Do unheated sapphires cost more?

Unheated sapphires cost way more than heated ones; they can end up with a 50% to 100% price premium sometimes, since locating a stone that already shows spectacular natural colour along with strong clarity is incredibly rare. Collectors, and also investors, want them in that pure, unaltered condition.

If a sapphire comes out of the ground already showing vivid colour and clear transparency, it can bypass the enhancement ovens completely. This level of rarity tends to lock in the higher price in the market. When buying an unheated sapphire, the dealer should provide an independent laboratory certificate that clearly says “No indications of thermal enhancement”.