Place of Birth
Pink representatives of the sapphire family are rare. For centuries, only Myanmar supplied it, so the gem was incredibly expensive.
In the 1990s, gigantic deposits were discovered in Madagascar, pink gems temporarily became cheaper and more accessible. They are also mined in Sri Lanka and Australia.
Today, a pink sapphire is comparable in price to a pink diamond. Madagascar deposits do not affect the cost of the stone, since experts suspect that most local gems are processed.
Romantic story in pink colors
Sapphire is the number one stone for engagement or wedding rings. He owes this to Princess Diana, who received a white gold ring from her future husband, Prince Charles, for her wedding. It features an oval 18-carat sapphire framed with 12-carat diamonds (14 pieces).
In 1981, the gem cost less than $50 thousand, for which snobs scornfully dubbed it “the common people’s sapphire.” After the death of the People's Princess, the ring was kept in the royal treasury.
29 years later, the eldest son of Diana and Charles, Crown Prince William, presented it to his bride Kate Middleton. Today, the ring belonging to the Duchess of Cambridge is estimated to be much more expensive, about $500 thousand.
The favor of crowned persons towards the gem provoked a worldwide sapphire fever. A white-pink duet of stones with platinum or white gold is considered ideal for wedding rings.
Unlike a ruby - a symbol of jealousy or unbridled passion, a soft gem embodies tender affection, trust, and sincerity. The gift of jewelry with it is considered a marriage proposal. This is most often done on Valentine's Day.
Processing and Application
Pink corundums are often used in jewelry. Despite the fact that this mineral is particularly hard, craftsmen willingly work with it. For jewelry, stones are cut, which gives them extraordinary beauty: they begin to play, shimmer, caressing the eye. Typically in jewelry they are round or oval in shape.
Products made of platinum or gold, usually white, are decorated with pink corundums. This combination looks luxurious and elegant.
In addition, sapphires are subjected to heat to improve their appearance. In this way, it is possible to increase the color saturation of the stones and transparency. At the same time, it is possible to distinguish a stone that has undergone such treatment from those that have not been treated only in a special laboratory.
After processing, the mineral has all the desired properties of jewelry. However, its price is still lower than the price of unprocessed. But only complex laboratory tests will help to recognize a processed stone.
Temperature treatment has been used to improve sapphire jewelry since ancient times. With its help, a beautiful jewel was made from a nondescript, unattractive stone.
With the help of processing, you can achieve a special play of such precious gems: when hit by rays of light, they acquire the property of emitting a star-shaped shine (asterism effect). This gives precious minerals a special uniqueness. Such nuggets are also found in nature, but are extremely rare. And their cost, accordingly, can be several times higher.
Quality criteria for a pink gem
The value of a sapphire is determined by the characteristics applicable to diamonds - the size of the stone, clarity, cut, and the presence of defects. Additionally, color is taken into account.
Cut
The gem is formed in the form of a circle, oval, pear, square. This is a classic that maximizes the beauty of the stone. They are cut in steps, tabular or trilliant; large or cloudy specimens are polished with cabochons.
Frame
The color of the mineral looks best in a white frame. White gold or platinum enhances the shine, emphasizing the delicacy of the gem. Silver is almost never used - jewelers consider a rustic silver setting for a precious stone to be blasphemy.
Purity
It is better to evaluate the stone under a jewelry loupe. Internal inclusions—“tubes”—are a signal that the pebble will split upon impact. The larger they are, the worse. It's easier to evaluate quality without a frame. It often hides the flaws of a gem.
In natural stone, flaws are inevitable. But if there are a lot of them or they are too noticeable, you should refuse the purchase.
Color
The color range of pink sapphire ranges from tea rose to shades of purple and violet. The deeper, more saturated the color, the more expensive the stone. The most fashionable purple-pink.
Specimens that are too dark or light are valued lower, as are those that are cloudy. The cost of pastel light pink specimens is influenced by purity and transparency.
general description
In the understanding of most people, real sapphire can only be blue. Even the name of the mineral itself is translated as “blue”. However, there are crystals of a wide variety of colors in the world, among which pink sapphire stands out - a stone of tenderness, love and care.
The color of the mineral ranges from the color of tea rose to bright, almost purple tones, which is due to the presence of chromium and titanium impurities in the composition of the stone. The richer the shade of sapphire, the higher its price. Gems that are too dark or pale are rated an order of magnitude lower.
However, the density and richness of color is not the only factor influencing the price of the stone. The high cost of pink corundum is explained by its rarity and incredible strength - in terms of hardness, the crystal is second only to diamonds, the king of all precious stones. In addition, the following criteria influence the final price of a copy:
- size and weight;
- purity;
- absence of defects and flaws;
- cut and shape;
- the type of metal used for the frame.
Pink sapphires are among the rarest stones in the world. For centuries they were found only in Myanmar, so the price of the minerals was prohibitively high.
Now corundum is mined in different parts of the world - deposits have been discovered in 22 countries. The largest deposits are located in Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia and China.
