Difference between revisions of "Sapphire"

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Sapphire is an aluminum oxide, occurring in every color of the rainbow. When it is red, it is termed ruby. It is a stone of great hardness and durability. It can also have phenomenal characteristics like asterism (star sapphire) and color changing (like alexandrite). The color changing varieties are mesmerizing, having the ability to change color depending on whether they are viewed in daylight or incandescent light. The history of the sapphire dates back to at least the 7th Century BC, when they were used by the Etruscans. The sapphires used by the Etruscans, Greeks and Romans were imported from India and what is now Sri Lanka. Sapphires were reputed to protect kings from harm and envy. In the 13th Century, it was written that sapphires had the power to protect against poverty, make a stupid man wise and an irritable man good-tempered.

Revision as of 13:23, 2 October 2006

Sapphire
Chemical composition Al2O3
Crystal system Trigonal
Habit Prismatic, tabular
Cleavage None, may show parting on twinned stones
Fracture Conchoidal
Hardness 9
Optic nature Uniaxial -
Refractive index 1.762-1.770
(+.009,-.005)
Birefringence 0.008-0.010
Dispersion Low, 0.018
Specific gravity 4
Lustre Vitreous
Pleochroism Moderate to Strong

Sapphire is an aluminum oxide, occurring in every color of the rainbow. When it is red, it is termed ruby. It is a stone of great hardness and durability. It can also have phenomenal characteristics like asterism (star sapphire) and color changing (like alexandrite). The color changing varieties are mesmerizing, having the ability to change color depending on whether they are viewed in daylight or incandescent light. The history of the sapphire dates back to at least the 7th Century BC, when they were used by the Etruscans. The sapphires used by the Etruscans, Greeks and Romans were imported from India and what is now Sri Lanka. Sapphires were reputed to protect kings from harm and envy. In the 13th Century, it was written that sapphires had the power to protect against poverty, make a stupid man wise and an irritable man good-tempered.