Sapphire - Gemstone

Sapphire is the gem-variety of Corundum. It is one of the rarest and most valuable precious gemstones. It is a very desirable gemstone due to its excellent colour, hardness, durability, and lustre. Sapphire is either faceted or cabochon i.e. dome-shape for use in rings, pendants, ear rings and pins. It may be linked between expanses of chains for wrist or neckwear.

Sapphire is the birthstone of Virgo. The timeframe starts from 22 August - 22 September. It is the anniversary gemstone for the 5th and 45th year of marriage.

The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire whose reflection gave the sky its colour. According to a historian, Sapphire was worn by kings of ancient times to protect them from harm. It was also believed that sapphire would protect the wearer from envy and attract divine favour. Legend has it that if a poisonous snake is put into a vessel along with a sapphire, the rays from the gem would kill it. The sapphire was an antidote against poison.

At one time, any blue gem material was called sapphire. Fine, needle-like inclusions are the things that give sapphires their velvety quality. These inclusions are often numerous enough to make the stone translucent and are oriented properly. The finest sapphire colour is rich, velvety cornflower blue. This is called "Kashmir" out of deference to the traditional source of the finest quality. Currently this gem is produced in Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Montana, Australia and Africa.

Sapphires are found in a variety of colours. People generally think that sapphires are blue in colour. However; colourless, pink, orange, green, golden, yellow, purple and black are also available. Corundum, which is sapphires mineral name, occurs in red, but this is known as Ruby. A particularly lovely pinkish-orange is referred to as "Padparadscha Sapphire", which is taken from the Sinhalese for lotus-coloured. Nowadays, sapphire is classified by its colour in the gem trade i.e. green colour sapphire is "Green Sapphire". Colourless sapphire is usually called "White Sapphire".

There are some varieties of sapphire. One of them can be mentioned as "Kashmir Sapphire". These are the sapphires with a distinct velvety-blue colour. "Cornflower Blue Sapphire" is another variety. "Star Sapphire" is the one displaying asterism. There is some colour changing Sapphire. This Sapphire exhibits a different colour in natural and artificial light. "Bi-coloured Sapphire" is the Sapphire with more than one colour. "Cat"s Eye Sapphire" is basically the Sapphires exhibiting cat"s eye effect, "Fancy Sapphire" is known as any sapphire with a colour other than blue. "Verneuil Sapphire" is synthetic and laboratory-grown sapphire.

Benefits of Sapphire are numerous and are very useful among people. The Sapphire is the gem variety of Corundum. This precious gemstone is vastly adorned for its rapturous beauty and wide variety of colours. Sapphires are used for its healing properties in medical science. In astrology this gem is hugely advised by the astrologers to solve some acute problems. Sapphires are vastly used in jewellery designing for its magical beauty. Different colours of sapphires are placed in contrast with other materials like pearl, gold, diamond, silver to create wonder full necklace, ear ring, rings, armlet and so on.

Medical Benefits of Sapphire : Sapphires are believed to deliver healthful benefits to its wearers. This gem is long cherished to promote the treatment of diseases like colic, rheumatism, and mental illness, in particular depression. Sapphire is capable to cure mental confusion and tension. It brings mental balance. According to the ancient mythology the yellow sapphire or the Pukhraj has lots of medicinal properties. It is beneficial to the sufferer of diseases of kidneys and skin disease. This stone has the power to cure the irritation of poisonous insect bites.

Red coloured sapphire or Ruby is well known for its curing properties of the diseases like high and low blood pressure, piles, diabetes, cholera, dysentery and diarrhoea. Blue Sapphire is recommended for depressive psychosis, frustration, alcoholism, kidney problems, nerve disease and paralysis. Green Sapphire helps to boost the immune system.

