Sapphires make stunning gifts for anyone born in September or celebrating a 5th or 45th wedding anniversary.
We all think of September's birthstone as being a brilliant blue. Sapphire is blue, it’s true. But it can also come in a kaleidoscope of colors from the gold of a sunrise, to the fiery reddish-orange of a sunset, to the delicate violet of twilight. In fact, Sapphire comes in every color but red, because a “Red Sapphire” is a Ruby, Sapphire’s gem sibling.
Sapphires and Rubies are simply different colors of corundum, the crystalline form of aluminum oxide. Pure aluminum oxide is colorless, minute amounts of trace elements that create every conceivable color, referred to as “Fancy Sapphire.”
Here’s where the colors come from:
Titanium + iron = blue
Chromium = pink
Iron = both green and yellow
Chromium + iron = orange
What to Look For in a Sapphire
The most valuable color of Sapphire is a vivid pure blue often described as velvety blue, or cornflower blue. On June 1, 2010, an exquisite Kashmir Sapphire and Diamond bracelet sold for $6.9 million at auction with Christie’s Jewels: The Hong Kong Sale, making it the world’s most expensive bracelet.
Another valuable color is a delicate pinkish-orange known as a “Padparadscha” after the Sinhalese word for lotus flower. With so many colors of Sapphire to choose from, there is likely a Sapphire to meet everyone’s taste and budget. At Hight & Randall, Personal Jeweler, we can help you choose that perfect Sapphire gemstone.
The Gemstone for Romance
Sapphire is long associated with royalty and romance. A gift of Sapphire symbolizes a pledge of loyalty, trust, and fidelity making it an ideal gemstone for an engagement ring. In other words, it was no accident that Prince William proposed to Kate with Princess Diana’s Sapphire ring.
How to Care for Sapphires
Sapphires are a hard gemstone and also extremely durable. As a result, Sapphires are the most durable of gems. You can clean them safely with a new toothbrush, warm water and mild dish soap or foam.
Do you have sapphire jewelry? If so, make sure it's protected for all it's worth. Hight & Randall, Personal Jeweler prides itself as the region’s leading provider for appraisals. Give us a call today.