Saturday, May 24, 2014

Gem of the Week: Sapphire

Sapphires are one of the most popular gemstones worn today. They are primarily used in jewelry and have been since the ancient Greeks. The term Sapphire also includes the stone known as Ruby as they both have the same mineral composite, the only difference being the color. Sapphires have a range of colors depending on the other elements present during formation. The most common are blue, yellow, purple, orange, green, clear, gray, and black. 

  

The value of a sapphire is connected directly to its coloring. Blue Sapphires are ranked according to their hue quality and their secondary hues. Blue Sapphires with a green secondary hue lose their value; where as blue Sapphires with violet or purple secondary hues increase in value. 

Pink Sapphires are Sapphires who's pink-red coloring is too light to be called a Ruby. Pink Sapphires are more valuable the deeper their pink color is. Sapphires with no color are often used to substitute for diamonds in jewelry. Some Sapphires even change color under different light. 

One of the most interesting variations of Sapphire is Star Sapphire. Star Sapphire forms differently than the classic stone. Star Sapphires form with inclusions that follow the crystal structure, these inclusions form a refraction of light that looks like a six-pointed star. The effect is much like a Cat's Eye stone. 

The largest gem quality Star Sapphire is the Black Star of Queensland. 


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