they generally mean natural blue sapphire gemstone. The sapphire stones actually exists in various other brilliant colors like yellow, orange, pink, purple and green. These sapphires are called fancy sapphires. The word Sapphire is derived from Sapphirus, which is Latin for blue. In India it is believed that wearing a sapphire ring or a sapphire bracelet or any other sapphire ewelry item can have either of the two effects ! either the wearer reaches great heights in all aspects of life or is completely destroyed. This is the reason why this gemstone is fairly unpopular in the Indian market. Blue Sapphire is the birthstone for september month. There are numerous beliefs, superstitions and folklore that is associated with the blue sapphire gemstone. It is believed to give the wearer everything that he or she desires " health, wealth, longevity and happiness. This gem also restores lost wealth and property, counteracts the envy of enemies and removes the evil eye, protects one from dangers and mental unrest and alleviates long"term misfortune. It is also believed to improve fertility in women. #or therapeutic or holistic purposes, the blue sapphire must be set in silver or white metal and worn in the middle finger. The ring should be set with an authentic natural sapphire to be effective. $ue to the strong beliefs associated with the stone, ewelers in India often suggest this gem be tested %by wearing it next to the skin or keeping it under the pillow while sleeping& for at least one week before final purchase is made. The blue sapphire gem is one of the 'avagraha stones %stones that represent the nine planets that have a cosmic influence on all earthlings&. It represents the planet Saturn %Shani& and is related to duty and salvation. (ven though blue sapphire gemstones are not so popular in India, they are currently the world)s most popular colored gemstone, with the *S registering the highest purchases. The gems natural blue color has always been associated with royalty. +nd for centuries the vivid blue sapphire has been a symbol of nobility, sincerity, faithfulness, truth and peace. It is believed to protect its owner from all evils and to also attract divinity. Some communities also believe that this gem has the power to influence spirits and that it protects the owner from witchcraft. Composition of Blue Sapphire Gemstone The chemical formula of ,lue sapphire is aluminium oxide %+l - ./&. The specific gravity ranges between /.00 and 1.22 and the refractive index range is between 3.452" 3.456 and 3.442"3.440. The hardness on the 7ohs scale is 0. It is the next hardest mineral, diamond being the hardest. Varieties of Corundum Blue Sapphire belongs to the gemstone family of corundum. The most pure form of corundum is colorless, but trace elements add color to a corundum gem. While the word 8sapphire9 is derived from the Latin word 8sapphirus9, the word :corundum; is derived from hindu word <urand or <uruvinda. Physical Properties of Blue Sapphire Blue Sapphire Color #ine medium"dark blue sapphires of rich tone come from <ashmir in India. With their cornflower blue color and a slight milky appearance, <ashmir sapphires of are considered to be the most beautiful gemstones. =olor >oning %the uneven distribution of coloring in a gemstone& in a blue sapphire of natural origin is a very common phenomenon. Thus, a rough sapphire stone needs to be cut and faceted in a well planned manner to obtain a beautifully colored finished gem. Sapphires get their beautiful color tone from the trace elements iron and titanium. The blue sapphires that are found in the basaltic rock have a better color as compared to the others as basalt is rich in iron. Cut + natural blue sapphire is commonly cut into a oval shape to retain maximum weight and obtain a high carat polished sapphire gem. ,ut other shapes like round, cushion, octagonal and rectangle are also not uncommon and depend on the native cut that is provided. 'atural blue star sapphires has to be cut in cabochons to display the asterism in the gemstone. Carat + large number of famous sapphires have been listed in history. ?arry Winston, the famous +merican gem dealer, possesses a //4.32 carat gorgeous sapphire. + @/5 carat star sapphire known as the Star of India, probably the largest such gem in the world and a smaller gem of 335cts called the 7idnight star, both reside at the +merican 7useum of 'atural ?istory in 'ew Aork =ity. While the 'ational 7useum of 'atural ?istory, Washington $.=. houses the 1--.00 carat Logan sapphire and the 36- carat Star of ,ombay. +nother example of a huge"si>ed sapphire is the -/2- carat sapphire that was carved by 'orman 7aness into the form of +braham Lincoln9s head. The =eylon blue sapphire, the ,ismark sapphire is 06.52 carats and another reminder of the beauty of the Sri Lanka blue sapphire. $ue to the rare nature of the large sapphire gems, gems above 3@ carats with good color and clarity grade are considered extremely exotic. Clarity =olor >oning and silk %included in rutile needles& are the most striking features of the sapphire gem. .ther visible inclusions that are commonly found are crystals and feathers. loupe clean sapphires are very expensive as compared to the slightly included or eye"clean sapphires. Price, Cost and Buying of Blue Sapphire Gemstone The price of the blue sapphire depends mainly on the color of the gem. +lthough the gem cut and gem clarity also affect price, the influence that the color has on the price is far more significant. +nother aspect that is extremely important is clarity. This is so because a blue sapphire with no natural inclusions is a rarity. +nd therefore a blue sapphire gem with a high clarity generally fetches an extremely high price.
