Orange Sapphire 14 kt Yellow Gold Diamond Lady’s Ring,RFK,494

The name Vedic Astrology Sapphire Stone (Greek—blue) used to be applied to various stones. In antiquity and as late as the Middle Ages, the name sapphire was understood to mean what is today described as lapis lazuli. Around 1800 it was recognized that sapphire and the blue variety was called sapphire, and corundum’s of other colors (with the exception of red) were given special, misleading names, such as “Oriental peridot” for the green variety and “oriental topaz” for the yellow type.

Today corundum of gemstone quality of all colors except red are called sapphire. Red varieties are called rubies. The various colors of sapphire are qualified by description, e.g., green sapphire or yellow sapphire. Colorless sapphire is called leuko-sapphire (Greek—white), pinkish orange sapphire Padparadscha (Sinhalese for “Lotus Flower”).

There is no definite demarcation between ruby and “Vedic Astrology Sapphire Stone”. Light red, pink, or violet corundum’s are usually called sapphires, as in this way they have individual values in comparison with other colors. If they were grouped as rubies, they would be stones of inferior quality. The coloring agents in blue sapphire are iron and titanium and in violet stones, vanadium. A small iron content results in yellow and green tones; chromium produces pink, iron, and vanadium orange tones. The most desired color is a pure cornflower-blue. In artificial incandescent light, some sapphires can appear to be ink-colored or black-blue.

Through heat treatment at temperatures of about 3100-3300 degrees F (1700-1800 degrees C), some cloudy sapphires, non distinct in color, can change to a bright blue permanent color.

Hardness is the same as ruby and also differs clearly in different directions (an important factor in cutting). There is no fluorescence characteristic for all sapphires.