Search Results
Fine Jewelry University Articles matching: “blue sapphire”
Showing only FJU Article results. Click here to show all results.
Fine Jewelry University (Show All FJU Articles)
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Sapphire
Few gems capture the imagination as does sapphire. Sapphire‘s beauty inspired people to wonder. Ancient cultures had many lore and beliefs about the sapphire. The … the earth rested on a giant sapphire whose reflection gave the sky its color. Ancient priests and sorcerers honored sapphire above all gems, for this stone enabled them to interpret oracles and foretell the future. Symbolizing truth, … partners put great faith in the stone. If its luster dimmed, one knew his or her spouse had been unfaithful. Sapphire refused to shine when worn by the wicked or impure. Known as the celestial gemstone, the sapphire has been treasured for …
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Blue Zircon
…, brilliance, and flashes of color or fire just like diamond. Zircon also is known for its variety of colors. Blue zircon is the most popular color. But, zircon can be almost any color you can imagine including red, yellow, orange, brown… yellow variety of Zircon. Matura Diamond is another trade name for colorless Zircon. Starlite is the name for the blue gem variety of Zircon. The color of Starlite is rarely natural, and is almost always heat treated. Of course, the blue…
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Topaz
… difficult it is to scratch something. For reference, topaz is a bit softer than diamond which is a 10 and corundum (sapphire/ruby) which is a 9 on the scale. It is a bit harder than emerald at 7.5-8 and quartz which comes in at 7. Here are … comes to mind when I hear people discussing Topaz. You can hear one person say, “I love Topaz; it reminds me of a blue sky.” Then her friend says back, “Topaz may be like a golden sunset, but not the sky.” A third friend will chime in, “…
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Tourmaline
… is one of the most beautiful gems that you’ve probably never heard of. Less popular than the likes of ruby or sapphire, tourmaline flies under the radar in the gem world and remains the best kept secret of gem collectors and connoisseurs who… it for hundreds of years. But, before the advent of modern gemology, most tourmaline was believed to be ruby, sapphire, or emerald. Gemology of Tourmaline Gemologically speaking, tourmaline is its own mineral and not a species or member of a…
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Iolite
…near the top of the list. Iolite’s color range of blue, blue-violet, and violet competes for public attention with sapphire, tanzanite, and amethyst. They may have name recognition, but iolite has a rich, unique color and great gem value on …. The Gemology of Iolite Iolite is the gem variety of the mineral Cordierite. Iolite was once known as a “water sapphire”. Dichroite is another synonym for iolite. Dichroite is a Greek word which loosely translates as two-colored rock. This …
-
The Birthstones
… been a symbol of love, charity and victory. The bible states that wisdom is “more precious than rubies”. Rubies and sapphires are the same mineral, corundum. Ruby is red and any other color is called sapphire. Learn more about Ruby August’s … and durability making it suitable for regular wear and its brilliance is on par with even the most beautiful sapphires and rubies. It has a long and rich history and has even been mistaken for ruby in the crown jewels. Sardonyx is a lesser …
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Tanzanite
…, even with its rarity and dynamic look, tanzanite is still less in price than more commonly known gems like rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Gemology of Tanzanite Gemologists refer to this gem as blue zoisite. The vast majority (current … its color. Tanzanite has a Moh’s hardness of 6-7, making it about the same hardness as quartz, softer than ruby, sapphire and emerald and hard than opal. Tanzanite has a refractive index of 1.69-1.70. History and Lore of Tanzanite Tanzanite …
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Aquamarine
…ravity is 2.72 and it has a Mohs hardness of 7.5-8.0. For comparison, this means that it is softer than Sapphire, harder than Quartz, and similar to Topaz. This makes it a very durable stone that is suitable for regular wear. But, care should…Aquamarine derives its name from the Latin which literally means “seawater,” a tribute to its beautiful blue color. As a member of the beryl family, Aquamarine has some illustrious cousins in addition to a rich history of its…
-
Gem in the Spotlight: Spinel
…, but now the entire color pallet has been opened up. Spinel is arguably the most overlooked and underappreciated gemstone of all time. Spinel was first made in a lab over 100 years ago when scientists who were trying to synthesize blue sapphire wound up creating spinel by mistake. Since then many processes have been used and perfected to create spinel in even more colors than it is naturally found in. Because of how easily it can be created in a lab, synthetic spinel has been …
