Deposits of rubies and sapphires - mining of precious stones
On the picture. Sri Lanka deposits - the extraction of precious stones from flowing waters in the middle of the 20th century.
Jewelry rubies are formed mainly upon contact metamorphism of dolomite limestones under the influence of granites. In such cases, dolomite marbles serve as host rocks. However, the ruby \u200b\u200bcontent of such primary deposits for industrial development is too low. Rubies are extracted mainly from alluvial placers. The high density of ruby \u200b\u200ballows enriching river sand and gravel deposits by washing; From the resulting concentrate, rubies are then manually selected.
Production methods today are as primitive as hundreds of years ago. Owners of ruby \u200b\u200bmines, as a rule, are Western companies with limited participation of local entrepreneurs. More or less significant ruby \u200b\u200bdeposits are known only in Burma, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. The most important of them are in Upper Burma, near Mogok. A layer containing rubies lies here a few meters from the surface and is developed by pits, ditches and mines. But only about 1% of the rubies mined are of jewelry quality. True, rubies here often have the color of "pigeon blood." Large stones are very rare.
Thailand rubies are usually brownish. They are mined southeast of Bangkok, in Changwad County, from clay gravel. Mining mines reach a depth of 8 m here. In Sri Lanka, deposits are located in the southwestern part of the island, in the Ratnapura region. Rubies from these placers (referred to in the local dialect "illam") usually have a strawberry hue. Rubies are often mined here directly from the bottom of rivers - from sands and pebbles. Since the 50s of the 20th century, Tanzania has been producing decorative green rock (zoisite amphibolite) with rather large, albeit mostly opaque, rubies. Only a few crystals are suitable for cutting. Rubies were also found in the upper reaches of the Umba River, in the north-east of the country. They have a purple or brownish tint.
Minor deposits of rubies are found in Afghanistan, Australia (Queensland), Brazil, Kampuchea, Madagascar, Malawi, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and the United States (North Carolina). Small deposits of ruby \u200b\u200band sapphire are also known in Switzerland (cant. Tessin), Norway and the CIS (Urals, Pamir). Ruby is one of the most expensive of gem stones. Large rubies are less common than diamonds comparable in size to them. The largest gem-quality ruby \u200b\u200bweighed 400 ct; It was found in Burma and split into three parts. The world-famous rubies of outstanding beauty include the Edward Ruby - 167 ct (British Museum of Natural History, London), the Riva star-shaped ruby \u200b\u200b- 138.7 ct (Smithsonian Institution, Washington), the De Longa star-shaped ruby \u200b\u200b- 100 car (American Museum of Natural History, New York), the ruby \u200b\u200b"Mir" - 43 car, which got its name due to the fact that it was found in 1919, at the end of the First World War.
Numerous rubies adorn royal regalia and ancient family jewels. However, many of them, as a result of the latest research, were "exposed", turning out to be red spinel. Among them are the “Ruby of the Black Prince” in the British crown and “Ruby of Timur” in the chest chain, also belonging to the jewels of the English crown. Teardrop-shaped spinels of the Wittelsbach crown, made in 1830, were also considered rubies for a long time.
At present, rubies are usually cut in countries where they are mined. The cutters, trying to preserve the largest possible mass of the stone, do not always maintain its proportions, so many stones later have to be re-cut. Transparent rubies are given a step or diamond cut, less transparent are polished with cabochon.
A lot of fake rubies enter the jewelry market, especially glass imitations and doublets with the upper part made of pomegranate and the lower part made of glass or the upper part made of natural sapphire and the lower part made of synthetic ruby. To this day, there are many misleading trade names in circulation: for example, balas-ruby (spinel), Cape ruby \u200b\u200b(pomegranate), Siberian ruby \u200b\u200b(tourmaline). Ruby can be confused with garnets - almandine and pyrope, fluorite, zircon-hyacinth, spinel, topaz, tourmaline.
Since the 1900s, synthetic jewelry rubies have appeared that are similar to natural ones in composition, physical and especially optical properties. However, they can be distinguished by inclusions, and also due to the fact that, in contrast to natural rubies, they transmit ultraviolet rays. For watch and support stones in instruments, as well as for solid-state lasers and other technical needs, only synthetic rubies are now used.
