Sapphire

In earlier times, some people believed that the firmament was an enormous blue sapphire in which the Earth was embedded. Could there be a more apt image to describe the beauty of an immaculate sapphire? And yet this gem comes not in one but in all the blue shades of that firmament, from the deep blue of the evening sky to the shining mid-blue of a lovely summer's day, which casts its spell over us. However, this magnificent gemstone also comes in many other colors: not only in the transparent grayish-blue of a distant horizon but also in the gloriously colorful play of light in a sunset – in yellow, pink, orange and purple. Sapphires really are gems of the sky, although they are found in the hard ground of our 'blue planet'.

Sapphire is a variation of corundum, which makes its structure almost identical to the structure of ruby. The difference is only in the minute amounts of additional atoms, so called impurities, which incorporate themselves in the corundum matrix and change many properties of sapphire vs. those of ruby. One of the properties is the color of course. The characteristic color of sapphire, the scientists believe, comes from iron and titanium impurities. In this particular case, one electron jumps from the Fe atom to the Ti atom. This electron then is able to absorb the energy of the red end of the spectrum, therefore effectively transmitting the frequencies from the blue - purple end of the light spectrum. This is exactly what gives sapphire the characteristic, well-known deep blue color. It is thought that what produces the other colors of sapphire has to with the combination of iron and chromium. In sapphire under magnification one is often able to see threads of rutile, unlike rutile quartz where the rutile needles are visible with naked eye.

 

Color in gemstones breaks down into three components: hue, saturation, and tone. Hue is most commonly understood as the "color" of the gemstone. Saturation refers to the vividness or brightness or "colorfulness" of the hue, and tone is the lightness to darkness of the hue.   Blue sapphire exists in various mixtures of its primary (blue) and secondary hues, various tonal levels (shades) and at various levels of saturation (brightness).

Blue sapphires are evaluated based upon the purity of their primary hue. Purple, violet, and green are the most common secondary hues found in blue sapphires.  Violet and purple can contribute to the overall beauty of the color, while green is considered to be distinctly negative. Blue sapphires with up to 15% violet or purple are generally said to be of fine quality. Blue sapphires with any amount of green as a secondary hue are not considered to be fine quality. Gray is the normal saturation modifier or mask found in blue sapphires. Gray reduces the saturation or brightness of the hue and therefore has a distinctly negative effect.

The color of fine blue sapphires can be described as a vivid medium dark violet to purplish blue where the primary blue hue is at least 85% and the secondary hue no more than 15% without the least admixture of a green secondary hue or a gray mask.

Star of India

Sapphires, call them gemstones of the sky though we may, lie well hidden in just a few places, and first have to be brought to light through hard work. Sapphires are found in India, Burma, Ceylon, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil and Africa. From the gemstone mines, the raw crystals are first taken to the cutting-centers where they are turned into sparkling gemstones by skilled hands. When cutting a sapphire, indeed, the cutter has to muster all his skill, for these gemstones are not only hard. Depending on the angle from which you look at them they also have different colors and intensities of color. So it is the job of the cutter to orientate the raw crystals in such a way that the color is brought out to its best advantage.

The sapphire belongs to the corundum group, the members of which are characterized by their excellent hardness (9 on the Mohs scale). Only that of the diamond exceeds their hardness – and the diamond is the hardest mineral on Earth! Thanks to that hardness, sapphires are easy to look after, requiring no more than the usual care on the part of the wearer.

Logan Sapphire

The Logan sapphire is one of the largest faceted gem-quality blue sapphires in existence. It is currently on display at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., alongside the Bismarck Sapphire Necklace and the Hall Sapphire and Diamond Necklace.

Hall Sapphire and Diamond Necklace

The Logan Sapphire is a flawless specimen from Sri Lanka, a cushion-cut stone which possesses a rich deep blue color and is the second largest (blue) Sapphire known, weighing 422.99 carats (84.6 g).  The Logan Sapphire is named after Mrs. John Logan, who donated the gemstone to the Smithsonian Institution in 1960.  The cushion-cut stone is one of the world's most famous Sapphires and is set in a brooch surrounded by 20 round brilliant cut Diamonds weighing in total 16 carats (3.2 g).

Bismarck Sapphire

A Sapphire means blue in Greek. The blue goes from dark blue almost black to pale blue. The finest blue sapphires are a strong blue. The Star Sapphire is very valued. Sapphires of colors other than blue are always referred to with the color. There are pink Sapphires, yellow Sapphires, violet Sapphires, green Sapphires and clear Sapphires.

