Definition
Mohs scale hardness 9
The most expensive and costly blue gemstone is sapphire. Because to its superb color, hardness, durability, and shine, it is a greatly sought-after gemstone. The blue type of the mineral Corundum is referred to as Sapphire in the gem industry when there is no color prefix. The red form of corundum, known as ruby, has its own name since antiquity, while all other gem types and hues of corundum are also referred to as sapphire.
Kashmir Sapphire, sometimes referred to as Cornflower Blue Sapphire, is the most expensive shade of sapphire. The highly uncommon, orange-pink Padparadschah type of sapphire is another incredibly expensive kind. Color Shifting Sapphire is a rare kind of sapphire that changes color depending on the illumination. Color Shifting Sapphire appears blue in natural light but violet under artificial light. The Alexandrite gemstone exhibits the same behavior as this effect. Recently, yellow and pink sapphire have grown in popularity and are now frequently used in jewelry. Sapphires, with the exception of blue, have historically been referred to by the same name as a well-known gemstone of the same hue, with the word "oriental" appended. For instance, "Oriental Emerald" was the name given to green sapphire. While using the name of another gemstone to identify sapphire was common practice, these designations are no longer in use. What was formerly known as "Asian Emerald" is now known as "Green Sapphire". The other Sapphire color variations are the same in this regard. Yet, the word "Sapphire" in its basic context only refers to blue Sapphire unless a prefix color is included. Sapphires with hues other than blue are frequently referred to as "fancies" in the gem industry.
Rutile needles in the form of minute inclusions are frequently seen in sapphire. These silk-like inclusions are known to lessen a stone's clarity when they are present. These inclusions can actually improve when found in dense, parallel clusters because they make polished Sapphires show asterism. Asterisked sapphire gemstones are referred to as "Star Sapphires" and may fetch a premium price. Though twelve ray stars are also known, Star Sapphire only has six.
Due to its pleochroic nature, sapphire changes color depending on the angle at which it is seen. Certain pleochroic sapphires are purple when viewed from one angle and blue when viewed from another. In certain Sapphires, color zoning which develops from growth layers that accumulate throughout the stone's formation—may also be visible. Some Sapphires' brighter and darker hues appearing in various regions of a crystal are caused by color zoning. Even multicolored sapphires, such those that are purple and blue, are possible.
The only other naturally occurring gem that is tougher than Sapphire is Diamond. Sapphire is a strong and resilient jewel. Despite this, if handled harshly, sapphire can still chip and fracture, thus caution should be used to treat it appropriately. Sapphire was created for the first time in 1902. The Verneuil process is the name of the procedure used to produce synthetic sapphire. Sapphire can only be distinguished between natural and synthetically.
Sapphire is typically heated to enhance the blue hue and clear it up by removing impurities. Sapphire gemstones are frequently heated during the manufacturing process, and this method is typical in the jewelry business. The value of unheated, naturally colored sapphire is substantially higher than that of heat-treated sapphire, and fine jewels may be quite expensive. Diffusion treatment, which artificially changes the original gemstone's color, is occasionally used to tint sapphires. Deep blue, vivid yellow, vivid orange, and orange-red are among the hues of diffused sapphires. Diffusion is frequently achieved by heating a stone with a beryllium metal coating. Despite their beautiful hue, diffused sapphire gemstones are not very costly. because of all the color improvements and treatments done.
Look alike stones
Blue Sapphire may resemble blue Iolite, blue Tourmaline, and blue Zircon, although these stones are softer. Despite their remarkable hardness, the different color variations of sapphire may be distinguished from many other gemstones.
Varieties of Supphires
Color-Change Sapphire
The most common kind of sapphires that shift color are those that appear blue in fluorescent light and purple in incandescent light. With these sapphires, you get two different kinds of gemstones for the price of one. The majority of color-changing sapphires originate from Tanzania and Sri Lanka, while new material has just started to be produced in Madagascar as well.While some color-changing sapphires exhibit a remarkable 100% shift in hue, others exhibit only a modest visible change. This implies that the sapphire will cost more the stronger the percentage of color shift. Strong color change in large proportions makes them very precious and highly sought-after. These stones are genuine collectibles. There are also red to brown, green to red, and green to yellowish green sapphires on occasion. Nevertheless, a few extraordinary and uncommon sapphires change color considerably, going from grayish or greenish-blue in daylight or fluorescent lighting to brownish-red in incandescent light. Several sapphires change color between purple and violet under various lighting circumstances. The color shifting phenomena makes these stones treasured possessions for gem enthusiasts even though it seldom varies between intense or rich colours. The extent and completeness of the color shift determines how valuable they are rather than how visually appealing the alternate hues are. Clarity is much less crucial for sapphires that change color than the intensity of the alteration. The majority of collectors are happy with somewhat incorporated color alteration gems because eye-clean stones are so uncommon.
