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SAPPHIRE
Name: Sapphire comes from the Greek word “sappheiros,” meaning “blue”. The term sapphire denotes the blue colors of corundum. The name “fancy sapphire” is also applied to any corundum that is not blue or a shade of red which would not qualify as a ruby.
AKA: Stone of Mental Discipline.
Description: The very light to very dark greenish or violetish blue, as well as those in various shades of pure blue variety of corundum. Sometimes the term “fancy sapphire” is used to denote all colors that don’t qualify as ruby.
Chemical Composition: Ai2O3
Variety: blue variety of corundum.
Color: It gets its color from iron and titanium and has a color range from pure blue, cornflower blue, greenish-blue, and violet-blue. Today, the most sought-after shade of sapphire is a strong vivid velvety blue to violet-blue in medium to medium-dark tones.
Treatments: heat, diffusion, irradiation, beryllium, and fracture filling. Fracture filling is done with glass, resin, wax, or oil. Assume that the sapphire has been heat-treated unless otherwise noted. Sapphire can have rutile as an inclusion.
Moh’s Hardness: 9.
Toughness: usually excellent, but stones with large fractures or inclusions, or some treatments, can be less durable.
Locations Found: Madagascar, Tanzania, Cambodia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar (Burma), Australia, Pakistan, India, and the United States of America (Montana).
Birthstone: September .
Wedding Anniversaries: 5th and 45th.
Zodiac Signs: Libra, Taurus, Gemini, Sagittarius and Virgo.
Historical Associations: heaven; royalty; nobility; divination; wealth; sincerity; faithfulness; harmony; peace; health; luck; good fortune; strength; trust; truth; influence spirits; protects against poison, fraud, envy, infidelity, ill omens, the evil eye, and harm; romance; protection from envy and harm; Heaven; heavenly blessings; chastity; make peace between enemies; influence or command spirits; reveal the secrets of oracles; wisdom; nobility; divine favor; speak with animals; improved vision; mental discipline; calm overactive thoughts; clarity during mental chaos; inner peace; fidelity; right action; focused willpower; dreams turning into reality; meditation; hear the higher self.
Historically Used to Treat: eyes; pestilential sores of the eyes; vision; venom antidote; poison antidote; boils; rashes; heat-related skin issues; sleep issues; insomnia; melancholy.
Care: High heat can cause change in color or clarity, and can damage or destroy fracture- and cavity-fillings. Generally light stable, but irradiated yellow or orange stones fade quickly. Heat from bright lights can cause oil to leak or dry out. Resistant to nearly all household acids and cleaners; however, chemicals can harm fillings and remove oil. Soldering flux containing boron, and firecoat made with boric acid powder, will etch the surface of even untreated stones. Ultrasonic and steam cleaning is usually safe for natural or heat-treated stones, but never for fracture- or cavity-filled stones. Warm, soapy water and a soft brush are safe but avoid strong detergents and vigorous scrubbing on oiled stones. Store in its own soft pouch to protect your other jewelry as it will scratch almost anything else except a diamond.
Imitations: Glass; Synthetic Spinel; Blue Spinel; Tanzanite; YAG (yttrium aluminum garnet).
Synthetics: Czochralski (pulled; creates high-clarity stones for tech and jewelry); Flame Fusion (Verneuil; the most common); Floating Zone; Flux Growth; Hydrothermal.
Lab-Grown/Synthetic: Sapphire was first synthesized in 1902 and used for industrial purposes including ballpoint pen tips and as bearings for watches, meters, and aircraft instruments.
SARDONYX
Name: a compound of Sard from “Sardis” the ancient capital of Lydia where it was found and Onyx from the Greek for “claw or fingernail”.
AKA: Warrior’s Stone. Stone of Integrity.
Description: a chalcedony variety characterized by straight, parallel bands of dark brown, brownish orange, or brownish red alternate with either white or black. This variety of chalcedony combines the brownish-red of Sard with the white or black layers of Onyx.
Chemical Composition: SiO2
Variety: of banded chalcedony; cryptocrystalline quartz
Color: dark brown, brownish orange, or brownish red alternate with either white or black. Reddish-brown, brownish-red, or orange-red base with parallel white or black bands.
