Articles by EJA Members
Sapphire
by Jill of JQJewelryDesigns
Sapphire is the official birthstone for the month of September and for the Zodiac signs of Pisces, Taurus, Virgo and Sagittarius. It's given for the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries, while a star sapphire is given on the 65th wedding anniversary.
The modern word sapphire comesfrom the ancient Latin sapphirus which means the Stone of Saturn
the finest sapphire gems come from Sri Lanka and Burma. Sri Lanka, nicknamed the "Gem Island," has been an important source of sapphires, rubies, and other gemstones for more than two thousand years. Sapphires from Sri Lanka are light to medium blue and have been cut weighing up to several hundred carats.
Blue is by far the most popular color for sapphires, but they can be almost any color, including yellow, green, white, colorless, pink, orange, brown, and purple. Padparadscha is the name for a rare orange-pink variety and has a higher value than blue sapphires. Other colors can be more rare than blue, and some are even considered to be collectors' items - but they are usually priced less. Yellow, orange, lavender, and other pastel shades are especially affordable.
Sapphires with inclusions of tiny, rutile needles have an optical property called asterism. This is the star shaped effect seen in star sapphires and is usually only seen in cabochon cuts.
Heating colorless and very pale blue sapphires to high temperatures is done to give them an intense blue color. This treatment can also improve the clarity of the stones by removing tiny inclusions.
A rare variety of sapphire, known as color changing sapphire, shows as different colors in different light. A color change sapphire is blue in natural light, and violet in artificial light. A similar effect is also seen in alexandrite.
Sapphire was first created synthetically in 1902 and is hard to tell from natural sapphires except by professionals. The price of lab grown sapphires differ quite a bit, and smaller stones are frequently used in less expensive jewelry.
Sapphire has been a favorite of royalty throughout history. In olden times, King Solomon wore a sapphire ring. More recently, Prince Charles gave a sapphire engagement ring to Lady Diana. Ever since, more and more couples have decided to adopt this old tradition. Sapphire doesnt stand for wild and fiery passion, rather for truth, compatibility, commitment, and mutual understanding. Unfortunately, in the case of Charles and Diana . . . not so much!
Sapphire is believed to offer healing properties for rheumatism, colic, and mental illness, and its powers include spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. It's also considered an antidepressant and an aid to telepathy and clairvoyance.
The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire whose reflection gave the sky its color. Damigeron, a historian from long ago, 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.