A huge and ever-increasing difference in the price of natural and synthetic rubies makes the methods of their reliable recognition especially important. The easiest way to confuse a ruby \u200b\u200bwith a red spinel: both stones are similar not only in color, but also in hardness, density, and light refraction (spinel is only slightly softer and lighter, has a slightly less bright shine), but unlike ruby, it is optically isotropic, which without labor is established using a polarizing microscope.
In the CIS, ruby \u200b\u200bdeposits were discovered only in the middle of the 20th century. This is primarily the Makar-Ruz deposit in the Polar Urals, confined to the ultrabasic Rai-Iz massif, as well as ruby \u200b\u200bfinds in the peculiar pegmatites of the Pamirs. Along with opaque red corundum, transparent crystals of ruby \u200b\u200bjewelery are found in both deposits.
On the picture. Flushing the soil during the extraction of precious stones.
The host rocks of sapphire deposits are marbles or basalts. They are also formed in pegmatites, but are extracted mainly from alluvial placers or weathering crusts, less often from bedrocks. Development methods are extremely simple: pits or pits, manually traversed, and blurry slopes, allow you to develop a sapphire-bearing layer that lies at a depth.
Clay, sand and gravel are separated by washing; sapphires accumulate due to their high density. In conclusion, manual selection of sapphires and their classification by quality are carried out. Sapphire is much more widespread than its closest relative - ruby, since the chromophore of sapphires is iron, and not the rare chromium that colors rubies.
Sapphire industrially significant deposits are now located in Australia, Burma, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Australian deposits in Queensland have been known since 1870. Basalts serve there as the host rocks, from the weathered upper layer of which sapphires are mined by washing. Their quality is low. The deep blue color of these stones becomes artificial, greenish, or even almost black under artificial light. Lighter stones also have a green tint. Black star sapphires have recently been found. Associated minerals of Australian sapphires are quartz, pyrope, topaz, tourmaline, zircon. In 1918, blue sapphires of good quality were discovered in New South Wales. In recent years, these deposits have apparently become very productive. In Upper Burma, near Mogok, alluvial placers are being developed containing ruby \u200b\u200band spinel along with sapphire. Their mother rocks are pegmatites. In 1966, the largest star sapphire was found here - a crystal weighing 63,000 carats (12.6 kg!).
On the island of Sri Lanka, sapphires have been mined since ancient times. Deposits there are located in the southwestern part of the island, in the Ratnapura region. The host rocks are the remains of dolomitic limestones in granites or their interlayers in gneisses. Alluvial deposits of river pebbles with a thickness of 30-60 cm are being developed (in the local dialect "illam"), occurring at a depth of 2 to 10 m. The sapphires in them are mostly light blue, often with a purple tint. In addition, there are also yellow and orange differences such as padparajas and along with them - green, pink, brown and almost colorless stones, finally, star-shaped sapphires and sapphire "cat's eye". Associated minerals are very numerous: apatite, pomegranate, quartz, cordierite, topaz, tourmaline, zircon, spinel, epidote.
The island of Ceylon may well claim the status of Paradise on Earth. For Sri Lanka (as this island state is called today), gems are a serious budget item, which gives about 5% of the republic’s GDP. The absolute "king" of Ceylon stones is blue sapphire. Sri Lanka is a state that is actively developing the extraction of various precious stones and their processing. Sri Lanka supplies both the raw gemstones and the product of their processing - refined raw materials, jewelry inserts - faceted gemstones, as well as jewelry with them, to the world market. The market is based on the famous Ceylon sapphires, including fancy colors and star-shaped. But only blue Ceylon sapphire is the national stone of Sri Lanka.
Sapphire mining in Sri Lanka today, at the beginning of the XXI century
There are two sapphire deposits in Thailand: one (Bang Kha Cha) is located near Chanthaburi, 220 km southeast of Bangkok, the other (Bo Ploy) is near Kancha Naburi, 120 km northwest of Bangkok. Host rocks - marbles or basalts. Deposits associated with placers and weathering crusts are being developed. Companion minerals: garnet, ruby, zircon, spinel. Sapphires here are of good quality and various colors, there are also star-shaped ones. The stones are thick blue, however, usually with a greenish tint.
Most appreciated Kashmir sapphires (India). The deposits there are located at an altitude of 5000 m (Zanskar Range in the Himalayas), 200 km southeast of Srinagar. They have been operated with varying successes since 1880 and now seemingly have been exhausted. Sapphires were mined there from a strongly kaolinized pegmatite vein lying in crystalline marbles. From sapphires of these pegmatites were extracted sapphires of a thick cornflower blue, often with a silky sheen. Often, Kashmiri give out Burmese sapphires.