Treatments: Dyeing is very common to darken the sard sections.
Moh’s Hardness: 6.5 to 7.
Toughness: Good to Excellent.
Location Found: Brazil; Germany; India; Uruguay; USA (Oregon; Lake Superior region).
Birthstone: August.
Wedding Anniversaries: 7th; 16th.
Zodiac Signs: Aries; Leo; Virgo.
Chakra Associations: Root; Sacral.
Historical Associations: humility of the saints; virtue of spiritual living; grounding; creativity; courage; bravery; strength; protection. Used for ancient seals and correspondence; willpower; self-control; discipline; finishing what you start; distinguish between true and false friends; stability; lasting happiness in marriage or legal partnership; sense of security; mental toughness.
Historically Used to Treat: hearing; brain fog; wounds; hemorrhaging; knitting of skin; melancholy; poor digestion; venomous stings and bites.
Care: Heat may change color. Attacked by hydrofluoric acid. Ultrasonic and steam cleaning is usually safe, but use with caution if the stone has prominent white bands as these can sometimes be more porous than the red sections. Avoid boiling or very hot water and harsh chemicals which can cause the color to bleed or fade if the sardonyx is dyed (color enhanced). Warm, soapy water and a soft brush are safe. Rinse thoroughly to ensure no soap residue stays in the microscopic pores. Store in a separate velvet-lined pouch. It can be scratched by harder gemstones such as diamond, sapphire, and ruby.
Imitations: Glass; Plastic; dyed agate. Glass imitations often show “swirl” marks rather than the perfectly parallel bands of true sardonyx.
Synthetics: No commercial synthetics as the natural material is abundant and inexpensive.
SMOKY QUARTZ
Name: Named for its smoky appearance.
AKA: Cairngorm (Scotland); Morion (very dark smoky quartz). Stone of Cooperation.
Description: A light brown to gray to black quartz.
Chemical Composition: SiO2
Variety: quartz
Color: The color is caused by natural irradiation acting on trace aluminum within the crystal. varies from light to dark brown, gray to black. Very dark smoky quartz is often called morion and was used in mourning jewelry of the late Victorian period (1861-1901). Ranges from a pale, translucent tan/grey to deep chocolate brown and inkly blackish-brown.
Treatments:
Irradiation produces smoky quartz from rock crystal (colorless quartz). Excellent stability. Very Common. Undetectable as it duplicates processes that color natural material.
Heat lightens the color of very dark material. Excellent stability. Occasional. Undetectable as it duplicates processes that color natural material.
Moh’s Hardness: 7.
Toughness: Good.
Location Found: Scotland (Cairngorm Mountains); Brazil; Madagascar; Switzerland; USA (specifically Pikes Peak, Colorado).
Birthstone: June; November.
Wedding Anniversaries: 13th, 70th.
Zodiac Signs: Capricorn; Sagittarius; Scorpio.
Chakra Associations: Root; Earth Star.
Historical Associations: protection; mourning; hiding; fertility; cooperation; neutralize negative energy; manifestation; practical action; grounding; anchoring the soul in the physical world; clear thought processes; focus during chaotic times; rooted release; transmutation; purifier; resolve; boundary work; banishing; shadow; death; soul retrieval; release; underworld journeys.
Historically Used to Treat: chronic pain; cramps; infertility; reproductive health; stress; panic attacks; manic behavior; radiation; environmental toxins; hopelessness; suicidal tendencies; grief.
Care: Intense, direct sunlight for long periods of time can fade the stones color. High heat can cause change or loss of color. Sudden temperature change can cause fracturing. Avoid harsh acids. Soluble in hydrofluoric acid and ammonium fluoride and very slightly soluble in alkalis. Steam cleaning is risky. Ultrasonic cleaning is usually safe. Warm, soapy water and a soft brush are safe. Dry with a soft cloth. Store it away from diamonds, sapphires, and rubies so that it does not scratch.
Imitations: Glass (which will often contain round air bubbles) and Smoky Obsidian.
Synthetics: Hydrothermal exist but re rarely seen in the commercial market because natural smoky quartz is so abundant and inexpensive.
SODALITE
Name: from the Latin word “sodalist” comes from its chemical composition.
