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 The Sapphire :
The sapphire, protector of the innocent,
celestial guardian of truth, bringer of health
and youth, symbol of the heavens and birthstone
for the month of September, is in fact the same
stone as the ruby, the mineral corundum.
The blue corundum, ranging in color from the
lightest blue to deep blue and black, is the
same stone as the ruby, the only difference
being in the color. The choicest color is the
soft velvety blue, approaching the cornflower
in shade and exhibiting that color vividly by
artificial as well as by natural light. The
deeper-colored stones are known as male, and
the light-colored ones as female sapphires.
Although choice sapphires are rare, a much greater
quantity of good and large stones are to be
had than of rubies, and therefore the price
of a large sapphire does not advance in the
same proportion as the price of a large ruby.
The word “sapphire” which means
blue is of the same form in nearly all the early
tongues, thus showing that they were in use
by the ancients. Sapphires are found in many
parts of the world and are usually found in
the same locality as the ruby. The largest number
and finest quality of these stones come from
Thailand and India, and are found and recovered
in much the same way as the ruby.
The sapphire is next to the diamond in hardness
and it is this quality that makes it impervious
to wear and insures its sharp edges and corners
against years of use. Like the ruby the value
of the sapphire is determined by its color.
The finest stones are a deep blue and the deeper
the color the more highly it is prized if its
translucency is not impaired. Although the sapphire
with its many shades of blue is considered the
most desirable stone, it is also found in other
colors such as red, green, yellow and pink.
Top
The Oriental emerald or green sapphire does
not approach the beryl or true emerald in depth
of color, but because of its superior hardness
and brilliancy, added to its extreme rarity,
it is the most valuable of green gems. The Oriental
amethyst or purple sapphire sometimes reflects
a red color by artificial light, and is valued
highly as a gem stone; the common amethyst is
softer, less brilliant, and loses by artificial
light. The various other colored sapphires,
such as yellow or Oriental topaz, light green
or Oriental aquamarine, greenish-yellow or Oriental
chrysolite, and aurora red or Oriental hyacinth,
are all valuable as gem stones when they are
pure, well cut, and have pronounced colors –
in fact, the name Oriental is given to distinguish
the corundums from the less valuable minerals
of the same colors which they resemble, but
which they greatly surpass in beauty and value
because of their brilliancy and superior hardness.
Asterias or star stones are corundums of three
different colors; the star sapphire proper is
a grayish blue, the star ruby red, and the star
topaz yellow. These stones are usually cut cabochon
or convex, and display under the rays of the
sun, or when exposed to one candle or other
artificial light, a beautiful star with six
points. This star is produced by foreign substances
in the corundum, and the lapidary brings about
the regular effect by cutting a pointed carbuncle
so that the center of the star begins at the
apex, and the six bright stripes radiate to
the base of the stone. The bright lines of the
star following the light move over the surface
of the stone and produce a remarkable effect.
These stones are amongst the most wonderful
of mineral productions, and good specimens are
very valuable. The corundum cat’s-eye,
called Oriental girasol or sunstone, has a bluish,
reddish, or yellowish reflection of light of
a lighter shade than the stone itself, and which
moves on the convex surface of the stone like
the lines of a star stone.
To this day, sapphire is one of the most important
members of the family of gems and is certainly
one of the most favored by jewelry artisans
worldwide. Consequently, there is more “hanky-panky”
with treatments, alteration of color and various
other techniques to disguise or improve flaws
etc., than almost any other precious stone.
Buyer beware of bargains that look “too
good to be true”. Deal with reputable
jewelers both online and offline. The sapphire
is the birthstone for September.
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