Discover 11 Dazzling Fun Facts About Sapphires You Never Knew!
1. Chameleon Sapphires
Who knew sapphires could be such a sneaky chameleon of the gemstone world, with a color palette more vibrant than Picasso's paintbrush? Behold their best-kept secret: The rarest sapphire color is Padparadscha, flaunting pink-orange or orange-pink hues, while the entire sapphire spectrum boasts blue, yellow, red, pink, rose, violet, green, blue-green, and even colorless versions, all determined by trace elements in the mineral corundum.
Source => ceylons.de
2. Millennium Sapphire Masterpiece
If you thought your grandma's sapphire ring was the talk of the town, you ain't seen nothing yet: The Millennium Sapphire, discovered in Madagascar in 1995, weighs an astounding 61,500 carats in its finished, carved form, and features intricate engravings of 134 historical figures and events by the accomplished artist, Alessio Boschi - making it both the world's largest engraved sapphire and a priceless tribute to human achievement.
Source => en.wikipedia.org
Did you know diamonds form deep beneath the Earth's surface under extreme pressure and temperature, even containing inclusions from humble organic matter like coal or tiny organisms? Discover their fascinating transformation!
=> Fun Facts about Diamonds
3. Soothing Montana Blues
Feeling a little blue? Head to Montana to find solace in its soothing stones: Montana sapphires are known for their unique, lighter blue hue and are a popular choice for adding sparkle to a variety of jewelry.
Source => withclarity.com
4. Tasting the Rainbow
Sapphires must have spilled a pack of Skittles, because they managed to taste the rainbow with their spectacular hue range: These vibrant gemstones come in nearly every color imaginable, and although they don't have a diamond's hardness, their 9 on the Mohs scale makes them tough enough for daily wear, and their resistance to heat and chemicals means caring for them is a breeze.
Source => gia.edu
5. Wild Inclusions
Sapphires: the party animals of the gemstone world, showing off their wild inclusions like tattoos and body art that make even rock stars jealous: These natural imperfections, ranging from rutile needles to fingerprint-like patterns, aren't considered flaws but rather enhance the gemstone's beauty and value, turning them into coveted collectibles for connoisseurs.
Source => thenaturalsapphirecompany.com
6. Diving into Dye Pots
Sapphires: the chameleons of the gem world, always diving headfirst into the dye pots and emerging in colors that might have even Picasso struggling to name! While they're best known for sporting a shade of blue that puts the sky to shame, these audacious gems can actually be found flaunting green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and color-changing varieties due to dalliances with trace elements like iron, titanium, and chromium.
Source => almanac.com
7. Enchanting Black Star Sapphires
Why did the black sapphire cross the road? To enchant you with its otherworldly six-rayed star patterning, of course! : This enigmatic stone's stunning display, known as asterism, is caused by needle-like rutile inclusions, and has the ability to dance entrancingly when rotated under a single light source.
Source => trulyexperiences.com
8. Baking a Better Blue
Baking a better blue: Giving sapphires a heat treatment akin to an intense double-session yoga retreat, Gem Mountain Sapphires perfects the art of the "Fancy Burn" and "Blue Burn," a two-step heat treatment that enhances color and clarity without adding a single drop of artificial ingredient or flux. Just like baking with love, the results are never guaranteed, but always a natural wonder.
Source => gemmountainmt.com
9. Trusty Sapphire Sidekicks
If diamonds are a girl's best friend, then sapphires must be their trusty sidekick, always ready to fend off scratches and scuffs: These stunning blue beauties rank an impressive 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, making them a perfect choice for daily-worn engagement rings and wedding bands.
Source => barkevs.com
10. Shape-Shifting Star Sapphires
Stars, they're just like us: they come in all shapes and sizes, even in the world of sapphires! Brace yourselves for the wondrous optical delight that is asterism, folks: star sapphires showcase this phenomenon thanks to needle-like inclusions that playfully reflect light, giving birth to dazzling star shapes that can boast six points, less, or even more, in virtually every color imaginable.
Source => acsilver.co.uk
11. Seafarer's Lucky Charm
Before Netflix and chill, there was sapphire and sail: Ancient sailors believed that sapphires had the mystical power to keep them safe from the wrath of Poseidon and other sea-dwelling deities, often donning sapphire talismans or tossing the precious gems into the ocean for a more "immersive" form of maritime insurance against storms and drowning.
Source => thenaturalsapphirecompany.com