Kashmir blue sapphire gemstones are best blue sapphires and are the finest among those that can be found and they can fetch a very eotic price in the market. + royal blue untreated <ashmir sapphire can exceed B 3@22 per carat in price. The natural unheated and untreated blue ceylon sapphire %'ow Sri Lanka& is sold in the regular range of B322 to B122 per carat. $epending on the Cuality of the stone, sapphires can also be found beyond this range. +ustralian sapphires are dark blue in color with very less transparency and cost is around B4@ to B3-@ per carat. Markets and Producers of Blue Sapphires The cornflower blue sapphires from <ashmir are the most preferred gems. ?owever political tension in the region has reduced the miners from doing any mining activity in this region and the gemstone has not been mined for many years. The brilliance of the blue sapphires from ,urma %now 7yanmar& and Sri Lanka also fetch an exotic price in the market. The so"called 8Deuda9 white non"transparent rough sapphire from Sri Lanka was found to produce magnificent transparent gems on enhancement. ,esides the ,urmese and Sri Lankan mines, there are others that produce special good Cuality sapphires, like the mines in =ambodia, 7adagascar, Thailand, +ustralia, *S+, 'igeria and <enya. Synthetic Sapphires and Treatments done on Blue Sapphires Treatments or enhancements on the sapphire gemstone are done to either make the color light or dark or to improve the clarity and transparency. This is obviously done so that the sapphire gemstone can fetch a better price in the market. ?owever, it is ethically important for a dealer, to disclose whether the sapphire is heated or unheated or whether a treatment has been done on the gemstones while trading. =lose inspection by an expert can also reveal the treatment that has been done and other faint natural inclusions. !lmost "#$ of the blue sapphires sold in the market today are treated. %eat treatment and surface diffusion are the treatments that are commonly done on these gems. The type of heat treatment done is different based on the Cuality and gem9s natural origin of the gemstones. ?eat treatment involves the heating of a gemstone at a temperature that ranges between 1@2= to 3022= for a certain period of time %about 3 hour to 31 days&. +fter being heated, the stone then goes through a cooling process to ensure that what comes out is a deep blue sapphire gem. Surface diffusion treatment is mostly done if the heat treatment is not able to improve the color of the gem. Surface diffusion involves heating the gemstone slightly close to its melting point. This is done along with chemicals like aluminum oxide, iron and titanium. The chemicals that are absorbed into the stone form a thin layer of color on the surface of the gem, thus enhancing the over all color of the gemstone. Synthetic man made or lab sapphires are produced in many countries in large &uantities. In 3014, the Linde =ompany introduced synthetic red and blue star corundum. This star sapphire gem is particularly used to make men9s star sapphire rings. These gems are now also produced in West Dermany, Eapan, and Israel for mens sapphire rings and other sapphire ewelry. Linde also utili>ed similar technology to develop a method for enhancing both color and asterism in natural sapphires, but the company ceased production long ago. Simulants of Blue Sapphire Spinel, aCuamarine, cobalt glass, tourmaline, >ircon, kyanite, >oisite, synthetic sapphire, benitoite and iolite are gemstones that closely resemble the blue sapphire. Interesting Trivia and other saphire facts The royal blue colored sapphire gemstone and the beautiful red colored ruby gemstone belong to the same family of gemstones ! the corundum. They have the same chemical composition " aluminum oxide. The cause of the red color in the ruby gemstone is chromium and the blue color of the sapphire is caused due to the presence of iron or titanium. Blue sapphire birthstone is for people born in the month of September. It is also called as the September Birthstone.
The Development Potential of Precambrian Mineral Deposits: Natural Resources and Energy Division, U.N. Department of Technical Co-Operation for Development