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Sapphire

Background info on Sapphires

Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum

It's an aluminium oxide (α-Al2O3)

It is typically blue in color, but natural "fancy" sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors

Some More Colored Sapphires!

Famous Sapphire Jewelery Throughout Human History

Where to find

natural Sapphires

Commonly, natural sapphires are cut and polished into gemstones and worn in jewelry.

Every sapphire mine produces a wide range of quality - and origin is not a guarantee of quality.

For sapphire, Kashmir receives the highest premium although Burma, Sri Lanka, and Madagascar also produce large quantities of fine quality gems.

Significant sapphire deposits are found in Eastern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, China (Shandong), Madagascar, East Africa, and in North America in a few locations, mostly in Montana.

Sapphire and rubies are often found in the same geological setting.

Napoléon

Joséphine

The British Crown Jewels

Montana Sapphires

The history of empires and sapphires are intertwined, and the British Empire is no exception. The term “crown jewels” refers to a number of crowns, scepters, orbs, swords, rings, and other regalia worn by a sovereign during various state functions including the coronation ceremony.

Joséphine was a widow and mistress to several prominent political figures in France until she met Napoléon and their tempestuous love affair began.

Soon after their wedding in 1796, Napoléon left to lead the French army in Italy, where he became a collector on a truly imperial scale.

So much art, sculpture, and jewelry were looted from the Italians that they gave him yet another title, Il Gran Ladrone (The Great Thief).

According to legend, Helen of Troy owned a large star sapphire, which was believed to hold the key to her desirability.

According to Apollodorus, she had at least thirty suitors vying for her hand. Although she married King Menelaus of Sparta, she was abducted by Paris, an act that led to the Trojan War.

Perhaps the beauty that “launched a thousand ships”owed it all to the allure of sapphires.

Rudolf II commissioned many fabulous items including the Imperial Crown of Austria. The crown was executed in 1602 by Jan Vermeyen and is topped by a large blue sapphire, a symbol of heaven.

The Emperor and Empress maintained fabulous collections of gemstones. One of Joséphine’s favorites was the Parure of Queen Marie Antoinette, a seven-piece jewelry set containing approximately 29 sapphires—many larger than 20 carats.

Gem Mountain in Montana was first developed in the 1890's and has since produced more than 180 million carats of sapphires! Sapphires are some of the rarest gemstones in the world, but not here. Gem Mountain is the source for every known color of sapphire and some colors found nowhere else.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s personal collection is kept in a large vault beneath Buckingham Palace. The value of this collection is currently estimated at about $39 million.

Among her most cherished items is the Prince Albert Brooch, a huge sapphire, which was given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert the day before their wedding.

Princess Diana received a sapphire engagement ring from Prince Charles. Diana’s ring has now been used to celebrate Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement and marriage.

Today, the British Crown Jewels are kept in the Tower of London. The Imperial State Crown is one of the most famous of the items housed there.

It has a base of four crosses alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. It is encrusted with gems, and includes several famous jewels such as St. Edward’s Sapphire, a sapphire taken from the ring of Edward the Confessor, and the 104-carat Stuart Sapphire.

More

Variations

They also may be created synthetically in laboratories for industrial or decorative purposes in large crystal boules.

A synthetic gem material is one that is made in a laboratory, but which shares virtually all chemical, optical, and physical characteristics of its natural mineral counterpart

The Federal Trade Commission requires that any gem material produced in a laboratory be described in a way that leaves no doubt that it was not produced naturally.

It is considered to be a deceptive practice if a synthetic gem material’s origin is not clearly disclosed throughout the distribution channel at the time of sale, from the manufacturer to the consumer.

OPINION:

Why do you think this rule exists?

Why do you think the producers have to verify that a gemstone is man-made?

The only color which sapphire cannot be is red - as red colored corundum is called ruby

"parti sapphires"

show two or

more colors.

WOW!

NEAT!

We will be covering Rubies next week!

SUPER COOL!

Synthetic corundum can be made in a variety of ways including this colorful collection of flame fusion crystals, seen before cutting.

Sapphires have remarkable hardness of sapphires – 9 on the Mohs scale (the third hardest mineral, after diamond at 10 and moissanite at 9.5) – sapphires are also used in some non-ornamental applications

Synthetic sapphires can be manufactured to show asterism (star effect), in cabochon cut stones, such as these.