Sapphire: characteristics and curiosities
Among the most famous precious stones in the world, the Sapphire cannot be missed, with its blue and light blue hues, loved since ancient times and with miraculous powers. We have already met the diamond , the ruby and the emerald . Today we discover together the Sapphire: characteristics and curiosities of one of the gems par excellence!
The name and the history
Sapphire, pronounced with a tonic accent on the à or the ì depending on your preference, is one of the most loved and well-known gemstones in the world. Its name derives from the Greek σάπφειρος ( sàppheiros ), "blue", referring to the intense and fascinating color of the gem. Other sources, however, trace its name back to the Hebrew ספיר ( sappir ), "the most beautiful thing".
In both cases, Sapphire is understood as a gem of very high value, precious and decidedly beautiful to look at.
In a different sense, the term ''sapphire'' seems to come from the Sanskrit sanipriya , ''devoted to Saturn''. This planet, in fact, sees the sapphire as a precious stone connected to it by myths and legends of antiquity.
Sapphire has always been considered a precious stone rich in archaic powers, connected to the Earth and at the same time to Heaven, consecrated to Apollo and Saturn and bearer of positive prophecies.
How it's made
Sapphire is a variety of corundum, chemically understood as a strongly allochromatic aluminum oxide, of great hardness. For the less experienced, it is a corundum with blue-bluish hues, whose formation occurs in magmatic rocks containing aluminum. Its intense color comes from the presence of hematite inside it and its hardness makes it one of the hardest stones in the world.
There are also sapphires of other colors, which depend on the type of infiltrations present inside the gem. In any case, sapphire is usually blue.
In the early 1900s, French chemist Auguste Verneuil created the first synthetic sapphire in a laboratory. To distinguish it from natural versions, internal inclusions and the stone's spectrum are analyzed. Although these are laboratory-created sapphires, they are very similar to their natural counterparts, scratch-proof and often used in watchmaking.
Where is it located?
The countries with the largest number of sapphire deposits are Australia, Sri Lanka (especially Ceylon), Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Madagascar and India.
Even in Italy you can find small sapphire crystals, in the Calcite of Monte Terminillo, in the province of Rieti. The gems collected in Italy are mostly sold with oval or round cuts. The United States also boasts a series of sapphire deposits.
Its characteristics
As anticipated, there are not only blue sapphires, even though they are the most famous. Infiltrations and traces of chemical elements such as chromium, titanium and iron would lead to the formation of ''Fancy'' sapphires with shades of green, orange, red , purple and yellow. The rarest, the orange one, is the most valuable in jewelry. It has been renamed padparadscha , from the Sanskrit ''color of the lotus'', with a shade that fades from orange to pink.
Some sapphires also have particles inside them that are similar in shape to a star. They are called "asteric sapphires" and are among the most beautiful in the world.
The pure Sapphire with the greatest weight was found in India in 1827, with a value of almost 1000 carats. It is currently in the Mineral Museum in Paris, as a unique specimen in the world.
The economic value of Sapphire is given by its color, brightness, size and clarity. The smallest sapphires are worth a minimum of 20 dollars per piece, while the high quality, untreated (and therefore very rare) gems can reach 1000 dollars per carat.
Some little curiosities
Sapphire has always been a stone with strong symbolism. It is thought to bestow goodness and fidelity on those who wear it. It is a symbol of purity and spirituality, used in ancient times to aid oracles. Its connection with the sky would derive from the ancient Persians, who believed that the color of the celestial mantle depended on the fact that the Earth rested on a gigantic sapphire.
Among the most famous sapphires is the Black Star of Queensland , the largest star sapphire in the world, weighing approximately 800 carats. Discovered in Australia by twelve-year-old Roy Spencer, it had been mistaken for a common black crystal and used as a doorstop. It was later discovered that it was a sapphire of inestimable value: a star sapphire with an unusual black color, beautiful and decidedly unique.
Among the uses of sapphire, in addition to that as a precious stone used in jewelry, there is also that concerning the world of watches.
Definitely a precious stone with immeasurable charm, sapphire is the perfect gem for the most beautiful jewels. Combined with yellow gold or white gold, it highlights all its brilliance and that of the wearer.