It is an extremely hard and a very expensive exercise trying to source natural Sapphires that have not been heat-treated as these gems are amongst the most valuable gemstones known today. However, thanks to modern gemstone enhancements and treatments, it is now possible to own wonderful, heat-treated natural Sapphires that are both available to meet demand, and priced at a level making this beautiful gemstone attainable / available to most people.

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Sapphires are a very tough, durable gemstone and can safely be cleaned with soapy water or commercial solvent and a brush, and can also safely be cleaned using most modern mechanical cleaners. Do however avoid subjecting Sapphires to prolonged exposure to strong heat or light sources, particularly with regard to heat-treated gems, as prolonged exposure may cause permanent changes in coloration.

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Sapphire was customarily worn around the necks of royalty as a shield against poison and harm.  In medieval times, Sapphire was the preferred stone for decorating church officials: it was believed to facilitate the connection with the divine or the spirit world.


The Ten Commandments given to Moses in the Christian Bible were said to have been carved on tablets of Sapphire.


It is said a necklace of Sapphires will cure a sore throat.


The Sapphire was called the "Stone of Destiny". Sapphires contribute to mental clarity and perception. They can promote financial rewards.


The Sapphire is the symbol of heaven and joyful devotion to God.

Sapphire is associated with Aquarius, Virgo, Libra and Capricorn. It is the birthstone of September and has been the birthstone of April. Sapphire is the symbol of Saturn (dark blue) and Venus (light blue).

Ruby Zoisite

A very colorful material, Ruby Zoisite is a metamorphic gem-rock composed of at least three minerals: corundum, epidote and tschermakite (more commonly known as hornblende). The various shades of apple green is chromiferous zoisite; the black and very dark green spots and striations are edenitic hornblende; and the lovely reddish pink is corundum (ruby). The geological name for African Ruby-in-Zoisite is Anyolite, from the Maasai native word for green.

Zoisite, the same mineral as Tanzanite, provides an earthy green color while Ruby lends pink and red highlights. Ruby Zoisite is usually shaped as cabochons or carved into decorative objects.

Transparent material is fashioned into gemstones while translucent-to-opaque material is usually carved. These Rubies themselves are not of gem quality, but nevertheless their color provides a striking contrast to the green Zoisite, and greatly enhances the decorative pieces that are carved from the rock.

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Ruby Zoisite is a unique metamorphic gem. It features a striking contrast between the bright green Zoisite (calcium aluminum silicate hydroxide) with inclusions of dark hornblende (a basic silicate mineral) and the often-chatoyant red Ruby.

Zoisite itself is named for mineral collector Siegmund von Zois, the baron von Edelstein (1747-1819), who discovered the gemstone in 1804 in Austria.  Ruby Zoisite was first discovered in 1954 in Tanzania. Ruby Zoisite occurs in a few small outcrops south of the town of Longido in Tanzania's northern province, about 50 miles northwest of Mount Kilimanjaro. It also is found in Norway, Western Australia and the U.S.A. 

In 2010, it was suggested that a 2 kilogram stone known as the Gem of Tanzania owned by the defunct company Wrekin Construction and fraudulently valued at £11 million was actually a lump of Anyolite worth about £100, although it was eventually sold for £8000.

 

Ruby Zoisite has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs Scale, and is thus of moderate hardness.

Ruby Zoisite is one of the most difficult stones to work with, as the ruby inclusions are much harder than the surrounding Zoisite. It is used in jewelry of all shapes and sizes, beads galore, and is sometimes called Anyolite. The duality in colors gives it a unique design element to use in all forms of art.

Ruby Zoisite is a crown chakra stone. It can alter the state of consciousness and give you access to soul memory. It is very helpful in past life work. It can open a passage to connect to all of humanity.  Ruby Zoisite is believed to help increase the awareness of the super-ego. It also is said to help amplify the whole energy field of a person, reaching within to release inner talents of the mind.

This mineral has masses of prismatic crystals that combine the physical properties of Zoisite and Ruby. Its Zoisite composition becomes the base while its ruby properties are scattered throughout the structure. This combination results to highly energetic properties that can decompose negativity or transmutation of negative energies and turn it into positive energy force fields. The resulting energy, in totality, enables positive forces to overwhelm negativity. This attribute enables Anyolite to amplify an entire field of a body. With that, it has exhibited significant healing properties, which are used for diagnostic healing on Aryuvedic and other Asian healing practices and in dealing with spirits. In transmuting negative energies to positive ones, it transforms destructive urges into constructive ones. Hence, this stone can bring about repressed feelings and emotions to encourage clarity in mind and better focus.

