Star Sapphire
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.
Naturally forming Star Sapphires are usually more expensive, especially if the Star Sapphire is deep and rich in color. Sapphires, as well as Star Sapphires can come in a variety of colors including most notably blue, but also green, colorless, orange, brown, purple and violet.
The word Sapphire comes from the Latin word saphirus meaning blue. Sapphires and Star Sapphires were prized possessions of kings and queens. They were used for talisman and for their perceived medicinal qualities. It should be noted that red Sapphires do exist, however they have the privilege of being called Rubies.
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.