However, even in old and rich deposits, crystals larger than two carats are rarely found. Pink sapphires weighing 5 carats or more are kept in museums and are considered collectible.
Physical properties:
- hardness - 9 units. according to the Mohs scale;
- density - 4 g/cm;
- refractive index - 1.762-1.778 units;
- luster - glassy.
Sapphire or ruby?
Ruby and sapphire are often confused. No wonder:
- both are varieties of corundum;
- the chemical composition and structure of the crystal lattice are identical;
- Both are colored by chrome and titanium.
Traditionally they were called corundums; since the 19th century, red corundums became rubies. Today, debates about the nature of pink corundums have divided experts.
Some consider the stones to be fancy sapphires, while others consider them to be a type of ruby. Transparent pink sapphires are more expensive than rubies.
Padparadscha - a stone timeless
Sapphire, in which yellow and pink are mixed into one shade, is called padparadscha in the East - “lotus color”. The colors symbolize the heart and the Sun.
In Ceylon they claim that the gem was found in their country for the first time. According to local jewelers, a gem with equal shares of both colors has the right to be called this. Not all of their colleagues agree with this, but there are no clear criteria.
Padparadschas larger than two carats are rare. There are only a few five-carat copies; they end up at auctions and end up in private collections. The royal houses of Great Britain, Spain, and Norway are proud of their stones. Eastern mentality considers it blasphemous to estimate the cost of a stone - such creations of nature are priceless.
Padparadscha is not only a treasure of the East. The legendary King Arthur owned the gem. In the Western world, pink-yellow corundums are called Arthurian sapphires.
Healing properties of pink sapphire
Traditional healers believe that pink yakhont promotes healing for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, and female organs. This stone is believed to be able to cure infertility.
Official medicine does not deny the beneficial properties of this mineral. It has the ability to catalyze the action of medications in the human body. If you simply apply a stone to the area of the diseased organ, it will speed up recovery and alleviate the condition.
Inflammatory processes on the skin are also healed faster with the help of this mineral. Sapphire can improve vision and help get rid of eye diseases. It also eliminates depression and normalizes the activity of the nervous system.
Ennoblement
The rarity and high cost of natural sapphire encourages jewelers to obtain the stone in the laboratory. The raw material is inexpensive, deep purple sapphires. To become pink, they are refined, that is, they undergo heat treatment or irradiation. The longer the procedure, the brighter the result.
Refined and natural specimens look the same; only a specialist using high-tech equipment will find the differences.
- They knew how to transform ordinary-looking stones into precious beauty back in Ancient Rome.
- Today the residents of Madagascar make a living from this. Local technologies were developed before our era, but are not available to European jewelers. It is only known that the processing of pink minerals is shorter and requires lower temperatures than blue ones. When buying ethnic jewelry or a souvenir with sapphires, you can be sure of the quality and naturalness, but not the original color.
Untreated pink stone is a rarity; to confirm its naturalness, each one is supplied with a special certificate.
The country of extraction speaks about the quality; the best crystals come from Sri Lanka or Kashmir. Processing raises the price of low-grade specimens. High quality pristine sapphires are more expensive than artificially improved ones.
Where is it used?
Star stones are used only for caboching. That is, they give the gem a round, convex and smooth shape. Jewelers themselves call it a high domed stone. Moreover, the master often violates the geometry of the proportions of the yacht in order to preserve the beauty of the six-pointed star in its depths.
Depending on the size of the gem, it is used as an insert in rings and especially large rings, earrings, and pendants. The higher the cost of the precious metal and the larger the size of the mineral, the higher the cost of the product. Cool shades of sapphire look ideal in silver and platinum, while warm shades of the stone are ideally combined with gold. Both men and women should wear jewelry with it. But it is worth remembering that these are often large products.
Stylish silver set with a purple star yacht
In addition to jewelry, the gem is usually used for inlaying mirror frames, boxes and other personal and interior items.
How to identify a fake?
Simple methods will help you find out the origin of a pebble:
- Scratch the sample with something sharp. The natural gem will not be harmed.
- Evaluate the structure in bright light. For a natural stone it is not uniform, but for a fake it is flawless.
- Natural sapphire looks the same in any light, unlike imitation.
- Hold the sample in your hands. If it heats up quickly, it's glass.
- They are trying to replace expensive pink corundum with less valuable minerals, such as tourmaline. A specialist can figure it out.
Under a magnifying glass, you can recognize artificially created stones, including pink synthetic sapphire. Their internal air bubbles are round, which rarely happens in nature.
Magic properties
The energetic stone pink sapphire is a soft version of ruby. Astrologers say that Jupiter, Neptune and Venus give him magical powers. This is due to the magical properties:
- The gift of loving and being loved. This is a gem of tenderness, maternal love.
- Protection. Protects the owner from envy, deception, and ill-wishers. “Removes” emotional blockages, nullifies the negativity caused by them, restoring mental balance.
- Stone of Truth. Encourages the owner to impartially evaluate friends, enemies and himself, and make the right decisions in problematic situations.
