facts Archives - Gemsity

1. Sapphire is Ancient Stone Sapphires are known to humans for thousands of years and they are treasured since long time. According to archeologists the ancient Romans used polished sapphires as jewelry. 2. Sapphire Comes in Every Color A rich blue colored stone comes to mind when you hear “Sapphire” but sapphire actually come in almost all colors. Sapphire can be pink, yellow, orange, green and even black. Black sapphire is also called Emery. 3. Ruby and Sapphire are Related Do you know, these two most cherished and sought for gemstones are sisters to each other? Both stones belong same mineral family and they have nearly same chemistry but the only difference of trace elements. 4. What Gives Color to sapphire? As said earlier the sapphire comes in many colors and have same chemistry so what gives color to sapphires? It’s the trace elements that are responsible for giving color to its different varieties. The minerals of corundum family which have iron and titanium as trace elements gives exhibits blue color. And chromium in trace amount turn corundum pink, while more chromium turns it into a red ruby. 5. Rarest Variety of Sapphire The rarest variety of sapphire is a pinkish orange gemstone called padparadscha,. This gemstone name comes from Sanskrit language which 6. Sapphire Name The name of sapphire gemstone is derived from a Greek word sappheiros, which was originally referred to another common blue gemstone, lapis lazuli. 7. Its a Durable Stone Sapphire is one of the most durable natural stones in the world. Gemstones hardness is calculated on their ability to withstand scratchability which ranges from 1 to 10. On this scale sapphire resides at 9 which is only one less then diamond, the hardest material on the Earth. It means that natural stone that can scratch a sapphire is a diamond. This makes makes sapphire an excellent choice for engagement rings and gemstone jewelry for everyday use. 8. It’s used in Technology The toughness and hardness of sapphires are being utilized in technology. The synthetic sapphire is featured in Apple Watch to make scratch-less display. 9. Origin of Sapphires Sapphires are found in many places around the World. Famous sapphires come from Burma, Srilanka, Pakistan, Australia, Malawi, Madagascar, and the United States. 10. Mystical Powers of Sapphire Sapphire is known for its mystical powers throughout the history. It is believed that sapphire protected their wearers from bad and evil. Sapphire was used for curing eye diseases in middle ages. Sapphire is still used to symbolize nobility and faithfulness. 11. A stone of Legends French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte gave a sapphire engagement ring to his beloved Josephine, in 1796. The ring has a pear-shaped sapphire and pear-shaped diamond, on a gold band. This historical ring was sold at auction for an amount close to a million dollars last year. 12.A Royal stone The term “Royal Blue” is originated from the deep blue sapphire which have been associated with royalty for long times. It was often worn by medieval kings, who used this precious gemstone to protect theirselves from their enemies. 13. Lady Diana’s Ring Stone Even today the sapphire is attributed as royal stone. The engagement ring which was given to Lady Diana Spencer 1981, had an 18-carat oval blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds. This engagement ring is still in British royal family and worn by Princess Catherine. 14. Victorian Engagement rings Before the 20th century the Sapphire were quite popular in Victorian engagement rings, in which sapphire was surrounded by smaller diamonds creating floral designs. Now sapphire engagement rings certainly aren’t only for royals but sapphire is still most favored gemstones for engagement rings. 15. Star Sapphires You may be surprised to know that sapphires can exhibit a unique phenomenon called the “star effect,” or asterism. This occurs because of needle-like inclusions make a six-ray star pattern on the surface of stone. It is only visible in cabochon-cut sapphire, which are called a “star sapphire.” 16. Change in Color The sapphire has a most intriguing “color change” variety too. These gemstones show different colors depending on the source of light. Color changing Sapphires are blue in daylight and turn purple in incandescent light.