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Blue is Not the Only Color of SapphiresIt commonly known that sapphires are blue, but its not common knowledge that sapphires are available in many other colors. Blue is the most common and the favorite color of sapphires; more than 50 percent of all people say blue sapphires are their favorites. The sapphire is a gem that symbolizes loyalty, and is said to give expression to peoples love and longing. Sapphires come in many colors ranging from a transparent grayish-blue, to an orange color. The gem can also be seen in purple, pink, yellow, and white as well.
For a long time, gemstone specialists and other insiders only knew the many colors of the sapphire. Sapphires that are not blue are known as fancies. The fancy sapphires are referred to by their gemstone name, and
by the description of their color. Fancy sapphires are described as yellow, purple pink, green, or white sapphires. Red and blue sapphires are not included in the definition of a fancy sapphire.
Fancy sapphires are available in a variety of designs, including ring stones, necklace pendants, earrings, as solitaires, or strung together as a pavee. The pieces of jewelry made using different colored sapphires are usually made on an individual basis, and are not made unless requested. Green, yellow, and orange sapphires were discovered in Tanzania, and pink and purple sapphires were found in Brazil. Purple sapphires contain the trace element vanadium and are available in different shades of purple. Yellow and green sapphires contain traces of the element iron, which gives them their yellow and green colors.
Chromium is the element found in pink sapphires, and the deeper the pink color, the higher the value as long as the color is going toward the red of rubies. The orange variety of the sapphire has pink undertones, is known by the name of padparadja, and is one of the many rare sapphires. Another rare sapphire is the star sapphire. The star sapphire is a half-dome cut sapphire with a starlike light effect that glides across the surface of the stone when it is moved. Star sapphires have intersecting, needle-like inclusions that cause a six-rayed star-shaped pattern to appear. The pattern of the star sapphire can be viewed using a single overhead light source.
The color shift sapphire is another rare sapphire type. These sapphires are blue in outdoor light, and purple in indoor light. The color of these sapphires may also change under different forms of lighting. Color shift sapphires may also become pink in daylight or green under fluorescent light. Initially white sapphires are gray or brown, but they are eventually made clear by a heating process. However, there are some rare occurrences where white sapphires have been dug from the ground in their clear state. Other sapphires are also heat-treated to enhance their appearance and color; treated stones are also often darker than untreated stones, and the treatment process may also cause changes to the internal structure of the sapphire. Red is another color of the sapphire, but red sapphires are known as rubies. Pink sapphires are also known as rubies, but experts are generally in disagreement of what the stone should be called.
Blue is the most common color of the sapphire, but it is not the only one. The other colors of the sapphire are often seen as being even more beautiful than the blue sapphire. Fancy sapphires are also less expensive, and should appeal more to consumers. However, the red and blue sapphire still dominate the field. Its not easy to find a rare fancy sapphire, but it is just as satisfying to have one that is not of the popular blue persuasion. The blue sapphire is beautiful, but the sapphires beauty is not limited to its blue color.
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