Star sapphire - what is hidden in an unusual stone

History and origin

Star sapphire is a gemstone that has a dense, opaque color and a special asterism (star) effect. That is, a six-pointed star is clearly visible on its surface, the rays of which form rutile inclusions. In other words, it is crystallized titanium oxide, having a needle shape. In cross-section, each of the crystals has the shape of a triangle.

Blue Star Stone

Due to the fact that the rutile needles are located at an angle relative to each other, a six-pointed star is formed. There are three intersecting axes in the stone.

In the Middle Ages in Russia, sapphire, along with rubies, was called yakhont . It’s not for nothing that the affectionate expression “my yacht” is known. At the same time, the sapphire was called the azure yakhont, and the ruby ​​was called the scarlet yakhont.

In order for the optical effect on the surface of the stone and the color of the star sapphire to appear in all its glory, jewelry craftsmen prefer to give the gem a cabochon shape. On the one hand, this is a method of jewelry processing of a mineral, and on the other hand, this is a stone with a rounded convex shape. Due to its roundness, all the optical effects of the mineral are more pronounced in the rays of daylight and artificial light.

Basic rules for caring for star sapphire

To restore the original shine and beauty of the gem, soak a soft cloth in warm water and simply wipe the stone. Eliminate the possibility of contact between sapphire and acid, including food acid. It is better to store it in special cases lined with silk and velvet.

A star sapphire can become your talisman and inspiration. Take a close look at its beauty and, if possible, treat yourself to a precious gift.

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Physicochemical characteristics

Star sapphire is endowed with certain physical and chemical properties, for which master jewelers love it. Weight, density, color and other parameters are taken into account.

Varieties and colors

The specific shade of sapphire gemstones depends on the impurities of various metals in it. The following stones are found in nature:

1. Blue star sapphire. The shade is obtained due to impurities of iron and titanium. This color of stone is considered classic and the most common. Moreover, a stone can be accurately called blue only if the level of other shades in it is no more than 15%. In other cases, sapphire is rarely fully blue. The color range often varies from almost white or pale blue to deep blue (almost black). The most expensive blue sapphire is considered to be the one that has a cornflower blue or heavenly color.. If a mineral contains a large number of iridescences of other shades, it is called fancy. It is sometimes difficult to find a good match for such a mineral.

   
   Sky Blue Star Stone

2. Black. Black gemstones are more common in nature because they contain atomic impurities. The largest sapphire was black in color. Upon examination, the mineral has a dense color and a low level of transparency. The edges give reflections of light and shimmer. Jewelry with black stone is laconic and strict.

   
   Gold ring with black star stone

3. Yellow. This shade of stone is given by an admixture of iron without the inclusion of titanium. Yellow sapphire can be compared in cost to expensive cornflower blue stones. The color of the mineral varies from almost transparent or pale yellow to rich amber. The yellow yacht is of particular importance in the cultures of Hindus and Eastern peoples. It is believed that if a yellow sapphire has even the slightest defect, it is prohibited to wear it.

   
   Yellow gold ring with yellow star stone

4. Pink. A stone of this color predominates in the sapphire deposits of Sri Lanka and Madagascar. The color is affected by the chromium admixture in it. The hue of the yacht is soft and delicate. Sapphire is often compared to a diamond. However, the price of the stone is several times lower than that of a precious stone. That's why pink sapphire is so popular.

   
   Pink star stone

5. Violet (aka lilac or lilac). The color and its intensity depend on the concentration of vanadium in the mineral.

   
   Lilac Star Stone

6. Green. Upon closer inspection through a microscope, you can see that the shade of green sapphire comes from stripes of blue and yellow, superimposed on each other.

   
   Green Star Stone

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7. Colorless. A stone with high transparency. The shine is similar to that of a real diamond. Jewelers often use diamonds as the main stone and colorless sapphires as additional stones. Such a product will cost slightly less than jewelry encrusted only with diamonds.