In 1894, sapphire deposits were discovered in pc. Montana (USA), confined to andesite dyke. The stones were mined both from the dyke itself and from the gravel formed during its weathering. The colors of Montana's sapphires are very diverse, often they are pale blue or blue-steel. Field development was discontinued at the end of the 1920s, but then again resumed.
Sapphire deposits are also known in Brazil (Mato Grosso), in the west of Kampuchea, in Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe and more recently in northern Tanzania. Isolated finds of star sapphires occur in northern Finland (in Lapland).
Large sapphires are rare. Sometimes they, like famous diamonds, are given their own names. The American Museum of Natural History (New York) owns the Star of India, probably the largest processed star sapphire (536 ct), and the black star sapphire Midnight Star (116 ct). The Smithsonian Institution (Washington) acquired the Star Star of Asia sapphire (330 ct). Two famous sapphires ("St. Edward" and "Stuart") are among the jewels of the British crown. In the United States, three sapphires weighing approximately 2,000 carats each are carved with sculptural portraits of US presidents: Washington, Lincoln and Eisenhower.
Many stones look like blue sapphire: benitoite, kyanite, cordierite, tanzanite, topaz, tourmaline, zircon-starlite. spinel; imitate it also with blue glass. There are many trade names that mislead the buyer: for example, Brazilian sapphire is called blue topaz, and oriental sapphire is blue tourmaline.
At the beginning of the century, they learned to grow synthetic sapphires, whose properties are very close to natural. Since 1947, synthetic star-shaped sapphires of jewelry quality have also been received.
The Diamond Fund collection has unique beauty and weight in blue Ceylon sapphires; one of them (200 ct) is mounted in the cross of the empire of the Russian Empire, the other (258 ct) is inserted into the brooch. Manifestations of blue sapphire in the CIS associated with syenite pegmatites of the Ilmensky mountains in the Urals and with nafelinsenite pegmatites of the Khibiny massif on the Kola Peninsula are small and, in addition, can serve as sources for producing cut-quality raw materials suitable only for the manufacture of small spark-type stones.
Ceylon sapphires of all colors
Equipment in Sri Lanka today, at the beginning of the XXI century
In the summer of 2015, world news agencies reported a sensational discovery in gem mines in the south of Sri Lanka. Ceylon miners discovered the world's largest sapphire crystal weighing 1,404.5 carats.
Experts examined an unprecedented green sapphire in the capital of the island of Colombo and appreciated this fantastically beautiful sapphire stone in an unheard-of and unprecedented amount - $ 175 million.
No wonder that the shocked owner kept the find a secret for almost a year. He does not disclose his name, and does not allow the image of the stone to be distributed.
Adam Star
It is only known that a rare juicy herbal shade of sapphire complements the even more rare property of the mineral. It has the effect of asterism. The crystal structure of its peculiar structural lattice refracts light so whimsically that it returns to the observers in the form of radiant stellar flares.
According to the ancient tradition of the islanders, after being expelled from paradise, Adam came to Ceylon and settled in the mountains of the island. There, to this day, tourists are shown a huge imprint of his foot in a granite rock as if softened like clay.
In honor of the mythical First Man, the stone was dubbed the "Star of Adam."
What are sapphires?
For the first time, a detailed scientific account of the differences and properties of sapphires was presented by the ancient encyclopedist Pliny (I century from R.Kh.)
He described the amazing property of sapphire color change when viewed from different angles. This phenomenon is called pleochroism.
The most complete classification of minerals in our country was developed in the past century by the talented Russian mineral scientist Academician Fersman. From his works you can find out what color sapphires are, where they are extracted and how they are cut.
So called transparent white sapphire, almost indistinguishable from. In jewelry, such stones successfully play the role of small ones.
Why exactly small ones? The fact is that the larger the white sapphires, the more noticeable the color of the stone and the quality indicators change, a plausible imitation of diamonds does not work. According to experts, "sapphire ears stick out of such diamonds."
However, leucosapphires are original and beautiful in themselves.
Fersman notes that large white sapphires are very rarely satisfactory in quality for jewelry cutting. But on the other hand, the wonderful white mineral sapphire is adorned with beautiful mineralogical collections of the largest museums.
