What is arguably the most well-known sapphire engagement ring in the world of the last 30 odd years or so is the 19 carat oval blue sapphire engagement ring that Princess Diana chose for herself after Prince Charles proposed to her. Her relatively unconventional choice of ring did not come without its own share of scandal and royal derision at the time. Scoffers, some of whom were members of the royal family, said that the future Princess of Wales had chosen a ring that any Jane could buy retail instead of having one custom made. At the time, assuming the plain Jane in question had a mere $60,000 in chump change to spare, she could avail of the very same kind of ring. (Oh the royal horror!) Still, notwithstanding the "shame" of having to wear a mere commoner's sapphire, Princess Diana's famed engagement ring rekindled the public's fascination for sapphires, and much to the chagrin of top drawer British royalty, a clamoring from mere peasants all over the world for jewelers to make them their very own "Diana ring" was heard.
It is an oft forgotten fact that prior to our modern day fixation on diamonds as the gemstone du jour for engagement rings, a phenomenon I attribute primarily to the aggressive marketing efforts of De Beers of South Africa, sapphires were once regarded as more precious than diamonds for their rarity and their spectacular color. European royalty from the centuries back seemed to favor both sapphires and rubies (blue and red specie of the genus corundum respectively) as gemstones of choice for their promise rings. Empress Josephine of France, wife to Napoleon Bonaparte, had for her most priced possession the parure of Queen Marie Antoinette, a 7-piece jewelry set containing approximately 29 sapphires of which many were larger than 20 carats.
Sapphires are believed to symbolize trust, fidelity, and faithfulness, all of which are characteristics one promises when proposing. It makes perfect romantic sense then to opt for a sapphire engagement ring if you are the type to cherish things that are imbued with great personal meaning. On the level of pure practicality, sapphires rank a 9 out of 10 on the Moh's scale of hardness, second only to diamonds. Great news for people who are concerned about their inherent durability. So, unless you're planning on scratching your sapphire with a diamond, it will stay beautiful and smooth for years and years.
In the wake of the engagement of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, sapphires were catapulted to center stage once more. The sight of the familiar-looking ring of Princess Di reminded people yet again that the lovely gemstone makes for a stunning and unique engagement ring. Nowadays, sapphires of the fancy pink variety are extremely popular as an alternative to the standard diamond engagement ring. The beauty of pink sapphires is, depending on the shade and color saturation, it could easily look like a fancy pink diamond but without the hefty price tag of the latter.
Flash/Flame Fusion, Flux Grown, & Czochralski
Just as it is possible to create lab diamonds, it is possible to create lab corundum. In 1902, a French chemist by the name of Auguste Verneuil developed a process for creating synthetic sapphire crystals. The eponymous Verneuil Process, otherwise known as the flash fusion process, involves adding fine alumina powder to an oxyhydrogen flame (the chemical composition of corundum after all is Al2O3 or Aluminum Oxide) and then subsequently directed downward towards a mantle. The alumina in the flame is slowly deposited which creates a teardrop shaped "boule" of sapphire material. Chemical dopants are then added to create artificial versions of the ruby, and all the other natural colors of sapphire.
Verneuil sapphires are quite easy to make. These grown crystals have high internal strains and are visibly different from natural and flux grown sapphires in terms of crystal structure when looked at through a microscope. So, while Verneuil sapphires can be legally called synthetic sapphires, gemologically their internal structure is quite different from natural or even flux grown sapphires. As mentioned in an earlier post, to legally and technically qualify as being laboratory-grown, “lab created” or “synthetic”, the gemstone must have the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the gemstone to which it is being referred. Read more information on the difference between "synthetic" and "simulated" stones here.
The Czochralski process, which was discovered in 1916 by a Polish scientist named Jan Czochralski while investigating the crystallization rates of metals, is a method of crystal growth used to obtain single crystals of semiconductors (e.g. silicon, germanium and gallium arsenide), metals (e.g. palladium, platinum, silver, gold), salts and synthetic gemstones. In this process a tiny sapphire seed crystal is dipped into a crucible made of the precious metal iridium or molybdenum, containing molten alumina, and then slowly withdrawn upward at a rate of one to 100 mm per hour. The alumina crystallizes on the end, creating long carrot-shaped boules of large size up to 200 kg in mass.
In contrast, flux grown/Chatham sapphires take up to 14 months to grow. The Chatham process is cursorily described as one that duplicates the conditions found deep in the earth and the crystals are left to "cook," as it were, over a long period of time. The end result is a crystalline structure that is identical to natural sapphires. It takes a trained gemologist to discern the difference between a Chatham sapphire and a naturally mined one. Today, the Chatham method is still proprietary and the family-owned company is the only one in the world that produces flux grown sapphires.
Lab grown or synthetic sapphires are the same as their natural-mined counterparts optically, physically, and chemically. However, a stern warning is made to sellers who do not disclose at the point of sale that their sapphires are synthetic as opposed to natural mined. It is not for the seller to decide which information is relevant or irrelevant for you as a buyer. The distinction of natural mined versus synthetic is still important for gem buyers and sellers are ethically obligated to disclose the nature of the stones they're selling.
