I got my pink saphires for free when I ordered from what is now "The Liquidation Channel". Because they were freebies, the carat weight isnt too large, therefore, the color is light, but the clarity is great, as far as I can tell without a loupe.
Pink sapphires have a trace of the element chromium and the deeper the color pink the higher their monetary value.
Generally, the clearer and more vivid the colour, the more valuable the fancy sapphire. If the colour is in the pastel range, the clarity should be good. Because in lighter tones inclusions are more noticeable, the trade usually prefers the gemstones to be cleaner with fewer visible inclusions. In a lighter coloured gemstone, the cut is also more important: it should reflect light back evenly across the face of the stone, making it lively and brilliant. With darker, more intense colours, the cut is not as critical because the colour creates its own impact.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Pink-Sapphires---The-Fanciest-of-Gemstones&id=296209For a long time, the general public was not really aware that pink sapphires really existed. This is because the pink sapphire was considered so special by jewelers that pink sapphire jewelry was only really traded by insiders. As far as the general public knew, a sapphire did not really come in any other color but blue.
The truth is that the sapphire comes in many colors including yellow, green, pink, purple orange and of course blue. A sapphire that is any other color but blue is called a Fancy Sapphire. Some of these sapphires also have their own names. For instance, the orange sapphire, which hails from India, is called Padparadsha. Red sapphires are classified as rubies.
There is something very cheery, youthful and optimistic about pink sapphire jewelry. It is a feminine stone but it is also one of the strongest and hardest stones in the world registering at a MOH scale hardness of 9. In this sense you could say it is a symbol of "the velvet glove" - feminine strength.
The pink sapphire is just as valuable and sometimes even more expensive than a high quality blue one. Like all sapphires it belongs to the corundum group of minerals, which are second only to diamonds in terms of their hardness.
Its beauty, magnificent colors, its transparency but also its resistance and permanence are characteristics which gemstone lovers and experts assign to this gemstone - however, this does not only apply to blue Sapphire as will be pointed out later on. Sapphire belongs to the corundum.
The corundum group consists of pure aluminum oxide and other elements that make the stones different colors. The more chrome a gemstone in this family contains the redder it will be. Rubies, also known as red sapphires have a great deal of chrome and that is what gives them their blood red color. Pink sapphires have less chrome, but just enough to give them their gorgeous blush. Iron is the element that gives common sapphires that true blue color.
Sapphires and especially pink sapphires can be considered to be a "cut above" other gemstones. This is because they are mined from very deep within in the earth. Cutters of sapphires must be the best as it is a stone that can contain several hues in one rock. In order the stone to really sparkle and for the depth of its color to be brilliant and consistent, a real expert must handle it. Otherwise the stone will be dull.
Like rubies and sapphires, pink sapphires can be heat treated in order to get rid of a dark core or an uneven color. The least expensive pink sapphire ring and pendants tend to be set with these heat-treated gemstones.
The oldest Sapphire mines are situated in Sri Lanka, which used to be known as Ceylon. These mines are being rapidly depleted so the next best three natural sources of pink sapphires are from Burma, India Thailand, Australia and Brazil.