AKA: Poet’s Stone. Stone of Logic. Stone of Truth.
Description: The blue-to-blue-violet mineral. Typically rich royal blue to violet-blue, often mottled or veined with white (due to inclusions of calcite). It can also be found in gray, yellow, green, pink, or colorless varieties.
Variety:
Group: Feldspathoid.
Color: Typically rich royal blue to violet-blue, often mottled or veined with white (due to inclusions of calcite). It can also be found in gray, yellow, green, pink, or colorless varieties, but the deep blue is the most valued for gem use.
Treatments: None known or routine. The stone is generally natural. Some porous sodalite may be impregnated with wax or polymer for stability, but this is less common with gem-quality material.
Moh’s Hardness: 5.5 – 6.0.
Toughness:
Location Found: Canada (Bancroft, Ontario), Brazil, Greenland, Russia (Kola Peninsula), Namibia, and the United States of America (Maine, Arkansas).
Birthstone: November, December.
Wedding Anniversaries: N/A
Zodiac Signs: Pisces; Sagittarius; Virgo.
Chakra Associations: Third Eye; Throat.
Historical Associations: communication; clear thinking; intuition; logic; mind; objectivity; truth; articulate thoughts and feelings effectively; rational thought; truth. Brings order and calmness to the mind. Fosters clear thinking and emotional balance. Boost self-esteem, self-acceptance, and self-trust. Uniting the logical mind with intuition.
Historically Used to Treat: anxiety; blood pressure; calcium deficiency; digestion; fever; glandular issues; hoarseness; immune system; insomnia; lymphatic system; panic attacks; throat problems; thyroid stabilization; stress; panic attacks.
Care: Susceptible to scratching and breakage from had knocks. Safe to clean using warm soapy water and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight or high heat, may cause it to fade or crack over time due to its softness and chlorine content.
Imitations: It is commonly mistaken for or used as a less expensive alternative to Lapis Lazuli. It can be distinguished from Lapis Lazuli because Sodalite rarely contains the characteristic brassy specks of Pyrite (common in Lapis) and has a white (not blue) streak.
Synthetics: No common commercial synthetic sodalite is widely produced.
SUNSTONE
Name: named for its warm, fiery colors and the way its internal inclusions reflect light like the rays of the sun.
Mineral Name: Oligoclase or Labradorite
AKA: Aventurine Feldspar.
Chemical Formula: (Na,Ca)(Al,Si)4O8
Description: Famous for its aventurescence (a metallic, glittery shimmer caused by tiny inclusions of minerals like hematite, ilmenite, goethite, or even pure copper.
Variety: A variety of feldspar (microcline or Oligoclase, more rarely Labradorite) that has schiller.
Color: Gold, orange, warm red, reddish-brown, and transparent yellow. Rare varieties such as Oregon Sunstone can be green or red-green bi-colored.
Treatments: Rarely treated. Very rarely, oiled to hid surface-reaching fissures. Can be heated, fracture filled, or diffusion treatments.
Moh’s Hardness: 6 – 6.5
Toughness: Poor to Fair.
Location Found: Australia; Canada; India; Madagascar; Mozambique; Norway; Russia; Tanzania; USA (Arkansas; Main; New Jersey; New Mexico; New York; North Carolina; Oregon; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Virginia).
Birthstone: August; July.
Wedding Anniversaries: 47th.
Zodiac Signs: Aries; Leo; Libra; Pisces.
Chakra Associations: Sacral; Solar Plexus.
Historical Associations: joy; longevity; Sun; guidance; light; radiance; abundance; health; protection; vitality; physical stamina; benevolence; leadership; independence; instill good nature; happiness; confidence; self-worth; heightens intuition. It represented the blood of a great warrior as well as Helios, the Greek sun god.
Historically Used to Treat: depression; digestive issues; chronic sore throats; metabolism; stomach-related ailments; cartilage problems; physical stamina; seasonal affective disorder (winter blues).
Care: Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners; the heat and vibrations can cause the stone to delaminate or crack. Use warm, soapy water and a soft cloth. Avoid harsh household cleaners, especially those containing bleach or ammonia, which can damage the surface of the stone.
Imitations: Goldstone, a man-made glass containing tiny copper filings.
Synthetics: N/A.