Astrological Benefits of Sapphire : In Indian astrology sapphire has lots of uses. The red Sapphire or Ruby is advised to the people having affected Sun in the horoscope. It delivers power, authority, courage and boldness to its wearer. It helps to stable financially and to get a sound career. Blue sapphire or Neela is worn to bring its wearer name, fame, wealth, health, happiness and prosperity. This stone is worn to reduce the malicious effects of Saturn planet. Yellow sapphire is well known to enhance the wisdom and spiritualism of its wearer.

Sapphires have other benefits also. Different coloured sapphires are used widely in Jewellery. Beautiful neckpieces, ear ring, rings and other jewelleries are designed having sapphires. Blue sapphire or Neela is related to throat chakra that encourages the outcome of truth. Neela is beneficial during meditation. Green sapphire balances the Anahata chakra. Besides this the benefits of sapphire have also been found in its uses in the fields of electronics and construction.

Yellow Sapphire is a gemstone. It is found in the Himalayas, Sri Lanka and Russia. It is hefty, smooth, crystalline and available in many colours like white, light and dark yellow and light orange. A benefit of Yellow Sapphire is immense. The gemstone related to Jupiter is yellow sapphire, most advantageous to natives of Sagittarius and Pisces signs of zodiac. Jupiter is the largest and heaviest planet in the solar system and the teacher (Guru) of Gods.

Benefits of Yellow Sapphire : Benefits of Yellow Sapphire are immense and are known as gem of gems as people were so entranced by the beauty. People say that yellow sapphires enhance the opportunity of prosperity and also guides the way towards making money. It also helps in many healing processes. It is the birthstone for the September month, and it used as a gift or may be an alternative stone for people born in the month of November. Some of the benefits of yellow sapphire can be listed as follows;

1. Yellow Sapphire provides will power and also helps to fulfill the dreams. Just like Jupiter is considered as the teacher of God, so yellow sapphire represent religion, wisdom in human life. Person wearing yellow sapphire gets enlightened in the field of wit, law, ethics, pleasure of getting issues, happiness, physical bliss, long life, cleverness, active health, food grains, love, glory and mental satisfaction and peace. It is very useful for barristers, traders and writers, and also for businessmen.

2. Yellow sapphire is also useful for spinsters or girls approaching marriage age. Wearing this gemstone can actually help to remove the delay in the way of marriage. It also helps to improve conjugal life for a married couple as well. This gemstone helps to control anger by proving the much needed sharp sightedness. Yellow sapphire also helps to strengthen the bondage of friendship. And also helps to eradicate the risk of accidental death.

3. Yellow sapphire also helps to concentrate in life and assists in focusing on what one wants to achieve in life. It provides energy to the mind and provides warmth in relationship. It is also used to heal diseases like arthritis, impotency and heart attack.

4. Yellow sapphire is very useful in Vastu Shastra as it is used to attune positive energy, enhances peace of mind, wealth and harmony.

Rituals for Wearing Yellow Sapphire : Rings made of Yellow Sapphire should weigh at least 3 Ratti (360 mg). Its effect grows with its weight. It should be embedded in gold or five metals (Panch Dhatu). It should be worn in the 1st finger, on a Thursday morning at dawn after worshipping the Banana Tree and chanting a mantra: "Om Gum Guruve Namah".

After this, the wearer should donate gram pulse, yellow flower, cloth and money to a Brahmin. In order to make the position of Jupiter prosperous and to get the best advantage from yellow sapphire, the wearer should feed a horse with gram pulse on Thursdays.

Yellow Sapphire keeps on influencing the wearer for 4 years, 3 month and 18 days. It should be worn by natives of the Sagittarius sign of zodiac and whose names begin with yae, yo, bha, bhi, bhu, dha, pha, udha, bhay and the Pisces sign of zodiac, and whose names begin with- Dee, Du, gha, jha, gyan, day, do cha, chee.

People who are born on date 3, 12, 21 and 30 of any month or in the period between 15th March to 13th April and between16th December to 14th January can also wear Yellow Sapphire. An individual whose lucky number is 3 and whose Jupiter is in the weakening or distressed, can also wear Yellow Sapphire.

