What is Sapphire

"A maiden born when autumn leaves

Are rustling in September's breeze,

A Sapphire on her brow should bind;

To bring her joy and peace of mind."

Definition of the Sapphire

The word Sapphire is derived from the Greek word "sappheiros" (Greek: σάπφειρος; sappheiros, "blue stone"). Sapphires are the blue transparent variety of corundum, highly prized as a gem. In geological terms gem quality sapphire is rarer than diamond.

Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide (α-Al2O3), when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give corundum blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, or greenish color. Pink-orange sapphires are also called padmaraga

(Padmaraga is a pink-orange corundum, with a low to medium saturation and light tone, originally being mined in Sri Lanka, but also found in deposits in Vietnam and Africa; Padmaraga sapphires are rare. The name derives from the Sinhalese word for lotus blossom. The rarest of all padmaragas is the totally natural variety, with no sign of treatment).

Pure chromium is the distinct impurity of rubies. However, a combination of e.g. chromium and titanium can give a sapphire a color distinct from red.

The cost of natural sapphires varies depending on their color, clarity, size, cut, and overall quality – as well as their geographic origin. Significant sapphire deposits are found in Eastern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, East Africa, and in North America in a few locations, such as at "Gem Mountain", and in or near the Missouri River in the region around Helena, Montana. Sapphire and rubies are often found together in the same area, but one gem is usually more abundant.

Where are Sapphires found?

Sapphire is found in the following countries:

Sri Lanka, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Kasmir, Australia, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, China and the U.S.

Blue sapphire

Color in gemstones breaks down into three components: hue, saturation, and tone. Hue is most commonly understood as the "color" of the gemstone. Saturation refers to the vividness or brightness or "colorfulness" of the hue, and tone is the lightness to darkness of the hue. Blue sapphire exists in various mixtures of its primary (blue) and secondary hues, various tonal levels (shades) and at various levels of saturation (brightness).

Blue sapphires are evaluated based upon the purity of their primary hue. Purple, violet, and green are the most common secondary hues found in blue sapphires. Violet and purple can contribute to the overall beauty of the color, while green is considered to be distinctly negative. Blue sapphires with up to 15% violet or purple are generally said to be of fine quality. Blue sapphires with any amount of green as a secondary hue are not considered to be fine quality. Gray is the normal saturation modifier or mask found in blue sapphires. Gray reduces the saturation or brightness of the hue and therefore has a distinctly negative effect.

The color of fine blue sapphires can be described as a vivid medium dark violet to purplish blue where the primary blue hue is at least 85% and the secondary hue no more than 15% without the least admixture of a green secondary hue or a gray mask.

The 423-carat (85 g) Logan sapphire in the National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C., is one of the largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphires in existence.

Treatments

Sapphires may be treated by several methods to enhance and improve their clarity and color. It is common practice to heat natural sapphires to improve or enhance color. This is done by heating the sapphires in air to temperatures between 500 and 1800 °C for several hours, or by heating in a nitrogen-deficient atmosphere oven for seven days or more. Upon heating, the stone becomes a more blue in color but loses some of the rutile inclusions (silk). When high heat temperatures are used, the stone loses all of the silk and becomes clear under magnification. Evidence of sapphire and other gemstones being subjected to heating goes back to, at least, Roman times. Un-heated stones are quite rare and will often be sold accompanied by a certificate from an independent gemological laboratory attesting to "no evidence of heat treatment".

Diffusion treatments are somewhat more controversial as they are used to add elements to the sapphire for the purpose of improving colors. Typically beryllium is diffused into a sapphire with very high heat, just below the melting point of the sapphire. Initially (c. 2000) orange sapphires were created with this process, although now the process has been advanced and many colors of sapphire are often treated with beryllium. It is unethical to sell beryllium-treated sapphires without disclosure, and the price should be much lower than a natural gem or one that has been enhanced by heat alone.

Treating stones with surface diffusion is generally frowned upon because when stones chip or are repolished/refaceted the 'padparadscha' colored layer can be removed. (There are some diffusion treated stones in which the color goes much deeper than the surface, however.) The problem lies in the fact that treated padparadschas are at times very difficult to detect, and they are the reason that getting a certificate from a reputable gemological lab (e.g., Gubelin, SSEF, AGTA, etc.) is recommended before investing in them.

According to Federal Trade Commission guidelines, in the United States, disclosure is required of any mode of enhancement that has a significant effect on the gem's value.

Synthetic sapphire

In 1902, the French chemist Auguste Verneuil developed a process for producing synthetic sapphire crystals. Artificial sapphire material is identical to natural sapphire, except it can be made without the flaws that are found in natural stones. The disadvantage of Verneuil process is that the grown crystals have high internal strains. Many methods of manufacturing sapphire today are variations of the Czochralski process, which was invented in 1916.

In 2003, the world's production of synthetic sapphire was 250 tons (1.25 × 109 carats), mostly by the United States and Russia. The availability of cheap synthetic sapphire unlocked many industrial uses for this unique material:

The first laser was made with a rod of synthetic ruby. Titanium-sapphire lasers are popular due to their relatively rare capacity to be tuned to various wavelengths in the red and near-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. They can also be easily mode-locked. In these lasers, a synthetically produced sapphire crystal with chromium or titanium impurities is irradiated with intense light from a special lamp, or another laser, to create stimulated emission.

Folklore and meaning :

The traditional color associated with the Sapphire is the deep blue color and was strongly favored as a popular gem in jewelry. The meaning of colors through the ages represented many aspects of life. Social, religious, biblical and Christian symbolism were all reflected in the color blue. The symbolic meaning of the color blue has a Biblical meaning symbolizing heavenly grace. Sapphires can be found in a variety of colors, not just different shades of blue, these include yellow, pink and white. Sapphires with colors other than blue are generally referred to as fancy sapphires. The distinctive blue of the sapphire is due to minute amounts of oxide of iron and titanium in the stone.

Properties of the Sapphire

For those who were born in the month of September the Sapphire is the traditional birthstone. The September birthstone poem reflects some of the properties with which the Sapphire is associated - truth, sincerity and constancy.

The Traditional Metaphysical Properties for the September Birthstone Sapphire are clairvoyance, insight and interpretation. The healing properties of the September birthstone are reputed to be effective for health problems relating to lowering fevers and inflammation, hearing problems, cancer and burns. The Sapphire is also used to enhance the influences of Venus and and banish evil thoughts.

About Star sapphire…

A star sapphire is a type of sapphire that exhibits a star-like phenomenon known as asterism. Star sapphires contain intersecting needle-like inclusions (often the mineral rutile, a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide) that cause the appearance of a six-rayed "star"-shaped pattern when viewed with a single overhead light source.

The Black Star of Queensland is believed to be the largest star sapphire that has ever been mined, and it weighs 733 carats. The Star of India (weighing 563.4 carats) is thought to be the second-largest star sapphire, and it is currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The 182-carat Star of Bombay, located in the National Museum of Natural History, in Washington, D.C., is an example of a blue star sapphire. The value of a star sapphire, however, depends not only on the weight of the stone but also the body color, visibility and intensity of the asterism.

For information about the Spiritual Properties of this stone Click Here

Where to find a quality seller?

If you are looking for Jewellery that is from a quality supplier then we recommend JG jewellers (if you would like to find out how to get an additional 10% discount from any JG Jewellers purchase then click here).

To shop for Quality SapphireJewellery at JG Jewellers

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