Sapphire is corundum, the same type of mineral as ruby, except that it is not red. Sapphire is famous for its blue color, but it also comes in many other colors, such as orange and pink. They are called fancy sapphires. There are also color change sapphires which change color under different lighting.
For example, because of its high transparency, hardness, and scratch resistance, it is often used in wristwatches as cover glass and as ball bearings. In recent years, it has found widespread use in smartphone lens covers and fingerprint authentication sensor covers.
But we do know that the sapphires which are found today were formed around 150 to 200 million years ago. Today the modern location of sapphires gives us some clues and indications about the place of their formation and how they are created as jewellery worn by people.
Sapphire Rarity
Sapphires are rare gems, especially when compared to diamonds. The most common color is blue, but deeply saturated blue sapphires with high clarity are difficult to find in nature, making them incredibly valuable. Green emeralds and red rubies are harder to find in nature than sapphires.
Sapphires that are not blue are known as fancy sapphires, and may be any color—except red (which is a ruby).
An orange or pink sapphire is formed when some chromium (rather than titanium) is mixed in with the iron and, if there is sufficient chromium, the gemstone becomes a ruby (which is simply the name given to what is essentially a red sapphire).
Pink is one of the rarest sapphire colours, caused by chromium trace elements inside the corundum crystal. The deeper the pink, the more chromium is present. Red corundum, however, is called ruby, another gem variety of the same mineral.
No matter what, a well-cut diamond will show more brilliance, dispersion, and scintillation than a well-cut white sapphire. That means that diamonds will appear brighter (brilliance), have more colorful flashes (dispersion or "fire"), and sparkles of light (scintillation) than sapphires.
September | Sapphire
Sapphire, the birthstone of September, is most desired in its pure, rich blue color but is present in almost every color including pink, yellow and green. In the Middle Ages the gem was believed to protect those close to you from harm and also represented loyalty and trust.
Corundum (sapphires) comes in all color types. Blue Corundum is called Blue Sapphire; Pink Corundum is called Pink Sapphire, etc. Trace mineral content within the crystal gives it color (further details on color explained in each specific sapphire type).
Sri Lanka holds a special place in sapphire history, as the oldest blue sapphire deposit was discovered there and has been sought after since 480 BC when the term "Sapphire from Sri Lanka" was first used.
Sapphires were said to be named after the Greek word of “Sapphirus” which means blue. The bold, vibrant blue hue of the sapphire. Because of the blue appearance of the sky, many ancient greeks believed that the sky was a reflection of the giant sapphire in which the world was placed upon.
However, natural sapphires come in almost every color of the rainbow including pink, rose, violet, yellow, orange, green, blue-green, or white (colorless). The special color combination of pink-orange or orange-pink is known as Padparadscha sapphire, the rarest sapphire color, and a special rarity.
The UV component creates unstable color centers at the same time they are being destroyed by visible wavelengths of light. If one of these sapphires is stored in a dark place for an extended period, it will fade to the ground state, typically purplish pink, pink, or pale yellow.
Yep! These stones form naturally, and black is one of the most common sapphire colors. However, many jewelers consider black sapphires lower-quality options than other sapphires. The one exception for most jewelers is black star sapphires, which are prized more highly for their bright, celestial optical effect.
Sapphires are very durable, so while they do scratch and can chip, you'll probably get many years of wear. Eventually, you may notice some scratches, and you can always have your sapphire resurfaced. Sapphires come in a rainbow of colors and hues!
Rainbow Sapphires are defined as a set of sapphires that comprise of the full spectrum of color, without missing any of the following hues, and are in the order of the color-spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
Once considered the main source for rubies, Myanmar (formerly Burma) is now one of several sources for both the pink and red ruby varieties. Pink rubies in particular are found in Sri Lanka more than any other country.
Though sapphires are rarer than diamonds, they are often a more affordable diamond alternative or accent. The brilliance, durability and timelessness of diamonds keeps them as the more expensive of these two gems.
Sapphires are actually quite hard and score 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. "Second only to diamonds," Earlam-Charnley points out. This means that sapphires are suitable for everyday wear. "A sapphire should last a lifetime and can be passed down for generations."
The Least Common Birthstone in Every State
February babies have the rarest birthstone of all. Diamond (April) is the rarest birthstone in a total of six states, while topaz (November) is the rarest birthstone in Montana, Wyoming, and Rhode Island.
Painite : Not just the rarest gemstone, but also the rarest mineral on earth, Painite holds the Guinness World Record for it. After its discovery in the year 1951, there existed only 2 specimens of Painite for the next many decades. By the year 2004, there were less than 2 dozens known gemstones.