Blue sapphire gemstone. Rainbow magic Sapphire is a precious royal stone. Properties of sapphires depending on shade

Turquoise is a color that always reminds of the sea, clear sky, and something pleasant. The color blue is also associated with mystery and enigma. Therefore, representatives of the fairer sex are partial to jewelry of this shade. A great accessory to any look is a piece of jewelry that contains a blue gemstone. What is the name of this charmingly colored stone?

What colors are gemstones?

In everyday life, you can find a bunch of gemstones of different colors. In fact, the stones do not have a pure color; they are transparent in texture, but contain a slight tint. And there can be a huge number of shades. The color depends entirely on the type of stone itself and the impurities it contains.

Stones such as diamond and rock crystal have a soft white color. They contain practically no shade, and the color of the product is created thanks to tints. As for the opposite, black, color, no such stones were found. In this case, you can choose semi-precious jewelry - agate or melanite. Pink stones are morganite and topaz. The red tint is quite common. Ruby, jasper or morganite - scarlet jewelry contains these very stones. It will be difficult to find brown jade; it is not very common in jewelry circles. But the same topaz is very often found in brown colors. Amethyst can most often be found in a purple hue. Sky blue stones are aquamarine and indigolite. The most popular blue gemstone is sapphire, but if you look hard enough you can find it with a green tint. And heliodor and citrine will add yellow color to the image.

Based on this, we can safely conclude that the choice of gemstone directly depends on what colors are present in the image.

Dark blue stone. Precious sapphire

Sapphire is a stone that, according to legend, symbolizes fidelity and modesty. Titanium and iron in its composition create a blue tint. From time immemorial, sapphire has been revered and actively used to decorate the clothes of clergy. Even Cleopatra's crown was decorated with this blue gem. The name of the symbol of the firmament, according to one version, comes from the ancient Indian “canipriya”, which translates as “beloved by Saturn”.

It is worth noting that the stone acquires its dark blue color only after professional processing. Before being sold, sapphire is first heated to smooth out the hue and add brightness. The range of applications of this precious stone is very wide: it is used both in jewelry and in special amulets.

Sapphire and its healing properties

In addition to jewelry, sapphire is also used for medical purposes. In folk medicine, this stone is credited with medicinal properties. It heals many different ailments.

People believe that sapphire jewelry will help cure kidney and bladder diseases. You can hear from grandmothers that this stone heals the heart, helps cope with female diseases and heals wounds. And in some countries, sapphire products are used to treat skin diseases. Sapphire is also believed to improve the effectiveness of taking medications. And for prevention, it is recommended to regularly wear a ring or ring with a blue sapphire gemstone inserted into it.

Magical properties of the stone

In addition to medicinal properties, sapphire is popularly endowed with magical powers. This blue gemstone represents the qualities of purity and permanence. And in eastern countries, sapphire is considered a stone of friendship. Some legends contain stories about how heroes, with the help of sapphire jewelry, were able to distinguish lies from truth. In everyday life, this stone is actively used by psychics and magicians to understand the world. Such products strengthen love relationships.

There is even a certain zodiac sign that sapphire has a special influence on. It will be most favorable for Sagittarius to wear jewelry with this stone. To enhance their attractiveness, Sagittarius women are recommended to have a pendant or brooch with sapphire in their arsenal. And men can wear a ring with this stone to achieve their goals.

Blue sapphire gemstone. Amulets and amulets

To develop clarity of mind, psychics recommend carrying a sapphire amulet with you. It is often used as a talisman by scientists, poets and philosophers. Such products will also help lazy people fight this negative quality.

A little about semi-precious stones

If for some reason sapphire is not suitable for decoration, then you can turn to semi-precious stones. Among them there will definitely be an equivalent replacement with similar properties.

Iolite is also called water sapphire. An excellent option that is quite suitable to replace a blue gemstone. It’s difficult to answer unequivocally what the pebble is called. It is known in narrow circles as the Violet Stone. Iolite can be either dark blue or purple. Jewelry made from it will definitely not be out of place in any girl’s arsenal.

There is another option to replace the dark blue gemstone. The name of the mineral is aquamarine. It has a pleasant pale blue color. But if you try really hard, you can find a light blue shade. Its color will constantly change depending on the lighting. It can be either greenish or dark blue. The variety of aquamarine tints is simply amazing. Looking at it, it’s hard to believe that it is a semi-precious stone.