So astrologers christened gray sapphire. This opaque strongest (it is slightly inferior in strength to the original diamond, which can only slightly scratch corundum) is a powerful amulet.
He does not shine, but harbors the power of the genies whom the great Bible king and magician Solomon laid down in the once transparent stone. The king imprisoned them in a vessel or ring.
Legends say that soon the stone in the magical seal of the Biblical king-magician turned into a black sapphire. Solomon understood what it means and who suits sapphire of such a gloomy color.
Since then, magicians also know that green sapphires melt the tiger's eyes of genies
Famous sapphires
This symbol of supreme power was created by the blacksmiths and jeweler monks of the Reichenau Abbey (Germany, X c.). It was intended for the French king Charles the Great, raised by Pope Leo III to the rank of emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, created on the ruins of the collapsed empire of the Romans.
Heavy golden arched plates are strewn with sapphires of blue color, many large. Gems shine through, creating an amazing radiance around the crown.
This crown crowned many of the rulers of Europe.
By the way, on behalf of Emperor Karl, the words “king”, “crown”, and also the name of the gold coin of the crown came.
Napoleon wanted to take possession of the epic crown, but failed: the German landgraves hid the relic in the dungeon of one of the Viennese castles.
In the past century, the manic idea of \u200b\u200bconquering the world was embraced by Adolf Hitler. The magical properties of the stone of Charlemagne were well known to the Nazi mystics from the secret occult organization Ahnenerbe (Heritage of the Ancestors).
The Fuhrer ordered to find and deliver the medieval artifact to Berlin. The crown of the mighty conqueror is a symbol of former power over the states surrounding the Reich, which means its continuity and legitimacy of the claims of the Führer.
Fortunately, this time the SS men could not find a reliably hidden crown.
Today, tourists admire the legendary crown at the Museum of Art in the Habsburg Palace (Vienna, Austria).
Red sapphire shining at the top triangular golden pendant-mascot (IX century) of Charlemagneeclipsing dark cherry grenades and smaller gems. Sapphire once had a cabochon twin embedded in the talisman on the back, but over the past thousand years it has disappeared. In the twin stone was a lock of hair of the Virgin Mary. This triangle was a mighty amulet of the emperor, created by the magicians of Northern Europe.
The amulet pendant stored in France was in the hands of Napoleon. He asked his wife Josephine Beauharnais to dress her at the empress’s coronation ceremony.
They say that the magical properties of the sapphire of the ancient emperor Karl have not been lost to this day. Large museum politicians and members of the ruling royal dynasties, silently staring at the magical amulet of the great unifier of Europe, were often noticed at the museum window. Who knows what they are secretly asking for the magic talisman today?
Sapphire Stuart. A large sapphire (104 carats) belonging to the Scottish royal dynasty of the Stuarts, after numerous dramatic events worthy of Shakespeare's pen, found himself in the treasury of the British kings in the Tower. Queen Victoria (1819 - 1901) ordered the “Scots” to be placed in the crown of the British Empire.
In this photo, the current Queen of Britain Elizabeth II in the imperial tiara of the British monarchs after the coronation (1954).
But not only kings own stunning sapphires.
(423 carats) surrounded by two dozen diamonds (their total weight is 16 carats) is set into a golden women's brooch. It belonged to Rebecca Guggenheim, the wife of one of the heirs of a well-known entrepreneur and philanthropist.
After his death, Rebecca married John Logan. In 1960, Mrs. Logan transferred her blue sapphire to the exposition of the gallery of stones and minerals of the National Smithsonian Museum (Washington, USA).
Once, a journalist friend asked Rebecca why she without regret gave the sapphire gem to the gallery. Becky replied: “When I looked at this stone, I saw not the best memories in its blue.”
In the catalog of the museum, the color of sapphire Logan has the following description: "medium-soft purple-blue."
Sapphire magic
Ancient Jewish legends claim that "the stars of blue and green, pink and red sapphires" sparkled at the tops of the cedar throne of King Solomon. The stones symbolized the elements of heaven and earth, the beginnings of women and men. They weaved the power of the king into an indestructible whole.
Hundreds of generations of magicians have known that star flashes inside a stone open a portal to the spirit world. These rare artifacts were transmitted to the family of wizards, but often died along with the owners.
Such magic stones instantly disappear from auctions for any price. The cost of a portal to another world in ridiculous earthly paper money is insignificant, because a million dollars is only ten kilograms of painted paper.
