Heading into the summer season, and because of my Greek origin, the first colour that comes on my mind is blue! Which gemstone can better describe the deep blue colour of the sea than sapphire? You know, the blue variety of corundum.
Sapphire can either display a deep blue colour or a lighter blue colour, depending on its chemical composition. However, fancy coloured sapphires exist naturally too, such as pink, yellow, green ones. This time is all about the blue! The crystal of the sapphire can either be barrel shaped or show a bipyramidal habit. In nature it is not always easy to find a crystal on its perfect shape and form. In the following photos you can have a look on some sapphire crystals, with the forms that I mentionned above, originating from Kashmir (India) and Sri Lanka. Sapphires from Kashmir are the most desirable and expensive sapphires in the market. They usually display a slight milkiness because of the presence of inclusions, such as zircon crystals, stress fractures and colour zoning.
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| Sapphire Crystals |
Sapphires are often cut as faceted style, because their colour and their bright vitreous lustre are better displayed. Having a hardness of 9 at Moh’s scale make them perfect for everyday pieces of jewellery, such as rings, bracelets and necklaces. This is the reason why many women love having a sapphire on their engagement ring and I totally don't blame them! Sometimes, if needle-like inclusions are present in sufficient quantities, they can be cut as cabochons and display a six-rayed star when rotating the stone under the light. On the photos below a faceted oval cut sapphire is depicted.
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| Faceted oval cut sapphire (pavilion view) |
Sapphire jewellery can be often found in the market. However, these beautiful pieces from Heritagem are not usually seen. I am privileged to show you these pieces on the photos below. A beautiful bangle in 18kt yellow and rose gold metal consisting of a cushion cut Sri Lanka (Ceylon) sapphire, around 3.60ct weight and surrounded by 16 old mine cut diamonds, travels me to the Old Victorian period, where jewellery were masterpieces. You can combine this bangle with the Victorian cluster ring in 18kt yellow gold metal, consisting also of a cushion cut Sri Lankan (Ceylon) sapphire, around 1ct weight, and surrounded by 12 old mine cut diamonds.
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| You can wear them separately if you do not want to combine 2 pieces of jewellery. Either way will add a touch of vintage on your outfit and will make it really unique. Personally, I would wear the ring on an everyday basis, because both the blue colour of the sapphire and the yellow gold of the metal are very much in fashion during summer, and can totally turn a total white look into more formal. Apart from that, I love this ring! I would keep the bangle for a night outfit, mainly for a dinner in a restaurant or a night out for drinks with friends, very possible in Greek islands or in London’s fancy restaurants. |
Let me know on the comments box below if you like sapphires, especially during summer, as I do!
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