What Is Ceylon Sapphire?

Definitions

A sapphire is a gemstone of corundum. Only diamonds are harder than sapphires, which in combination with their color makes the latter very desirable for gemstone jewelry. Sapphires naturally occur in many colors, from sapphire blue to pink, rose, yellow, green, purple, orange, and white. The gemstones called Ceylon sapphires come from Sri Lanka, a large island in the Indian Ocean that until 1972 was called Ceylon. Unlike other gemstones, Ceylon sapphires aren't heat-treated to achieve their color. Sapphires of similar shades and composition are mined in other parts of the world and are also sometimes called Ceylon sapphires.

Colors

The sapphires called Ceylon blue are prized for their quality, beauty and the wide range of blue shades in which they occur, from sky-blue to a deep, vivid blue called cornflower. Ceylon sapphires also occur in all the natural colors inherent to the stone. One widely considered the most extraordinary of the Ceylon gems is the padparadscha sapphire, a stunning pink stone with orange undertones. The name derives from the Sanskrit word that describes the color of the lotus blossom.

History

Located just off the southern coast of India in the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka has been a hub of gem mining and trading for at least 2,000 years. Marco Polo and Vasco de Gama both remarked upon the abundance of gems to be found in Ceylon. Since a very early point, too, Sri Lankans have been heating gemstones to exaggerate or alter their color, a practice that continues worldwide to this day in the gemstone trade.

Other Sri Lanka Gemstones More Like This

What Is the Meaning Behind Sapphires?

What Makes a Sapphire Valuable?

You May Also Like

There is no sapphire as highly respected for its quality and enduring value as the Ceylon Sapphire. For the past 2000 years.

For decades, Burmese and Ceylon sapphires have been highly prized, but Kashmir sapphires are now in great demand for their rarity. Tips.

Ceylon tea is a black, caffeinated tea grown in Sri Lanka, one of the largest tea producers in the world. There are.

Good Quality Internal Characteristics for Ceylon Blue Sapphire. Sapphires, after diamonds, are the most treasured gem on earth. Most people think of.

There are Australian sapphires, Burmese (now Myanmar) sapphires, Thai sapphires, Kashmir sapphires, Montana or Yogo sapphires, Oriental sapphires and Ceylon.

The Definition of a Ceylon Sapphire. There is no sapphire as highly respected for its quality and enduring value as the Ceylon.

Sapphires of varying quality are available in every price range. There is no sapphire as highly respected for its quality and.

How to Detect Fake Sapphires. The Definition of a Ceylon Sapphire, How to Tell a Fake Sapphire, ehow.com. About eHow, eHow.

Good Quality Internal Characteristics for Ceylon Blue Sapphire. Sapphires, after diamonds, are the most treasured gem on earth. Most people think of.

The highest quality Star Sapphires come from Burma, Myanmar, and Ceylon, Sri Lanka. Star Sapphires vary in value according to their intensity.

Sri Lanka/Ceylon. Located just south of India. While most people envision sapphires as bright blue gemstones, sapphires can actually come in.

The Definition of a Ceylon Sapphire. How Sapphires Are Formed. How to Identify a Padparadscha Sapphire. Featured. Hat-iquette 101: 21 Hat and.

Sapphires are impressively beautiful gems and knowing how to identify a real stone. and Ceylon, Sri Lanka. Star Sapphires vary in.

Diffusion sapphires are those that have been heat-treated with chemicals in a process known as ",bulk diffusion", to artificially alter their color.

Star sapphires, also known as Linde (pronounced ",lyn-dee",) sapphires. and Ceylon, Sri Lanka. Star Sapphires vary in value according to their.

Source