Sapphire and Zodiac
Since ancient times, the zodiac circle defines terrestrial minerals by its standards.
Pliny, following the ancient beliefs of the Romans, divided the sapphires according to the zodiac sign into male and female individuals. He attributed the yellow sapphire stone to children's amulets, and the pink sapphire stone to youthful and girlish.
By the way, strong-willed women are especially fond of pink sapphire stone. Cleopatra wore such a mineral with an engraved cobra. The pink sapphire amulet was passed on to the daughters of the Medici Queen.
Oddly enough, the owner’s zodiac sign does not matter for sapphire magic. Value for the amulet is only the will of the owner to withstand the struggle. Only in this case, the amulet will give this human will an unprecedented energy of corundum resistance.
Weak, suspicious people have nothing to wear this stone.
The power of corundum protection implies the harmony of the owner’s aura with the color of the amulet stone
The astrologer will make a horoscope and determine what color sapphire may suit you. Then sapphire stone properties show quite noticeable.
Sapphire and owner health
In ancient healing medicine, it is recommended to wear pink sapphire at the heart. “May he preserve the whereabouts of your soul!” Wrote medieval healers. They believed that the soul is in the heart. However, to this day no one has denied this.
Yellow sapphire confronts the dangerous fevers that Europeans encountered only during the era of the great geographical discoveries.
But the sapphire stone, able to curb the infamous jaundice, has long been able to curb.
There is an ornamental semiprecious stone bearing the consonant name - sapphirin.
The name stuck after the first publication of the report on the discovery of German geologists in Greenland (1819), where the mineral was given the following characteristic: "An opaque cornflower blue stone resembling blue sapphire." Later it turned out that this is a milky blue variety. Sometimes called sapphire and banded variety of chalcedony - blue.
In July 2008, the world's largest artificial white sapphire was grown in the Institute of Monocrystals of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in ten days.
It is so large that its mass is no longer measured in carats (0.2 g), but in full-weight kilograms. The weight of this single crystal exceeded 45 kg.
But the record weight of the first-born crystal is not the limit. Ukrainian scientists claim that their innovative installation is able to grow a sapphire crystal with a diameter of up to half a meter with a mass of more than 300 kilograms, and sapphire can be of almost any color.
However, the collapse of prices for jewelry with sapphires is not expected. Such artificial monoliths are intended for other purposes. The value of sapphire stone grown to order is extremely high for the aerospace industry, microelectronics, robotics, optoelectronic devices.
Entirely the entire single crystal can be used for heavy-duty industrial and military lasers or mirrors of space telescopes. But for other purposes it is cut.
For example, a variety of medical instruments and even safety razors for stubborn male bristles are already being made from ultrathin sharp slices of the toughest sapphire crystal.
The host rocks of sapphire deposits are considered basalts or marbles. They can also form in pegmatites, but mining is mainly carried out from alluvial placers, less often from bedrock. At its core, the extraction of sapphires is simple - pits or blurry slopes allow you to work out the necessary layer, which lies at different depths. With the help of washing, sand, gravel and clay are separated, where sapphires accumulate. Then the found stones are waiting manual selection, in the process of which they are classified by quality.
In general, sapphire is much more widespread than its "brother" - ruby, since sapphire is the chromophore of iron, and not a rare chrome, coloring the rubies in a rich red-raspberry color.
Where to go to find your unique sapphire?
Let’s say right away, since you are unlikely to enter the territory of the sapphire deposit, which are located in some countries of the world. Therefore, you won’t be able to get sapphire yourself, but don’t be especially upset about this - you can always find an amazing sapphire for your jewelry by contacting our jewelry workshop.
Seriously, the island Sri Lanka since ancient times famous for its sapphire deposits, which are located in its southwestern part - in Ratnapura. The host rocks there are dolomitic limestones in granite or in gneiss. Sapphires there are found mainly light blue, often with a velvet purple hue. But not only. Often yellow and orange sapphires (padparajas), as well as green, brown and colorless sapphires, including star-shaped and the well-known "cat's eye", are found in these deposits.
Many industrially significant sapphire deposits are also located in Australia (Queensland), Thailand, Burma, and the United States. And they enjoy special honor indian sapphires - Kashmir. The main deposits there are located in the southeast of Srinagar. Unfortunately, now all the reserves there are almost exhausted, which is used by unscrupulous miners, passing off Burmese sapphires as Kashmiri.
