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Sapphire Information
Sapphire word derives from the Greek word “safir” that means “blue”, is the gem quality of the Corundum mineral family, that includes Ruby when the color is red. In these days with term “fancy sapphire” are considered any color of the corundum quality, expect the red variety that is mandatory for the Ruby.
The most popular and valuable variety from this mineral family (excluded Ruby) is the blue variety, but fancy sapphire can have a lot of colors like: yellow, pink, orange, black, green and sometimes colorless white that is called Leuco Sapphire or colorless corundum.
In these days find an untreated large natural Sapphire that exhibit a nice vivid color, eye clean transparent clarity without enhancement is really hard, and these gemstone can be really expensive and valuable, rising the higher valuation on the gem market.
Sapphire like Ruby is the second most hard natural material found on the earth, is extremely durable and is second only to diamond in the Mohs hardness scale.
Some stones can show color zone with different saturation on the same stone, can present color change optical effect, asterism, or be multicolor with two colors mixed in the same crystals (usually pink and blue, yellow and blue, green and blue or green and yellow).
Natural Sapphire are hard to find with eye clean clarity and internal flawless so often they show some minor inclusions like fingerprints, guest crystals, rutile needles also called silk.
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Sapphire Healing Properties
Sapphire is the Taurus zodiac sign, referring to birthstone is the gemstone for the people born in September, it symbolize loyalty and sincerity can bring peace and joy and protect from evil spirit and negativity when worn.
It is also considered the gem of the gemstones, with celestial hues often associated to divine is a good protection for travelers, brings protection and fortune, and symbolize power and strength.
When worn it can protect from poison, plague, fever and skin diseases, and had great power in resisting black magic.
Associated with the planet of Saturn this variety from the Corundum mineral family is ideal for accomplishing goals, it stimulates the Throat and Third Eye Chakras, allowing one to access deeper levels of consciousness in order to gain a fuller understanding of self.
Sapphire Treatment
Sapphire is rare and expensive in large size and gem quality, so it is often treated to improve the color and clarity. Usually it is treated by heat, like Ruby, sometimes it is heated with additional external substance like beryllium to alter or enhance color and clarity, this treatment is called diffusion.
Diffusion treatment is considered invasive and can be applied to all the kind of Sapphire (blue, yellow, green, orange, and also to Ruby) and must be declared by the seller. Gemstone treated in these way are not expensive and their price are really affordable and inexpensive.
Origin and gemstone source
Gem quality material is really hard to find and the best gemstones are nowadays mined in Mogok (Burma Myanmar), Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Kashmir (India) but they can also be mined in Thailand, Africa (Madagascar, Tanzania), India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, Montana (United States).
Sapphire Optical Effect
This gemstone usually show strong pleochroism, show blue color when viewed at one angle, and purple when viewed from a different angle.
It can also present color changing effect, showing a bright blue color under natural light switching to a vivid purple under incandescent light.
In some condition, when rutile needles inclusions are present in the crystal and it was cut into cabochon, it can show asterism optical effect with a beautiful six rays (in some rare case can show 12 rays) dancing star.
Images and photos
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Uses
Natural untreated Sapphire is one of the four most precious stones is really popular and appreciated by the jewelry industry, so it often faceted and cut into calibrated size and common shape like: round, oval, cushion, baguette, pear, marquise, square, trilliant and set in high end jewels. Sometimes can be also cut in fancy shapes or when present visible inclusions into cabochon that often show asterism.
Heated and other treated Sapphire are also very attractive, but more affordable, they can usually used in commercial jewelry like gold ring or silver jewelry.
Some stones present no transparency and opaque clarity so they will engraved and cut into sculptures, beads, rondelles, chips and more popular low end jewelry.
Care and Cleaning
Natural untreated sapphire are very durable and hard stones, but duo to their high value they deserve some care when used, cleaned and stored. Remember to not store your gemstone with other softer stones because it can easily scratch and ruin other gems.
Sapphire is quite hard and durable stone, but it can be chipped easily if hit, so be carefully when you wear it, especially if the stone is mounted on a ring or a bracelet.
To clean it you must use some soapy water and a clean soft cloth, avoid exposure to high temperatures and to chemical agents like acid or chemical products that can ruin your valuable gemstone.
If you are a jeweler, remember to unmount the gemstone before soldering works and don’t heat directly with your torch, the stone, because internal inclusions can expand and break the gem when heated to high temperatures.
Scam and Fraud
Natural Sapphire is a desirable and attractive gemstone, it is rare and valuable gemstone, can rise very high price and can be counterfeit or be the protagonist of numerous scam and fraud attemps, so you need to take some precaution before purchase your new gemstone.
Heat and other treatment must be clearly stated by the seller, if not consider to select another gem broker.
Usually scammers try to sell for natural Sapphire some synthetics stone like called flame fusion Sapphire also called Verneuil process that must be considered like a man made and lab grown gemstone. Also blue colored glass glass, hydrothermal blue quartz and cubic zirconia can be dealt for natural Sapphire by unscrupulous gem dealers.
Some scammers try to sell for Sapphire other natural gemstones that are close in colors with blue Corundum, like Iolite, Tanzanite, Tourmaline, blue Zircon, Kyanite, blue Spinel.
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Typical Internal Inclusions
Typical inclusions can determinate the natural origin of the Sapphire, this gemstone show some characteristic that differentiate it from other treated gemstones.
Natural sapphire gemstone usually show some tiny rutile needles (silk), parallels mineral grow lines, guest crystal like Calcite inclusions, healed internal cracks, feathers inclusions and other various inclusions also called fingerprints.
Occasionally, when rutile needles inclusions are present in the crystal and perpendicular to the light Sapphire if it was cut into cabochon, can show the typical asterism optical effect with an attractive six rays (in some rare case can show 12 rays) dancing star.
In gemstones treated by diffusion there are usually some inclusions like gas bubble (like in Ruby treated by diffusion), elongated gas bubble, feather dendritic inclusions.
Synthetic Sapphire that are lab grown by the flame fusion process comes usually with a suspicious eye clean clarity (eye clean natural Sapphire are rare and expensive), exhibit gas bubble and curved color mineral grow lines.
Gemological Info
- Mineral family: Corundum
- Crystal:Trigonal, rhombohedrons (hexagonal prism)
- Density: 4.00
- Hardness: 9
- Refractive index: 1.762 – 1.770
- Color: Vivid blue (from pale blue to dark blue) green, yellow, pink, orange, colorless
- Cause of color: presence of Iron and Titanium
- Luster: Vitreous to adamantine
- Clarity: Type 1 (often eye clean)
- Fluorescent: Inert
- Fracture: Conchoidal
- Cleavage: None
- Durability: High
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