Technically, any crystal of the mineral corundum which is not red (and therefore is a ruby) or a certain type of orange (and therefore is a padparadscha) is a sapphire. The darker blue sapphires are the most popular, and sapphires which aren't blue are called "fancy sapphires"; these come in colors such as green, lavender, pink, a silvery gray-blue, and colorless.

Many of the best-quality sapphire gemstones come from India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, although recently some have been discovered in Tanzania. Asterism is more common in sapphires (known as "star sapphires") than in many other gemstones.

The Celestial Stone

In ancient Persian belief, the foundation of Earth was a giant sapphire. Because of its reflection the sky was blue. And truly, sapphires are found in all the blue shades of the sky, as well as in other colours. Actually, the basic material for the sapphire itself, the corundum, is a colourless compound of aluminium and oxygen. It is small amounts of metal that give the gems their hue. Iron and titanium make them blue, iron alone turns them yellow, and chromium makes the stone red in which case the sapphire is not a sapphire but a ruby. All the sapphires that are neither blue nor red are called fancy sapphires.

Sapphires are second only to diamonds in hardness and measure 9 on the Mohs scale. Because of this they are not only treasured as twinkling teardrops of starry-eyed angels, but also as excellent tools for cutting, polishing and abrasion. They have found use as nail files, phonograph needles, and bearings for machinery.

The beauty and durability of the sapphire is highly symbolic - in fact, there seems no end to all the things sapphires represent. Truth. Sincerity. Faithfulness. Purity of thought and soul. Divine favour since it had the colour of the sky. According to some, Moses was not given tablets made out of ordinary stone on Mount Sinai - they were sapphire. In other tales his staff was set with the gem to prove his kinship to God. Apollo, Greek god of prophesy, was another wielder of the sapphire, and all his worshippers sought to carry one.

Kings are and were most fond of the precious stones. In earlier times because they were said to protect the bearer against harm, more recently because of their symbolism and beauty. In the British Crown Jewels one can find several sapphires that represent the purity and wisdom of their bearers. Prince Charles followed this up when he offered Princess Diana a sapphire engagement ring - and much good that did.

Regardless, sapphires have been thought to ward off most bad things on this earth. They drove away impure thoughts and other temptations, which is why cardinals liked to wear them. They were antidotes to poison, and any venomous animal placed in a jar together with one of the gems would surely die. They also kept one free from captivity.

The name of the sapphire is ancient and confusing. To English it came from the Latin Sapphirus, which means blue, but this probably came from the Sanskrit sanipriya or "beloved of the planet Saturn". In Greek sappheiros was derived from the island of Sappherine in the Arabian Sea, a great source of the gems. But which came first, the stone or the name? I do not know.

The oldest sapphire mines were in Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. Today they are also found in India, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Africa, Brazil, and the US. Sapphire is the official gemstone of Queensland and Montana. It is the birthstone of September and symbolic of more wedding anniversaries than I care to name. A sapphire can be given at any time and still produce a great sparkly grin on most people's faces.

Sapphires- Gemstone of the Heavens

_{Note: This writeup was written by Kitten for kuro5hin. Used under permission}

It is not difficult to see why sapphires are often called "the stone of the heavens". Their sparkling blue color evokes images of the sky, from the pale morning light of dawn to the crystalline azure of a cloudless midsummer day. Sapphires may also range from yellow, pink, orange, and even purple - all the glorious colors of the sky during a sunset.

These rare and radiant gemstones are more sought after than the diamond in many countries; sapphires being the preferred choice for engagement and wedding rings. If you would like to know more about these stunning gems, read on.

There are four primary means of judging the quality of any gemstone, up to and including sapphires. These criteria are commonly referred to as "The Four C's": Color, Clarity, Cut, and Carat weight.

Color
There are three standards that are applied to determining the color of a sapphire. The hue - that is to say, the precise color (usually mapped on a color wheel) of the gem, is the first and most obvious. Is the sapphire a brilliant blue, a dignified violet, or a striking yellow?

Once the hue is determined, the saturation is established. This is merely an indication of the intensity of the color. A blue sapphire may be almost clear and achromatic, (low saturation) or a deep flourescence (high saturation).

The overall tone is important as well. This is an indication of the amount of light the stone absorbs. A matte white object would have a 0% tone while a matte black would be 100%. This is significant when choosing the sapphire that's right for you or your loved one, and although it depends on personal preference, keep in mind that the most saturated yellow sapphire will have a lower tone than a medium-saturated violet.

Clarity
There are two primary considerations when determining the clarity of a sapphire. The visibility of inclusions (flaws) is the first and most noticible. A gemologist will consider the contrast of the inclusions against the color of the stone, as well as the location (are the inclusions in an inconspicuous place, such as near the edge or girdle, or are they directly under a facet?) Of course, the size and quantity of inclusions are taken into account as well.

Less obvious is the fact that inclusions are not merely cosmetic but may impact the sapphire's durability. The location of inclusions when determining durability is sometimes counter to the consideration of visibility. A crack near the edge of the stone will be less visible, but also increase the chance of breakage than one that is well protected inside the gem. A gemologist or appraiser will be able to determine the seriousness of any inclusions your sapphire may have.

