Origin History Origin of Name From the Mountain Kashmir The Multi-Colored Sapphrie Star Sapphires Synthetic Sapphrie The Fashionable Choice

Origin

Sapphire has held a special place in the hearts and minds of mankind ever since the first pebbles of this lovely blue corundum were found in Indian and Asian rivers centuries ago. Though sapphire grows in the ground like most gemstones, it is often washed down into riverbeds, called alluvial deposits, where its bright blue colors would easily catch the eye of ancient treasure hunters.

Blue sapphire was valued by ancient Hindu mystics as the key to developing wisdom and spiritual progress. By Roman times, blue sapphires were used as beads, ring stones, carved intaglios and pendant stones, because they were said to attract divine favor to their owners.

great destiny to their wearers, and were often used in court and royal jewelry. Alchemists believed that blue sapphires would help them develop clairvoyance, telepathy and divine wisdom.

Today blue sapphire is the September birthstone, the fifth and 45th wedding anniversary gem, and the zodiac gem for Taurus. It has become one of the world's most popular gems.

Sapphire comes in a wide range of blues, varying from very light blue to a deep blue that is almost black. The very finest sapphires are a velvet, slightly violetish medium to medium dark blue, often called Kashmir blue, after its original location in India. When pricing sapphires, medium blues are usually the most expensive.

One of the most exciting recent developments is the entry of fancy colored sapphires into the jewelry realm. Fancy colored sapphires are those colors of corundum that are not considered ruby or blue sapphire. They can come in green, violet, purple, yellow, gold, pink, light orange, and the famous pinkish-orange color known as Padparadscha, named for the Hindu word 'lotus.' Many are affordable and available in large quantities.

To improve a sapphire's color and clarity, it is often subjected to controlled heating. This is a permanent enhancement that is well accepted by jewelers. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness, which made them difficult to facet until modern cutting technology was developed. Cut stones are available in sizes up to 10 carats, with one to five carat gems most common.

Sapphire is remarkably tough and safe in most types of cleaning. However, it should be given the same care as any other precious gem to avoid scratching. Most damage to sapphires occurs from rubbing them against another sapphire or diamond, careless handling and hard knocks directly to the stones.

With the magnificent range of sapphire colors available at all price levels today, sapphire is not just the gem of wisdom, it's a wise buy as well.

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History

The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire whose reflection gave the sky its color.

Damigeron, a historian of old, wrote that sapphire was worn by kings to protect them from harm. It was also believed that sapphire would protect the wearer from envy and attract divine favor. The gem was regarded as a symbol of truth, sincerity and constancy.

Legend has it that if a poisonous snake were put into a vessel along with a sapphire, the rays from the gem would kill it. Our ancestors interpreted this to mean that sapphire was an antidote against poison.

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Origin of Name

At one time any blue gem material was called sapphire. References to a blue-flecked stone led mineral experts to realize that some of what had been called "sappheiros" was actually lapis lazuli. "Sappheiros" is Greek for "blue."

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From the Mountains of Kashmir

The finest sapphire color is rich, velvety cornflower blue. This is called "kashmir" out of deference to the traditional source of the finest quality. Today, however, the Kashmir area of India is not generally mined because of its physical inaccessibility. Most current production comes from Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Montana, Australia and Africa.

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The Multi-Colored Sapphire

Sapphire occurs in colors ranging from very light to dark blue to violetish-blue, bluishgreen, yellow, slightly reddish-orange, brown, nearly opaque black, colorless pink, violet and pinkish-orange. Corundum (sapphire's mineral name) occurs in red, but this is what we know as ruby. A particularly lovely pinkish-orange is referred to as "padparadscha" which is taken from the Sinhalese for "lotus-colored ' " Although sapphire is found in many colors, these are not all commercially available at any given time. Some are so rare they are collectors' items.

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Star Sapphires

Fine, needle-like inclusions are what give sapphires their velvety quality. When these inclusions are numerous enough to make the stone translucent or opaque and are oriented properly, they allow light to be reflected in such a way that a star floats across the top of the stone with movement. When a cutter recognizes this potential in a piece of rough sapphire, he will cut it in a dome shape. Stars are not visible in faceted stones.

The Sinhalese believed the star sapphire would protect them against witchcraft. The three intersecting rays were thought to represent faith, hope and destiny. Museums the world over exhibit star sapphires that are noteworthy for size or duality. The 543-carat "Star of India" resides in the Morgan-Tiffany Collection in the American Museum of Natural History in New York city.

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Synthetic Sapphire

A synthetic gemstone is a substance created in a laboratory which is nearly identical to the natural gem in physical appearance, chemical composition and optical properties. Synthetic sapphires were first developed in the late 1940's. Today synthetic sapphires are available in many colors, including the padparadscha and an I alexandrite-like stone -which changes color under different lighting.

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The Fashionable Choice

Sapphire in its many colors is fashioned into timeless pieces that compliment many styles in your wardrobe. It is either faceted or cut en cabochon (dome-shape) for use in rings, pendants, earrings and pins. It may be linked between expanses of chain for wrist or neck wear. Sapphires are set into the simplest of designs as well as the most elegant of pieces. Prince Charles of England made the headlines with the sapphire and diamond ring he used to seal his betrothal to Lady Diana Spencer.

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