri Lanka and trades above heated commercial but well below fine unheated with GIA, SSEF, or Gübelin papers.
How to read Gemports
Gemports is a quarterly coloured-gemstone report co-developed by the Thai Gem and Jewelry Traders Association (TGJTA) with Chinese and Thai industry bodies. It is widely used in Asian B2B trade as a negotiation reference for ruby and sapphire. It is not a global Rapaport-style list for every Western retailer, but it is the most accessible public benchmark tying origin, treatment, size, and colour to trade data.
- Quarterly price tables (USD/ct): a figure such as $3,880/ct is a B2B reference ceiling for a specific profile (e.g. 3 ct oval, Sri Lanka, heated, vivid blue, eye-clean). Gemports calls it the maximum opening price for that quarter, not a retail ticket.
- GTI transaction index (percentages only): −11.8% QoQ means average traded values in that segment fell versus the prior quarter. It is direction, not a dollar price.
- Match origin + treatment + size row + colour grade in the quarterly table, then compare your quote against export guides and retail listings for the same tier.
Before you buy
- Ask which price layer you are quoted against: FOB export, Gemports B2B, or retail.
- If the seller says unheated, ask uncertified commercial or lab-confirmed fine.
- View the stone in daylight-balanced light; tilt for window, extinction, and zoning.
- Re-check Gemports each quarter if you are buying at the top of the market.
For market context, policy updates, and a longer walkthrough of the 2026 Ceylon sapphire trade, read our industry news feature Why one Ceylon sapphire is $150/ct and another $15,000 (linked below).