Blue Sapphire is represents Saturn, which rules the zodiacal signs Aquarius and Capricorn. The Blue Sapphire is amongst the strongest gemstones and its results are affected immediately. The stone is also known as Neelam or Shanipriya or Shauri Ratna. In Sanskrit, it has many names like Neelmani, Indraneel, Neelopal and Mahaneel. Among the five elements, air is the element that represents the Blue Sapphire. The cosmic colour of Blue Sapphire is violet.

Types of Blue Sapphire : The gemstone Blue Sapphire has two distinct types, Jalnil and Indranil. The Jalnil type is basically darker on the edges and corner and has a lighter colour towards the centre. Indranil, as the name suggests, is dark blue in colour that has similarity with the colour of peacock`s neck.

In addition, the Blue sapphire is a composite of oxygen and aluminium. It is accessible in pink, blue, violet and sky blue colours. Blue Sapphire is believed to have the ability to give mental peace to a person.

Availability of Blue Sapphire : The Blue Sapphire of Kashmir is of excellent quality, but it is now banned as the blue sapphire mines have been shut down by the government. Blue sapphire of Sri Lanka is dark and light in colour and also transparent. Blue sapphire is found also in Kenya, Russia, Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, America Australia and Tanzania.

Benefits of Blue Sapphire : On the condition that the gemstone suits a person, it proves fruitful and valuable to the person wearing the stone as there will be gains in all aspects. It eradicates mistakes, sicknesses, poverty and grief, and enhances success, vigour, splendour, health and over all well being of family members. It helps in curing depressed and frustrated individuals and also helps in treating alcoholics. It also restores lost belongings, which the occupant of the stone may have lost earlier. If it proved disappointing, it might render all efforts and actions useless and may wreck everything of the occupant of the Blue Sapphire. Blue sapphire is most useful to people in business as well as service, particularly to real estate dealers, transporters, factory owners, contractors, dealers of heavy machinery, hawkers, workers and labourers, financial sector employees etc.

It is supposed to provide mental peace to a person when it is worn near the heart. Wicked thoughts are removed and the individual remains calm and gentle by wearing the blue sapphire. People belonging to the zodiacs of Aquarius and Capricorn, can generally wear blue sapphire without hesitation. Though, discontinued from using, if the colour of the stone changes or if it is fractured, because this is a sign or warning to the person wearing the stone that the gem needs to be replaced. Evening is considered to be an auspicious time to purchase the Blue sapphire. The weight of the Blue Sapphire should be at least 3 Ratti (360 mg).

Rituals for Wearing Blue Sapphire : According to Hindu beliefs, Blue sapphire should be implanted in silver or fused five metals or iron rings. On Saturday, the ring should be placed inside a copper bowl filled with water. It can be worn in the middle finger, after pouring the bowl water the base of a Peepal tree before darkness, all the while narrating "Om Aim Hreem Shanecharaya Namah". Mustard oil, soap, black urad, tea leaves, salt, cash or Dakshina, should be bequeathed on the base of the Peepul tree followed by a pray for general well being. A Shiva lingam should be showered with milk and furthermore, cotton seeds and leaves should be fed to male buffalo.

The gem affects the person for around five years from the inception. A person whose name starts with - ja, bho, khu, jee, khee, kho, khay, gee, gaa, and people coming under Aquarius and Capricorn with names beginning with- gay, gu, so, saa, go, su, see, say, daa should possess the blue sapphire. Any person born on the dates 8th, 17th and 26th of any month or born in the period of 15th January to 14th March should possess the blue sapphire.

Maintenance of Blue Sapphire : The Blue Sapphire, one of the sturdiest gemstones, should be cleansed with tepid water, washing powder, and soft brush.

However caution should be taken before a person wears the Blue Sapphire. Furthermore it should not be worn if the person also possesses ruby, pearl or coral on any part of his/her body.