The Gemstone Sapphire
Colors & Composition of Sapphire:
Though best known for its beguiling blue colors, sapphire also occurs in almost all the color of the spectrum. But a ‘red sapphire’ is called a ruby, which is sapphire’s gem sibling. These gems are composed of the mineral corundum which is both tough and durable.
Corundum is a mineralogical name conferred upon crystallized Aluminum oxide (Al2O3). Pure Corundum is perfectly colorless and very very scarce and as such sapphire itself is equally rare. Small amounts of metallic impurities (especially iron and chrome) in the crystal structure of the corundum gives rise to many color variations in the gemstone.
A blue corundum gemstone is merely called Sapphire.
Gems of other colors are referred to with their color as a prefix. For example, yellow sapphire, pink sapphire and so on. Two other color varieties have been given specific names, the red Ruby and the orangish-pink Padparadscha.
History & Lore About Sapphire:
These gemstones are all the more desirable because of their enticing colors, abounding history and the metaphysical qualities attributed to them. Legend has it that the tablets bearing the Ten Commandments were actually crafted out of sapphire. Ancient kings wore sapphires around their necks as protection against harm, to ward off evil and to achieve divine favors.
Ancients thought that the power of wisdom is contained within this precious gemstone. They believed that the stone’s energy enables the wearer to uncover correct solutions to difficult obstructions.
The sapphire has been an emblem of the heavens, guardian of innocence and imparted with loyalty, sincerity and truth. The ancient Persians believed that the earth’s crust rested upon an enormous sapphire, whose brilliancy mirrored the sky’s coloration at sunset.
The word sapphire has been derived from the Latin word sapphirus which merely means blue. Ruby is derived from the Latin word ruber meaning red. The name corundum stems from the Sanskrit word kurivinda.
In the ancient times, it was believed that all gems grew and ripened with changing seasons similar to the fruits on a tree. Starting off as white, the gems matured and became perfect as the sun shined. Deep red stones were regarded as fully ripened while the paler stones were deemed to have been plucked from the earth too early. The lovely red ripe stone (ruby) was called Kuruvinda in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. The phrase Corundum springs from this ancient sanskrit word and encompasses all gems formed of crystallized Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) together with the Ruby.
Sapphire was the engagement ring given by Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.
Though the most commonly recognized color of sapphire happens to be blue (ranging from vivid medium dark violet to purplish blue), this gemstone occurs in almost all other hues like yellow, orange, white, pink & purple.
Sources Of Sapphire:
Along with its coloration, its region of origin has a great influence on the value of a sapphire. The most precious and magnificent sapphires that are intense blue in color with a hint of violet originate from the Kashmir region of India.
Sapphires that come close to Kashmir sapphires in color tones are those from Burma (Myanmar) .
The pinkish orange sapphires from Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) are identified as Ceylon sapphires. They are also widely known as ‘Padparadscha’. Padparadscha sapphires are distinguished by an orange color with a fine pink undertone, comparable to that of a ‘lotus flower’ which its name represents. These stones command a premium price.
Australia is yet another significant source of sapphires that are particularly deep velvety blue and dark inky in appearance. Some more lately found sources of sapphires are Madagascar, US (Gem Mountain and Montana), Brazil, Tanzania and Cambodia.
Routine Enhancements Of Sapphire:
The history of treating a gem to improve its color, clarity etc. is as old as the gem trade itself. One of the earliest mentions of gem treatments is seen in Pliny’s History of the World. It is a custom in the gem trade for almost all gems to go through some form of treatment or the other. Clarity and color of a sapphire get enhanced significantly with heat treatment.
Most blue sapphires are heated to boost the blue color by dissolving titanium inclusions though occasionally dark sapphires can get lightened by heat.
Fancy colored sapphires are also often heated in order to cultivate the best color possible. In case of some sapphires the heat treatment improves both the clarity and the color.
Heat enhancement is stable and routine and does not require any additional or special care.
Bulk Diffusion Technique is another recently devised technique in which pale pink, colorless or yellow sapphires are heated along with beryl or chrysoberyl, which permeates the surface of the gem. The procedure adds yellow color making pale yellow gems a more intense yellow and converting pink ones into orange. The color so imparted may either be confined to a thin coating on the surface or in certain cases may completely swamp the entire stone. Bulk diffusion treatment should be revealed in writing on the invoice. It takes a well equipped gemological laboratory to detect this treatment so be wary of buying a sapphires from questionable sources.
