Sapphires come in different colors based on the quantity of impurities present in it. Elements such as iron, titanium & chromium contribute in shifting the hue of the mineral from transparent to a vast range of colors such as green, pink, orange, yellow, grey & blue.
It is the gemstone form of mineral called corundum but it is called a sapphire only when not red, if it is of the red variety then it is known as a ruby.
Properties
Sapphire is one of the strong & hardy minerals with melting point greater than 2000 degrees C. With 5 times the strength of glass it is quite resilient to scratches & is used in many other applications apart from being used in jewelry.
Uses of Sapphire
In jewelry industry Sapphire is a highly sought after gemstone for use in items such as rings, pendants, bracelets etc. but it is also being used in fields such as construction & electronics. As for example, the first laser ever made used a rod of synthetic ruby which is called the red cousin of sapphire.
Sapphire Jewelry
Sapphire jewelry made of naturally occurring sapphire is comparatively more expensive to jewelry made of synthetic sapphire. The cost of the jewelry also depends on other factors of the gem such as clarity, color, quality, size & cut.
The most valued form of sapphire is the blue variety & sapphire gems with cornflower blue shade are considered the most prized & valuable known as the Cornflower Blue Sapphire.
Sapphires are known as guardians of love, when exchanged with loved one, they enhance feelings for each other & have the power to banish jealousy and envy. So go ahead, gift a sparkling sapphire jewelry piece to your loved one to make him or her look special.
The term ‘Garnet’ is derived from the Latin word granatum, meaning a grain or a seed; here it is mainly referred to the pomegranate granule- which is red in color. It is the birthstone for January & its use has been documented in Ancient Egypt.
Egyptians made talismans & jewelry from Garnet and buried it with the dead in order to protect & provide illumination through their journey after life. According to the Bible, Noah is believed to have used Garnet as a guide in his path & for giving light inside the ark.
It is generally associated with color red. However, Garnet also occurs in other colors and hues such as yellow, black, pink, purple & orange. Earlier it was thought that Garnet does not occur in the color blue, but this changed with its discovery in Madagascar in 1990.
Some of the known attributes of Garnet include healing, strength, relief for skin inflammations, curing depression & regulating blood flow. It is also given as gifts; & when exchanged among friends, it shows their affection for each other.
Garnet finds its primary use in jewelry but because of its hardness, it is also used in some industrial applications. It is usually used to blast clean items since it is more efficient than sand, & can also be recovered & recycled during this blast cleaning process.
Spessartite garnet is considered as the new kid on the block, with being discovered only in the 1800’s in Spessart, Bavaria. Price of Spessartite garnet was prohibitive, until the time good deposits of it were found in Namibia & Nigeria. This is a reasonably hard gemstone which is generally free of inclusions, with colors ranging from orange to reddish-orange.
If you are planning to buy gemstone jewelry, it is recommended selecting garnet gemstone for your jewelry item as it gives you a vivid range of colors to choose from & prices that are affordable.
