Sapphire from Yogo Gulch, Montana No. 899X: Emerald Cut, 0.61 carats, 5.9 x 3.8 x 2.5 mm, VS, $762.50, faceted in the U.S.A. Sold Yogo Gulch, Montana, is one of the world's premier sapphire deposits. Although most of the gem rough from this mine is small, the average clarity is very good, and the color is "as good as it gets." Without any need for heat treatment, Yogo sapphires tend to be a gorgeous medium blue (often referred to as cornflower blue). Shown above is a beautiful, untreated, natural blue sapphire from Yogo Gulch. Currently, the Yogo Gulch mines are producing very little material. The gem rough and stones that do reach the market are mostly obtained from local residents of Sapphire Village, MT, whose property ownership affords them digging/mining priviledges to a small section of the sapphire-containing dike. Large-scale mining opeartions have only been sporadic over the last 100 years, and are currently suspended. The high per carat price of Yogo Gulch sapphires reflects the scarcity of natural blue sapphire of fine clarity (no heat treatment of any kind has taken place) and the origin of the gem material. The emerald cut Yogo Gulch sapphire shown above has excellent clarity and beautiful color. When this stone was cut, the facetor left a small section of original crystal surface along what would be the knife-edge of the pavilion. This detail is not eye-visible, but is simply noted as a point of interest (The rough sapphire crystals from Yogo Gulch tend to be thin and tabular in shape. Facetors do everything possible to obtain the largest and most attractive gemstone. After all, Mother Nature didn't make a lot of sapphire of this color and clarity!) This stone would look great when set in a small pendant, pin, or ring. Return to inventory list