Let’s dive our readers into the beginning of the “Montana Sapphires”. These highly demanded sapphires were found in 1860’s by the Missouri river near Helena.These were the first sapphires found in the United States by the gold seekers who thought these blue looking pebbles, a major distraction considered to be a junk in their hunt which has turned out to become one of the most popular gems which is also termed as blue gold in today’s market. Montana today is credited with the finds of 4 major locals Yogo Gulch, Dry Cottonwood Creek, Rock Creek and gravel bars along the Missouri river area.

The main finding is credited to Jake Hoover, a Montana gold miner who forwarded these blue pebbles to a renowned mineralogist Dr, George Frederick Kunz of Tiffany & Co in 1895 which they purchased the lot for $3750 (which is now estimated to be $300,000 as of year 2024) that marked the beginning of these stones as “Sapphires of Unusual Quality”. This changed the focus for the gold miners and turned their attention towards the newly found “Montana Sapphires” as they knew it’s going to prove lucrative for them in future.

Montana Sapphire Mining

The Missouri River, Yogo Gulch and Rock Creek are considered to be the major mines today. Yogo Gulch is known for its consistently vibrant blue sapphires with excellent clarity. Rock Creek is known for a wide range of pastel colors, including teal, green, and yellow. Missouri River (El Dorado Bar) produces larger sizes often with unique zoning but lower clarity. 

The Gem Mountain or Rock Creek sapphire district is approximately 16 miles west of Philipsburg and approximately 60 miles northwest of Butte in west central Montana. This area of Rock Creek exceeds the sapphire production by volume of all other Montana sapphire mining locations combined. They follow ethical sourcing practices, while keeping in mind the land and environment and adhere to all forms of regulations. The incredible sapphire resource with unique colors of sapphires, along with the abundant gold deposits throughout the state, is the reason that Montana earns its name of the “Treasure State”. 

Environmental, Social & Governance Commitment

 The mine owner works very closely with the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to ensure it meets the State’s extremely strict requirements. Water is fully recycled to avoid contamination of local streams and other water sources. Any disturbed ground is fully rehabilitated once mining has been completed including reseeding of mines out areas.

Colors

Montana sapphires are highly sought after for their diverse and unique color range, which can rival that of sapphires from other regions. The color palette is influenced by the trace elements found in the sapphire, and Montana sapphires are particularly known for their subtle, pastel shades and striking variations. The most common colors found in Montana are shades of blue, teal and green. The rarest are fancy colors such bi colors, pink, orange and yellow shades. When you look at the bigger picture, approximately only 2% of the total mining production is 1ct+ cut stones. 

Conclusion

Montana Sapphires have shown tremendous growth in the last couple of years in sapphire engagement rings. These blue gold from Montana has proved to be one of the most sought after choices for an alternate engagement ring by the new generation. The Sapphires with vibrant rich unique colors are demanded by the gemstone wholesalers and the jewellers all around the world. Our priority has always been our clients, we always used to get requests for these naturally sourced sapphires from the United States, so launching in January, 2025 at the upcoming Tuscon Gem Show 2025 at Booth No. 2107,2207. Come visit us and get to see our full production from 1 carat size and above. We have been working to source the right rough so that we can provide you with the finest loose sapphires. If you are interested you can also email us at info@navneetgems.com to see our full production.