Did you know purple sapphires are much rarer than blue ones? This makes them very sought after in the gemstone market. They are part of the corundum family and are known for their stunning violet-blue colors. These gemstones have a rich history and many interesting properties that have made them popular among jewelry lovers and collectors for a long time.
Sapphires come in many colors, from deep blue to regal purple. Their Mohs hardness of 9 means they are very durable. They can resist scratches and last a long time. The color of these gemstones can range from a soft pinkish-lilac to a deep violet. This affects their value and how much people want them.
Key Takeaways
- Purple sapphires are rarer and more valuable than their blue counterparts.
- Sapphires come in a wide range of colors, including the captivating purple hue.
- Purple sapphires have a Mohs hardness of 9, making them highly durable and scratch-resistant.
- The purple color of sapphires can vary in intensity, with hues ranging from pinkish-lilac to deep violet.
- Natural rubies are far rarer than most natural sapphires, contributing to their higher value.
About Purple Sapphire Stone
Purple Sapphire Specifications & Characteristics
Purple sapphire, also known as violet or plum sapphire, is a type of corundum. It comes in various purple shades. It’s the September birthstone and the gemstone for Taurus in astrology. In Ayurvedic astrology, the rare Khooni Neelam sapphire is linked to Saturn and Mars.
Purple sapphires can change color, looking violet in some lights and purple or blue in others. They are harder and rarer than amethyst, making them very sought-after. Sapphires are harder and more brilliant than amethyst, too. Their popularity has grown in recent years, becoming more well-known.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Mineral | Corundum |
| Chemical Formula | Al2O3 |
| Mohs Hardness | 9 |
| Refractive Index | 1.76 – 1.77 |
| Density | 3.99 – 4.1 |
| Birefringence | 0.008 – 0.009 |
Purple and violet sapphires are less common than other colored gemstones. Yet, they are seen as lucky stones, valued for their unique colors. These colors range from light pastels to deep shades. They often change color under different lights, a trait loved by gem collectors.
The Curse of the Delhi Purple Sapphire
The Delhi purple “sapphire” is wrapped in a dark legend. In 1857, during the Indian Mutiny, Colonel W. Ferris stole the gem from the Temple of Indra in Kanpur, India. He brought it to England, where it was said to be cursed.
Since then, the gem brought only bad luck to its owners. It caused financial troubles, health issues, and even suicide. The gem was said to be cursed.
Later, the gem was owned by Edward Heron-Allen, a scientist and writer. He tried many times to get rid of the gem, but it kept coming back. Experts later found out that the “Delhi purple sapphire” was actually an amethyst, not a sapphire.
“The Curse of the Delhi Purple Sapphire originated during the Indian Mutiny of 1857 when a Bengal cavalryman stole the gem from the sacred temple of Indra, the Hindu god of weather and war.”
The curse hit not just Colonel Ferris but also his son and a family friend. They faced financial troubles and even suicide. Edward Heron-Allen believed the gem brought misfortunes to him, his family, and friends.
Heron-Allen tried to throw the gem away, but it kept returning. He locked it away until his death. After his death, it was given to the Natural History Museum in London. There, it continued to cause bad luck, affecting a curator named John Whittaker.
The Delhi Purple Sapphire, actually an amethyst, is like other cursed gems like the Hope Diamond and the Black Orlov Diamond. It’s known for causing bad luck, health issues, and financial problems for its owners.
Purple Sapphire Healing Properties
The purple sapphire gem is more than just beautiful. It’s known for its healing powers, especially for emotional and spiritual health. It helps reduce worry, stress, and anxiety. It brings emotional balance and peace.
Emotional Healing
This gemstone boosts intuition, clarity, and self-control. When meditated with, it can help overcome loneliness, doubt, and past issues. It helps you understand your role in the universe better.
Chakra Healing
The purple sapphire is called the “Stone of Awakening.” It’s said to work on the crown chakra, which connects us to higher spiritual levels. This can improve psychic abilities, creativity, wisdom, and self-awareness.
| Healing Property | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Emotional Healing | Reduces stress, anxiety, and worry; promotes emotional balance and inner peace |
| Intuition and Clarity | Enhances intuition, self-mastery, and understanding of one’s higher purpose |
| Chakra Alignment | Activates and balances the crown chakra, stimulating spiritual awareness and connection |
Wearing the purple sapphire or meditating with it can help with personal growth, emotional healing, and spiritual enlightenment.
