Sapphire is a common stone that everyone has heard of and seen, but what people don’t know is that sapphire comes in a variety of different colors, not just the standard blue. One of the rarest colors of this gemstone is green.
The green sapphire is a green colored gemstone that is considered to be highly precious and rare; it belongs to the mineral family called corundum. The green sapphire has deep meaning embedded; it is believed that this gemstone will help people finding their right path, that of dignity and integrity. The two most related attributes with it are trust and loyalty.
Wearing this gemstone means that it will work on your heart and fill it with understanding and compassion for the world and looking at other people from a unique perspective. It helps a person develop a higher level of tolerance and patience for others.
This post is all about what you want ever to know pertaining to Green Sapphire. If you find it useful, don’t forget to do share. Let’s get it started!
Meaning
Even though it is a sapphire, the color of the gemstone means that it will have different properties (metaphysical) and vibrational patterns than that of its family. Corundum is an aluminum oxide mineral that is said to occur in prismatic tabular or rhombohedral, or bipyramidal crystals; which can be opaque or transport, depending on the properties. This name is originated from India and is used to define opaque gemstones (this involves all dull colors). All corundum’s that you will find will be sapphires, except the red one, which will always be a Ruby.
It is said that the green sapphire is not only pleasing to the eyes, but it also is helpful for people who are searching for a spiritual side of themselves. It helps build tranquility as well. Also, all sapphires are said to be a stone of wisdom; they are said to help people achieve clarity, self-awareness, and better intuition. This stone, along with its family is a symbol of strength, great fortune, power, and clarity. It is also thought that it helps people who are looking for spiritual insight as well.
To get the best benefits of green sapphire, it is usually a good idea to wear it. The green sapphire rings, particularly the engagement rings are the most popular choice.
Properties
Physical Properties
The traces of iron formations present in the green sapphire are the reason that it gets the color green; depending on the level of these formations the color will deepen or become dull. This also makes green sapphires one of the densest gemstones to date. There are times when a gemstone has blue and yellow both present, which makes the stone look green. The green sapphire has only just made its way into the market as it is a rare stone; its popularity is gradually increasing. Funnily enough, this color is still priced lower than blue or yellow sapphires.
You will find some star sapphires to exist as well; these are made with inter-grown fibrous rutile. This rutile (also called silk) reflects the light which gives the impression of a star. Such sapphires are hard to find which is why they are very rare and are of more value.
Metaphysical Healing Properties
There are multiple ways in which a green sapphire helps in the healing process of a person’s body.
Physical Healing Energy
If a person is suffering from strained eyesight and is looking for a gemstone to help, then many experts recommend the green sapphire. It gives out physical healing energy that helps improve eyesight and also soothe eyestrain.
Secondly, it is effective in helping healing and calm body systems that are in overdrive by ensuring that the glands work at a regular pace. it also helps in treating blood-related issues such as blood disorders, and decrease high amounts of bleeding; it works by making the veins stronger and more elastic.
Emotional Healing Energy
The stone helps a person reach a higher level of compassion; it ensures that a person tries to be more patient, have more respect for others choices and increases understanding. Its emotional healing energy is said to drive a person to achieve personal drive and encourage and focus them on improving their own life.
Star hue green sapphire make great healing crystals for people who are suffering from an inferiority complex, people who are introverts, fear standing up for them, or feel like they are good for nothing. Somehow they also help a person realize and follow their dreams and achieve them.
Balancing and Chakra Healing
The heart chakra can be found in the middle of the chest bone. This chakra is the reason behind our interaction with the world and also controls our acceptance and resistance towards things; this is what helps us balance our lives in our surrounding environment. If this chakra becomes unbalanced, then we either become dominating or submissive, which then affects the people around us.
There will be times when you feel responding harshly to a situation that occurs every day; it is due to this imbalance. The energy from the green sapphire helps in finding the balance again and putting the heart chakra back in its place, ensuring that we understand our emotions better. This way we can deal with the external situations the way we actually should, and accept the changes the world brings about.
Green Sapphire in jewelry uses
Like every gemstone, you can get/find almost any type of green sapphire jewelry, or even get it to make into a ring, necklace, earrings or pendant. Anything is possible with this stone, it all depends on how you prefer to wear it and how close do you want it to your skin. For the best healing impact, the stone should touch the skin. if you want it to help with your heart chakra, then go for a green sapphire pendant or necklace so that it’s near to the heart.
For every piece of jewelry you have to look at a few things to that you get your hands on the best deal; here are a few things you should look into when choosing green sapphire jewelry.