If you want a sapphire whose color is natural, insist on a report from a established gem testing laboratory like the AGTA Gemological Testing Center certifying that the stone shows no evidence of heat alteration. But you also have to be prepared to pay a premium for the pleasure.
Quality And Value Of Sapphires
Intense medium dark blue is the most desired color for blue sapphires. The value of blue sapphires is determined on the basis of the purity of their primary hue. Purple, violet and green are the lesser hues found naturally in blue sapphires.
Violet and purple hues are deemed positives and contribute to the overall beauty of the sapphire. Conversely, green hue is regarded a definite negative & reduces the value of the sapphire. Blue sapphires with less than fifteen per cent violet or purple hues are regarded to be of fine quality but even a trace of green tends to make it inferior in quality.
Yellow and green sapphires are also frequently found.
Chromium content imparts a pink hue to sapphires and the pink color intensifies with the increasing content of chromium. The value of the sapphire increases with the deepening pink color so long as the color deepens in the direction of the red of rubies.
The value of sapphire depends on its color much more than anything else and even small variations can change its value considerably. Preferably a sapphire should be vivid, pure and highly saturated medium or medium dark toned with no tinge of gray or brown. Sapphires that are too dark or too light in color are not highly valued.
Sapphires are most common in cushion and oval shapes. Other shapes, including rounds, emerald cuts, princess cuts and trilliants are widely available in sizes under a carat.
Fine sapphire is usually more affordable than similar quality ruby, emerald and diamonds.
All sapphires occur in nature with inclusions though in exceptional rare cases a sapphire can also be clean. Even valuable sapphires can carry inclusions and completely clean gems make them suspect.
Sapphires With Special Optical Properties (Phenomenal Sapphires)
Certain unusual color changing sapphires, display different colors in different light. The blue in outdoor light changes to purple in an incandescent indoor light. The pink in daylight turns greenish under fluorescent light.
Sapphires with inclusions of tiny, rutile needles exhibit an optical property called asterism. This is the star shaped effect seen in Star Sapphires and is usually only seen in cabochon cuts.
Parti sapphires are fine Australian beauties and the best examples are unique to Australia. They show both yellow and blue colors and depending upon the facets also throw the green color. Due to the natural mixing of colors, Parti sapphires can’t be artificially produced and offer their owner an exclusive gemstone that is guaranteed to be natural.
A highly prized Parti sapphire is the “Pharoah’s Eye”. The Pharoah’s Eye is a blue crystal with a yellow core. The gem is so cut that the culet (bottom) of the stone is centered in the yellow core and the crown (top) is in the blue. This is a really spectacular stone.
Sapphires in Jewelry
Measuring 9.0 on the Mohs scale of hardness, sapphires are the second hardest natural mineral after diamonds. They match well with all designs of jewelry and mainly because of their hardness are appropriate for daily wear.
Sapphires look fantastic in engagement rings, right hand rings as also in pendants around the neck. Sapphires come in a riot of colours as well as in an extensive range of prices from reasonably priced to the exclusive. So sapphire jewelry can go with all types of outfits, all types of occasions and they can fit into any class.
Sapphire is the original “true blue” and the gem of fidelity. 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.
Care & Cleaning Of Sapphires
In order to preserve the luster and fire of a sapphire, it is very important that you clean them on a regular basis. The emphasis is on Regular Cleaning. You can do the cleaning with mild detergent or soap and lukewarm water. Scrubbing can be done gently with a soft toothbrush behind the stone where dust can collect.
Artificial Sapphires
It is also worth stating here that today artificial sapphires are manufactured in the lab. These artificial sapphires are similar to the naturally occurring ones in all ways except that they do not have the blemishes and inclusions seen in the latter. They are also available in much lower price range.
How To Value Jewelry From Home or Work
Jewelry Appraisal EBook(R) Home Study Course has been designed by a qualified Gemologist and Former Member of the Valuers Council, to step anybody through worksheets and examples using an antique Sapphire and Diamond Ring on How To Value Jewelry
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