Learning About Sapphires

Sapphires, which are the September birthstone, are members of the corundum family of minerals, and they exist in nearly every color of the rainbow except for red, and this is because the red corundum is known as ruby. Cornflower blue is the most popular and well known color of sapphires, with the rarest being a variety of orangish-pink which is known as padparadsha, which means lotus flower.

The History of Sapphires

The history of sapphires is one which goes back quite some ways, and as well one of great importance to the stone itself. Sapphire is a stone that has been incredibly popular for ages, particularly the sapphire rings. Clergy favored blue sapphire rings because it was believed that the color represented heaven.

Magicians also adored sapphire rings, as they felt that they were able to help them command spirits, while many others felt that these rings helped to ward off evil and sickness. Since that time sapphire rings and other jewelry have remained incredibly popular among the general population, for these reasons and others.

Tradition actually holds that the tablets containing the Ten Commandments were composed of sapphire, so strong that a hammer swung against them would be smashed to pieces and not damage the tablets. The ancient Persians believed that the Earth actually rested on a giant sapphire and that its reflection was what colored the sky.

Where They are Found

Although sapphires are found in various locales around the world, the three most famous regions are Kashmir, Burma and Sri Lanka. However the production of sapphire stones in the United States and other Western locations is not new or recent, and in fact in the year 1865, the first U.S. sapphires were found in the gravels of the Missouri River in Lewis and Clark County, Montana.

Understanding Sapphires

Sapphire is known for being one of the hardest natural gemstones in the world, and it is a type of stone which is so rare and expensive that cutters tend to purposely shape them into ovals or cushions instead of into round shapes because the oval and cushion shapes tend to best preserve most of the original rough of the stone.

There are various different cuts that are available for these stones, with the most popular being the step cut or emerald cut, brilliant cut, mixed cut, and the Cabochon cut.

Just make sure whenever you are buying sapphire or any other type of stone that it is of the best possible quality, and also get a certified appraisal whenever possible in order to retain proof of the gem’s authenticity.

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Posted in Gems and Minerals on Oct 25th, 2008, 9:40 pm by admin   

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