Color
The value and the beauty of the green sapphire will be determined by its color; this is also true for any color sapphire that you are looking to buy. The green sapphire comes in a wide range of green colors, and one stone color can differ dramatically from the other. You can find one in the deepest green color and some it can be of the dullest color; it is your preference which you choose, but the color will also determine its value. The more intense and consistent the color of the stone, the more expensive it will be. While checking the color of the sapphire, make sure you look into these three things:
- Hue – there should be some hints of yellow and blue in the sapphire so that it can get its green color. So you need to check where on the color spectrum does the stone lie: completely green, yellow-green, blue-green, or yellow-blue.
- Tone – the tone will define how dark or light the sapphire is; green ones vary from light, dull to deep and dark green. It is mostly suggested that one should opt for the color whose tone is somewhere in the middle of the two as light ones look fake or unimpressive, and with dark ones, you will not be able to tell the actual color of the stone.
- Saturation – the brightness and the vibrancy of the color is what is called the saturation. Most green sapphire you find will be low in saturation which is why they seem like khaki or olive. Stones with dark colors or vividness are hard to come by (highly saturated).
Clarity
The rutile needles (thin and long inclusions, better known as silk) are the most common inclusion in sapphires. If you find a sapphire that does not have these inclusions then you have one of the rarest stones in your hand. Nowadays, most of the green sapphires are heat-treated which ensures better clarity, ensuring that these inclusions do not have any impact on the overall look of the stone. There are other stones in which a gemologist will use higher levels of magnifications to ensure that there are no imperfections in the stone; whereas, a green sapphire needs to be clean to the eye and no inclusions should be seen.
Cut
For many stones, there are standardized systems to ensure that they are cut perfectly and their beauty shows off. For a green sapphire, these systems do not apply; they are beautiful on their own. To ensure that the green sapphire is best looking, it should have a symmetrical cut; this cut will reflect the light at all the right angles and ensure the beauty intensifies. Sapphires that are finished usually have deeper cuts than most other gemstones.
Some gemstones have defined shapes, for example, a diamond has the princess cut. But for a green sapphire, there is no great option in terms of shape. You will find them to be mostly oval or circular. Other types of cuts available are emerald, princess or pear cuts.
Carat weight
There is a variety of carat weights available in green sapphires; you will find small ones which will be a fraction of a carat and large ones with the highest carat rate. As the carat weight of the stone increases, so does its value. The bigger the stone is the more will be carat rate of the stone which will mean that the price will increase accordingly.
Green sapphires are mostly heavier than other stones such as diamonds, which is why one-carat sapphire will look smaller than one-carat diamond (it’s the weight of the stone that counts). The best way to compare different sapphire is by checking their dimensions; you will get a fair idea of the weight and value.
Where does Green Sapphire come from
One of the main questions that people wonder about is where are green sapphire mostly found. Well, this gemstone occurs in Myanmar, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Few places in Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Brazil, Thailand, and the USA also have a green sapphire. But the main source of this gemstone is in Australia. These stones are mined in particular places in these mentioned countries.
How much is Green Sapphire worth
The worth of a green sapphire will be dependent on a few different factors; the color, the cut, and the carat weight of the stone. The higher the carat weight, the pricier it will be, and the darker the sapphire the higher will be the price.
However, if you are looking for good quality and good sized green sapphire, then the price can range somewhere between $250 to $350.
Where to buy Green Sapphire
Usually Etsy or Amazon is a good idea. Etsy is the leading online global marketplace of handmade, vintage, and creative goods. Amazon is one of the largest global online marketplaces. Both of them are reliable and easy to find your favorite items there.
How to identify Green Sapphire
Identifying almost any gemstone is hard, mostly because others come in the same color. For green sapphire, the competition is an emerald. A person who does not know much about gemstones can easily confuse the two. The best way to identify a green sapphire and its quality are by:
Checking for scratches – the green sapphire is the second densest of all gemstones; this means that it is highly durable and its hardness rating will be about 9 on the Mohs scale. This means that any object which has a hardness rating lower than or equal to that of the sapphire will not be able to scratch the stone. Glass, spinel, and zirconia all have a lower hardness rating than that.
So if you have a stone that has nicks or scratches, then the chances are that it is fake. if the surface is clean, then try scratching it yourself with a key; if you can give it scratch marks then it is possible the stone is made of glass and not a real green sapphire, as a real one will not get any scratches this way.
