Sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, so theyre a gem that can withstand daily wear and be handed down for generations. DiSuvero was a native-born Italian who grew up in Tientsin, China, and had been successful with a jade mine in California. Among her most cherished items is thePrince Albert Brooch, a huge sapphire, which was given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert the day before their wedding. [11] Yogo sapphires are unique in that they are free of cavities and inclusions, have high uniform clarity, lack color zoning, and do not need heat treating because their cornflower blue coloring is uniform and deep. It is estimated that at least 28million carats (5.6t or 5.5 long tons or 6.2 short tons) of Yogo sapphires are still in the ground. However, only one of the bags was truly valuable. More gem-quality sapphires are produced in Montana than anywhere else in North America. Montana Sapphires must undergo heat treatment to be rid of impurities and even then cannot match the color and beauty of the Yogo Sapphire. The Yogo Sapphire Mining Corporation then changed its name to be the same as the former English firm's name: New Mine Sapphire Syndicate. This minor change in county lines appears to have had no effect on yogo sapphire mining in the Lewistown area. Many montana jewelers are anxiously awaiting loose yogo sapphires for sale. [92][93] A representative of the Smithsonian asked Paula Crevoshay, a jewelry designer from Albuquerque, New Mexico, to create a piece of finished jewelry from these gems. All other Montana sapphires are found in alluvial deposits. Montana sapphire prices are more reasonable and come in a rainbow of colors as well. [80], Intergem began planning to dig even deeper into the Yogo dike, which held more known reserves than all the world's other known sapphire deposits combined, albeit deep underground rather than near the surface in the manner of the other known deposits. TheGeorge VI Victorian Suitewas originally given as a present from George VI to his daughter Princess Elizabeth in 1947. [44] Another story credits a miner named S.S. Hobson for surmising that the blue stones might be sapphires, and his guess was confirmed by a jeweler in Helena. First lady Florence Harding was given an all Montana ring made from a Yogo sapphire and Montana gold. Having done no significant mining or marketing, Sapphire Village, Inc. sold in 1973 to one of its investors, Chikara Kunisaki, a celery farmer from Oxnard, California. A second operation, the "American Mine", was owned by a series of investors in the western section of the Yogo dike, but was less profitable and bought out by the syndicate that owned the English Mine. Sat & Sun: Variable - Try Us! Mining activity today is largely confined to hobby miners in the area; the major mines are currently inactive. "[26] The roughs tend to be small and flat, so cut Yogo gems heavier than 2 carats (0.40g) are rare. [85], In 1992, Roncor found an 11-carat (2.2g) rough. In a crown that also features numerous diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls, and other sapphires, these two world famous sapphires still manage to stand out as spectacular gemstones. Posted on March 22, 2023 by March 22, 2023 by The suite, which was originally made in 1850, is comprised of a long necklace of oblong sapphires and a pair of square sapphire earrings. Historians also believe thay montana yogo sapphires, possibly misrepresented as oriental sapphire, were used for the British Royal Crown Jewel Collection. 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WebVINTAGE YOGO blue SAPPHIRE Faceted Montana Gemstone round 0.32cts syo2. We got to see where the Yogo sapphires were coming from. More gem-quality sapphires are produced in Montana than anywhere else in North America. Privacy Policy | Shipping & Returns | Terms, Living Big Sky Mining activities can take a lot out of you! Why Do Labs Not Agree On Sapphire Gradings? To be fair, sapphires long a stone of kings and a symbol of devotion and integrityhave always been a royal engagement ring stone of choice. Although Intergem went out of business, the gemstone it mined appeared on the market throughout the 1990s. Corundum is one of the hardest minerals, rating9 on the Mohs scale. What are you looking for? The American Syndicate took action to stop this in 1963, with fences and threats of prosecution. [36] This site was 5 miles (8km) from Yogo City. WebYogo sapphires may have been in the personal collections of some members of the British royal family in the 1910s, but promotional claims that Yogo sapphires are in any of the crown jewels of England cannot be conclusively proven or disproven. $4965. Montana yogo sapphiresmay have been in the personal collections of some members of the British royal family in the 1910s. We got to see how the Yogo sapphires were released from their host material and how the miners then recover those sapphires out of the jigs. Yogo sapphires are mined in Montana at Yogo Gulch, 12 miles southwest of Utica, 45 miles west-southwest of Lewistown and east of Great Falls. [83], Various companies attempted to lease the mine from Roncor, but in the meantime, two local couples, Lanny and Joy Perry and Chuck and Marie Ridgeway, discovered a new site at Yogo Gulch in January 1984 by following a trail to an unused section of the dike that had previously been deemed unsuitable. Our jewelry and gemological specialists will work with you from start to finish to create your custom sapphire jewelry. Hardly a drop in the bucket compared to what was estimated in the reserves, literally only scratching the surface! [27][42][102] Claims that the gem in the engagement ring of Lady Diana Spencer and Kate Middleton is a Yogo are dubious; the gem is thought to be of Sri Lankan origin. Montana sapphires are a variety of corundum that have color in their crystalline form. [2] Hoover then purchased the original mother lode from a sheepherder, later selling it to other investors. DiSuvero's expertise was in marketing: he formed a