  

Anyolite is known for its ability to increase one's awareness on their individuality.  It maintains connectedness to one's character, to work out and accept flaws. It also enhances the body's contact with etheric elements, which are beneficial in stimulating a powerful crown chakra towards spirituality. In linking these two altered states of consciousness, it allows a person to discover and utilize their abilities and talents. This mineral stone basically consolidates all energies to stimulate an overwhelming positive force field to block negative perception on one's physical as well as spiritual being, which tend to diminish physical vitality.

The combination of Zoisite and Ruby creates a truly fortunate natural mineral that emanates energy and positivity in all aspects of life. It promotes fertility as it supports the reproductive process on all levels, from conception, birth to growth and development. With that, it safeguards one's physical being by limiting or controlling the damage momentarily caused by negative elements such as sickness, pain and depression. It helps increase the understanding of oneself and the world. It awakens spirituality by strengthening the neural and energetic connections between the mind and the body. In helping the body regain control over its urges, it aids in making favorable decisions that benefit one's spirituality and overall well-being.

Sardonyx

Sardonyx is a Silicon Dioxide and a variety of Onyx, itself a member of the Chalcedony Cryptocrystalline Quartz family.

The name Sardonyx is of Greek origin. The word "sard" means reddish brown and onyx translates into "veined gem."  Sardonyx is basically Onyx with white and brown bands.  Sardonyx is formed when the mineral sard forms in between white strips of Onyx, giving the stone a banded, zebra-like appearance. The majority of stones are brownish, but it is possible to find them in pink, red, light green, blue and a blue lace.

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Sardonyx is rated at 6.5 to 7 on the Moh's Scale of Hardness.   Onyx may chip or scratch rather easily, so store onyx carefully and never allow two specimens to touch each other.  Sardonyx contains layers of tiny quartz fibers stacked on top of each other so as to display a banded appearance. These layers of reddish brown Sard and Onyx range from translucent to opaque, exhibiting an attractive colored pattern of usually white, gray or black interspersed with reddish brown.

Sardonyx can be obtained quite easily at affordable prices. Almost all Sardonyx that is commercially available today is dyed to increase color depth.  Sardonyx found with distinctive or extraordinary banded patterns and at larger sizes will demand premiums.  Note that it is a common procedure to stain agate to give the appearance of the naturally occurring Sardonyx stone.

Sardonyx can be found in the United States around the Great Lakes Region in the mid-west, as well as in Oregon in the Pacific Northwest. Other sources around the world include Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Czech Republic, Uruguay and Germany. India has some of the best quality Sardonyx gems in the world.

Roman soldiers wore Sardonyx talismans engraved with heroes such as Hercules or Mars, god of war. They believed that the stone would make the wearer as brave and daring as the figured carved on it. Sardonyx was highly valued in Rome, particularly for seals, because it was said to never stick to wax. The Roman General Publius Cornelius Scipio was known for wearing Sardonyx jewelry.  During the Renaissance, Sardonyx was believed to bring eloquence upon the wearer and was regarded with great value by public speakers and orators.

Sardonyx is a stone of strength and protection. Use it to enhance willpower, integrity, stamina and vigor.

It is believed to bring lasting happiness and stability to marriage and partnerships. It attracts friends and good fortune.

Some people use Sardonyx as a protection grid - placing it at each corner of the house, at doors and windows to prevent crime and misfortune.

It is good for those born in the month of January or February. It protects the wearers from wild or poisonous animals, reptiles and insects. It is also effective in the case of those suffering from infectious diseases. Those, whose jobs involve public relations or those wishing to acquire new and influential friends, those wanting to have greater self-control, can also use it. It takes care of bite problems and gives assertiveness to the wearer.

Sardonyx is best cleaned using warm soapy water and a soft brush. As with most gemstones, Sardonyx should be kept away from prolonged exposure to extremes of heat and household chemicals that can damage the stone. 

Peridot

August Birthstone poem - the Peridot

"Wear a Peridot or for thee,

No conjugal fidelity,

The August born without this stone,

`Tis said, must live unloved alone."

For those who were born in the month of August the Peridot is the traditional birthstone. The August birthstone poem reflects some of the properties with which the Peridot is associated - love, truth, faithfulness and loyalty.   Peridot is also the gem recommended for the 16th wedding anniversary.