Choosing sapphire as an insert for your favorite jewelry, you also get powerful mascot, which will protect you from troubles, endow with power and power. After all, it’s not without reason that the medieval natural scientist Loniser once wrote that sapphire gives joy, freshness and makes a man devout, opening his soul to the world!
Christina Tsurtsumiya2014-09-29 11:00:00
Stone of the Chosen
Sapphire is one of the varieties of corundum. It is believed that the stone got its name from the word canipriya, which in translation from ancient Indian means "beloved Saturn." In ancient Greek, the word σάπφειρος (sappheiros) was used to call any valuable blue stone. That is why until the 13th century it was known as lapis lazuli or azure yachting. In tsarist Russia, blue corundum, like other blue stones, was called a baus. Only in the XVIII century, the Swedish chemist G. Vallerius proposed calling transparent blue corundum sapphire.
Sapphire is truly a royal stone. They traditionally adorned the crowns of kings. The most famous sapphire of "St. Edward" adorns the tops of the British crown, in the heart of the cross.
A stone weighing 200 carats is placed in the empire of the Russian Empire, a twice as large sapphire is inserted into the brooch of Indian Maharajah, and the necklace from Harry Winston includes 36 large sapphires with a total weight of 196 carats. Queens of the Netherlands can demonstrate a whole pair of family sapphire jewelry from a diadem, necklace, earrings, bracelets, pendant, brooch.
But the modern man is not primarily reminded of the great crowns, but the engagement ring of Princess Diana, now adorning the hand of the wife of her eldest son - Kate Middleton. The rather ordinary 10x8 mm and 1.8 carat weight surrounded by 14 diamonds, once chosen by the unloved princess for herself from the catalog for 28,000 pounds, has become an icon of style and is still incredibly popular.
Queen of Great Britain Elizabeth and Queen of the Netherlands Maxim
Kate Middleton
Stone magic
At all times, had a special value. According to legend, the royal mineral was considered a symbol of hope, fidelity, purity and chastity. Sapphire has long been one of the most expensive gemstones and second only to diamond. The stone of the color of heaven was considered the embodiment of calm, contemplation and pacification. In ancient Rome, rings with cornflower-blue sapphires were worn only by priests of the temple of Jupiter. In India and Judea, they adorned the vestments of priests. Blue sapphires sparkled even in the crown of Cleopatra herself.
In Europe, blue corundum was considered a symbol of honesty, virtue and modesty. In the countries of the East, sapphire was called the "talisman of the wise." Today, a precious mineral is personified with confidence, success and victory. According to astrologers, wearing a headset with sapphires has a beneficial effect on health.
In the sky, sapphire is patronized by Jupiter and Saturn. For Lviv, this is a stone that will help curb pride and selfishness and channel energy into a creative channel. For Sagittarius, sapphire is their haven, it will help them find stability, find harmony in difficult situations. Aquarians with sapphire jewelry can better understand themselves, become stronger in their decisions, gain strength and courage. Also, the stone will be a good talisman for changeable Pisces and turbulent Libra.
A sapphire wedding is celebrated after 45 years, celebrating the wisdom and virtue of the spouses with gifts with sapphire.
From the bowels of the earth
Nature generously endowed us with sapphire deposits. Blue corundum deposits were found on five continents of the Earth, with the exception of Antarctica. Now the world leaders in the extraction and export of sapphire are Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, Burma. Sapphire is actively mined in Madagascar, Australia, Brazil, the United States, and most of Africa.
Smaller stone deposits are found in some European countries (France, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Poland). In Russia, sapphire was discovered on the Kola Peninsula (Khibiny) and in the Urals.
Interestingly, sapphires of various deposits have their own unique color. On this basis, specialists can determine the "homeland" of each stone with the naked eye.
Australian deposits are famous for blue-black sapphires, darkening in artificial light. Thai sapphires are of high quality and differ from corundums from other countries in a greenish tint. Minerals from the state of Montana (USA) are known for their pale blue color of ice. Ural sapphires, which absorbed the colors of the Russian winter, most often have a gray tint, and the corundums of the Kola Peninsula are cornflower blue.
The oldest sapphire deposit is the island of Ceylon. It is not surprising that the inhabitants of the island consider sapphire their national stone. The hallmark of Sri Lanka was corundums of saturated blue shades: from ultramarine to dark blue. In addition, there are yellow and orange sapphires (padparajas), and even sapphire "cat's eye" on the island. It was in Sri Lanka that one of the largest sapphires of the world weighing about 19 kg was found!