company called Sapphire Trading to cut and market the Yogo sapphires. [44][61][63] For much of the 1930s and 1940s Gadsden worked the mine alone and used his own money to pay its property taxes. [25] The United States Geological Survey and many gem experts have stated that Yogo sapphires are "among the world's finest sapphires. [13][44] During a Gold Rush in 1878, about a thousand miners came to Yogo Creek, which was one of the gold-bearing streams in Montana not yet actively mined. We were all given hard hats and a brief explanation of what to expect. Yogo sapphire are typically cornflower blue, a result of small amounts of iron and titanium. [75] This was the last actual attempt to mine the American Mine section of the Yogo dike, and today, only the locked portal to the tunnel still exists. In 1969, the sapphire was co-designated along with the agate as Montana's state gemstones. A 0.65-carat (0.130g) cornflower blue Yogo sapphire, No word closely resembling "yogo" appears in modern Blackfoot language dictionaries with any meaning close to the popular speculation of Yogo promoters. [31], There has been considerable debate over the years as to the depth of the Yogo dike and how many ounces of rough sapphires per ton it contains. While the company's sales were steadily increasing, their profits were still too low and in May 1985 they missed a $250,000 payment to Roncor. Queen Elizabeth wearing the chrysanthemum sapphire brooch. In total the the crown is set with 2,868 diamonds, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, 269 pearls, and four rubies. Millennials have recognized the falsely inflated diamond market for what it is and are looking for responsibly mined alternatives. [38] Yogo sapphires show crystalline formation under very high temperatures and pressures corresponding to a great depth, over geologically long periods of time. , a huge sapphire, which was given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert the day before their wedding. [11][12] Gold was first discovered at Yogo Creek in 1866, but the small numbers of early prospectors were driven off by local Native Americans. The dike also contains fragments of other rock types. They have high uniform clarity and maintain their brilliance under artificial light. The sapphire and diamond bracelet gifted to Elizabeth for her 18th birthday. [67] He remained caretaker of the mines until shortly before his death on March11, 1954. [94][93] Crevoshay felt that a butterfly motif would best represent America's natural beauty, honor her mother's love of butterflies, and display the wide range of colors found in Montana sapphires. Baron organized German and Thai gemcutters and had success in marketing Yogo sapphires in Americathe first such success in 50 years. This suggests the sapphire crystals may have originated in an earlier rock, such as a corundum-bearing gneiss, later assimilated by the lamprophyre magma at depth. [16][18] A series of other firms mined sapphires there, but with marginal success. The mining camp at Yogo City only flourished for roughly three years,[13] and eventually the population dwindled to only a few people. It was not until 1894 that the blue pebbles were recognized as sapphires. Yogos maintain their high clarity and brilliance under artificial light. Services. The west end of the Yogo dike outcrops just southwest of Yogo Creek, about 3 miles (5km) north of Yogo Creek's confluence with the Middle Fork of the Judith River; from there it runs east-northeast and ends about 0.5 miles (800m) from the Judith River. [69][70], Montana sapphires were heavily mined during World War II for industrial abrasive and cutting purposes. For a unique viewing experience visit our private Penthouse Showroom in Manhattan NYC, by appointment only. [17][18] Collins sent the sapphires to Tiffany's in New York City, and to Amsterdam for evaluation;[40] however, those sapphires were of poor coloring and low overall quality, garnering little notice and giving Montana sapphires a poor reputation. The Rock Creek location, near Phillipsburg, is the most productive site in Montana, and its gems inspired the name of the nearby Sapphire Mountains. Crevoshay completed the brooch in 2007; she and Kane presented the finished brooch to Smithsonian curator Jeffrey Post on May 7, 2007, in Washington, DC. Morganite, emerald, ruby, aquamarine, moissanite, sapphire, and amethyst are all fabulous gemstones that are the perfect choice for someone looking for a look with a pop of color. Our natural untreated sapphires offer true beauty, rarity and superior value compared to treated sapphires. WebYogo sapphires are the finest sapphires available and Adair Jewelers in Missoula, MT, has the largest collection of any store anywhere. [20] Yogo sapphires also exhibit a triangular pattern on the basal plane of the flattened crystals,[21] with thin rhombohedral crystal faces, a feature absent in sapphires from other parts of Montana. [53] In 1899, Johnson, Walker and Tolhurst, Ltd. of London purchased the New Mine Sapphire Syndicate for $100,000 (approximately $3.3 million as of 2023). Sapphires from other parts of the world generally absorb artificial light, making them appear black and lusterless. Many of the jewels in the Queens collection were inherited from her ancestors. [85] AMAX Exploration, operating as the Yogo Sapphire Project, signed a 22-month lease with Roncor in March1993 and had some success in the middle and eastern portions of the dike; it decided not to continue after the end of its lease due to the cost of underground mining, depletion of easily accessible Yogo sapphires, and the relatively small size of Yogo sapphires then easily accessible. Major mines are currently inactive 11-carat ( 2.2g ) rough had success in 50 years rarity superior..., Roncor found an 11-carat ( 2.2g ) rough yogo sapphire crown jewels Prince Albert the day before their wedding blue. Yogo sapphires in Americathe first such success in 50 years 17 sapphires, misrepresented. 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