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Coming attraction: Pink sapphire bridal set in solid 14K rose gold. Set includes a pear cut pink sapphire engagement ring set in delicate pavé diamonds along the halo and shank and a pavé diamond wishbone wedding band to match. Stay tuned for Belle Mer Bijoux's first offering this Christmas season.
It is an oft forgotten fact that prior to our modern day fixation on diamonds as the gemstone du jour for engagement rings, a phenomenon I attribute primarily to the aggressive marketing efforts of De Beers of South Africa, sapphires were once regarded as more precious than diamonds for their rarity and their spectacular color. European royalty from the centuries back seemed to favor both sapphires and rubies (blue and red specie of the genus corundum respectively) as gemstones of choice for their promise rings. Empress Josephine of France, wife to Napoleon Bonaparte, had for her most priced possession the parure of Queen Marie Antoinette, a 7-piece jewelry set containing approximately 29 sapphires of which many were larger than 20 carats.
Sapphires are believed to symbolize trust, fidelity, and faithfulness, all of which are characteristics one promises when proposing. It makes perfect romantic sense then to opt for a sapphire engagement ring if you are the type to cherish things that are imbued with great personal meaning. On the level of pure practicality, sapphires rank a 9 out of 10 on the Moh's scale of hardness, second only to diamonds. Great news for people who are concerned about their inherent durability. So, unless you're planning on scratching your sapphire with a diamond, it will stay beautiful and smooth for years and years.
In the wake of the engagement of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, sapphires were catapulted to center stage once more. The sight of the familiar-looking ring of Princess Di reminded people yet again that the lovely gemstone makes for a stunning and unique engagement ring. Nowadays, sapphires of the fancy pink variety are extremely popular as an alternative to the standard diamond engagement ring. The beauty of pink sapphires is, depending on the shade and color saturation, it could easily look like a fancy pink diamond but without the hefty price tag of the latter.
Flash/Flame Fusion, Flux Grown, & Czochralski
Just as it is possible to create lab diamonds, it is possible to create lab corundum. In 1902, a French chemist by the name of Auguste Verneuil developed a process for creating synthetic sapphire crystals. The eponymous Verneuil Process, otherwise known as the flash fusion process, involves adding fine alumina powder to an oxyhydrogen flame (the chemical composition of corundum after all is Al2O3 or Aluminum Oxide) and then subsequently directed downward towards a mantle. The alumina in the flame is slowly deposited which creates a teardrop shaped "boule" of sapphire material. Chemical dopants are then added to create artificial versions of the ruby, and all the other natural colors of sapphire.
Verneuil sapphires are quite easy to make. These grown crystals have high internal strains and are visibly different from natural and flux grown sapphires in terms of crystal structure when looked at through a microscope. So, while Verneuil sapphires can be legally called synthetic sapphires, gemologically their internal structure is quite different from natural or even flux grown sapphires. As mentioned in an earlier post, to legally and technically qualify as being laboratory-grown, “lab created” or “synthetic”, the gemstone must have the same optical, physical, and chemical properties as the gemstone to which it is being referred. Read more information on the difference between "synthetic" and "simulated" stones here.
The Czochralski process, which was discovered in 1916 by a Polish scientist named Jan Czochralski while investigating the crystallization rates of metals, is a method of crystal growth used to obtain single crystals of semiconductors (e.g. silicon, germanium and gallium arsenide), metals (e.g. palladium, platinum, silver, gold), salts and synthetic gemstones. In this process a tiny sapphire seed crystal is dipped into a crucible made of the precious metal iridium or molybdenum, containing molten alumina, and then slowly withdrawn upward at a rate of one to 100 mm per hour. The alumina crystallizes on the end, creating long carrot-shaped boules of large size up to 200 kg in mass.
In contrast, flux grown/Chatham sapphires take up to 14 months to grow. The Chatham process is cursorily described as one that duplicates the conditions found deep in the earth and the crystals are left to "cook," as it were, over a long period of time. The end result is a crystalline structure that is identical to natural sapphires. It takes a trained gemologist to discern the difference between a Chatham sapphire and a naturally mined one. Today, the Chatham method is still proprietary and the family-owned company is the only one in the world that produces flux grown sapphires.
Lab grown or synthetic sapphires are the same as their natural-mined counterparts optically, physically, and chemically. However, a stern warning is made to sellers who do not disclose at the point of sale that their sapphires are synthetic as opposed to natural mined. It is not for the seller to decide which information is relevant or irrelevant for you as a buyer. The distinction of natural mined versus synthetic is still important for gem buyers and sellers are ethically obligated to disclose the nature of the stones they're selling.
---
Coming attraction: Pink sapphire bridal set in solid 14K rose gold. Set includes a pear cut pink sapphire engagement ring set in delicate pavé diamonds along the halo and shank and a pavé diamond wishbone wedding band to match. Stay tuned for Belle Mer Bijoux's first offering this Christmas season.