Sapphire– a rare, interesting, precious stone, is a type of corundum stone, in fact, these are all shades of corundum, except red (red corundum is called ruby).

In ancient times, any blue stone was called sapphire. The color of sapphire, or rather, its color palette is very bright, multifaceted - all the colors, shades and tints of the rainbow (again, except for red). Sapphire is distinguished from other precious stones by its high hardness rating on the Mohs scale (hardness equal to 9 points) and incredible brilliance.

What color is sapphire? Just blue, yellow, green?

Sapphire has a bright, deep, rich color from sky blue to sunny orange, from oil black to taucine, from intense green to colorful olive! But not all sapphires have jewelry value. Let's talk about the most famous sapphires that can be found in our precious jewelry.

Green sapphire.

This is perhaps the most interesting type of gemstone in terms of color. After all, in fact, green is not a naturally green color. These are thin strips of blue and yellow microscopic fineness, these stripes, alternating, create the illusion of green.

Colorless sapphire

This is an exceptional rarity, because corundum still has at least some color. It is not uncommon for a colorless sapphire to be passed off as a diamond. But sapphire does not have such expensive diamond shine and shimmer, so it is easy to spot a fake.

Yellow sapphires

The unusualness of this type of sapphire is that, thanks to heat treatment, it can acquire different shades of yellow - from light to golden. And the treatment of this stone with beryllium
provide a bright, radiant yellow color.

Padparadsha (Parparadscha)

This color is unique in that it must combine two colors at the same time - pink and purple. Genuine padparadsha has only a pink tint.

Blue sapphire

It has the widest range of shades; blue sapphires on the jewelry market are delicate and velvety. It is extremely difficult to find truly transparent blue sapphire, since most of it has an admixture of rutile (it makes the stone more dull). But again, thanks to heat treatment, the color becomes brighter and shiny.

Purple sapphire (fancy)

Perhaps the cheapest among all the colors presented. The border between purple sapphire and light-colored ruby ​​is so small that it is difficult to give an accurate assessment of what kind of stone it is.

Today, Madagascar, Thailand, and Africa are considered suppliers of sapphires.

The messenger of heaven, the embodiment of the highest spirituality, the stone of nuns. This is about sapphire - a first-level gemstone. It is recognized as a symbol of purity, fidelity, and fortitude. He is equally loved by sorcerers and meditation practitioners.

It is believed that the stones were first discovered in southeast Asia. Their first name is corundum. Jewelers today call all corundums except red (ruby) sapphires. When asked what kinds of sapphires there are, a mineralogist will answer unequivocally – only blue ones.

The name is interpreted differently:

1. As a translation from Greek, meaning “blue stone”.
2. From “sipru”, which in Ancient Babylon meant “scratching”.

The second option speaks about the hardness of the mineral.

Rus' knew him as the azure yacht. In the East they are sure that the magic drops of Amrita, the elixir of immortality, became sapphires.

Rich blue sapphire is the stone of rulers, for which it is called royal. At the same time, it should be the way nature created it, without the intervention of a jeweler. Such specimens were chosen for rings by the first Christian pontiffs.

Description

This mineral is jewelry corundum, crystalline alumina. On the Mohs hardness scale, only diamond is higher than it. Other characteristics of the stone:

• glass shine;
• high strength;
• dichroism, that is, beam splitting, creating a play of light;
• porous structure, as a result of which completely pure stones are rare.

In addition to the classic blue, there are other shades called fantasy. The colors of sapphire are determined by impurities.

High temperatures discolor the crystal, but x-rays do the opposite. At the beginning of the twentieth century, artificial stones were synthesized.

Where is it mined?

The most valuable ones, cornflower blue, come from Indian Kashmir, but there are less than five percent of them. Expensive “Ceylon” blue and rare pink specimens come from Sri Lanka.

A quarter of the world's production comes from Australia. However, these are not the most valuable types of sapphires. The same low quality, with a greenish tint, is found in Southeast Asia.

Technical stones are mined in the Urals and the Kola Peninsula.

