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Know your Sapphire

Throughout the recorded history, sapphire has been the most valued gemstone with exceptional splendor. In fact, it was the mystique beauty and exceptional grandeur of sapphire that it was called ‘the Gem of the Kings’. Persians in ancient times believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire and its blue reflection gave the sky its color. Derived its name from Latin word ‘sapphiros’, meaning blue, the gem is so far considered the most beautiful blue stone on the planet.

Since its introduction to mankind, sapphire has been associated with truth, power, wisdom and passion. This September birthstone was also believed to enhance loyalty and fidelity.

The gem is distinguished for its bright blue hue but its hardness, durability and luster also add value to this fabled and famed member of the corundum family. With a hardness of 9.0 on Moh’s scale and trigonal crystal structure, it shares the lineage with ruby – its twin brother.

Sapphire mines are found in countries like Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United States, Tanzania, Brazil and Australia.

Sapphire in History

The gem has been sought after for thousands of years as the ultimate symbol of wisdom, remembrance and enduring commitment. According to the ancient  belief, the Ten Commandments given to Moses were on a large sapphire tablet and the High Priest Aaron has a sapphire in his breastplate.

This divine favor made it a desirable choice for royals throughout the history. In fact, the British Crown Jewels have several notable sapphires. The Edward the Confessor’s sapphire is embedded in a Maltese cross mounted at the top of the Imperial Crown of State. The St. Edward’s crown also has a sapphire mounted on it.

Sapphire as a symbol of good fortune, holiness and virtue, has been worn by the regals for decades. This 5^th and 45^th anniversary gift has been famous among various royal houses. Crowns, tiaras, parure, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, rings, earrings and a lot more has been there in the imperial collections.

How to choose quality sapphire?

Representing the color blue, the stone also comes in a variety of fancy colors including pink, yellow, orange, violet, purple, green and are even colorless. Like diamonds there is no defined chart of color and clarity grade for sapphires. While choosing a corundum you have to consider multiple factors in various combinations.

Decent knowledge about the 4C’s of sapphire could really ease your selection process. The color grading of gemstones is very different from that of white diamonds. It includes the hue, saturation and tone to define the color quality. Technically hue is the dominant color of the gem, tone is the range of lightness or darkness and saturation is the intensity of color. Velvety blue is considered the most appropriate color for this gem.

Natural flawless sapphires are rare and could cost a fortune. Sapphires may have inclusions and therefore they are subjected to heat treatment. It removes or reduces the flaws, enhance the color and clarity and has a permanent effect on the gemstone.

Sapphires are hard enough to be cut into any desired shape and therefore you can choose a cut of your choice. Step or mix cut sapphires in oval, round, pear and square shapes are most common and preferable in fine jewelry.

While the size is an important point in deciding the value, it’s the rarity and place of origin that also add significant numbers to the price.

How to care for sapphires?

Sapphire is a hard and durable stone yet proper care and maintenance is needed to keep it sparkly and beautiful as always. It’s advisable to clean your sapphire jewels once a quarter at home. Use warm mild detergent solution and always wrap the jewels separately in soft cloth after washing or wearing.

It is good to keep the jewelry away from harsh chemicals and not to wear while doing a strenuous job.

A yearly visit to a professional jeweler is also recommended for proper maintenance.

Why to buy sapphire jewelry?

Buying jewelry never requires a reason yet there are considerable explanations to choose sapphires. Being one of the four precious gemstones, it qualifies your taste for exclusivity. It is the birthstone of September and the anniversary stone for 5^th and 45^th wedding anniversary. Therefore makes an ideal gift for almost every special and loving occasion.

It is must to mention that sapphire is the most desirable of all the colored stones for a romantic proposal. Its royal history, color spectrum and hardness are also a reason to add sapphire to your collection of jewels.

Sapphire engagement rings

Sapphire engagement rings have always been a radiant alternative to diamond rings. Beautiful and symbolic, sapphires have their own heaven in the sky of proposal gems. From the era gone by to this date many prominent names including the royals like Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Princess Marina, the Duchess of Kent, Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Princess Anne, Diana, Princess of Wales and Catherine, the present Duchess of Kent and celebrities like Penelope Cruz, Heather Mills, Elizabeth Smart and Carey Mulligan have received sapphire engagement rings.

Famous Sapphires

A few sapphires since inception have charmed the world with their exceptional qualities.

With an astounding 61,500 carats, ‘Millennium Sapphire’, discovered in 1995 in Madagascar is said to be the largest sapphire in the world.

Logan Sapphire, a flawless 423-carat cushion cut gem from Sri Lanka is the second largest sapphire in the world.

Another notable sapphire is a 258-carat rock set in the Russian crown presently kept in Moscow.

The Black Star of Queensland with a carat weight of 733, is believed to be the largest star sapphire. Following it the Star of India, weighing 563.4 carats, is the second largest star sapphire.

The Star of Bombay, an example of blue star sapphire, is a prominent corundum located at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C.