Sourcing

Navneet Gems Now Offering Unheated Montana Sapphires

SourcingFeb 14, 2025

Navneet Gems Now Offering Unheated Montana Sapphires

The wholesale collection features material from the Rock Creek mine in a variety of colors.

Navneet montana sapphire
Navneet Gems and Minerals launched its sapphire collection at the recent GJX Tucson show, offering both calibrated and single stones.
Bangkok—Navneet Gems and Minerals, a Thailand–based gemstone manufacturer, will now offer a wholesale collection of unheated Montana sapphires.

The collection launched at the GJX Tucson show, which took place earlier this month, showcasing both calibrated and single stones.

“Montana sapphires are very popular right now, especially in the North American market, thanks to their ethical sourcing, unique colors, and recognition as high quality gems,” said Navneet Agarwal, director of Navneet Gems & Minerals.

The company said the gemstones are responsibly sourced and range from 1 to 3 carats in commercial and finer quality.

Navneet Gems sourced its sapphires from the Rock Creek mines operated by Potentate Mining.

“High-quality unheated Montana sapphires are rare,” said Agarwal.

“In our case, we’ve been able to offer unheated sapphires because the rough we sourced was of exceptionally high quality. While heat treating is the standard practice for Montana sapphires, we’re fortunate to work with top-tier material that allows us to offer an unheated option."

The miner is able to offer consistent production and a wide range of stunning colors, according to Navneet Gems.

“Our deposit is located in the aptly named ‘Sapphire Mountain Range,’” said Warren Boyd, marketing director of Potentate Mining.

“The Rock Creek Sapphire mining area is by far the largest volume producer of sapphires in Montana and the largest sapphire producer in the western hemisphere.”

The deposit is known for producing stones in pastel hues including blue, teal, and green, as well as rarer shades such as orange, yellow, pink, bi-color combinations, and a cognac tone reminiscent of Pantone’s color of the year for 2025.

These hues capture the very spirit of Montana’s diverse landscapes, according to the company, mirroring “expansive blue skies over the Rocky Mountains to the lush greens of its valleys and the warm, golden tones of its sunlit plains.”

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Montana sapphires from Rock Creek may also feature distinctive natural inclusions, including rutile silk inclusions that can give the stone a milky or opalescent appearance, as well as black mica inclusions.

“Inclusions are a positive sign of a natural sapphire. They show us what the Earth has given us, and we fully respect that. We believe in being ethical, not discarding anything that is part of nature’s creation process,” said Agarwal.

“That's why Montana sapphires represent such a significant shift in the industry. One of the main reasons we're drawn to Montana sapphires is because they support an ethically sourced product.”

The company has also reported seeing an uptick in the gemstone being considered for bespoke pieces, engagement rings, and other offerings that appeal to customers of “a new generation that values authenticity and self-expression over mass-market trends.”

While the Asian market remains “untapped,” according to Navneet Gems, the gemstone is gaining traction in European markets, and Agarwal has noticed Australian companies incorporating Montana sapphires into their collections as well.

“It’s similar to how Australian sapphires aren’t limited to Australia—they’re in demand all over the world, including the U.S.,” said Agarwal.

“The same is true for Montana sapphires.”

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