Therapeutic effect

Sapphires and the properties of the stone to heal the soul and body were studied in the ancient world. It improves the functioning of the psyche and all organs:

1. Accelerates relief from hysteria, epilepsy, depression, nightmares.
2. In case of vision problems, the eyes are washed with “sapphire” water.
3. Cures arrhythmia.
4. Eliminates back pain.
5. Heals wounds, growths, ulcers.
6. Fights bronchial asthma.
7. Dissolves and removes stones from the body, relieves renal colic.
8. Immunostimulant.
9. Useful for female infertility.

A sapphire of a certain color cures “its” ailments:

• blue – heart, skin, inflammation, headache;
• yellow – stress, depression, immunity. It regulates the functioning of the body as a whole, but it has strong energy, which means it provokes anxiety or restlessness when worn constantly;
• pink – calms excess emotions, “unblocks” indecisive people;
• green – vision, sleep;
• white - restoration of mental balance;
• black - restores self-confidence.

Stones and water infused with them, which are used to moisten areas of the body and wounds, are healing. It is recommended to pour the mineral at sunrise.

On the jewelry market you can easily find synthetic sapphires (the label will indicate “gt” or “s”, i.e. synthetic). The question often arises: what is the difference between synthetic and artificial sapphires and natural ones? How to distinguish a real mineral from an artificially grown one? What are their similarities and differences, how much do the prices for natural and synthetic stones differ?

Reason for creating hydrothermal sapphires

A natural gemstone with a blue color, rare in nature, is quite expensive, and therefore the issue of developing an analogue has been on the agenda for a long time among jewelers. We can say that, along with the price, the reason for the synthesis of such a mineral is its rare color. In order to obtain blue shades, dyeing and heating to very high temperatures are used. As a result, there are currently many synthetic stones on the jewelry market, created to meet the high demand for inexpensive blue mineral analogues.

Similarity to natural sapphires

Hydrothermal sapphires are made from corundum. Another name for this method of growing minerals is nanosapphire. (Often on labels you can find the name of the insert “corundum” and depending on the color it will be synthetic sapphire - blue or ruby ​​- red).
Both natural and hydrothermal minerals have the same chemical formula - aluminum oxide - Al2O3 (corundum).
They have the same hardness on the Mohs scale, 9 out of 10 points.
Identical properties in terms of the fragility of the mineral, which causes difficulties in its jewelry processing.

How to distinguish natural sapphire from artificial?

In the jewelry market, it is not customary to pass off artificial stones as natural ones. Therefore, when choosing jewelry, you need to be careful and know what is inserted into it - a natural gem or an artificially grown mineral?

The most basic difference lies in the origin of the mineral. Natural, as is obvious from the name itself, is found and extracted from nature (it was formed in difficult conditions over many years). Synthetic or hydrothermal is obtained in the laboratory in a short period of time (grown in 2-3 weeks).
To create a hydrothermal mineral, all the same chemical components are used as in natural minerals, and similar conditions are used - high temperature and pressure.
A mineral grown in laboratory conditions is of higher quality, it does not have impurities that are possible in natural conditions, and also, due to constant monitoring of the process, the crystal is cleaner, without cracks and air bubbles.
Synthetic has a more durable color, unlike natural. It is not affected by UV rays, so it can be worn around the clock.
The difference in price is probably the most important thing. With equal characteristics it will be about 10 times. That is, if a natural sapphire costs $400, its hydrothermal “brother” of the same size will cost only $40.

Diffusion and declassed sapphire

Diffusion is a chemical and physical process of penetration of molecules of a substance into the molecules of another substance. Diffusion is used as a method for refining precious stones, including for refining fancy types of sapphire.

Fancy sapphire - any type except blue.

In order to refine star sapphire, diffusion with beryllium salts is used. As a result of heating and creating high pressure, beryllium salts penetrate into it in such a way that they “impregnate” the stone through and through. The effect of asterism is noticeably enhanced.
Methods for diffusion refining of sapphires can be of two main types: “impregnation” of the outer layer of corundum, when the true color becomes invisible underneath it, and “internal” diffusion, when at high temperatures internal inclusions in corundum, such as titanium and chromium, dissolve and coloring occurs mineral.
In any case, the refinement of corundum by diffusion methods is legal, if after this the gem is not presented as natural, but it is honestly indicated that these manipulations were carried out with it. Otherwise, it will be misleading or deceiving the consumer.
Declassed should not be confused with diffusion or synthetic. This gem is natural, but of low quality. So, it is cloudy and/or opaque. Quality characteristics, of course, affect its price, although it may be more expensive than synthetic ones. The label usually says “decl,” which means “declassed.”