Cornflower Blue Sapphire
The famous Kashmir sapphires of yore are noted for their delicate cornflower blue tint, and they exhibit a bright pure blue tone that is very saturated. The Kashmir Sapphires are further distinguished by their velvety appearance. The gorgeous Kashmir Blue Sapphires, which are now extremely uncommon and sell for a substantial premium for Gem Grade specimens, are the colors of cornflower blue sapphire that are the most sought worldwide.
The basaltic lava rocks, river sands, and gravel found in Sri Lanka now provide a larger variety of sapphires than any other traditional source and are renowned for their fine quality pure blue sapphires.
In the Sri Lankan islands, blue sapphires have been mined for at least 2000 years. The traditional cornflower blue sapphires from Sri Lanka are regarded as being light years ahead of the sometimes excessively dark and inky hues that are frequently seen in Australia and Thailand. The cut, clarity, quality, and grade of a gem determine its worth, and a top-quality stone from Sri Lanka may sell for more than a Kashmir Sapphire. The production of Cornflower Blue Sapphires of Very Excellent Grade, with a remarkable Cornflower Blue color and Luster, is now also occurring in Madagascar.
Star Sapphire
As seen directly above, the star in a star sapphire should be precisely centered and have equal-length rays on all sides. The rays should be unbroken from the crown of the cabochon to the base, and they should be brilliant, crisp, and well-defined rather than hazy or fuzzy. Although yellow, orange, and green star sapphires are extremely rare, star sapphires may be found in practically all transparent sapphire colors. The term "asterism" comes from the Latin word astrum, which means "star," and refers to the optical phenomena that causes the star sapphire's shimmering rays. Little rutile inclusions that resemble needles are what induce astrism. Black star sapphires owe their stars and their black hue to incorporated crystals of the lustrous mineral hematite Star sapphire clarity is a challenging topic. The perfect star sapphire would be completely clear, however since rutile silk is responsible for the star phenomenon, every star sapphire has some amount of inclusions. Fine star sapphires need to have just the appropriate amount of silk for a clear, dazzling star without sacrificing the transparency of the stone.
Fancy Sapphire
describing any Sapphire that isn't blue. A fancy sapphire is a corundum of gem-quality that is any hue other than red, blue, or colorless. There are many shades of the corundum material. When it is red, it is referred to as "ruby," when it is blue, it is referred to as "sapphire," and when it is colorless, it is referred to as "white sapphire." "Fancy sapphire" refers to all other hues of gem-quality corundum. Fancy sapphires, which can come in any hue besides red and are sapphires that are not blue (which is a ruby). Pink, orange, yellow, green, purple, and violet are the fancy sapphire hues.
Padparadschah
The salmon tint of the padparadscha sapphire is noticeably distinct. Yet, these jewels' chemical composition is what changes their coloration and distinguishes them from one another. Although padparadscha sapphires are corundum with trace amounts of chromium and iron added, typical blue sapphires derive their hue from the addition of titanium and iron to the mineral corundum. It seems sense that a little chromium would give corundum a red tint since chromium is the same element that gives rubies their red color. The name "Padparadscha" (pronunciation "pad-per-add-sha" or "pad-pah-raj-ah") has its roots in the Sinhala language of Sri Lanka "padma raga" and meaning "lotus flower", which is the national flower of Sri Lanka. The Padparadscha sapphire enchants its viewers with a unique play of hues intimately identified with the island of Sri Lanka and the culture of its inhabitants, much like the flower from which its name derives. Yet with a bright spectrum spanning from pink to orange, its hue is more akin to that of a lotus bloom and a sunset.
Kashmir Sapphire
The price of Kashmir sapphire is high because to both its scarcity and superior quality. Because to the greatest specimen they contain, Kashmir sapphires are quite expensive.You might get to see different blue Sapphires, but barely those from Kashmir retain a distinctive tint. The most sought-after kind of blue sapphire gemstones worldwide is Kashmir Blue Sapphire, also known as Kashmiri Neelam. While sapphires may be found all over the world, Kashmir sapphires are unique to the Kashmir area. In addition to its captivating hue and silky-smooth texture, Kashmir Blue Sapphire is extremely rare, which has further boosted its appeal to people all over the world. Some of the most expensive Kashmir sapphire variants are cornflower blue and royal blue sapphires.
Origins
Sri Lanka, Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Cambodia, Madagascar, Tanzania, Australia, and the United States are significant suppliers of sapphire (Montana). The Kashmir area of India and Pakistan was formerly well known for its Kashmir-blue sapphire, but currently hardly much is still produced there.