All about Sapphire!

•What is sapphire?
Sapphire is any variety of the mineral corundum (which occurs naturally in a rainbow of colors), except red, which is called ruby. Even though colored sapphires have gained in popularity over the past few decades, many still think of the blue form of corundum when they think of sapphire. Fancy sapphires (as colors other than blue are referred to) should not be overlooked, though, as many specimens of colored sapphire are quite beautiful and also quite affordable. Many sapphires are identified by the region where they are mined. Some notable specimens include Kanchanaburi; Australian; Ceylon; Madagascar; and Montana. Blue sapphire is the birthstone for September, and is the commemorative gemstone for the 5th wedding anniversary. Fancy sapphires (all other colors) are the commemorative gemstones for the 45th wedding anniversary.

•Where is sapphire found?
Sapphires of all colors are found in many places around the world, including Myanmar (formerly Burma -- some sapphires from Myanmar are still referred to as Burmese sapphires); Sri Lanka (Ceylon), India (Kashmir), Thailand (Kanchanaburi), Australia; Madagascar; Nigeria; Cambodia, Brazil; Malawi; Columbia; China; and Montana in the United States.

•Color
Sapphire exists in a wide spectrum of beautiful colors. The most well-known variety is, of course, blue sapphire, but sapphire also occurs in shades of yellow, pink, green, violet, white, and colorless. Some areas are noted for the colors of the sapphires mined there and the stones are, thus, identified by their region. Some important varieties include Kanchanaburi (a medium to dark blue); Australian (dark blue with a subtle green undertone); Ceylon (pastel blue); Madagascar (medium to dark blue); Kashmir (medium blue with a purplish undertone); and Montana (a lovely range of all the natural colors, including a stunning metallic blue).

•Shape
Sapphire is cut into all the faceted gemstone shapes: round brilliant, oval, pear, marquise, emerald, heart, square, trillion, and fantasy. Sapphire is also cut into cabochons, carved into cameos and figurines, and on occasion, lower grade sapphires are fashioned into beads of varying shapes.

•Durability
Sapphire, like ruby, is an exceptionally durable stone. It, too, can stand up to polishing, boiling, ultrasonic cleaning, a jeweler’s torch, steaming, and many other treatments. Sapphire is also a hard 9 on the Mohs Scale, and can, thus, take the same wear as your rubies.

•Quality
The quality of sapphire, like ruby, is determined much the way we evaluate the quality of a diamond: by its color and internal inclusions. The highest quality blue sapphires are an intense blue color and “eye clean”; i. e., there are no inclusions (flaws) visible to the naked eye. As with ruby, color evaluation then scales down to fine color, good color, fair color, etc. Clarity evaluation likewise scales down to minor inclusions, but still almost eye clean; to visible inclusions; and, ultimately, to heavily included. The large, deep blue, internally flawless sapphires are the rarest, and therefore, the most valuable. Quality evaluation for fancy sapphires uses the same factors to determine quality: intensity, and uniformity of color; and the prevalence, size, and visibility of internal inclusions. For some of the extremely rare sapphires, such as the pinkish-orange padparadscha sapphire, their scarcity tends to make less relevant the “quality” of the stone: Padparadscha sapphires are so rare, just owning one of any quality is quite enough for most jewelry collectors. (In fact, padparadscha sapphires are so rare, you will probably never see one in a retail jewelry store.)

•Legend and lore
The sapphire, probably because of its dominant blue color, has long been considered a symbol of heaven, as well as being a guardian of good health and chastity. Sapphire, like ruby, is also thought to have mystical properties, including its color fading if worn by an unfaithful spouse. Sapphire can also bestow spiritual enlightenment on its wearers, and serve as a catalyst for wisdom. Blue sapphires can stimulate creativity; green sapphires are good luck stones; yellow sapphires can enhance one’s ability to learn; and white sapphire can improve one’s sense of self-esteem.

•Care
Care instructions for sapphire are the same as those for ruby: Sapphire jewelry can be cleaned in standard jewelry cleaner, at close to boiling temperatures, and is quite resistant to scratches. Soak it in the jewelry cleaner and then rinse the jewelry well under hot water.