Star sapphires display a 6 or 12 rayed star on the gem when a single light source is directed on the gem.
What is a blue star sapphire.
This effect is caused by asterism.
The most common star pattern is a 6 rayed star although star sapphires with 4 rays and 12 rays have been found.
Star sapphires can range in color from blue in various tones to pink orange yellow green lavender gray or black.
A lindy star on a yellow sapphire cabochon.
The optical phenomenon responsible for the star sapphire s shimmering rays is called asterism from the latin word astrum for star.
A blue or white star sapphire or a pink star sapphire are usually more expensive and get into the thousands of dollars.
The most desirable color is a vivid intense blue.
Furthermore natural star sapphires rarely have perfectly even color so if the color is excellent and perfectly blue there is a good chance it was created in a lab somewhere.
Star sapphires exhibit a special optical phenomenon called asterism.
It has a nice blue colour.
Sapphire along with her sister gemstone ruby belongs to the corundum group of gemstones considered one of the hardest minerals on earth.
Al2o3 corundum aluminium oxide cut.
You can read more about asterism in our phenomenal gems article.
9 hardest after diamond formation.
This effect is caused by asterism.
The really deep blue ones are the most expensive although if you see a twelve pointed star these are more rare than the six pointed star that usually puts the price up by quite a lot.
These stones are generally cut as cabochons to bring out the best star that can be visible.
Most star sapphire exhibits a white star but star sapphire from thailand is famed for its gold colored asterism.
Natural blue star sapphire burma color.
The thai blue star sapphire is a variety of sapphire that displays a six pointed star pattern radiating from the inky depths of the stone.
Star sapphire is a type of sapphire displaying an optical star like effect.
A star sapphire is so named due to the appearance of a star shaped format which presents itself when the sapphire is.
Move star joan crawford owned several huge sapphires of 70 carats or larger and elizabeth taylor was given a large sapphire ring by one of her husbands.
A burmese blue cabochon star sapphire and diamond cocktail ring.
According to legend helen of troy owned a magnificent star sapphire and napolean gave a seven piece jewelry set featuring 29 sapphires to his wife josephine.