What Is a Star Sapphire Gem?
Star sapphires have a glowing star shape in their centers. These types of sapphires are available in many colors and sizes and are found in many countries across the world. The largest and most famous star sapphire is the "Star of India," weighing 563 carats. It was donated by the financier J.P. Morgan to the American Museum of Natural History in 1900.
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Appearance
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Star sapphire gems are available in many colors; including blue, green, orange, purple, pink and black. Sapphires that are blue have iron and titanium as coloring agents. In violet stones, the coloring agent is vanadium. A small amount of iron in sapphires produces yellow and green gems. Chromium will produce pink-colored gems and iron and vanadium together produce orange tones. The star effect is caused by needle-like inclusions of rutile, a mineral that is mostly titanium dioxide with a little iron and that has a brilliant shine. When the needles of rutile intersect each other at angles, they produce a six-rayed star.
Where to Find Star Sapphires
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The most important deposits of star sapphires can be found in locations such as Australia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Myanmar. Other deposits can be found in Brazil, China, Kenya, Madagascar, Cambodia, Pakistan, Malawi, Nigeria, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Rwanda and the U.S. In the U.S., star sapphire deposits can be found in Montana.
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Treatment
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Heat treatment is most common for star sapphires. This involves heating the stones to between 1700 and 1800 degrees Celsius for several hours before cutting. Heating improves a gem's clarity and color. Sometimes a star sapphire will be treated with diffusion treatment to improve the star effect. This means that the sapphire is heated with titanium, which makes the star effect more distinct.
Sapphires in Crystal Healing
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Some people believe that crystals have healing energies. Star sapphires are often carried by people who would like to awaken psychic abilities. People who believe in crystal healing feel that star sapphires work as a relaxing agent and enable wearers to gain wisdom.
Star Sapphire Legend
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In ancient times, the star sapphire was considered a powerful talisman that protected seekers and travelers. It was believed that its protective powers were so strong that they would protect the original owner even after being passed to someone else.
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