
SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL VS. MINERAL CRYSTAL
Choosing between sapphire crystal and mineral crystal
Learn why sapphire crystal is the most expensive of all the watch crystals and the first choice for luxury watches.
Learn why sapphire crystal is the most expensive of all the watch crystals and the first choice for luxury watches.
Jess Chow, Founder of VIEREN Watches
January 2022
Jess Chow, Founder of VIEREN Watches
January 2022
Why is Sapphire Crystal so expensive?
Sapphire crystal is a synthetic material made by crystallizing pure aluminium oxide at very high temperatures. Due to it’s hardness, advanced diamond-coated saws are required to polish and cut the material into circular discs with meticulous precision, making it an extremely expensive process to perfect.

Why is Sapphire Crystal so expensive?
Sapphire crystal is a synthetic material made by crystallizing pure aluminium oxide at very high temperatures. Due to it’s hardness, advanced diamond-coated saws are required to polish and cut the material into circular discs with meticulous precision, making it an extremely expensive process to perfect.

Sapphire Crystal vs. Mineral Crystal - how to choose
The most expensive of all the watch crystals, sapphire crystal is highly regarded for its scratch and shatter resistance. It’s rated 9 on the Mohs scale for hardness, meaning it can only be scratched by itself or diamonds, and is a superior choice over mineral crystal over time.
Pro tip: Sapphire crystal is highly reflective, so we recommend looking for sapphire crystal with multi-layered anti-reflective (AR) coating when shopping for your next luxury watch.
Pro tip: Sapphire crystal is highly reflective, so we recommend looking for sapphire crystal with multi-layered anti-reflective (AR) coating when shopping for your next luxury watch.
Sapphire Crystal vs. Mineral Crystal - how to choose
The most expensive of all the watch crystals, sapphire crystal is highly regarded for its scratch and shatter resistance. It’s rated 9 on the Mohs scale for hardness, meaning it can only be scratched by itself or diamonds, and is a superior choice over mineral crystal over time.
Pro tip: Sapphire crystal is highly reflective, so we recommend looking for sapphire crystal with multi-layered anti-reflective (AR) coating when shopping for your next luxury watch.
Pro tip: Sapphire crystal is highly reflective, so we recommend looking for sapphire crystal with multi-layered anti-reflective (AR) coating when shopping for your next luxury watch.
