Description
The sapphire (Hebrew: ספּיר or Sapir) is a precious gemstone. It is a transparent corundum. Good-quality blue stones are generally classified as among the most valuable gemstones. The blue color is due to "contaminating" iron particles present in the corundum. Sapphires have been prized gemstones since time immemorial for their great beauty and exceptional properties. In the past, all blue stones were called "sapphire." Only at the beginning of the 19th century were they considered independent gemstones within the corundum group, along with rubies. Sapphires are attributed with extraordinary properties. The sapphire grants its owner strength, honor, and immortality. It was a symbol of wealth and prevented discord and sorrow. The sapphire is one of the "nine gems" in the Thai Order of the Nine Gems. Sapphires and leucosapphires have been found on the island of Sri Lanka since ancient times. These sites cover an area of approximately 2,000 km². Larger stones are sometimes found, but these are not always of gem quality. The largest sapphire reportedly weighs 20 kg. In 1974, sapphires weighing 144 and 300 carats were found here. Sapphires are primarily found in Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, the People's Republic of China (Shandong), Madagascar (particularly around Ilakaka), East Africa, and Myanmar, but also in Australia and the United States (in Montana). Kashmiri sapphires are cornflower blue and are the most highly valued. Sri Lankan varieties are paler; Montanan sapphires have a metallic sheen; and Australian sapphires have a dark blue hue, giving them an almost black appearance. Like rubies of a similar structure, some sapphires display a hexagonal star shape when cut into a cabochon (round shape) and exposed to direct sunlight. Such star sapphires are commonly found in Sri Lanka. Synthetic sapphires are made by fusing aluminum oxide with titanium dioxide, which is added as a coloring agent. Gemstone-quality corundum with a color other than red or blue is also called a sapphire. In addition to blue sapphires, there are also colorless sapphires (leucosapphires) and yellow, pink, violet, and green sapphires. There are also multi-colored sapphires. Sapphires of other colors are usually less valuable than blue sapphires. An exception is the orange-pink sapphire (Padparadja), which is very rare and therefore valuable.
Sapphires
