The enduring and alluring Sapphire forms in more colors than just the legendary blue. Each color exhibits its own unique metaphysical properties and vibrational patterns, yet all are Stones of Wisdom. They honor the higher mind, bringing intuition, clarity and self-mastery. Worn throughout the ages for protection, good fortune and spiritual insight, Sapphires are not only symbols of power and strength, but also of kindness and wise judgment.
White Sapphire brings wisdom and strength of spirit. It carries an extremely pure energy for clarity of thought and opening the powers of the mind. Through the Crown Chakra, White Sapphire strengthens communication with the Higher Self level of consciousness in seeking spiritual guidance for this lifetime, and brings the resolve needed to overcome obstacles to one’s spiritual path. It is beneficial in revealing one’s talents and potential, and inspires living with integrity and keeping true to one’s ideals when faced with difficult choices or circumstances. [Simmons, 344][Ahsian, 344][Melody, 589][Hall, 254-255]
Sapphire is a variety of Corundum, an aluminum oxide mineral that forms in prismatic tabular, bipyramidal or rhombohedral crystals, as well as granular or massive habits, and may be transparent to opaque. The name Corundum is of Indian origin, derived from the Sanskrit korundand applied to opaque massive gems, generally of a dull color. With the exception of Red Corundum, which is Ruby, all other colors of Corundum are Sapphires. [Simmons, 339][www.mindat.org][Fernie, 140]
White Sapphire, also known as “Leucosapphire,” is actually colorless and the purest form of Corundum, lacking additional trace minerals that color other Sapphires. It is less in demand than other Sapphires and reasonably inexpensive, and is often used as a Diamond substitute, usually as smaller stones with good clarity and few visible inclusions. White Sapphire can occur in almost any Corundum deposit, but gem-quality stones are exceedingly rare. [www.thenaturalsapphirecompany.com]
Star Sapphires are created when Corundum is intergrown with fibrous inclusions of Rutile, called “silk,” that reflects light in stones cut en cabochon as a six-rayed, sometimes twelve-rayed star that appears to glide across the face of the gem as it is moved. This effect is called asterism and increases the rarity and value of the stone. [Simmons, 345][Eason, 365][Mella, 104] Star Sapphires are most often found in Blue Sapphire and darker colored Sapphires, but can be distinctive in light silver-gray, grayish white and yellowy white Sapphires. [Eason, 365]