The name of the gem may have been originated from various words of various languages. No one knows the actual origin of the name. Some say it’s from the Arabic word “faridat” which also means gem and some say that it is from the 13th century English word “Peridote”. The truth is that today it is known as Peridot. There was a time in history when this brilliant stone was even called a topaz. This was because it was then abundant on an island called the Topazios. 

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In Arizona, peridot is pronounced as “pear-a-dot” while in many places it is pronounced as “pear-a-doe”. Both pronounciations are considered correct.

The Peridot is one of the few gemstones which come in one color only. The rich, green color with the slight tinge of gold is caused by very fine traces of iron. From a chemical point of view, Peridot is an iron magnesium silicate. The intensity of the color depends on the amount of iron actually present. The color itself can vary over all shades of yellowish green and olive, and even to a brownish green. Peridot is not particularly hard - only 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale - but it is easy to look after and fairly robust. Peridot cat's eyes and star Peridot are particularly rare and precious.

Peridot is the gem variety of olivine and ranges between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

These gemstones are found in volcanic basalts. They are formed deep within the earth under tremendous heat and pressure. Olivine has a very high melting point, this explains why it's mainly found in places where pressure and heat are abundant such as volcanic rock and the mantle of the earth. In these deep and hot places, the stone we know as the peridot is slowly formed.   

The most beautiful stones come from the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, the Peridot as a gemstone also exists in Myanmar, China, the USA, Africa and Australia. Stones from East Burma, now known as Myanmar, have vivid light green and fine inclusions with a silky shine to them. Peridot from Arizona, where it is popularly used in Native American jewelry, often has somewhat yellowish or gold-brown nuances.

The largest cut Peridot Olivine is a 310 carat (62 g) specimen in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

The meaning and symbology of Peridot is one of friendliness, purity and simplicity.  It is an excellent stone for protection, especially if worn around the neck to protect from negative energy.  It is also perfect for cleansing of negative emotions, such as jealousy or a wounded ego.  Wearing Peridot gemstones can help you stay cleansed and protected, and also helps you reach a higher level of insight and consciousness.

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Peridot was one of the stones worn in the breastplate of the High Priest Aaron, one of the 12 stones that protected him from battle.  It has been used traditionally in the ancient Incan civilization to give clear-mindedness.  Native Hawaiians have a legend that Peridot is the tears of their goddess, Pele. Napoleon gave a Peridot ring to Josephine as a testament to his undying love.  Ancient Greeks called Peridot "evening emerald" because its color became a deeper green at night.  Peridot was sacred in ancient Egypt: High priests made cups out of large specimens of Peridot from which they drank their ceremonial "soma."  The Peridot was said to bring wisdom and enlightenment.

 

Peridot has been used traditionally to heal the heart, spleen, lungs and digestion tract.  It has been successful in healing and relieving pain from stomach ulcers.  During birth it is also helpful in stimulating contractions. Peridot is useful in regulating all physical cycles.

Ellensburg Blue

The terms, chalcedony and agate, in practice, are often used interchangeably...the latter simply being the result of successive depositions of the former.

Blue chalcedony is composed of compact masses of tiny quartz crystals and the size of these crystals can vary, as can the amount of spacing between crystals. As a result, properties such as hardness, and reaction to light and coloring agents can and usually will differ in various specimens or within portions of the same specimen. This is particularly true of blue agate…the layers of which can, and usually do vary, in color, texture and transparency. Due to impurities, there are often brown, gray, white or colorless layers interspersed with and modifying the color of the blue layers. This is why proper selection of rough and savvy cutting is so essential to the creation of a fine gem.

It is perhaps worth mentioning here that while there are many similarities between samples from various sources, there are also distinctive, characteristic, differences. I personally feel very strongly about the need to disclose the origin of these stones in the course of commercial transactions. All sources have produced beautiful gems. Some varieties, such as the Ellensburg Blue, (found sparsely scattered in vast alluvial gravels) are valued as much for their rarity as for their beauty. A premium is paid for fine gems from this source and that is as it should be. However every source of gems is finite. And every beautiful stone regardless of origin is a thing to be treasured.

Ellensburg Blue Agate began to draw attention circa 1930, thus beginning the search for this elusive gem that continues today.

What makes it unique and much sought after? The answers to this question can be summed up in several words. Scarcity, color range, variety, hardness and adaptability to a variety of settings.

