Why Chinchar Maloney Loves Working with Montana Sapphires

What is special about Montana Sapphires?

Montana sapphires are very vibrant and sometimes multi-colored. They have a very high level of light refraction, which makes them appear very fiery and sparkling. They are only found in the United States and are one of our few precious indigenous gemstones. The supply chain for Montana sapphires is completely ethical as the miners are paid fair wages or are the owners of small mines themselves.

Where do you source your Montana Sapphires?

We source rough sapphires directly from family owned and operated mines outside of Helena, Montana.

Are Montana Sapphires treated?

As with all sapphire, some are treated with heat to bring out the color. This treatment is stable and in no way harms the gem. Most of our sapphires, however, are completely untreated.

How hard is Montana Sapphire?

Montana sapphires are as hard as any other sapphire on the planet with a MOHS hardness of 9. They are second only to diamonds in hardness.

What do raw Montana Sapphires look like?

Rough or raw Montana sapphires can vary greatly in appearance. Some are rounded by flowing rivers, while others are a flat hexagon -- the shape of its crystal structure.

What is your favorite color to work with?

The more unique and colorful the better! We love the sapphires that contain more than one color.

Describe your process of working with the raw gems and creating works of art. 

After hand selecting the rough sapphires, we cut each gem by hand. More like sculpting the gem than a traditional gem cut, we follow the gem's unique growth pattern. Once the gem is cut, we build a setting in wax that fits only that unique gem. After the ring is built in wax we cast it in gold, set the stunning, one-of-a-kind gem and voila!