   
   White Star Stone

8. Padparadscha. One of the sapphire hybrids. Its shade is compared to a pink sunset or molten gold - the yellow, orange and pink-red shades shimmer in it in such an original way. Padparadscha means "delicate lotus flower" in Sinhala.

   
   The unusually colored star stone Padparadscha
   Padparadscha is the least likely to have natural defects. You can appreciate the depth of sapphire color in calm morning or evening sunlight.

Shades

The impurities in Star Sapphire give it the following colors:

• yellow – iron;
• lilac and purple - iron and vanadium;
• green – a lot of iron;
• pink – chromium and manganese;
• blue – iron and titanium;
• black – excess atomic impurities;
• colorless – absence of impurities.

Synthetic look

There are also artificial star sapphire crystals. Synthetic stone, unlike natural stone, catches the eye with its rich color and clearly defined star. Artificial crystals are characterized by a neat surface on the lower part of the cabochon. The fake has curved growth lines and no clear zonation, and if you throw it into the water, it will float.

Place of extraction

Jewelry with star sapphires has different prices. And it depends not only on the type of metal in which the yacht is framed, but also on the deposit of the gem. Placers of sapphires are found in the following places:

• Sri Lanka;
• USA;
• Vietnam;
• Madagascar;
• Australia;
• Thailand;
• China;
• Burma.

In Russia, sapphire is found only together with blue corundum. Transparent yachts are found in it. There are corundum deposits on the Kola Peninsula and in the Urals.

Raw Blue Star Yakhont

Important: the price per carat of star sapphire depends on its deposit. The most expensive stones are those from Burma and Sri Lanka. However, you can also buy less “famous” yachts that have a lower cost but decent quality.

Sapphire storage

Natural or man-made star sapphire is hard but fragile. This is a consequence of the invasion of rutile inclusions into the strong crystal lattice of the mineral. Therefore, delicacy is required when handling.

1. Products are washed with warm water in which mild soap is dissolved. Wipe with a soft cloth.
2. Hardware cleaning will destroy the star or stone.
3. Interaction with acids, including citric or other food acids, is contraindicated.

Star stones are stored in boxes, boxes or cases, lined with soft fabric on the inside. They need to be protected from direct sunlight and chemical exposure. Sapphires are cleaned using salt, sea, soap or salt water.

Periodically, the stone is cleaned of negative energy - washed with red wine and placed overnight on the windowsill.

Magic properties

The magical properties of star sapphire have always aroused genuine interest among scientists and gemologists, magicians and astrologers. It is believed that the gem contains the magic of the cosmos. Some even claimed that the six-pointed star on the sapphire was nothing more than a hexagram. Therefore, the star yacht is given special magical significance. It manifests itself in the following:

1. Strengthening memory and passion for new knowledge. The gem is especially suitable for students and teachers.
2. Achieving goals and overall personal development. As a male amulet with this effect, you need to wear the stone on your left hand.
3. Extinguishing passions and bringing emotions into a calm channel.
4. Harmonization of relations.
5. Neutralizing laziness and revealing some persistence.
6. In addition, the star stone determines true friends, or rather, over time, weeds out the insincere clingers that have wormed their way around.

In ancient times in Africa, it was believed that the rays of crystals in stone are symbols of Faith, Hope and Love intersecting. That is, a star sapphire brings only the best to the owner’s life.

Stone deposits with a star

Large-scale deposits of star sapphire are located in Thailand. It is here that rare green and golden specimens are mined. Geologists have discovered large accumulations of the mineral in the province of Chanthaburi.

Large cornflower blue sapphires have been found in India for several centuries. They are mined at an altitude of 4 thousand km above sea level.

The stone is also found in Vietnam, Burma, Kenya, Australia, Vietnam, Madagascar, USA, and Sri Lanka. In Russia, single samples occur in the Ural Mountains.

Who is suitable according to their zodiac sign?

The gemstone is suitable for almost all zodiac signs, but to a greater or lesser extent. The meaning for the signs is almost neutral, so each of the representatives of the astrological circle can safely wear a star yacht.

