19 Sapphire Facts: Appreciate This Precious & Durable Gemstone

Sapphire is a precious gemstone.

They are dichroic, which means that different people will see different colors of it depending on from which angle it is being viewed. Thus, cutting this gemstone by skilled workers is a work of art.

Sapphires are found in recrystallized limestone and are fossilized in metamorphic rocks. These metamorphic rocks must have less quantity of silica and more quantity of aluminum. Sapphire is mostly found in the form of a bluestone.

The blue color sapphire is most popular. Most sapphires are treated with extreme heat so that their desirable colors are achieved and color zoning is removed. This increases clarity and the mineral hardness is optimized.

This method of purification is similar to that of a ruby. However natural sapphires are not heat treated even if they have inclusions. Needless to say, natural sapphires are much more expensive than artificial ones.

Color & Size Of Sapphire

Sapphires can come in various colors and sizes like blue, purple, and green. There are various shades of blue sapphires, bluish-purple, royal blue, deep blue, or pure blue.

Blue sapphires are a symbol of purity, love, wisdom, and power.

Pink sapphires symbolize feminity, love, compassion, and delicacy, but also inner strength and resilience.

Yellow sapphires are slowly gaining popularity since early 2000. They are a symbol of wisdom and prosperity.

A white sapphire looks like a diamond but is much less costly.

Star sapphire is a prized and unique stone due to its star pattern, also called asterism.

They have a vintage look and are reminiscent of early Earth. They symbolize natural-style jewelry and their price increases as they become closer to nature.

Star sapphires are found in every color seen in transparent sapphires, but orange and green ones are very rare.

Formation Of Sapphire

Sapphire is formed under very specific conditions on Earth. Blue is the most common hue for a sapphire. It takes millions of years to form. Like rubies, they are also formed from a mineral called Corundum, also called aluminum oxide.

Deposits of pink gemstones have been found in Madagascar recently in the late '90s. Up until then they were considered very rare and were found only in a few locations in Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

Blue sapphire is found in Kashmir, Myanmar, Thailand, Australia, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Montana of the USA. Recently they have also been discovered in Madagascar.

Yellow gemstones are found solely in Sri Lanka, previously known as Ceylon. Even Australia, Burma, and Thailand produce them, but they are not pure in nature.

White sapphires have not become very popular yet and cannot be found in large sizes. They are mostly found in Sri Lanka. Tanzania, Australia, Madagascar also produce these sapphires, but in much lesser and impure quantities.

Popularity Of Sapphire

Medieval kings believed blue sapphires brought them good luck, and so these blue sapphire stones were popular among royalty.

Pop stars like Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez have inspired people to buy pink sapphire-containing engagement rings.

Yellow sapphires are perfect for summer and spring proposals and the canary yellow pairs exceptionally well with gold jewelry. They are the perfect option at a reasonable price.

White sapphires are gaining immense popularity recently owing to their resemblance to diamonds. When people do not want to use colored precious stones for ethical reasons and personal preference, they can use diamond-looking sapphire stones as their preferred choice of precious gemstones. These look like diamonds but the cost is much more affordable.

A black star sapphire looks like an early world star and its dark color is formed due to a mineral named hematite. These sapphires are subjected to extreme heat and pressure to make them transparent. As the opacity of the sapphire increases, the color saturation will decrease. They are found in Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and India.

Uses Of Sapphire

Sapphires have astrological significance, in Christianity as well as Vedic culture.

Blue sapphires are most popular and they are most preferred for engagement rings, necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. Blue sapphires are the most expensive and most popular astrological rings.

Pink gemstones are growing in popularity recently, especially among the younger generation.

Yellow sapphires have significance in Vedic astrology and people who wear them are believed to bear good luck and prosperity.

The uncut white sapphire looks just like a diamond and can be cut in various angles to bring out clarity and thus can be used as a cheaper alternative version of a diamond.

Star gemstones like star-shaped sapphires and star rubies are mostly worn as sapphire jewelry for their show-stopping effects.

FAQs

What is so special about a sapphire?

Sapphires are exquisitely beautiful yet can be obtained at an affordable price.

What are the three uses of sapphires?

Sapphire can be used as an astrological ring, engagement ring, and other jewelry.

What does a sapphire symbolize?

A sapphire symbolizes purity, prosperity, love, power, and other things depending on its color.

How did sapphire get its name?

Sapphire got its name from the Greek word 'sapphirus' which means blue.

Is a sapphire rare?

A sapphire was till recently found only in Sri Lanka and so it was considered rare.

Is sapphire rarer than emerald?

An emerald is rarer than sapphire or ruby.