Blue Star Sapphire for Sale at AwesomeGems.com

Star Sapphire Information
THE ALTERNATE BIRTHSTONE for AUGUST
MOH's scale of hardness : 9	Toughness : Excellent
Refractive Index : 1.762-1.770 (+.009, -.005)	Specific Gravity : 4.00 (+.10,-.05)
Sapphire sometimes displays a three-ray, six-point star. These star sapphires are cut in a smooth domed cabochon cut to display the effect. The star is best visible when illuminated with a single light source: it moves across the stone as the light moves. This effect, called asterism, is caused by light reflecting off tiny needle like rutile (called "silk") arranged in three sets of parallel needles that intersect one another at 60^o angles. Star Sapphire is usually found in Blue colors, but there are also various shades of brown and green that are called Black Star Sapphire. Orange and Yellow Star Sapphires are almost unknown, and very rare. Color Changing Star Sapphires are even more of a rarity. The value of star sapphires are influenced by at least these two things: 1) the intensity and attractiveness of the body color, and 2) the strength and sharpness of the star. Of course all six legs should be fairly straight and equally prominent. Star sapphires rarely have the combination of a fine translucent or transparent color and a sharp prominent star, but when offered, these gems are highly valued and the most expensive. There are not very many chemicals that could attack this gem, but if boiled in a diamond cleaning kit the stone can lose it's polish, also Jewelers pickling solutions containing boron will etch the surface. Our source for fine Star Sapphire is Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), known for producing a fine variety of Sapphire. We occasionally come across a Burma Star, and these are even more of a rarity thus commanding an extremely high premium. Other sources for Star Sapphires are Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, Kampuchea, and India. Fine Burma and Ceylon Star Sapphires are highly valued Collectors Gemstones. TREATMENTS - Genuine Star Sapphire is not typically treated with 'heat' or any other treatment to enhance the color or alter the clarity. If a Star Sapphire were to be heated the person doing the heating seriously risks dissolving the rutile needles that cause the asterism to form a star, thus rendering it a plain Cabochon Ruby worth far less than it is as a natural non-heated non-treated Top Quality Star Sapphire. CARE - It is risky to clean Star Sapphire in an UltraSonic Cleaner, and risky to use a steamer. We recommend Ionic Cleaners and/or warm, soapy water and a soft brush as the most trustworthy way to clean Star Sapphire jewelry. NOTE - Most commonly you will see that synthetics jump out as way too perfect looking, ie: a perfect star, a super clean stone, and great color. If you own one and aren't sure if it's genuine... Here's a few quick ways you might be able to tell the difference... First thing to look at is the bottom, if there is an "L" stamped in the stone, it's a Lindy Star and synthetic... if it does not have an "L", it passed that test. Now look for imperfections within the stone, and look for unevenness on the bottom, and look for stripes or lines of color that shows through the top. Almost all natural Star Sapphires will have one or more of these natural imperfections. Next look at the star using a flashlight... almost all natural stars won't have a "perfect" star. The natural stars will most likely have 1 or more of the 6 legs not exactly the same length, or maybe not all 6 are perfectly straight. Next go ahead and move the flashlight around in a circle, if the star stays stationary it is definitely synthetic. The star on a genuine star will travel around and follow the light source. When you look at the bottom of the gem, note that synthetics are always flat on the bottom, and usually have a very low dome, whereas the natural star typically will have an uneven bottom that may even have chunks of stone that appear to be missing, or dark spots on the lower portion of the gem. If it passed all these tests you may have a genuine Star Sapphire, but don't get super excited yet, these are just simple things you can do to rule out the majority of synthetics, the only way to be sure is to send the stone to a certified reputable Gemologist and ask for a Gem Identification Report. The following links are to reputable Gem Laboratories and Appraisers : AGL \| AGTA \| GIA \| GRS \| GUILD \| GUBELIN \| SSEF