The stone enhances spiritual qualities, so it is not suitable as a gift for people overwhelmed by anger, resentment and similar passions. The consequences will be negative for the donor and the recipient.
A restless baby calms down when a gentle mineral is placed in his cradle. Theosophists claim that cosmic vibrations connect pink corundum with the saints Faith, Hope and Love.
A special case is padparadscha. It teaches a person to listen to his inner voice, harmonizes his spiritual mood, and inspires love for himself and others. Forces you to measure your actions with the laws of the Universe. Brings good luck to people who devote themselves to one thing. The owner of pink sapphire jewelry begins to have compassion, forgive, and rejoice in every day he lives.
A sapphire purchased or given as a gift does not help immediately. Having recognized the owner, he will serve him, even if he is lost or kidnapped. He will “go away” from the unworthy, that is, he will get lost.
Therapeutic effect
Wearing jewelry with pink corundum helps heal several organs:
- Vision. Contemplating the pebble daily for 15 minutes relieves eye fatigue and restores visual acuity.
- Leather. To treat dermatitis, leprosy, eczema, the mineral is applied to the affected areas or massaged with a stone. In problematic cases (good or malignant formations, including cancer), the sore spot is sprinkled with sapphire powder.
- Heart, blood vessels. To even out the work of the heart, a ring, ring or bracelet is worn on the right hand.
- Psyche. The shade of the stone calms, brings harmony, neutralizes depression and aggression, relieves neuroses or anxiety.
- Oncology. Constant contact with pink sapphire facilitates chemotherapy and speeds up recovery.
The mineral is used as a therapeutic agent or a complement to medicine.
HOW TO CHOOSE AND CARE
- When choosing jewelry with a pink stone, pay attention to the number of inclusions and avoid visible flaws.
- Although sapphires are durable crystals, they require careful care.
- The safest way is to clean the jewelry with a toothbrush and warm water and soap.
- Do not expose the mineral to high temperatures.
- Gems may become cloudy from direct sunlight.
We recommend: What types of DIAMONDS are there?
Period for purchase
It is believed that jewelry should be purchased on the 8th lunar day, and worn for the first time on the 22nd day of the lunar calendar.
Buying a pink sapphire
These days, the path opens to energy that helps awaken hidden talents, heal the soul and love.
Compatibility with other stones
- Pink sapphires are combined with stones such as diamond, emerald, and garnet.
- It is highly undesirable to wear a crystal together with agate, jade and malachite.
- Pink sapphire should be stored separately from other precious stones so as not to harm less durable minerals.
- Pink sapphire will be an ideal gift for your girlfriend or daughter.
- The gem carries positive energy and protects against the evil eye and envious people.
- Fills the owner with inner harmony, wisdom, nobility, helps to materialize thoughts and desires.
Text author: Elena SOBOLEVA
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Pink Gem and Zodiac
The mineral is not suitable for all zodiac signs. His favorites are Aquarius and Sagittarius.
- Aquarians tend to panic and take everything to heart. Corundum will remove excess emotions and make them people who calmly achieve results.
- Active, impressionable Sagittarius does not know what to concentrate on. Sapphire will help you make a choice, become more tolerant, calmer.
- Contraindicated for Capricorns. A gentle pebble will make them melancholic and lazy.
Any other zodiac sign can use pink sapphire as jewelry. But if you turn to him for help, he will not refuse. For those who hesitate to confess their love, pink sapphire is a lifeline.
Your beloved will understand everything without words. But the romantic stone is not so simple. This is a “magnet” that attracts what the owner thinks about. Therefore, thoughts should be bright so that your own life does not go awry.
Which zodiac sign suits pink sapphire?
Astrologers note that a delicate-colored gem is not suitable for all representatives of zodiac families. You need to be extremely careful with the energy of the stone so that it becomes a helper and not a cause of difficulties and troubles in life.
- Corundum is an ideal stone for Aquarius, who are used to panicking and worrying about every little thing. Sapphire will help reduce the level of emotionality, find inner balance, thanks to which representatives of this sign will be able to move calmly and prudently towards their goals.
- Sagittarians differ from other zodiac signs in their activity, impressionability, often they simply do not know what activity to concentrate on, scattering themselves on little things. The energy of the gem will help you become calmer and more tolerant of others. A person will clearly set priorities for the future and move forward without being distracted by secondary tasks.
- Pink sapphire is completely contraindicated for Capricorns. The power of the stone will awaken only laziness and melancholy in the representatives of this sign, and will not make them better.
Representatives of other zodiac families can, if they wish, purchase for themselves jewelry inlaid with a delicate-colored gem. If a person sincerely asks for help from the stone and believes in its power, the sapphire will not leave its owner in trouble.
Pink corundum is a real find for those who really want to confess their feelings to their chosen one, but cannot find the strength. The energy of sapphire will help you overcome internal fear and love relationships will move to a new level.
It is important to remember that a gemstone is a real “magnet” for the one who possesses it. If a person has aggression inside, the power of the gem will destroy his life, and if his thoughts are pure, the sapphire will attract good luck, love, and harmony to the house.