“The purple sapphire is a stone of awakening, connecting the wearer to higher planes of consciousness and unveiling the wisdom within.”
Purple Sapphire – Meaning, Benefits and Properties
The purple sapphire is a gemstone full of deep symbolism and amazing properties. It’s linked to royalty, elegance, and a high status. This gemstone is not just beautiful but also has spiritual and metaphysical benefits.
On a spiritual level, the purple sapphire boosts intuition, psychic skills, and awareness. It’s a key for meditation, opening the third eye chakra and deepening connection to the divine. It also inspires creativity and new ideas.
This gemstone also helps with emotional and physical healing. It eases stress, anxiety, and depression, bringing peace and clarity. It’s seen as protective, keeping its wearer safe from bad energies.
The purple sapphire is also known for its toughness, being second on the Mohs scale. This makes it very valuable in the jewelry world, especially for its deep purple color.
If you like the purple sapphire’s beauty, spiritual meaning, or its benefits, it can help with personal growth and well-being.
“The purple sapphire is a gemstone that embodies the power of royalty, the wisdom of the ages, and the transformative energy of the divine.”
Purple Sapphire Formation & Sources
Purple sapphires are a unique type of corundum gemstone, known for their deep color. This color comes from vanadium during their formation deep in the Earth. They are mainly found in Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Tanzania.
Mining Locations
Madagascar is a key source of these rare purple sapphires. Its varied landscapes and unique geology help create these gemstones. Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Tanzania also have these gemstones, each with its own special qualities.
The places where purple sapphire deposits are found affect their rarity and quality. Things like vanadium, formation depth, and local geology make each purple sapphire unique.
“The rarity and beauty of purple sapphires have made them highly prized throughout history, with each mining location offering its own unique treasures.”
Purple sapphires come from places like Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Tanzania. These gemstones are loved by jewelry fans and collectors all over the world.
Grading and Quality of Purple Sapphire
When looking at purple sapphires, several key factors matter. These include color, cut, clarity, carat weight, and treatments. Knowing these can help you choose the right gemstone.
Color
The purple color’s intensity and hue are key to a sapphire’s quality and price. The rarer, deeper purple stones are most wanted. They can be quite expensive because they are hard to find.
Cut
The cut of the gemstone affects its shine and look. Oval and emerald cuts, and the unique “star” cabochon, are loved for showing off the stone’s beauty.
Clarity
Clarity is crucial for purple sapphires. These stones usually have inclusions, and ones without are very rare. But, a little inclusions can make the stone more interesting.
Carat Weight
Bigger purple sapphires are rare. Size doesn’t always mean better quality, but big stones with great color and clarity are sought after.
Treatments
Some sapphires get heat treatment to look better. But, purple sapphires often don’t need much treatment. This makes them more rare and valuable.
Knowing these factors helps you pick the right purple sapphire for you. Work with trusted gemologists and jewelers to get a quality gemstone.
Symbolic Meanings and Lore
The purple sapphire is filled with deep symbolic meanings and stories from history and different cultures. Its regal purple color has always linked it to royalty, elegance, and luxury. This color was once only for the top class.
On a spiritual level, the purple sapphire boosts intuition, psychic abilities, and a deeper connection to the divine. It’s called the “Stone of Awakening.” It also inspires creativity, helping with artistic ideas and new ways of thinking.
The purple sapphire is seen as a protective stone. It helps with emotional healing and makes mental clarity and wise decision-making easier. The purple sapphire symbolizes transformation, inner strength, and a deeper understanding of one’s place in the universe.
- Sapphires were often marked with the head of Jupiter (Zeus) in the Hellenistic period (400-100 B.C.).
- Arabian kings wore sapphires to keep themselves safe from envy and harm.
- In Medieval times, sapphires were tested for infidelity, thought to change color if worn by the unfaithful.
- Persians believed Earth was balanced on a giant sapphire.
- Buddhists thought sapphires helped calm the mind for devotion to prayer and meditation.
- Sapphires were linked with chastity, piety, and repentance in Christianity.
| Color | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|
| Yellow Sapphire | Boosts intellect and cleanses toxins |
| Blue Sapphire | Helps with self-awareness and positive vibes |
| Pink Sapphire | Increases love, romance, and emotional healing |
| Purple Sapphire | Awakens intuition, creativity, and spiritual connection |
The purple sapphire has a rich history of being a gemstone of royalty, spirituality, and transformation.
