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Sapphires are cut from an extremely hard aluminum oxide called corundum, which is also the source of an even rarer gem, the ruby. Used in everything from necklaces to bracelets to rings, sapphires get their hues—be they blues, violets, or...
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Sapphires are cut from an extremely hard aluminum oxide called corundum, which is also the source of an even rarer gem, the ruby. Used in everything from necklaces to bracelets to rings, sapphires get their hues—be they blues, violets, or greens—from traces amount of iron and titanium in the mineral. A rare variant of the sapphire, the padparadscha, ranges in color from pink to orange and occurs only in Sri Lanka. Other sapphires are mined in North America, Russia, East Africa, Madagascar, and Australia, but the most prized examples are found in Myanmar, Thailand, and Kashmir along the India-Pakistan border. There, sapphires of a rich, cornflower blue have been mined from an igneous rock called pegmatite since the end of the 19th century, which is why the supply of sapphire from the area has dwindled to next to nothing. Like rubies, sapphires have a Mohs hardness rating of 9, which means they can be faceted into complex brilliant cuts. Unlike rubies, though, sapphires are sometimes also carved into small figurines or cameos, which is an indication of their lower cost—one could not afford to waste the material needed to produce a carving or cameo on a ruby. One of the most famous pieces of sapphire jewelry of the last 100 years is the royal engagement ring given by Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. The gold ring features 14 solitaire diamonds, but the showstopper is the 12-carat blue sapphire at its center. After Princess Diana's death in 1997, the engagement ring was selected as a memento by her son William, who, in 2010, gave the ring to his fiancé, Catherine Middleton. The birthstone for people born in the month of September, sapphires are supposed to give their wearers magical powers, particularly those engraved with sage-like figures. It is also thought to be the stone of chastity, which is why medieval priests wore them (and why a sapphire may seem an odd choice for an engagement ring). Historical figures from King Charlemagne...
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