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Stone Lore
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral
species corundum. Sapphires occur
in all colors of the rainbow with the
exception of red, which is ruby. The
name sapphire is derived from the
word sapphiros, which was actually
used for lapis lazuli in Roman times.
Sapphires are commonly heated to
improve color and reduce cloudiness
that is caused by rutile inclusions.
Sapphire is the birthstone for the
month of September. Blue sapphire
is designated for the 115th wedding
anniversary, golden sapphire for the
50th, while fancy sapphires (all
colors except blue) are given for
the 30th year. Today, sapphire is
mined in Australia, Sri Lanka,
Thailand. Other producers are
Burma, Kampuchea, Kenya, and
Tanzania.
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Sapphire is the birthstone of September &
anniversary gemstone for the 5th and 45th
years of marriage.
Sapphire - gem of the heavens, the divine gemstone,
has been cherished for thousands of years. The ancient
Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire
and its reflection colored the sky. Sapphire is found in all
the colors: from midnight blue to the bright blue of noon sky,
golden sunrise to reddish-orange, and the delicate violet of
twilight. The most famous and valuable sapphires are a
truly royal blue. Sapphire is the September birthstone,
when the most babies are born, as well as the accepted
anniversary gem for the 5th and 45th years of marriage.
History & Romance
Sapphire symbolizes sincerity and faithfulness, and is an
excellent choice for an engagement ring. When Prince
Charles gave Princess Diana a sapphire engagement ring,
couples all over the world were inspired to revive this
ancient tradition.
Quality
Mainly, sapphires come from Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia,
Cambodia. United States, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, China
and Madagascar also produce some sapphire. The deposits
in Montana in the United States produce a range of fancy
colors, and deep blue sapphires from one of the world's
largest deposits at Yogo Gulch where sapphires are small
in size but have a beautiful blue.
Kashmir and Burma are the most famous sources for
sapphire, which is now known as Myanmar. Kashmir
sapphire, which was discovered over 100 years ago has a
rich velvety color prized by professionals. Burma sapphires,
from the same region that produces excellent rubies, are
also very fine. Unfortunately, today, these two countries
produce very small quantity of the sapphire.
Most fine sapphire on the market today comes from Sri
Lanka, which produces a wide range of beautiful blues
from delicate sky blue colors to rich saturated hues.
Kanchanaburi in Thailand and Pailin in Cambodia are
renowned for deep blue, even colors.
Two relatively new mining localities are showing promise:
Madagascar, which has produced some exceptionally fine
stones in small sizes but has no organized mining yet, and
Tanzania, which has long produced sapphire in other
colors but is starting to produce blue colors as well from a
new deposit in the south.
Color variations:
Sapphires are available in every color but red. Sapphire in
colors other than blue is often referred to as fancy sapphire.
The most valuable sapphires have a medium intense, vivid
blue color. The best sapphires hold the brightness of their
color under all different types of lighting. Any black, gray,
or green overtones mixed in with the blue will reduce a
stone's value. In general, a more pastel blue would be less
preferred than a vivid blue but would be priced higher than
an overdark blackish blue color. As with all gemstones,
sapphires which are "clean" and have few visible inclusions
or tiny flaws are the most valuable. However some very
fine sapphires, in particular those from Kashmir, have a
velvety mist-like texture which enhances the richness of
the blue.
Cut:
Sapphires are most often cut in a cushion shape - a rounded
rectangle - or an oval shape. You can also find smaller
sapphires in round brilliant cuts and a wide variety of fancy
shapes, including triangles, squares, emerald cuts,
marquises, pear shapes, baguette shapes, and cabochon
cuts, or smooth domes.
Enhancement:
By some estimates 99.9% of sapphires are heated at very
high temperatures to improve the color or clarity. This
process dissolves trace elements already present in the s
apphire. There is no price difference between heated and
non-heated sapphires.
It is very difficult to scratch sapphire which is harder than
any other gem ( 9 on the Mohs scale) but diamond.
Synthetic sapphire is used for scratch-resistant instruments,
optical scanners, watch crystals, etc because of its durability
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