“Each sapphire color is believed to have distinct attributes, such as yellow sapphires stimulating intellect and removing toxins, and blue sapphires promoting self-awareness and positive energy.”
Purple Sapphire Buying Guide
When you’re looking to buy a purple sapphire, there are key factors to keep in mind. The color is a big deal – the deeper and rarer purples cost more. The cut also matters, as a well-cut sapphire can look amazing. You’ll want to look for faceted cuts or cabochon-cut “star” sapphires.
Clarity is crucial, too. Natural purple sapphires usually have inclusions. Finding one without any inclusions is very rare. The carat weight is important, as big purple sapphires are hard to find. Some sapphires get a heat treatment to look better, but purple sapphires often don’t need much help.
Make sure the purple sapphire you buy is real and from a trusted dealer. This ensures you get a gemstone that’s both quality and value. By thinking about these things, you can find a beautiful purple sapphire for your collection.
- Focus on the color of the purple sapphire, as the rarer, more deeply saturated hues are the most valuable.
- Examine the cut of the gemstone, as a well-executed faceted or cabochon cut can enhance its brilliance and appearance.
- Consider the clarity of the purple sapphire, as natural inclusions are common, but flawless specimens are exceptionally rare.
- Look for purple sapphires with a desirable carat weight, as larger stones are scarce.
- Ensure the authenticity of the purple sapphire by working with a reputable dealer to guarantee its quality and value.
“Purple sapphires are rarer than their traditionally recognized blue counterparts, making them a highly coveted and valuable gemstone.”
Conclusion
The purple sapphire is more than just a beautiful gem. It has a deep history, symbolic meanings, and special properties. This gemstone is rare and comes in many colors. It’s also very durable and has healing powers.
People love the purple sapphire for its royal colors, spiritual importance, and healing effects. If you’re interested in this gemstone, you’ll find it full of wonder and magic. Enjoy its beauty, learn about its origins, and listen to the messages it brings.
Exploring the purple sapphire can inspire you to live fully and be creative. It helps you connect more with nature. The purple sapphire is not just a gemstone; it’s a gateway to a world full of possibilities. It blends the ordinary with the extraordinary in a beautiful way.
FAQ
What is purple sapphire?
Purple sapphire is a gemstone with a beautiful purple color. It gets this color from trace elements like iron and titanium. This stone is linked to royalty, spirituality, creativity, and wisdom.
What are the unique characteristics of purple sapphire?
Purple sapphire, also known as violet or plum sapphire, is a type of corundum. It comes in various purple shades. It’s the September birthstone and the zodiac stone for Taurus. This gemstone can change color, looking violet under some lights and purple or blue under others.
What is the legend surrounding the Delhi purple “sapphire”?
The Delhi purple “sapphire” has a mysterious story. In 1857, Colonel W. Ferris stole it from the Temple of Indra in Kanpur, India, during the Indian Mutiny. He brought it to England, where it was said to be cursed, causing misfortunes for its owners. It turned out to be an amethyst, not a sapphire.
What are the healing properties of purple sapphire?
Purple sapphire is known for its healing effects on emotions and spirit. It helps reduce worry, stress, and anxiety. It also helps quiet the mind, bringing emotional balance and peace.
On a spiritual level, it’s called the “Stone of Awakening.” It helps activate and balance the crown chakra. This enhances intuition, clarity, and self-awareness.
What is the meaning and significance of purple sapphire?
Purple sapphire is linked to royalty and elegance, symbolizing prestige and luxury. It’s believed to boost awareness, intuition, and psychic abilities. This makes it useful for meditation and personal growth.
It also inspires creativity, artistic expression, and innovative thinking. Plus, it’s protective, aiding in emotional healing and mental clarity. It helps in making wise decisions.
Where do purple sapphires form, and what are the primary sources?
Purple sapphires form deep in the Earth, like other sapphires. Vanadium gives them their purple color. Top sources include Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Tanzania, with Madagascar being a key supplier.
How are purple sapphires graded and valued?
Purple sapphires are judged by color, cut, clarity, carat weight, and treatments. The deeper, rarer purple colors are more valuable. Cut, clarity, and size also affect the gem’s value and appeal.
What should I consider when buying a purple sapphire?
When buying a purple sapphire, look at the color, cut, clarity, and size. The deeper purple colors are pricier. A good cut and clarity are key. Size matters too, as big ones are rare.
Make sure the gemstone is real and buy from a trusted dealer. This ensures you get a quality gem that’s worth your money.