Sapphires are the ultimate blue gemstone. We win them from the earthy yet their essence is of the divine. Persian ancients were under no illusions as to their nature. The Persian earth rested on a giant sapphire whose reflection was the sky. Sapphires are truly the gem of the celestial.

All civilization have held sapphire in special regard. For some Moses received the Ten Commandments inscribed on tablets of sapphire. In Grecian mythology the thief of the divine fire, Prometheus, wore a sapphire rings; the sapphire wrought from the rock to which he had been bound in punishment, the ring transformed from a link of his binding chain.

Our fascination with sapphire continues today. All the world apparently knows that Princess Diana’s engagement ring contained a magnificent blue sapphire. The fictional Coeurde la mer that was the subject of Brock’s Titanic quest may have been a blue diamond, but when Asprey and Garrard created Rose’s necklace for real, they used a170 carat sapphire from Sri Lanka. And surely the great blue stone that graces Elrond’s ring, vilya the mightiest of the three, has to be a sapphire.

Sapphire form Serendib

Sapphires are the transparent gem Variety of corundum, one of the hardest minerals known. Blue may be their traditional color, but they also come in yellow, Green, White, Pink, Orange, Brown and Purple. Any non-red corundum can be and is called sapphire. The red variety is, of course, ruby.

Traces of titanium and iron give the gem its blue color. The intensity and particular shade depend on the amount of coloring matter present. Sapphire occurs on all the continents but the most sought- after come from Kashmir, Burma, and Sri Lanka.

Typically Kashmir’s sapphires are cornflower blue. Those from Burma are usually dark. Sri Lankan gems tend to be lighter and brighter and are renowned foe their transparency and superb clarity. Many of the finest example of sapphire in the world’s top gemstones collections have come from Sri Lanka.

Sapphire is now the national gem of Sri Lanka and, appropriately, 2004 has been declared the year of the sapphire by the Sri Lankan gem and Jewellery Association, who displayed an enticing array at Facets 2004 at the Colombo Hilton from September 6-8.

Gems in the Paddy

Sapphire originate in the oldest rocks of Sri Lanka which from much of the country’s mountains. The gem’s hardness preserves it when these rocks are eroded. The crystals are washed down to the plains to accumulate with gravel in the valleys.

It is from these river gravels that magnificent gems in Sri Lanka have been won for over two thousand years. Handdug pints and tunnels often extend to depths of 30 meters or more, often in existing paddy fields. The gravel is packed- out, to be washed, screened and sorted at the surface.

Along with sapphires come rubies, topazes, garnets, tourmalines, superb zircons, magnificent moonstone and Spinels by the bucket- load. Within the past ten years a 5000-carat cat’s eye Chrysoberyl was found near Ratnapura. The recovered gems are rough- cut by local lapidiarists and then recut by modern techniques to allow individual gems to realize full potential.

City of gems

For the seeker after gems and gem lore Ratnapura is the place to go. This city lies at the heart of Sri Lanka’s gem country, 100 km from Colombo. It deservedly finds mention in The Arabian Nights as lying below lofty mountains in a deep valley filled with foaming cascades and dizzying, the reality is not as electrifying.

Nonetheless, visitors will spot gem- mining pits alongside the road as they travel down from Colombo. And modern methods operate cheek by jowlalbeit mainly in the dry season. For the keen and curious, visit to mines can be arranged through travel agents.

The shops of Ratnapura will not disappoint. They are the veritable, much clinched. Aladdin’s cave. Here the full range of Sri Lanka’s gem can be viewed at first hand, along with the vast variety of fancy shapes into which they are cut and carved.

Of particular note are the star sapphires. When sapphire is cut in the round, or en cabochon, a spectacular six-rayed star may be seen in the surface. Very occasionally a twelve – rayed star is formed. Full blue natural star sapphires are rare and top any collector’s wish – list. Even more unusual do cabochon-cut sapphires that show a thing band of light resemble a cat’s eye. As with all gems, the value of a sapphire depends on its color, clarity, weight, lack of inclusions, and the quality of cutting. Flawless, transparent sapphires of a deep blue are highly prized.

However, sapphires can change color in different lights. Some regard this as a desirable feature. Others consider a constancy of color in all lightings as paramount.

Caveat emptor

Before you reach plastic card, be very sure of what you are buying.
Synthetic sapphires were introduced to the world in 1902 and a wide range of high-grade artificial substitutes has come along since. In addition, a variety of techniques are used to enhance the color intensity and clarity of less than – perfect stone. Much of the former geuda waste from the mining operations is now converted into high quality blue or yellow sapphire by heat treatment.

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