By Ray Lundin - Gemologist
Sapphire
Rubies and sapphires may look very different, but are from the same family called corundum; if they are red, they are called rubies; if they are any other color, they are called sapphires. They are not only royal gems, but are sacred as well. In the Catholic Church, sapphires have been used in the rings of bishops and cardinals. The blue color symbolizes heaven, and supposedly, people who wear them become more virtuous, devout and wise.
Traditionally, Buddhists have believed sapphires signified friendship and wisdom. Ancient Hindus thought if they offered a ruby to the god Krishna, they’d be reborn as an emperor. According to Hindu writings, the ruby represented the sun and the sapphire represented the planet Saturn. Rubies and sapphires have been revered throughout history because of their rich looking colors. These colors make them look like jewels even when they are cut into simple rounded stones with no facets. A diamond cut this way would look very drab. Many people don’t realize that each stone is a blend of two colors. For example, in one direction a ruby may look purplish and in another have an orange look. But when you view it as a whole, you see a sumptuous red. In fact, the ruby is blessed with a red aura. It’s usually in the sun that you see this distinctive glow. The ancient Burmese said it could even be seen in the dark.
Ruby
Rubies and sapphires, because of their hardness, have been used as jewel bearings in watches, meters and aircraft instruments. Since 1960, lab-made rubies have been used as a core in lasers. One large sapphire was even used as a doorstop. An Australian gem buyer paid around $24 for a rough sapphire about the size of a chicken egg (1,156 carats). It had originally been found by a little boy and used as a doorstop. Later, the gem buyer sold the stone to an American who cut it into a 733-carat star sapphire called the “Black Star of Queensland.” According to one report, its value is estimated at more than $300,000.
If Cleopatra could see today’s emeralds, she’d be amazed at how green and vibrant an emerald can be. None of her emeralds were faceted to bring out their brilliance and sparkle. Most were mottled and heavily flawed. Their color tended to be either pale or drab and they were the royal jewels.
The first known emerald mines were in Egypt. They operated from around 330 BC into the 1700s. Some reports say that Egyptian deposits may have been mined as early as 3500 BC. Egypt was the only significant source of emeralds for Asia and Europe until the 1500s when the Spanish invaded the Americas. Up to that time, it was unknown to the outside world that Indian tribes in Central and South America had been using fine emeralds in jewelry and ceremonial objects. These emeralds, which originated in what is now Colombia, were larger, more transparent and much greener than those mined in Egypt. During the 16th century, large quantities of Colombian emeralds entered the European market. The emeralds then made their way to Persia and India and became part of the treasures of Indian Moguls and Arabian sheiks. Because of the scarcity of green forests and fields in their countries, Muslims have long cherished the color green. In fact, it is the holy color of Islam.
The Roman Scholar Pliny the Elder from the 1st Century AD wrote: “Indeed, no stone (the emerald) has a color that is more delightful to the eye, for whereas the sight fixes itself with avidity upon the green grass and foliage of the trees, we have all the more pleasure in looking upon the emerald, there being no green in existence more intense than this.”
The therapeutic effects of green are even recognized today. The use of the standard “hospital green” is based on the ability of green to induce a sense of calm and rest. In China, people working in fine embroidery factories are encouraged to often glance at green plants and trees to help maintain their eyesight.
Emerald
