Sapphire – The September Birthstone
The gemstone world celebrates the month of September with some of the most incredible gemstones. They include sapphire, peridot, zircon, agate, moonstone, and sardonyx with sapphire undeniably leading the line. Sapphire is a rich blue gemstone variety of the mineral corundum. It consists of crystalline aluminum oxide with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, vanadium, or magnesium (α-Al2O3). This fancy gemstone also naturally occur in a range of hues (colorless, gray, yellow, purple/violet, orange, pale pink, green, or brown), caused by different kinds of impurities within the gemstone’s crystal. For example, yellow sapphires get their color from ferric iron, and colorless gems have no contaminants. However, the red variety of corundum earns its classification as ruby. The pink-colored corundum may be classified either as ruby or sapphire depending on locale. The most valued shade of blue is the medium-deep cornflower blue.
Incredible Hardness
The name “sapphire” comes from the Latin sapphirus and Greek sappheiros, meaning “blue stone,” though those words may have originally referred to lapis lazuli. The September birthstone is relatively hard, ranking 9 on the Mohs scale, making it the third hardest mineral, after diamond at 10 and moissanite at 9.5. It has excellent toughness and no cleavage, which makes it a great choice for rings and other mountings subject to daily wear. Commonly, natural sapphires are cut and polished into gemstones and worn in jewelry. The incredible hardness of sapphires also makes it a candidate for use in non-ornamental applications like wristwatch crystals. Other applications include use in thin electronic wafers, infrared optical components, high-durability windows, etc.
Sapphire is often treated to improve their color or clarity, with the most common treatment being heat treatment, whose results are permanent and most commonly accepted in trade. Other less common treatments include lattice diffusion, fracture filling and dyeing. Color induced by lattice diffusion can be so shallow and could be removed if the stone is chipped or recut. Fracture-filled and dyed sapphires can be damaged by even mild acids like lemon juice. It is advisable to always ask if a sapphire is treated and by what method before you buying it. This will help you understand the ideal cleaning method for your gemstone. The safest cleaning is done using warm, soapy water is always. Ultrasonic and steam cleaners are usually safe for untreated, heat-treated and lattice diffusion–treated stones while fracture-filled or dyed sapphire should only be cleaned with a damp cloth.
Sapphire can also be created synthetically in laboratories for industrial or decorative purposes in large crystal boules.
Read more interesting articles about minerals and other birthstones on this link: https://www.mininghubafrica.com/2020/05/22/emerald-gemstone/