White Sapphire substitute for Diamond
White Sapphire, along with its sister the Ruby, is of the mineral corundum. While coloured sapphires owe their colours to varying chemical combinations, white sapphires are pure corundum and therefore colourless. Because of its hardness (corundum is the hardest mineral known next to diamond), sapphires are one of the best stones for all types of jewellery users.
Natural white sapphire is a brilliant natural substitute for diamond and affordable too! These bright stones have been expertly cut and polished and are perfect either as the main stone in the Amulet jewellery creation or as accents for that finishing touch. With a hardness of 9, white sapphires are very durable, making them an excellent choice for any jewellery piece.
In the 1980s the technique for infusing blue (and more recently red) colour into the surface of the sapphire was perfected. This process is known as diffusion treatment. The chemicals that cause the blue colour in the sapphire (iron oxide and titanium oxide), are induced into the surface layer of the sapphire by heating the stone almost to its melting point (about 1800 C). Natural white sapphire has become very scarce in the marketplace since "treaters" have consistently outbid gem dealers for the larger sapphire rough.
The sapphire, September's birthstone, is one of the oldest known stones in written history. The ancients credited the sapphire to be endowed with the power to influence spirits, to be a charm against unfaithfulness and capable of making peace between foes. White sapphire is a good stone to wear for it has a self-nurturing tendency. It stimulates the crown chakra, revealing the talents of the self. It is a stone which supports morality, justice and freedom from greed. Sapphires are traditionally given for fifth and forty-fifth anniversaries.
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