Check for any flaws – natural stone is formed with inclusions in them, sometimes they even have some other foreign type of matter present in them as well; this is natural with any gemstone as they are formed in such an environment. This is one of the main features that help to differentiate between pure and synthetic sapphires. With the help of a magnifying glass, you can check your sapphire to find any type of impurity or flaws; their presence will ensure that the stone is real. If there is none then you can be sure that the stone man-made and is synthetic.
Line and bubble inclusions – if you can identify any bubble inside the gemstone, then the chances are that it is glass. The best way to go about it is to check the stone from all angles with a magnifying glass. If you see any white thread-like lines interconnecting with each other, then the chances are that the stone is a composite sapphire.
The breath test – even though the test is very basic, it can tell you whether your stone is genuine or not. take the stone in your palm and start breathing on it till fog appears, then check how long it takes for the fog to evaporate. If the stone is real, then the fog will vanish quickly (one or 2 seconds tops) as this stone is a good heat conductor. If the time of evaporation is 5 seconds or above, then your stone is fake.
Show an expert – the last and sure way of identifying a real sapphire is by showing it to an expert gemologist. They will use their tools to check whether it is pure or not and will also provide you a certificate of authenticity if it is. The report will include all necessary details of the stone including its origin and whether it has undergone any treatments or not. With a certificate, you will find it easier to sell the sapphire at its true price as well.
How to wear Green Sapphire
If you want the full effects of the green sapphire crystal, then the best way to wear it is in a way that the maximum part of the stone touches your skin. You can wear it around your neck, or as a ring (preferably the index finger).
The best time to wear it is in the day time when the sun is out, and preferably at the end of the week for a better energy impact.
How to cleanse Green Sapphire
The best part about green sapphire is that they do not require too much maintenance, but as people tend to wear them out in the open too often, then the wear and tear start to show, and grime starts to accumulate around the stone as well. You can give them to a jewelry cleaner to help you clean them up, however, even that is not necessary as you can easily maintain it at home. All you need is some warm water and some degreasing dish detergent as well; make sure that the stone completely covered as well.
Abrasives or moisturizers added in the soap can leave residue on the stone, so make sure that your dishwashing liquid does not have that. Swirl the piece of jewelry in the liquid and leave it for about 20 minutes (the dirtier the sapphire, the longer time you should leave it in).
If you feel the need, then take a small brush, like a toothbrush, and scrub it out, this way you will be able to reach all the nooks and corners. Once the time is up, wash it with warm water and dry it off with a soft cloth (cotton). If you feel that the stone still has a cloudy appearance, and then repeat the process, this time add a little ammonia to the mix.
Consider the setting
When cleaning your stone, you also need to consider the type of metal that is used to make the jewelry as different metals will react differently to the type of chemicals you use. If the jewelry is made up of platinum or gold, then water and dish soap will be fine. However, make sure that you dry out the entire thing properly so that there are no watermarks left as it will have a huge impact on the appearance of the stone, and that the stone does not loosen from its place. Ammonia will not harm gold as long as it is not used often and in higher amounts.
On the other hand, you will find that silver jewelry is a bit more sensitive which is why you will have to take better care while cleaning. The best way to go about it is to use aluminum foil as the base, place the piece of jewelry on top, and sprinkle loads of baking soda on top, and then add hot water until the entire piece is covered. Take it out after a few minutes and your jewelry will be as good as new.
Professional cleaning
If you have an expensive and higher quality sapphire, then it is best to opt for professional cleaning and examination. The process does not cost much, and if you take it back where you bought it from, chances are that you will be able to get the cleaning done for free.
Make sure that the jeweler inspects your stone first before choosing the cleaning method as steaming or ultrasound methods can cause damage.
Difference between Green Sapphire and Emerald
Two of the major differences between a green sapphire and emerald are that emeralds have a higher price tag, and they are brighter and more vivid than a green sapphire. Their hardness and durability are also quite different from each other (sapphire are 9 Mohs and emeralds are 8 Mohs), emeralds being lesser durable and more susceptible to scratches and cracks.
Emeralds have many flaws and inclusions, which is why they are oiled (to improve their color and clarity), which is a process that green sapphires do not have to go through.
Another difference is that the crystals in green sapphires are trigonal and those in emeralds are hexagonal meaning that sapphires can have different cuts but emeralds are only limited to a few.
Final Words
The green sapphire is one of the best and classiest stones that you can wear. since it has its own set of healing properties, it is best that you go for this stone if you want to fix your heart chakra or you want a better perspective of the world.
The stone is one of a kind and comes in a range of green colors, though it costs less than other colored sapphires, it does not mean that it is any bit less significant than those.
