Teal Montana Sapphires — Written From Montana

A teal Montana sapphire holds blue and green in the same stone. Turn it in the hand and one gives way to the other, which is why no two read quite the same.

Teal is the color most people now picture when they hear "Montana sapphire," and it is one of the two colors that run through our collection. This is what I look for when I choose one.

What makes a sapphire teal

Sapphire is corundum, and its color comes from trace elements fixed in the crystal as it formed. A teal stone carries both blue and green at once. In most teals the two hues blend across the face of the stone. In some they sit in separate zones, and those stones are called parti sapphires.

Some teals lean blue and some lean green. Neither is better. A true balance, with blue and green in equal measure, is among the rarest production in Montana.

Where teal Montana sapphires come from

Most of Montana's teal comes from Rock Creek, near Philipsburg. Rock Creek produces the widest color range of any deposit in the state, and its stones tend to run smaller and rounder, which suits pieces meant to be worn every day. For more on each deposit, see our complete guide to Montana sapphires.

How to choose a teal Montana sapphire

Look at the balance first, and choose the one that reads as teal to you. Then look for evenness across the face of the stone, and saturation that stays bright rather than dark.

It is worth seeing a teal in daylight and in lamplight before you decide. The best stones hold their balance in both.

Like most Rock Creek sapphires, our teals are heat treated unless we note otherwise, and we state the treatment status of every stone in writing. You can read more in Are Montana Sapphires Heat Treated?

Teal Montana sapphires in the collection

Elara Ring, $5,480. An oval teal Montana sapphire with six natural diamonds on a fine gold band.

Starlight Bangle, $6,880. Teal Montana sapphires star-set into solid 14K gold, with an engraved interior.

For a teal stone of your own, larger or parti, our Custom & Bespoke work begins with choosing the stone.

For what teal tends to mean to the people who wear it, see our field guide to Montana sapphire colors.