Cut
The 'cut' of a sapphire is precisely what it sounds like - the shape that the gem has been cut into. This is likely the most subjective quality of a sapphire or any other gemstone, as it is almost entirely concerned with personal preference and asthetics.

The cut is evaluated according to the gem's shape, the style of the cut, how well it is proportioned, the overall symmetry, and of course, the finish.

Shape refers to the outline of the edge (or "girdle" in the industry), as viewed from directly above. The gem may be circular, oval, 'emerald-cut', heart-shaped, rectangular, triangular, or a number of other possible designs.

The facet pattern - cutting style, is also considered, but is also subjective. Certain facet patterns are more in vogue than others, but may also be more difficult or costly to produce. The standard cut (with a brilliant top or 'crown' and a heavily tapered lower half or 'pavillion') is the most popular for sapphires as well as rubies and emeralds.

Proportion and symmetry are very similar factors when it comes to determining the cut of your sapphire. Close attention is paid to how well-proportioned the gem is (ideally, the cut should maximize the brilliance of the stone) and the length-to-width ratio of the cut; stones that are too narrow or too wide are generally deemed unacceptable. The symmetry of the cut should bear inspection as well. Do the facets match each other, and come to a well-defined point at their corners? Is the table facet (the flat part of the crown) well-centered? These details will be important when beholding and appreciating your sapphire for years to come.

The finish of the sapphire is the least important of all, as most finish issues - marks and scratches and so forth - can be corrected with a simple repolishing. Many gem dealers will repolish your sapphire free of charge, or for a nominal cost, so shop around.

Carat weight
Finally, the carat of the sapphire is establised. This is an unusual measurement system and has a complex history of evolution which is outside the scope of this document. For the purposes of this introduction to the world of sapphires, you need only understand that one carat is equal to five grams. However, a four carat stone may not be four times the price of a one carat stone. There is a psychological factor at work here, in seeing such large gems, and the cost increases proportionally - it is not a linear scale. It is impossible to establish a precise cost here, as the factors I have outlined above will play a crucial role as well; a one carat sapphire may be worth less than a .95 carat sapphire, if the smaller one is of a higher quality.

Polls suggest blue as the favored color of over 50% of the population, so it is no surprise that a striking blue sapphire is such a prized gemstone. It's gorgeous colors and remarkable transparacy are admired, but a sapphire is also second only to the diamond on the hardness scale, ensuring that your sapphire will be yours to enjoy for the rest of your life with the proper care - or an everlasting symbol of your love for the important person in your world.

"We want the Johnny who danced with this chick!"

A young woman gets murdered. The police inspectors assume she's Caucasian-- until her obviously biracial brother arrives. The attempts to solve the mystery get hampered by racial attitudes-- and shaped by the fear that racism somehow contributed to young Sapphire's death. Suspicion falls, in particular, on her white boyfriend, who didn't know her background when he met her.

Sapphire features the range of prejudices and racial attitudes present in 1959 England, including virulent racism, casual racism, acquiescence to popular prejudice, internalized racism, antiracism, and harmonious friendship. As in the more famous In the Heat of the Night, the mystery's solution is less important than the issues addressed during the investigation. Of the two movies, Sapphire has greater nuance and fewer awards clip moments.

The film also presents some unquestioned prejudices. Sapphire's lack of a room-mate and love of nightclubs get coded, pretty clearly, as evidence that she's the kind of woman whom we might expect would turn up dead some day.

Older British films love their eccentric bit-parts, and a few get their moments in this movie. Freda Bamford plays a butch female constable who gets asked for input on the victim's lingerie. Robert Adams gives a memorable performance as a West Indian man known as "Horace Big Cigar."

The solution eventually arrives, after numerous red herrings, personal growth by the detectives, and some very dubious handling of evidence. I don't know if that last point represents actual police work at the time, or artistic license. Sapphire may not be most memorable film England produced in the late 1950s, but it provides viewers with a minor mystery, some well-performed melodrama, and a glimpse into a bygone era that was less genteel than some people want to imagine.

297 words

Sap"phire [OE. saphir, F. saphir, L. sapphirus, Gr. , of Oriental origin; cf. Heb. sappir.]

1. Min.

Native alumina or aluminium sesquioxide, Al2O3; corundum; esp., the blue transparent variety of corundum, highly prized as a gem.

of rubies, sapphires, and of pearl'es white. Chaucer.

Sapphire occurs in hexagonal crystals and also in granular and massive forms. The name sapphire is usually restricted to the blue crystals, while the bright red crystals are called Oriental rubies (see under Ruby), the amethystine variety Oriental amethyst (see under Amethyst), and the dull massive varieties corundum (a name which is also used as a general term to include all varieties). See Corundum.

2.

The color of the gem; bright blue.

3. Zool.

Any humming bird of the genus Hylocharis, native of South America. The throat and breast are usually bright blue.

Star sapphire, or Asteriated sapphire Min., a kind of sapphire which exhibits asterism.

 

© Webster 1913.

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Sap"phire, a.

Of or resembling sapphire; sapphire; blue.

"The sapphire blaze."

Gray.

 

© Webster 1913.