Loose Sapphire
Sapphire derives its name from various sources. The Persian 'safir' means beloved of Saturn. The Greek word 'Sappheiros' owes itself to the island of Sappherine in the Arabian Sea and the Latin word 'Sapphirus' means blue. There has always been a fair amount of intrigue and mysticism surrounding sapphires. Ancient kings wore sapphires to ward off evil and gain divine favors; the Greeks dedicated the stone to Zeus and priests sought the help of these stones to decipher Oracles.
In more recent times, sapphires have been one of the most popular gemstones with the British royalty. Perhaps following their cue, a number of celebrities have shown a penchant for blue sapphires. Ivana Trump and Joan Crawford were known in the media for their preference for sapphires.
Belonging to the family of mineral corundum ( when in colors other than red), sapphires are the hardest known gems next to diamonds. Timeless appeal of blue sapphires combined with their durability make them ideal for daily wear. While there are a number of sources of sapphires, Ceylon sapphires are by far the most popular variety. At Angara, we house some of the best Ceylon sapphires. Blue sapphires beat their other color counterparts like pink sapphires and yellow sapphires by a large margin. Somehow, the charm of a blue sapphire remains eternal. There is something in the mystery of a blue sapphire that echoes to the mystery of a woman’s heart.
In a sapphire, the most important aspect to be considered is color. Color is the most important factor in determining the value of a sapphire. A sapphire’s color is considered more important than its clarity. Sapphires are rarely clean and even very expensive stones can be slightly flawed. Fine sapphires of good color and clarity are always rare and greatly valued. Highly saturated medium or medium dark tones are best. Sapphires that are too dark or too light are worth significantly less.
We have Ceylon sapphires in different shapes and sizes. You could browse for round sapphire, princess sapphire, emerald cut sapphire, or the rarer sapphires, we have them all. The variety of loose sapphires at Angara makes it the favorite sapphire destination.
Whenever the color of a sapphire varies from blue, they are known as fancy sapphires, also alternating with the color adjective being added to the name, as in yellow sapphire, pink sapphire, brown sapphire, orange sapphire, etc.
It is traditionally held that sapphire is the September birthstone, and the 5th and the 45th anniversary gift.
In the Vedic astrology, blue sapphire is known to confer upon its wearer good health and wisdom. There are other known alternate sciences, which relate the different colors of sapphires with different aspects of the personality, which can be enhanced by wearing sapphires.
As with all gemstones in the industry, all sapphires are heat treated. When it is said a gem is heat treated, it means that it has undergone manmade processes to reach the market in the visual form that people know it as. Untreated sapphires are very rare and command exorbitant prices.
