Derived from the Latin word Sphinx, meaning blue, natural sapphire exudes an unparalleled charm of quietness, purity, and longevity.
In the history of jewelry for major royal families and aristocrats, the presence of sapphire is ubiquitous, whether it is for coronations, weddings, anniversaries, or daily wear. Sapphire always represents classic, fashionable elegance. The British queen is a top collector of sapphire, and when Princess Kate and Prince William got engaged, the ring was a sapphire, passed down from Princess Diana and Prince Charles, carrying not only the witness of love, but also the most cherished inheritance.
Sapphire is the common name for all the other colored corundum gemstones in addition to ruby, with aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃) as the main component. Due to the presence of trace elements such as iron (Fe) and titanium (Ti) in corundum, sapphire appears in colors such as blue, sky blue, and light blue. The royal blue and cornflower blue are the most preferred. Sapphire, with its clear and beautiful color, was regarded as a lucky charm for ancient people, symbolizing loyalty, steadfastness, kindness, and honesty. The world jewelry industry identifies sapphire as the birthstone for September and a precious souvenir for the 23rd (sapphire) and 26th (starry sapphire) wedding anniversaries.
The main producers of sapphire are Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Thailand, Australia, China, etc. However, as for the quality of gemstones, Myanmar and Sri Lanka produce the best. The rarest source of sapphire is the Kashmir region. Myanmar is currently the largest producer of high-quality sapphire. The characteristics of sapphire from different sources are briefly described as follows:
1. Kashmir sapphire from India: The color is a cornflower blue, which is a slightly purplish indigo blue. The brightness of the color is high, vivid, and appears as a milky white reflection effect of foggy inclusions. It has always been regarded as the best among sapphires, and the mine has been closed for many years.
2. Myanmar Mogok Sapphire: Due to the presence of titanium, it has a bright blue color and contains silk-like golden red spinel and fingerprint-like liquid inclusions. The six-sided columns are densely arranged in a 60-degree, 120-degree cross pattern. The silk-like golden red spinel inclusions can produce six or twelve starlights, making it a high-quality gemstone.
3. Sri Lanka Sapphire: Similar to Myanmar Sapphire in characteristics, it also has silk-like inclusions, but the fibers are finer and longer, and it can show six starlights. The liquid inclusions can be irregular layers or fingerprint-like patterns.
4. Madagascar and Thai Sapphire: The Madagascar Sapphire mine has only been discovered for 22 years and has a certain market share due to its larger crystals and richer yield, but its awareness is currently low due to the new mine. Thai Sapphire often has a blue color with black stripes or light gray-blue color. There are no silk-like inclusions in the crystals, but fingerprint-like liquid inclusions are present. The most characteristic feature is the lotus-shaped cracks around the black solid inclusions, with three sets of twinned crystals and cleavage along the twin planes.
5. Chinese Sapphire: The best quality sapphire is found in Shandong (Changle), with crystal hexagonal barrel shapes and larger grain sizes usually above 1cm, with the largest reaching several carats. Due to a high iron content, sapphires are often near charcoal-black and have indigo blue, blue, green, and yellow hues.
6. Australian Sapphire: Australia is a rich source of sapphires. However, due to high iron content, the gemstones tend to be dark, with colors similar to charcoal blacks in shades of deep blue, yellow, green, or brown, and may contain dust-like inclusions.
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