4.40 ct Blue Sapphire

Where HR16 goes deep, this one goes bright. At 4.40 carats it is a substantial oval in the lighter, faintly violet-leaning blue that the trade calls cornflower, and it is the most immediately likeable stone in the collection. The lighter tone lets far more light back out of the pavilion, so the scintillation is open and busy rather than concentrated — it sparkles across the whole face instead of flashing from a few facets. The oval is well proportioned with no visible window when tilted, and the stone is clean to the eye in both views. A natural choice for anyone who finds true royal blue too severe.