Sapphire has often been used throughout history to pay homage to women with large, magnetic blue eyes, due to its bright, intense blue that can illuminate anyone who wears it set in a jewel.
Throughout history, there have been several jewels created with this stone that have remained "embedded" in all of our memories.
Deserving first place in our honorable mention is Lady Diana's engagement ring, which today sparkles, yet weighs, on Kate Middleton's finger.
What type of stone is sapphire and how is it found in nature?
Sapphire is a stone with a typical blue-light blue hue , but to be fair we will see in this article that it is not the only one, which identifies a variety of corundum.
It is made of aluminum oxide and is so hard that it can only be scratched using boron nitride or diamond, the only existing stone that is harder than sapphire.
This very characteristic, besides making sapphire one of the most evocative precious stones , enhances it to the maximum and consequently leads to its high selling prices.
As we mentioned, the typical color by which the stone is best known is not the only natural shade in which it can be found.
I may shock some people with this statement, but a ruby is nothing more than a red sapphire ; it achieves that shade of color due to the presence of chromium within it.
There are also white sapphires , which for a long time were sold as diamonds, but color variations also include pink, yellow, purple and others.
Where can this precious stone be found?
The largest deposits known to date are located in Australia , Sri Lanka , Burma , Thailand , Cambodia , Vietnam , Madagascar and India .
In Italy we are not as lucky, however small crystals have been found in the calcite of Terminillo.
In jewelry, we usually find sapphires cut in a round or oval shape; when set in jewelry, especially rings, they typically come in a heart, baguette, or cabochon cut.
Synthetic copies of sapphires really exist and are almost identical to the original.
It was 1902 when the French scientist and chemist Auguste Verneuil incredibly succeeded in developing a process that allowed him to create synthetic crystals that were absolutely identical to the "originals" to the naked eye and just as difficult to scratch.
Only careful examination under a microscope to detect internal inclusions in the structure, and the knowledge required to perform spectrometric and spectrophotometric analyses, allow us to distinguish with absolute certainty between an original sapphire and its synthetic copy.
Some particular details to satisfy your curiosity about sapphire
In more ancient times, although it is still a stone that holds a very strong symbolism, it was believed that the owner of a sapphire was a good, faithful and magnanimous person but strong enough to be able to take command.
Since 1985, sapphire has even become the mining emblem of Queensland .
Among the specimens that cannot be avoided is certainly the Star of India, a star sapphire of 563 carats that has secured a place of honor at the Museum of Natural History in New York.
Finally, I will shock you by saying that it is highly probable that you have had a sapphire in your hands without knowing it.
This is because, among the so-called alternative uses of sapphire, there is that of using it for watch glass.
The Locman watch , featuring a scratch-resistant mineral glass dial made so by being treated with sapphire, is a classic example.
Synthetic sapphires , as well as more opaque crystals due to their poor sales quality, are instead used as abrasives or for the construction of microprocessors.
Where does the name given to this stone come from?
It is not known for certain where the word sapphire comes from.
Some believe that its origin is linked to the Greek term sàppheiros, which means "blue", but another school of thought believes that it could derive from the noun sappir of the Hebrew language whose meaning is "the most beautiful thing".
Whatever the true origin of the term, there is no doubt that sapphire possesses both characteristics: in fact, they have always been stones synonymous with beauty , purity , and inner peace . But they are also a stone synonymous with great wisdom .
This particular aspect has truly ancient origins, linked to the name by which it was known in the past before reaching us with the term sapphire; it was called " the stone of Saturn ", a deity who in ancient mythology was often called the "Wise Old Man" precisely because of the wisdom attributed to him.
Sapphire in crystal therapy: the search for its meaning
I have already mentioned the great symbolism that has always revolved around the sapphire .
It is believed that whoever wears one receives protection ; it is no coincidence, in fact, that it is very frequently used as a talisman for the purpose of preserving purity but also to guarantee protection from fraud and to allow the discovery of any betrayals.
According to crystal therapy, sapphire is a stone endowed with immense powers and capable of strengthening the individual by acting on their chakras.
It is believed that it is able to encourage an individual to focus on their goals and pursue them, but that it is also able to encourage them to implement all those changes that generate frustration in everyday life.
Blue Sapphire , in particular, is used to open psychic channels in order to facilitate the achievement of states of great concentration , almost comparable to a trance state; this is why it is almost never missing in shamanic ceremonies.
On a physical level, it is believed to be able to speed up the healing processes that the body implements, especially with regards to diseases linked to intestinal problems or those affecting the brain or nervous system.
With sapphire it is finally possible to produce an extremely precious elixir that is considered necessary to be taken at every change of season to purify the blood.
Sapphire , together with ruby , topaz and emerald , symbolizes with its color one of the four fundamental elements; probably for this reason it is considered so important in crystal therapy as well as in esotericism.
Crystal therapy should not be accepted as an exact science.
It is an alternative medicine practice whose primary goal is to eliminate dysfunctions or ailments through the use of minerals and precious stones placed in specific parts of the body. To date, it has no scientific basis.
In any case, it remains extremely fascinating to think about the vast world that revolves around the sapphire, a jewel so beautiful and precious that it deserves all the attention and care so that it shines forever in the jewel in which it is set.
Vivyinrosa: luxury handcrafted jewelry and costume jewelry
One of the websites that is enjoying great success due to its originality is Vivyinrosa , founded by its very young designer Viviana .
These jewels are characterised by essentiality and elegance and above all they are made in Italy .
On the vivyinrosa.com website there are different types of rings with set stones , examples are rings made of bronze and then plated in 18k gold:
- Morgan ring : with moonstones or tourmaline;
- Taylor ring : two-finger ring with a drop-shaped garnet gem in the center and two pearls on the sides.
The various gems and stones set in the rings have unique characteristics; distinctive to the wearer and undoubtedly eye-catching.
Stones need to be cleaned from time to time; this is because they can be exposed to external agents which, if accumulated over time, can damage them deeply or cause them to become opaque or break .
They should be cleaned by soaking them in warm water , followed by a light scrubbing with a brush and then thoroughly drying them with a soft cloth, so as to also polish the gem.
Visit our website vivyinrosa.com to discover all our collections!