Sapphires are a variety of gem corundum that is primarily of dazzling blue color. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the blood-red rubies that are also made of gem corundum.
The chemical makeup and structure of rubies and sapphires are the same/identical as they are both gem corundum.
Sapphires have always been wildly popular with the gemstones community because of its supposed metaphysical properties, and because of its unbeatable physical beauty that few other gemstones can match.
While other gemstones are beautiful in their respect, there is just something about vivid blue sapphires that makes people stop and stare in wonder.
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What are the colors of sapphire?
Thanks to how gem corundum reacts to imperfections or inclusions in its crystalline lattice, we have different kinds of sapphire based on their differences in color.
Gem corundum that does not have any internal inclusions or impurities tends to be white or colorless.
Ironically, it is the trace impurities in gem corundum that makes stunning sapphires in various colors.
The convention for naming sapphires is unless it is blue; the color of the sapphire precedes it. So instead of saying sapphire to describe a yellow specimen, we say instead that the sample is yellow sapphire.
The various colors of sapphire are outlined below, along with their supposed metaphysical associations and spiritual properties:
Black sapphire
Centered on powering your seat of self-confidence, personal power, and intuition and used primarily in the energy healing arts for grounding (removal of negative energies) and as a protective ward against the darkness.
Green sapphire
Linked with fidelity and the ability to withstand temptation and other harmful things while performing one’s duty. It boosts compassion between individuals and improves a person’s ability to see what lies ahead and to plan for the future. It can help people recall their dreams better.
Orange sapphire
Ignites the love of natural manifestation and creation in people. It boosts the heart chakra and causes people to find satisfaction and power in sensuality and to be spiritual. It is used as a talisman or charm of people engaged in the creative arts, including writers. May help singers gain traction in their careers and their craft.
Violet sapphire
Considered the most desirable form of sapphire and is highly prized in the jewelry market. Violet sapphire can be used correctly for spiritual awakening. A most excellent gemstone for individuals who have trouble meditating and focusing on the present. The crown chakra can be unblocked and powered up using violet sapphire, too.
White sapphire
Use white sapphire if you want to gain access to universal wisdom and spiritual insights. It can also be useful for improving one’s spiritual courage and inner fortitude to deal with all sorts of trouble that arise in the world of men.
A clarifying gemstone that will help remove the fog in one’s mind. Connects a person to the A source for immediate guidance and help with solving different problems.
Yellow sapphire
Yellow sapphire is associated with abundance and wealth. It can help you draw away impurities from your energy profile and improve your capacity to attract and build wealth and abundance. A focusing stone, the yellow sapphire, can help you stay focused on what needs to be done to become more abundant and satisfied with life.
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Where are they found?
Gem corundum, in general, can be found in schists, gneisses, metamorphic rocks, and basalt layers. Gem corundum is often collected from nearby bodies of freshwater, where they have been carried away naturally by e geologic processes. Gem corundum is hard and durable and is naturally resistant to physical stresses.
Furthermore, gem corundums can withstand the mining process if specimens have to be liberated from host rocks manually. Frequently, gemstones with lower durability are chipped, split, or simply explode when they are hit with manual extraction tools. Remember, these are minerals that are embedded in different kinds of host rocks, and pressure has to be applied to split the host rock or create a cavity large enough to liberate the target gemstone.
Gem corundum can be found in a variety of countries, from Malawi to Nigeria, to Madagascar, Cambodia, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, Vietnam, Pakistan, and India. The quality of sapphires differs slightly from country to country. Like we said earlier, sapphires are mined from freshwater bodies, and they are usually found as water sediments. The work of mining sapphires is done manually by miners, and the deposits founds are often small and irregular. Artisanal mining is still very much alive in many countries, and, amazingly, miners can find such high-quality gems by hand by using only their intuition and their mastery of the environment where the sapphires are expected to appear.
Before advanced heat treatments of gem corundum could be used, geuda, or white or colorless gem corundum.
What is interesting is after heating, and the gem corundum has turned blue, the value also adjusts itself, and formerly worthless geuda suddenly become expensive because they have turned into dazzling blue sapphires. As we have discussed before, the number of sapphires depends mainly on the quality of the gems and the saturation of their colors. With advanced technologies that are used to heat the sapphires, the global sapphire supply has been stabilized once more.
How much are they worth?
Like other gemstones, sapphires are classed and grouped depending on their physical and visual characteristics. Some sapphires that are commercial-grade but occupy the last rung can be as cheap as $25 for every carat. Some sapphires, due to the total carat weight, can be sold for as much as $11,000 per carat.
The rule in the jewelry world is the valuation of any gemstone will increase when the total mass of the finished stone is higher than one or two carats. So don’t expect the price to be steady as the gem becomes bigger. Depending on the clarity and color, you may pay as little as $25 per carat or as much as $1,600 per carat depending on the source and quality of the stone.