Many deposits of precious corundum known today were discovered in the 19th century. So, in 1880, as a result of a mountain collapse, the richest deposit of unique sapphires was discovered in the Indian valley of Kashmir. The stones had a deep cornflower blue color with a slight purple hue. Until now, Kashmir sapphires are considered an example of the quality of a unique precious mineral.
Large blue corundums are quite rare. When this happens, they are just as given their names. The most famous "eminent" sapphires are "St. Edward ”,“ Stuart ”(104 carats),“ Star of India ”(536 carats),“ Midnight Star ”(116 carats).
Sapphire Kaleidoscope
Sapphire is an aluminum oxide that is second only to diamond in terms of hardness. One of the main features of the stone is a rich palette of shades. The hue of sapphire depends on the presence or absence of titanium and iron impurities in it. At the same time, all “colored” sapphires (except for blue ones) are called “fantasy”. Some of these gems, for example, Australian and African, have dichroism and combine two colors: along the crystals they are dark blue, and across the green.
But if the only impurity is chrome, then the stone has a red tint, from pale pink to a rather rich wine color.
Golden sapphires are found in a mixture of iron and chromium, and can also have a very thick shade.
Impurities of iron (Fe) and chromium (Cr) together form the color of golden and orange sapphires. To change the color, blue corundums are often heat treated. This method allows you to strengthen, weaken or even out the color of the stone. As a result, blue-gray sapphire can turn bright blue. The interaction of iron oxides enhances the blue tint of the stone, while the diffusion of iron and nickel colors sapphire in red and orange.
The next feature of blue corundum is asterism. Due to this optical effect, a star contour appears in the center of sapphire. Sapphires of this kind are called "stellate." Such an amazing stone looks truly mysterious, so it is very much appreciated. The largest "star" crystal was discovered in 1966 in Burma (Southeast Asia). The mass of the stone reached 63 thousand carats, that is 12.6 kg!
Hydrothermal sapphires
Modern technology allows you to grow sapphires in the laboratory. Such sapphire is not a fake, its properties are almost identical to natural stone.
The essence of the technology is to reproduce the natural process of stone nucleation, which allows to obtain clean and uniform corundums.
Eternal value
Products with precious sapphire inserts have been highly valued at all times. Today, leading jewelry houses use corundums both in individual products and in entire collections. Especially exquisite look sapphires with step or diamond cut, as well as "star" stones with a "cabochon" cut. Combining with topazes, amethysts and emeralds, blue sapphires acquire new colors.
The classic combination of sapphires and diamonds, which has become a symbol of luxury, is also relevant. Invariably spectacular blue sapphires look in the frame of white or yellow gold. At the same time, complemented by a combined frame, the classic duet of precious stones sounds fashionable and modern.
In the trend are models with “fantasy” sapphires of delicate shades that give products a special sophistication. The combination of many bright "fantasy" stones in one jewelry allows you to realize the most daring design ideas.
A product with sapphires is not only a stylish addition to any image, but also an indicator of impeccable taste. In jewelry with these precious stones, Kate Middleton, Penelope Cruz, Carrie Underwood, Heidi Klum, Jessica Simpson, Katie Holmes and others shine.