Artificial sapphire - what to look for when choosing?

If you decide to purchase jewelry with just such an insert, then all that remains is to decide on the color and cut. The artistic component will play a big role in the price, so the choice should be based primarily on it. The most expensive are the types of cutting of transparent stones, which reveal their beauty and make you admire the play of light created by the faces.
In jewelry stores, it is not customary to pass off any other materials as hydrothermal. In workshops that make expensive jewelry to order - even more so. And of course, you should not buy jewelry second-hand or in dubious places, where instead of synthetic (not to mention natural) minerals they can sell inserts made of glass or a similar material.

Designations on jewelry tags

First of all, we note that the designations on jewelry tags refer to precious stones of natural origin. The first number indicates the number of stones in the product, 1, 2, etc. Then the name of the stone is abbreviated. For example, Sp. means sapphire and that the stone is natural, natural. Sp.ob. – means diffusion or ennobled. Manufacturers also “sin” by indicating Sp. cor. – that is, corundum, which means that the product contains a hydrothermal mineral. Next, the tag indicates the shape of the cut - for example, Gr - pear, Kv - square, Tk - triangle. Then there are the digital characteristics of the gemstone - weight, color, clarity.

Hydrothermal, like all synthetic minerals, do not (and cannot have) the digital characteristics of color and purity on jewelry tags that are inherent in natural ones!

If there is an abbreviation "about." or "cor." – synthetic mineral. How to distinguish a sapphire from a fake - see the answer to this question.

Sapphire is a stone that has adorned symbols of royal power since ancient times and was endowed with many mystical properties. It belongs to the group of precious stones mined from hard rocks, and for many centuries it has captivated people with its unique beauty. Many people ask whether this stone is precious or semi-precious. Along with natural emerald and ruby, the generally accepted classification, of course, classifies it as a precious gemstone, the cost of which is often considerable.

Story

There is still debate about where the name of these stones came from. According to some historians, the word “sapphire” comes from the language of ancient Babylon from “spira”, which means “scratching”. It is the hardness of sapphire that most likely gave rise to its name. Another, more poetic version traces the origin of the word to the ancient Indian language, to the word “caniprya” (beloved of Saturn). In Hellas, "sappheiros" was the name for all dark blue colored gemstones. There are other names for sapphires in history. So, until the 19th century in Russia they were called azure yachts, lapis lazuli.

The most famous sapphire jewelry, decorated with large and clear stones, belongs to the ruling dynasties of Europe and Asia. The brooch, which belonged to the Indian Maharaja, was made from a 4,000-carat gem. The power of the Russian emperors is decorated with a stone half as large. Since ancient times, the sapphire gemstone has meant its owner’s direct relationship to power and control of a large number of people.

A large blue stone of 167 carats, cut into the shape of a rose, adorns the crown of the British Empire. The cut of sapphires can be different. For example, another world-famous jewel belonging to the English royal family is Princess Diana's engagement ring, which is now worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton. The ring features an oval Ceylon corundum surrounded by diamonds. By the way, sapphires were generally one of Lady Di’s favorite stones, who adored all shades of dark blue.

The collection of the Orange dynasty, ruling in the Netherlands, included a parure that included massive jewelry trimmed with sapphires and diamonds. Now many of the decorations from this set have been converted into more modern ones.

The tradition of decorating the jewelry of rulers with corundum dates back to ancient times. According to legend, these beautiful stones were inserted into the crown of Cleopatra herself.

Characteristics

Now all corundums are called sapphires, with the exception of those that are red in color (rubies). From a chemical point of view, the description of the stone is as follows: sapphire is a mineral consisting almost entirely of aluminum oxide. It has a glassy luster and one of the highest strength values ​​on the Mohs scale (the table indicates a number of 9 points). Only . is considered a harder mineral. The clarity and purity of sapphire can vary. There are both transparent stones, varying in purity, and completely opaque gems.

Some corundums are characterized by the phenomenon of asterism - the appearance on the surface of a stone of a star with six or twelve rays. This feature occurs in minerals with rutile inclusions, using a cutting method called “cabochon”. costs more than others.

