Sapphire

The Sapphire beauty and its unique properties have attracted the interest of men since the beginning of history. A symbol of wealth, sapphire is believed to relieve pain, protect from hassle and bring power, honor and immortality to its owner. In the Middle Ages, it was referred to as the “stone of the archbishop”, while symbolizing the sky and highest moral values. The sapphire stands out in reason of its hardness and shine, and its many beautiful colors (the most appreciated being its blue color, which is highly praised), thus making it the greatest and more variable gemstone of all. Blue sapphires are the most precious members of the sapphire family, especially when their provenance is from Burma and Kashmir, which produce gemstones of a shade closer to plain spectral blue. Stunning, shining deep blue sapphires will surely dazzle the eye of the interested… as well as his wallet. For those who wish to buy a real precious stone, “natural”, the Montana sapphire, is an ideal choice. One can discover a lot of colorful choices in the last designs of jewelry -especially concerning the yellow and pink varieties, and in smaller sizes some beautiful shades of green. These are known as the fantaisie sapphires. Compared with the cost of the blue sapphire, the latter have a good, affordable price while still being stunning. Another amazing yet affordable variety called Padparadscha (a type of lotus flower) has an orange color. The real Padparadscha has to contain shades of pink and orange at the same time. Depending on its color, shine, and size it can of course become very expensive and rare. Sapphire characteristics: Color: different shades of blue, purple, blue-purple, green, colorless (white sapphire), orange, pink-orange. Harness (Mohs scale): 9 (fragile). Transparence: transparent to semi transparent, non transparent. Care: Protection from too much heat which can cause a loss of color. Easy to clean, except if the crystal of the sapphire has inclusions. {gallery}material_sapphire{/gallery}