Sapphire is one the four minerals that belongs to the category of fundamental precious stones next to the diamond, emerald and ruby. Even though the most common shade for sapphires is dark blue it can come out in variety of of colors. If it appears in green color – it is described as the east emerald; when it’s purple - east amethyst and light blue - east aquamarine. It can come out in plenty of outstanding color variants starting from red, orange, gold and even black and white.
What is interesting is that its name comes from the Greek work „sapphires” which was used to describe another widely known mineral - lapis lazuli. This one also comes in the shade of blue but it is much more different when it comes to the physical, visual qualities and its composition.
Just like the ruby, the sapphire is a variety of Corundum, and is characterized by its enormous hardness, which makes it a very desirable jewelry stone. This quality allows it to find many uses in the industry by taking advantage of its resistance to scratches or the abrasive attributes of the sapphire dust.
The largest blue sapphire found comes from the Ratnapura Mine in Sri Lanka and weighs as much as 280g. The value can be estimated to be worth over $300 million. It has a pale blue color and is considered to be a species of the so-called star sapphires. This species is characterized by the visual phenomenon of asterism, which is a unique, 6-armed way of reflecting light that gives the impression of a shimmering star, depending on the angle of light. The same phenomenon can be observed in some ruby species.
Another beautiful variety of sapphire is Sapphire Pad parade, which, in Sinhalese, means a color of the lotus flower’s heart. This is very adequate, because its color is exceptionally subtle, slightly red, falling into beige with a bit of orange. It comes from Sri Lanka and Vietnam, and its value often exceeds that of high-quality diamonds.
Sapphire has been attributed numerous supernatural properties and many legends circulated around it. One of the most interesting was the Persian belief that the earth is supported by a huge Sapphire, and the reflection of its deep, blue color creates the color of the sky. The power of Sapphire has always been speculated o over the years. In ancient times, Sapphire was referred to as the Stone of Wisdom and in the Middle Ages it was often said to be conducive to serenity. According to the Mayan horoscope, it was supposed to help with achieving success.
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What is interesting is that its name comes from the Greek work „sapphires” which was used to describe another widely known mineral - lapis lazuli. This one also comes in the shade of blue but it is much more different when it comes to the physical, visual qualities and its composition.
Just like the ruby, the sapphire is a variety of Corundum, and is characterized by its enormous hardness, which makes it a very desirable jewelry stone. This quality allows it to find many uses in the industry by taking advantage of its resistance to scratches or the abrasive attributes of the sapphire dust.
The largest blue sapphire found comes from the Ratnapura Mine in Sri Lanka and weighs as much as 280g. The value can be estimated to be worth over $300 million. It has a pale blue color and is considered to be a species of the so-called star sapphires. This species is characterized by the visual phenomenon of asterism, which is a unique, 6-armed way of reflecting light that gives the impression of a shimmering star, depending on the angle of light. The same phenomenon can be observed in some ruby species.
Another beautiful variety of sapphire is Sapphire Pad parade, which, in Sinhalese, means a color of the lotus flower’s heart. This is very adequate, because its color is exceptionally subtle, slightly red, falling into beige with a bit of orange. It comes from Sri Lanka and Vietnam, and its value often exceeds that of high-quality diamonds.
Sapphire has been attributed numerous supernatural properties and many legends circulated around it. One of the most interesting was the Persian belief that the earth is supported by a huge Sapphire, and the reflection of its deep, blue color creates the color of the sky. The power of Sapphire has always been speculated o over the years. In ancient times, Sapphire was referred to as the Stone of Wisdom and in the Middle Ages it was often said to be conducive to serenity. According to the Mayan horoscope, it was supposed to help with achieving success.