Production

Sapphire is a stone whose deposits are found on all continents except Antarctica. The most valuable and beautiful of them are considered to be minerals native to India and Tanzania. The island of Ceylon is also a popular place where sapphire is mined. In India, the Kashmir deposit was discovered after an earthquake, which exposed rich deposits of sapphires of amazingly pure, cornflower blue color. This shade is considered the reference shade for blue corundums. Ceylon stone and gems from Burma are approaching him. Now the development of the Kashmir field has been stopped.

In Tanzania, two types of stones are mined, which have received a separate name. Songea and Tunduru are the names of the deposits, which also became the names of the sapphires mined there. Songea are often green or reddish stones, among which there are many minerals with the effect of asterism. It is believed that these corundums have the richest color palette. An interesting feature of songea is its amazing purity, combined with its small size. A 2-carat songea is already a rarity. Tunduru is the only deposit in Tanzania where blue minerals are mined.

Stones from the island of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) are known not only for their quality, but also for their rare properties. Minerals are often mined there that can exhibit asterism after a suitable cut or change color under certain conditions. They often become exhibits in collections in their own right, without being included in a piece of jewelry.

Properties

Sapphire is a stone to which, from time immemorial, magical properties have been attributed, largely related to its color scheme. Thus, minerals whose main shade is blue were associated by different civilizations with divine power and authority.

This precious gem has always served as a worthy decoration for the vestments of priests in India and Judea. In the Roman Empire, only priests of the supreme deity of the pantheon, Jupiter, could wear jewelry with them. In these religions, sapphire, the properties of which were especially valued by the high priests of the Roman pantheons, personified calmness and a penchant for contemplation. In the countries of the Ancient East, this stone was always spoken of as a bearer of wisdom, and in Europe - modesty and virtue.

Astrologers believe that sapphire is associated with Jupiter and Saturn, and recommend it for signs of the air and fire elements. For Leo and Sagittarius, wearing these stones will bring stability and help curb irrepressible energy and negative character traits. For unstable Aquarius and Libra, sapphires give peace, self-knowledge and confidence. Sapphire is useful for Pisces.

They used to believe in . It was believed that a lady who wanted to attract the attention of her lover needed to give him a drink from dishes inlaid with corundum. And the properties of the stone associated with the manifestation of asterism were considered the embodiment of Faith, Hope and Love.

Price

The cost of a stone is determined by four indicators, which in English-speaking countries are called the four C rule (Colour, Clarity, Cut, Carat weight):

• sapphire color;
• purity of the stone;
• cutting;
• carat weight.

These characteristics of sapphire together determine its value. The most important of them is color as a decisive indicator of the quality and possibility of using a stone in jewelry.

Now these stones, so beloved by royalty, occupy a worthy place in the catalogs of the largest jewelry houses. Regardless of whether a classic or innovative combination of metals and stones is used in the jewelry, sapphires will emphasize the refined taste and style of their owner.

How to choose?

When choosing a stone, it is important not to stumble upon a fake made of glass or other material that unscrupulous traders can pass off as a natural, expensive gem. How to choose the right sapphire? This can be difficult to do, especially if the buyer is new to the jewelry business and understands little about the essence of the issue. However, some tips are still worth following.

The main physical characteristic of a mineral is its hardness. You can try to scratch it a little without fear of resentment from the sellers because of this simple check that can make all the difference. This is done often, and if when a stone is scratched with a sharp object, marks appear on it, then it is a fake. Of course, it’s not a fact that the seller will be happy, but you can try.

What does a sapphire look like if it is real? Typically, the structure of a natural mineral is heterogeneous, which is clearly shown by bright light. If the stone inside is suspiciously uniform in color and has no roughness, it is most likely a fake. It is also important to keep in mind that the colors of sapphire and even its structure can be imitated by using some other, cheaper natural stone. This means that you need to increase your vigilance. Moreover, there are many cases where specially colored tourmalines are often passed off as expensive types of sapphires.

Specialized gemological laboratories have special chemical solutions, thanks to which it is possible to identify a fake with much greater accuracy. It is best to consult with familiar jewelers before purchasing, if you have one, and you should buy jewelry in trusted places.