Glossary
Origin opinion
How laboratories determine a gemstone’s origin – and where the limits lie.
A laboratory determines origin by combining several lines of evidence: characteristic inclusions under the microscope, trace elements such as chromium, iron, vanadium or gallium, measured for example by laser ablation (LA-ICP-MS), and spectra in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared ranges. These values are compared with reference stones of documented origin.
An expert opinion, not a certainty
An origin statement is the laboratory’s judgement based on its data. Deposits that formed in similar ways can overlap – for example sapphires from Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Kashmir. If the origin cannot be determined with confidence, the laboratory reports it as «undeterminable». For sapphires from basalt regions, many laboratories state only the geological type rather than a country.
Trade route is not origin
Many stones are cut and traded far from where they were mined. Sapphires from Madagascar, for instance, often reach the market via Sri Lanka. Only the statement in the laboratory report is therefore decisive. NOBILITH shows the origin exactly as the laboratory recorded it and adds no assumptions of its own.
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Updated 2026-10-06