The scarcity of the stone is such that finding even the smallest of pieces is considered a good day’s find. Most all of the land where "Ellensburg Blue” is found is private and inaccessible.

The color of the Ellensburg Blue Agate ranges from a light sky blue through a cornflower blue to an almost purple royal blue. Clouds, streaks, or bands may occur in the agate and graduates from nearly opaque to transparent.

 “Ellensburg Blue” will test out at from 7.5 to 8.3 or harder on the scale.  Because of its singular qualities and limited quantity, the Ellensburg Blue Agate has been re-classified by many gemologists to be a precious gem.

According to Melody in -Love is in the Earth-, Ellensburg Blue agates can enhance ones stature, eliminate negative self-talk, and bring happiness through understanding. It is believed to help one to appreciate one's abilities, characterisitics, and situations. It is said to be good for the throat chakra, it helps communication, speech, teaching, insight through “talking it out”, etc.

Blues have a calming and soothing energy, and I would recommend that you buy an even B or C grade Blue and hold it in your hand as you meditate, and carry it in a pocket during the day.

Many people find that holding a blue in their hand during meditation;  calms the constant mental chatter. This means it helps you reach deeper levels of meditation more quickly than you would expect.

Some History thanks to www.historylink.org:  In March 1905, Austin Mires, an attorney who served as Ellensburg’s first mayor, extracts bright blue agates from the agate beds around 

Ellensburg and sends them to Seattle to be set into rings.

Hunting Site

Agate beds abound in the Teanaway basalt layers throughout the Kittitas region. Teanaway Basalt is the reddish-colored basalt dating from the Eocene epoch (50 million years ago) of geologic history. In the Ellensburg agate fields it is mixed with the darker brown Columbia Plateau basalt from the more recent Miocene epoch (24 million years ago).

The Ellensburg formation dates from the Miocene epoch, and is largely composed of easily eroded rock and rock debris. This “biscuit” topography, combined with the movement over time of the Yakima River and its tributary creeks, encouraged the formation of geodes and agates.

Although the agate beds between Thorp and Ellensburg yield a variety of agates, it is the brightly colored “Ellensburg Blue” agates for which the beds are famous. These agates are unique to this region.

Kittitas Indians

John Prentiss Thomson, whose father’s jewelry store first promoted the stones, reported that local Native American tribes eschewed the agates for use in arrow tips, although they used them in trade with whites. Local sheepherders at the turn of the nineteenth century reported the sky blue rocks prominently visible in the hillsides.

About a decade after Austin Mires had Ellensburg Blue agates set as jewelry, he and his wife began to cut and polish the stones in their home.

By May 1913, local native people had shown jeweler J. N. O. Thomson where to find the agates. Local news stories spurred an agate-hunting fad among tourists, which continued through the 1940s.

Virtually all of the original blue agate beds are now (2003) part of private land. Many of the beds are cultivated, making agate hunting nearly impossible. Farmers occasionally turn up the stones while plowing.

Sources:  John Prentiss Thomson, Ellensburg Blue (Ellensburg, WA: Kittitas County Historical Society, 1961).

Caveat Emptor ~ let the buyer beware

Ellensburg Blue is often unidentifiable by even the trained eye, so know and trust the source... Regrettably due to it’s beauty, popularity, value and scarcity, the amount of “fake” Ellensburg Blue agate being sold on auction sites has reached an epidemic proportion. (Don't get burned!)

 I have recently seen blue agate worth just a few bucks, sold as E-blue for hundreds! ~ Regrettably, as they say, "there is one born every minute". Don't let this be you -

Be weary if:

·        Beware of terms such as “old stock”, “estate” and “Ellensburg Style” as these terms frequently accompany fake or mislabeled E-blues.

·        Tumbled and cabbed stones are particularly difficult to authenticate

·        If the price is too good to be true – It’s probably not a blue!

·        Money back guarantee IF you can prove it’s not real

 Ways to protect yourself:

·        Ask the seller for a written note of authenticity

• Review the sellers “buy” history as far back as you can – Look for anything suspicious
• Ask for a 150% money back guarantee ~ If the seller is sure it's genuine E-blue, they will have no problem with this
• Wait to post feedback “after” you have had your purchase authenticated – Blueagates.com will soon be posting a select number of Ellensburg Blue agate jewelers (experts on E-blue) where you can mail your blue to be authenticated at a very nominal charge.

Note: While there are many reputable sellers of gems and minerals; unfortunately, there are a few scoundrels that warrant the need for this message.