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Corundum family. Sapphire is a gemstone that comes in a variety of colors and hues, the best known being the blue variety, which has been widely exploited throughout history and in the world of jewelry. Sapphires have many other fascinating properties, particularly in the world of lithotherapy, which set them apart from all other types of gemstone. History of Sapphire stone The etymology of the word Sapphire comes from the Greek "sappheiros" meaning "blue". There are also other derivatives of the name, from the Latin "sapphirus" or the Hebrew "sappir", all meaning "blue". Sapphire has a long history, linked to numerous virtues and beliefs. The blue stone is mentioned in the Old Testament, expressing that Moses' Tables of the Law inscribed God's thoughts with Sapphires. Thus, this stone took on an important symbolism, particularly among the Greeks and Romans, who linked the Sapphire to celestial and divine power. Moreover, kings and queens were convinced that Sapphires protected their owners from envy and evil. Among Egyptians and Romans, the Sapphire stone was considered a sacred stone of Truth and Justice.
In the Catholic religion of the Middle Ages, the clergy Country Email List wore sapphires to symbolize divine purity, thanks to their sky-like color. The gem was often worn as a ring on the right hand, the hand that gives blessings, as a symbol of their devotion and closeness to God. Sapphire was also said to have the power to preserve chastity due to its proximity to the Virgin Mary, to make peace between enemies, to influence spirits and to reveal the secrets of oracles. One legend has it that a king of England named Edward the Confessor gave his ring to a beggar who later became an evangelist. Another says that the Sapphire stone symbolized freedom, and that if a prisoner was in possession of this stone, he could escape by rubbing the Sapphire on all 4 sides of the prison. Sapphire has always been associated with royalty and romance. Indeed, Sapphire has traditionally symbolized nobility, truth, sincerity and fidelity. This association was reinforced in 1981, when Britain's Prince Charles presented Lady Diana Spencer with a blue sapphire engagement ring. Until her death in 1997, Princess Diana charmed and captivated the world.
Her sapphire ring linked modern events with history and fairy tales. Multicolored sapphires first came to prominence in the 1990s, thanks to discoveries in East Africa and Madagascar. These new discoveries increased the availability of multicolored sapphires. The stone Sapphire has always fascinated the world, and remains just as fascinating today, whether in the world of jewelry or lithotherapy. Sapphire_Multicolor Origin and composition of Sapphire stone Sapphire belongs to the Corundum family. It is mainly composed of aluminum oxide with the chemical formula Al2O3. Sapphire has a specific gravity of around 4. Sapphires are formed in metamorphic rocks, such as gneiss, one of the main reasons being that the parent rock is rich in silicon and aluminum. The alumina and silica in metamorphic rocks mix with water and minerals to form large corundum crystals. Corundum is found in silica-poor rocks. Colorless corundum is the rarest, as it is the chemical impurities in the crystalline structure that give the gemstone its color. On the other hand, when corundum is red, it is called Ruby, when it comes in other colors, it's called colored sapphire. The best-known variety of sapphire is the blue sapphire.
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