Sapphire
This is the September gemstone, and those lucky ones who
were born in September have almost all the colors of the rainbow to choose from. Accordingly we have a variety of
sapphires referred to
by their colors such as pink sapphire, blue sapphire, green sapphire, yellow
sapphire, orange sapphire,
purple sapphire, and white sapphire. All sapphires belong to the group of
minerals called Corundum,
and the red sapphire is known as ruby, which is the July birthstone. Thus
all corundum that have
colors other than red are called sapphires, and the red corundum is known
as ruby.
Corundum is Aluminium Oxide(Al2O3),which forms hexagonal crystals. Oxides
of trace elements lodged
in the crystal lattice gives the color to the sapphire. Some of these trace
elements are Chromium,
Titanium, Iron 2,Iron 3.Sapphires have a hardness of 9 on the Mohr's
scale, which is only one less
than that of diamond. It is this excellent hardness combined with the
magnificent array of colors
and their transparency that make sapphires one of the most valuable
gemstones.
Out of the beautiful array of colors in which sapphires are found, blue
sapphire is the most favored
popular and valuable gemstone. Cornflower blue sapphires are the most
expensive of all blue sapphires. the main source of this high quality cornflower blue sapphire was the
disputed region of Kashmir
in Northern India. After a long period of intensive mining the Kashmir blue
sapphires have now
become very scarce. Other valuable Blue sapphires are the medium
blue, medium dark blue, and slightly
violet blue colors.
The most ancient source of sapphires is Sri Lanka, where mining has been
taking place for over a
thousand years. Colorless sapphires found in Sri Lanka, known as Geuda, can
be enhanced by heat
treatment. Ceylon sapphires are light blue to medium blue in color. Another
rare sapphire found in
Sri Lanka is the blue star sapphire, with its characteristic 6-rays.
The worlds largest blue sapphire(466 carats), the second largest blue
sapphire(423 carats) and the
third largest blue sapphire(400 carats) are all of Sri Lankan origin. The
largest blue sapphire(466 carats) known as" the blue giant of the orient" was mined in 1907 in
the Ratnapura (Gem City) District of Sri Lanka. This wonderful specimen is now the proud possession
of a famous American
Gem Collector.
The second largest blue sapphire(423 carats) having a rich deep blue
color, also known as Logan blue
sapphire, was gifted to the Smithsonian Institute by Mrs. John A. Logan.
The third largest blue sapphire (400 carats) also known as" the Blue Belle
of Asia" Was discovered
in the Ratnapura District, and forms part of the valuable collection of a
British Collector.
Sri Lanka also has another proud record to boast of in the field of gem
mining. The world's second
and third largest blue star sapphires are also from Sri Lanka. The second
largest blue star sapphire
(563 carats), which is mistakenly referred to as the "Star of India" is part
of the collection
of the American Museum of Natural History. The third largest blue star
sapphire(393 carats) with
a rich deep blue color is owned by the Sri Lanka National Gem and Jewelry
Authority.
Other important sources of blue sapphires are Australia and Thailand. New
deposits of sapphires
have been discovered recently in several countries of Africa, such as
Madagascar, Tanzania, and
Nigeria, and Brazil in South America.
In the gem trade colored sapphires other than blue sapphires are known as
fancy sapphires. These
fancy sapphires can be yellow, purple, pink, green, orange, or white.
Another unique variety of sapphire found only in Sri Lanka is "padparascha", meaning lotus" blossom".
This sapphire has an orange color with a pink undertone. Padparaschas are
getting scarcer and more
valuable in the gem market. Padparaschas are in great demand especially in
the Japanese gem market.
Sapphires were believed to protect a person from envy and harm. Blue
sapphires were believed to
symbolize heaven in the medieval period, and were worn by people to receive
blessings from heaven.
Blue is a universal color liked by many people, and is associated with
rare human qualities, such
as true friendship, loyalty, understanding and trust. Thus blue sapphires
have become the most
popular stone for engagement rings, as couples look forward to a loyal and
everlasting relationship
based on true love and understanding.
