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Sapphire Gemstone Sources
Sapphire gemstone is mainly found in Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, India, and Cambodia. You can find our interactive map for gemstone of the world Here.
Sapphire Gemstone Treatment
Most sapphires contain inclusion. These inclusions may appear as clouds, silk fibers, feathers which are visible to the naked eye. Therefore almost all the sapphires on the market have been heat treated to improve its appearance. Heat-treated sapphires are very stable in the gained color.
Sapphire Gemstone in Jewellery
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Sapphire is a desirable gemstone for jewelers due to its excellent color, hardness, durability, and luster. Sapphire gemstone is suitable for all kinds of jeweleries. It is a very popular gemstone use in engagement rings but it is widely used in brooches, pins, pendants, and necklaces. Synthetic sapphire is also widely used in jewellery. These sapphires are usually made by flam-fusion technique in which powdered corundum is melted at very high temperatures with different amounts of iron and titanium to achieve different colors.
The star of India, the largest natral sapphire discovered (563 carats) is now hosed in the New York Museum of Natural History. This stone was extracted from the Earth in Sri Lanka. |
Sapphire Gemstone Care
As Sapphire is a hard and durable gemstone it can be cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaning machine, any commercial jewelry cleaner or mild soap and lukewarm water using a soft brush. Be sure to rinse and dry your jewelry thoroughly after cleaning.
Sapphire Gemstone Basic Properties Table
Chemical Formula | Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) |
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Color | Blue in various hues, colorless, pink, orange, yellow, green, purple, black |
Hardness | 9 on the Mohs scale |
Crystal System | (Trigonal), double pointed, barrel-shaped, hexagonal pyramids, tabloid shaped |
Refractive Index | 1.762 - 1.788 |
Transparency | Transparent to opaque |
Cleavage | None |
Fracture |