(“+++” – fits perfectly, “+” – can be worn, “-” – is strictly contraindicated)

Compatibility with other stones

If a natural sapphire is an amulet or a favorite everyday decoration that you don’t want to take off, then you can organically combine the gem with the following stones:

Silver long earrings with blue star yakhont and topaz

• diamond;
• aventurine;
• amethyst;
• aquamarine;
• turquoise;
• rock crystal;
• Moonstone;
• jasper;
• chrysoprase;
• ruby;
• pomegranate.

It is important that the shade of the leading sapphire matches the secondary stone. It is highly undesirable to combine the gem with sardonyx, agate and jade.

Where is it used?

Star stones are used only for caboching. That is, they give the gem a round, convex and smooth shape. Jewelers themselves call it a high domed stone. Moreover, the master often violates the geometry of the proportions of the yacht in order to preserve the beauty of the six-pointed star in its depths.

Depending on the size of the gem, it is used as an insert in rings and especially large rings, earrings, and pendants. The higher the cost of the precious metal and the larger the size of the mineral, the higher the cost of the product. Cool shades of sapphire look ideal in silver and platinum, while warm shades of the stone are ideally combined with gold. Both men and women should wear jewelry with it. But it is worth remembering that these are often large products.

Stylish silver set with a purple star yacht

In addition to jewelry, the gem is usually used for inlaying mirror frames, boxes and other personal and interior items.

Meaning and magical abilities

Already in ancient times, healers knew that sapphire had special energy. And the presence of a star on the samples gives the mineral a special power. The three silver lines that intersect at the center of the crystal represent hope, love and faith. If these lines are on a black pattern, then it is a very strong protective amulet. It must be carried with you constantly, and then its owner will be able to solve all the problems in his life.

But gems of other colors also have magical properties:

• Contemplating a precious star stone brings a sense of harmony and can help you find your true purpose in life. The owner will always see several paths for personal development.
• The mineral gives its owner the ability to better understand the motives of the behavior of others.
• If you wear the jewelry on your index finger, the crystal gains the ability to help the owner in the fight against ill-wishers.
• The stone can awaken a thirst for knowledge, improve memory, and arouse the desire to overcome laziness and inactivity.

How to spot a fake

When purchasing, it is important to distinguish a synthetic gem from a genuine one. And although they have not yet learned how to artificially grow a stone with a star pattern, experienced scammers in street stalls manage to pass off a fake plastic stone as a sapphire with an optical pattern. The main distinguishing features of a genuine yacht are:

1. Hardness. Even if the surface of a real stone is scratched with metal, it will remain smooth.
2. Density. Real stone has a higher density than water. Therefore, when immersed in water, it immediately falls to the bottom. The fake will stick to the surface.
3. The presence of inclusions in the cavity of the gem. They can be seen with a magnifying glass.

It is unlikely that you will be allowed to do all the manipulations with the stone in the store. Therefore, to assess its authenticity, it is better to use the services of a professional jeweler.

Artificial star stones

They learned to obtain the effect of asterism artificially. Such stones are easily distinguished by their impeccable star geometry.

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The second sign is that the rays of a man-made star are motionless, regardless of the angle of the incident light. In the natural original they are dynamic.

Production is difficult and expensive, so there are few such stones on the market. A synthetic fake with impeccable asterism can be more expensive than a lower-quality natural analogue. However, it has no healing or magical properties.

Favorable time to buy

It is better to buy a precious yacht in the first phase of the Moon. During this period, the mineral has less (increasing) energy, and therefore will enter into a relationship with a new host. That is, it will be saturated with the energy of the new owner. Favorable numbers for buying sapphire are from the 8th to the 22nd.

When purchasing a stone separately, it is not recommended to place it on your palm. They look at the gems only by holding them in their fingers. And remember, “your” stone will wear perfectly. Energetically, it is not your gem that will constantly interfere, strain, subside or crush.