Sergey 07/22/2019
Sapphire for me is also associated with the stone of kings and princesses. There is something elegant and status in it. He is especially beautiful in combination with diamonds in white gold. These stones and the rim are as if created for each other. ReplyInna Koval 07/22/2019
Sapphire is truly a royal stone. So many ornaments in the article are wonderful and beautiful. The blue earrings are self-charming and of impeccable beauty. ReplyOlga 07/21/2019
Natural sapphire is a stone of wisdom and nobleness, a stone of honest people! These jewels with natural round brilliant-cut sapphire immediately attract attention. To have such a set of jewelry is not only to show your sense of style and certain status, but also to have amazingly beautiful jewelry that will undoubtedly become part of family history and will be passed down from generation to generation as a family heirloom. ReplyReply
Marina 06/29/2019
If I imagine in my head the image of a family heirloom passed down from generation to generation, then I personally have the image of a sapphire ring. It is oval in shape, framed by diamonds. That's exactly like the Article 6012003. In the article I saw earrings in a similar design. Now in my head they will appear to be such a chic, truly, royal, headset. ReplyEkaterina K 06/29/2019
Sapphire is truly a royal stone. Especially the combination of diamonds and sapphires! I liked all the products presented in the article. In esoteric, the most valuable amulets are dark blue sapphires. It is believed that they attract wealth and good fortune. also the stone of this tone helps to arrange personal life. He patronizes people who seek to improve themselves. Sapphire blue tone improves the work of the cardiovascular system and cures its diseases. ReplyRoman Sardov 06/29/2019
Sapphire is my favorite. Most of all I remember the sapphire jewelry on Kate Middleton. I think that they have become elements of her style. The crown of her jewelry collection is Princess Diana's ring - a jewelry donated by Prince William on her engagement day, made of white gold with a 1.8-carat sapphire framed by 14 diamonds, became a real dream of many girls. Later, a similar design appeared in the duchess's jewelry collection. Girls, if you want to be as elegant as Kate, wear sapphires and diamonds). ReplySvetlana 04/22/2019
A striking and distinctive property of sapphire is asterism (from the Greek word astron - a star). On a polished stone, a bright asterisk with three, six or twelve rays is clearly visible. Distinguished species with clear rays - asteria and with a vague image of the rays - fat sol. True, such gemstones are usually lightly mixed, therefore they are not appreciated by jewelers who value the purity of a stone. ReplySvetlana 04/22/2019
Sapphire has long been considered a royal stone. The general Alexander the Great, Queen Mary Stuart, King Edward and Henry V considered sapphire their talisman, bringing wisdom and judgment. Today, the mineral is still associated with monarchs - a dark blue sapphire adorns the legendary ring of Princess Diana, which Kate Middleton now wears. ReplyInstruction manual
Sapphire is a type of corundum - a mineral that is an aluminum oxide. It is characterized by strong gloss and high strength, which is only slightly inferior to diamond. For this reason, this stone is considered simply created for cutting. The melting point of sapphire is 2040 ° C.
The color scheme of this gemstone ranges from a light blue tint to almost black. There are also specimens of pink, orange, yellow and green in nature. However, their value is not particularly high. However, like light blue and black sapphire.
Sapphire is mined in a limited number of places on earth. Almost 80% is in Australia, dark blue minerals that appear black under artificial light. They are considered the most inexpensive, unlike Kashmir stones, which have a unique cornflower hue. According to experts, once seen mined in Kashmir (India), it can never be confused with another mineral. Such precious stones are very much appreciated in the market, and especially large specimens are sold for millions of dollars at auctions.
The cost of sapphires mined in Sri Lanka and Burma is also high. Burmese minerals are characterized by a deep blue color with a slight ultramarine hue. And sapphires from Sri Lanka are more pale in color with pronounced dichroism. However, in those and other crystals, one can often see blotches of white needles (“silk”) that trap light when the stone rotates. If such a “silk” is visible in sapphire with the naked eye, the value of the stone is reduced. The only exception is when white needles form a star shape.
Not so long ago, sapphire deposits were discovered in the US state of Montana. The minerals mined there are distinguished by a grayish metallic luster. The color scheme of American sapphires can vary from light blue and turquoise to cornflower blue. Sapphires are also mined in Thailand.
Small and medium sized natural sapphires are often heat treated to refine. This method allows you to change the intensity, remove excess shades or eliminate the "silk". Australian sapphires are especially often calcined. Thanks to this procedure, their color becomes lighter. During the cutting, cracks are eliminated in the stone. Large copies of sapphires, as a rule, are not subjected to heat treatment, since their cost in this case is greatly reduced.
The price of such a gemstone depends on the place of its extraction, size, shade, purity, structure. The cost of large sapphires usually starts at $ 1,000 per carat. There are cases when such minerals were sold for millions of dollars. Medium-sized sapphires are usually sold for $ 300-600 per carat. And very small specimens (less than 0.5 carats) can be bought for $ 10-20, especially if they have many different inclusions.
Currently, a large number of products with high-quality synthetic sapphires are sold on the market, which can only be distinguished from natural ones by an experienced jeweler. Moreover, a fake is especially difficult to detect if the stone is in a closed frame - then the refractometer displays indicators characteristic of a natural sapphire.
Jewelers usually use silver or white gold as a frame for sapphire, whose color is in perfect harmony with the cool shades of the stone. With this combination, the mineral looks especially advantageous. Nevertheless, in stores you can buy products with sapphire also in yellow or pink gold.
