The formation of sapphire:
The formation of sapphire is a long process. This special sapphire is formed in the rocks in the highlands of Sri Lanka. Most rocks are granite, which is formed by the cooling and solidification of molten magma and subjected to extreme heat and pressure.
? The granite here has been identified for nearly 2 billion years. Then more than 500 million years ago, a large-scale metamorphic mountain range was formed, and the rocks inside were squeezed and reorganized. The temperature at the roots of these mountains exceeds 900 degrees Celsius and the pressure exceeds 9000 atmospheres. ?
Sapphire may be formed internally before granite recombination, or it may be formed later when rocks are heated and compressed.
Redfern said:? In both cases, the temperature and pressure change very slowly from one million years to another. So that the crystal can grow so big. ?
After the gem is formed, it crouches in the rock, the crust rises into mountains, the rock is lifted, and then it is eroded. ? So the rock was brought to the surface, washed and weathered by rain, and sent to the river to reach the gem battlefield in Ratnapura. ?
Minerals like sapphires can survive such a journey because they are hard enough. Relatively soft rocks will be eroded into mud and sand, which is beneficial to the riverbed formed by heavy rainfall in Sri Lanka.
Sapphire is so hard because it is composed of corundum and alumina. ? Corundum is hard and can be used as abrasive on sandpaper. ?
? Sapphire can be formed if a small amount of iron and titanium are added to the growing corundum-aluminum-oxygen mixture. Sapphire is? Impurities Corundum contains trace amounts of iron and titanium. ?
Cultural value of sapphire;
The stone of the magic emperor
Sapphire has existed since ancient times? The Emperor's Stone? Known as. Sapphire attracted the royal family of almost every era, and regarded it as a blessing relic and a collection of treasures. Legend has it that sapphire can protect the wearer from jealousy and get the favor of the gods, so ancient kings wore sapphire around their necks as a powerful weapon to resist harm. When it was heard that sapphire can remove dirt or foreign bodies from eyes, an oval oriental sapphire for treating eye diseases was added to Charles V's gem collection. 19th century, it is precisely because of one that is praised by the world? Who owns it is the king? The sapphire protected by Emperor Kalou changed the fate of Napoleon I and his beloved wife Josephine. Together with diamonds and pearls, it has also become an indispensable ornament on the crowns and dresses of the kings of the British Empire and the czars of Russia. Since Peter the Great, Russian kings have been crazy about sapphire. Russian diamond treasure house? Even if 75% of the gems are stolen into the private sector, there are still 1700 carats of large-grained sapphires and 2,600 carats of small-grained sapphires in stock.
The famous Louis XIV sapphire is a 135.80 carat transparent and flawless gem. Louis XIV bought it as a gift before the German princess got it. The glory of France? And decorate it on a hat or scarf. This seemingly blessed gem survived the theft of French crown jewels in 1792, and is now on display in the Paris Museum of Natural History. An unusually precious sapphire weighing 478 carats given to Queen Maria by King Ferdinand of Romania was bought by collector Harry? Winston sold it in Geneva in 2003 for $6.5438+0.49 million, and sapphire continued to play a new fate.
Proof of immortal love
I don't know when it started, sapphire and love have formed an indissoluble bond, which is often regarded as the crystallization of pure love and a symbol of loyalty to feelings. For lovers, sapphire is the touchstone to test feelings. It is said that love will make sapphire more dazzling, and when one of them changes his mind, the luster will fade away, and if you wear sapphire as a ring, it will bring luck and happiness.
In modern times, sapphire is also entrusted with people's happiness in marriage and expectations for the future. Designated as a precious commemorative gem for the 5 th and 45 th wedding anniversary, starlight sapphire is made by? Loyalty, hope and fraternity? Its unique star line was designated as the 26th wedding anniversary jewel. As a witness of love, sapphire is never inferior to other gems. At that time, the Duke of Windsor chose sapphire as the token of love and became famous all over the world? Cheetah? The brooch is inlaid with a rare 152.35-carat Kashmir round-cut sapphire. This love gift guarded by diamonds and sapphires was finally bought back by Cartier at the famous Sotheby's 1987 auction for1540,000 Swiss francs. The existence of sapphire brings more hope of beauty and love to the world.
Key points of sapphire series:
1. How many colors are there in sapphire?
Although sapphire is attributed to blue, it is not the only color. In fact, sapphire is a general term for corundum with other colors except ruby. So besides blue, there are pink, pink, yellow, green and white sapphires. Among these colors, blue is the most popular. But pink and orange sapphires are also very rare and of high value.
Second, where is the sapphire with better quality?
Sapphire is mainly produced in Kashmir, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Australia and Changle, Shandong, China. Among them, sapphires from Sri Lanka and Kashmir are generally indigo blue, with bright and pure colors, high transparency and good quality, which are worth collecting. Sapphire from Australia and Shandong Changle is common in the market, but it has poor transparency and many impurities. Merchants will dilute the color and improve the value through optimization methods. Therefore, the Changle sapphires we see are generally optimized.
Third, if businesses are indiscriminate, how to identify them?
It's true. Common imitations are crystal, topaz, zircon, fluorite and glass. However, imitations cannot imitate the hardness and density of sapphires. Besides diamonds, sapphire is the hardest mineral. Diamond hardness 10, sapphire hardness 9, crystal hardness 7. Therefore, sapphire can be used to scrape glass, but imitation is not good, which can be regarded as one of the identification methods. Secondly, the appraisal certificate of the official organization is also the guarantee of sapphire quality.
4. What is the optimization of sapphire? Is the optimized sapphire of low value?
This method is very common. It can be said that 90% of sapphires on the market are optimized, and very few are pure natural. It is to change the color of gemstones by heating, which is also called heat treatment. Because optimization is a common practice and will not change the structure and texture of sapphire, according to international practice, the optimized sapphire can be sold without explanation and marked on the appraisal certificate. What if you just say it? Deal with it? If so, then the method is not only heating, but also filling and dyeing. Should these beautified sapphires be marked on the appraisal certificate? Sapphire (processing)? Words.
5. What are the criteria for selecting sapphires?