Sapphire

Sapphire

Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide.
Sapphire comes from the Greek word for blue, sappheiros , and this gem provides the most beautiful blues of the gem kingdom. The ancient Persians believed the earth rests on a giant sapphire. Its reflection, they said, made the sky blue.

Sapphires are found in Kashmir, Burma, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Thailand, Cambodia, Australia, Tanzania, Kenya, and the United States.

Sapphire is the original “true blue”: the gem of fidelity and of the soul. In ancient times, a gift of a sapphire was a pledge of trust, honesty, purity, and loyalty. This tradition makes sapphire a popular choice for engagement rings.

But sapphire doesn’t have to be blue to be beautiful. Sapphire also comes in beautiful pinks, yellows, oranges, and peach and violet colors. These other colors are often referred to as fancy sapphire. In fact, sapphire comes in every color but red, because a red sapphire would be a ruby: both are the mineral corundum.

The most south-after color of fancy sapphire is the rare and beautiful padparadscha sapphire: a pink-orange corundum with a distinctive salmon color reminiscent of a tropical sunset . Found mostly in Sri Lanka, these ultra-rare, ultra-expensive stones are among the most coveted gems in the world.

Colorless and pale blue sapphires from certain localities may be heat-treated to give them an intense blue color. Heat-treatment may also improve the clarity of some sapphires by removing tiny inner inclusions. Sapphire is pleochroic, displaying a lighter and more intense color when viewed at different angles. Some pleochroic sapphire is blue when viewed at one angle, and purple at a different angle.

Sapphire was first synthesized in 1902. The process of creating synthetic sapphire is known as the Verneuil process. Only experts can distinguish between natural and synthetic sapphire.

The sapphire was called the “Stone of Destiny”. Sapphires contribute to mental clarity and perception. They can promote financial rewards. The sapphire is the symbol of heaven and joyful devotion to God.

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