Sapphire Wedding Band Part Two
Part two of a three part series on Sapphire Wedding Band
More about Sapphires
Sapphire then, is one of the toughest and most durable gemstone available on the market. With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is harder than any other gem except for diamond which is 10 on the scale. However, it has no cleavage plane so it cannot be cut with a single blow as a diamond can.
In fact, synthetic sapphires are used for scratch-resistant watch crystals, optical scanners, and other instruments due to its durability. This durability ensures that sapphire jewelry, properly cared for, will last for generations.
Sapphire Cuts
Most sapphires are cut in the cushion shape, a rounded rectangle or an oval shape. It is possible to also find smaller sapphires in round brilliant cuts and a wide variety of fancy shapes, including triangles, squares, emerald cuts,
The best sapphires hold the brightness of their color under all different types of lighting. Any black, gray, or green overtones mixed in with the blue will reduce a stone’s value. In general, a more pastel blue would be less preferred than a vivid blue but would be priced higher than an over dark blackish blue color. As with all gemstones, sapphires which are “clean” and have few visible inclusions or tiny flaws are the most valuable. However some very fine sapphires, in particular those from Kashmir, have a velvety mist-like texture which enhances the richness of the blue.
Sapphires Stars
A star sapphire is a type of sapphire that exhibits a star-like phenomenon known as asterism. Star sapphires contain intersecting needle-like inclusions (often the mineral rutile) that cause the appearance of a six-rayed star shaped pattern when viewed with a single overhead light source. Twelve-ray stars are also found, but are less common.
The value of a Star Sapphire depends not only on the carat weight of the stone but also the body color, visibility, and intensity of the star. Some sapphires are heat-treated or otherwise enhanced to improve their appearance and color, though some people object to such practices and prefer natural untreated stones. Treated stones tend to be darker than untreated stones and the treatment process causes changes to the internal structure that are generally easily detected.
End of part two of Sapphire Wedding Band.