Sapphires: Stone of Magic – Stone of Mystery
Ruby: Deep Red and Rare – more expensive than diamonds!
Sapphires and Rubies are the mineral corundum. It comes in a variety of colors and is the hardest mineral next to diamonds.
Only the deep red corundum is called Ruby. All other colors are sapphires. They are: blue, pink, green, violet, yellow and colorless. There are even some orange ones.
The most sought after is the bright, cornflower blue, that comes from Sri Lanka.
Saphires from Montana
Ancient Europeans considered the blue sapphire protection against evil and general misfortunes. They were carried into battle as victory stones.
The Ruby had the same reputation.
Raw Rubies
However in India, sapphires were considered to either bring great wealth and success or great misfortunes. This tended to off-set their popularity in that country.
The finest Rubies come from Burma. Lesser stones come from Thailand, Cambodia, Africa as well as Brazil and China.
Sapphires come from Australia, Cambodia, and even from the US state of Montana. Some have been found in Northern Ontario, Canada. But only in Sri Lanka and Cambodia will you find the cornflower blue.
IN 1947, the first synthetic sapphires were created. They are equal to the natural stones in the chemical make up. They are flawless. That is one of the only ways they can be detected.
Natural stones always have some defect. The synthetics are less expensive and easily come by.
Natural stones are prized for their beauty and the fact that they have never been touched by human influence. Being rare they are highly expensive, especially the ruby.
It is said that a person born in Taurus should wear SAPPHIRE BLUE to be protected from mental disorders and a Capricorn who wears RUBY will never know trouble. (Wish I had known that fact sooner, I am a Capricorn and could have really used that protection.)
I wonder if anyone has done a study on these superstitions…….
Resources:
Wikipedia
The Encyclopedia of Minerals and Gemstones,
Jewelry & Gems, The Buying Guide, by Antoinette Matlins,
As well as: http://www.gehnabazaar.com.
If you are looking for loose stones or unique jewelry pieces, go to :
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