Star sapphires
Some sapphires contain unusual tiny needle-like inclusions, and are cut in a cabochon shape to display a dancing six-rayed white star. Star sapphires, which are becoming more rare, are very popular for men's rings.
Star Sapphires: Natural sapphires that exhibit an asterism. These can be quite valuable if the star is centered and well-defined.
Stater: A silver coin from ancient Greece.
Step cut: See Emerald Cut.
Star Sapphires
Star Sapphires are classified as "phenomenon" stones, as it wasn't always known how the six-rayed star was created within these sapphires.
Star sapphires usually have six ray stars, but twelve ray stars are also known. Rarely, when sapphires are cut en cabochon, they can demonstrate a cat's eye effect.
Star sapphires are used in rings. They are always cut as cabochons, with three lines crossing to make a six-pointed star. They are generally a cool pale blue, almost grey.
SAPPHIRE, the non-red variety of corundum ...
Star sapphires were commonly used as talismans to protect against the evil eye and the Sinhalese used them to guard against witchcraft. Star sapphires were particularly prized in ancient times as a guiding star for travelers.
Star sapphires are usually translucent or opaque, and are commonly found in Sri Lanka, the United States and Australia. They come in many colours, the most common being grey or blue.
Star sapphires
Star sapphires have six rayed stars; this is called asterism. It occurs when there is sufficient rutile-tiny needles of titanium-in the stone. The rutile reflects light into a six rayed star.
Fine star sapphires of any color are quite rare to begin with, captivating collectors of the rare and unusual.
Generally Star Sapphires are available in blue. But other colors can also be seen. The color of ruby is red. Star Sapphires are also available in black, purple, and grey and so on. Varieties of blue colored Star Sapphires are found.
Star sapphires are also known as the Stones of Destiny with the star-shaped rays said to represent destiny, faith and hope. Bloodstone:See Hematite.
AsterismAn asterism is a star-like luminous effect that reflects light in some gemstones, like star sapphires and star garnets. Aurora Borealis(abbreviated AB) A name for faceted glass beads that have an added iridescent coating.
Summer 1937, New black star sapphires found, p. 98, 1p.
Fall 1939, Lined, foil-backed corundum produces stars and cat's-eyes, p. 36, 1p.
Winter 1944, American synthetics available from Linde, p. 185, 1p.
Like star ruby, star sapphires may be heat treated to high temperatures to dissolve the rutile and produce blue sapphires of good clarity.
Both star rubies and star sapphires hold a special fascination. Relatively few of the rubies mined today are candidates for cutting into star stones. The one essential element needed to produce the star effect is rutile.
Blue sapphires are found in the form of star sapphires. These six-rayed blue stars are very attractive and are much more valuable than the black variety.
Some Sapphires posses a phenomena known as an "asterism" and display a six ray star effect, these unique gemstones are appropriately called "Star Sapphires".
Star sapphires, which are becoming more rare, are very popular for men's rings. Star sapphires are judged by the sharpness of the star, the evenness of the rays or "legs" of the star, and the body color of the sapphire.
Although commonly thought of as blue corundum, sapphire occurs in a wide color range, as well as in phenomenal form, as star sapphires. Currently sapphire is the world's most popular colored gemstone with the US leading in purchases.
Linde star sapphire ("Linde stars") are synthetic star sapphires that were first made by the Linde Air Products Company in 1947 (they also developed star rubies that year). The Linde company later became a division of Union Carbide.
A star sapphire is a sapphire that exhibits an asterism in the form of a colorless, six-rayed star that reflects light. Star sapphires are cabochon cut.
Asterism: An optical effect sometimes seen in phenomenal gemstones like star sapphires. A six-ray star should be visible over the dome of a cabochon-cut gemstone when minute needle-inclusions are arranged just so.
The most powerful sapphires were those that bore the star marking, and star sapphires are still highly prized as luck-bringers today. Known as Stones of Destiny, star sapphires were said to hold the rays of Faith, Hope and Destiny.
The star sapphires are another rarity, half-dome-cut sapphires with a starlike light effect which seems to glide across the surface of the stone when it is moved.
The American Museum of Natural History houses one of the largest finest quality star sapphires including a 536 carat. example called the Star of India.
A luminous star like effect exhibited in some gemstones like Star Sapphires, Garnets and Rubies. Asterism is caused by inclusions of tiny, parallel, rutile needles and may result in four, six or even twelve rayed stars. (Pronounced: as-ter-iz-mm) ...
Asterism The star effect that you see in star sapphires or rubies, for example. This is usually caused by tiny silk rutile inclusions in the stone. The effect can be four- or six- rayed.
In some cases it is the inclusions which enhance a stone's value. The best star sapphires and star rubies are usually translucent and it is the minute inclusions inside the stones that reflect the light and produce the star effects.
Cut ...
Linde Star Sapphire: A synthetic star sapphire developed in 1967. Many star sapphires found today are these synthetics.
Link: A loop, or other object, which is linked together in a series to make a chain.
The Line Company adapted this process to create synthetic star sapphires. They added a small amount of TiO2 (rutile) during the creation phase.
Some specimens show a sheen (silk) and some have an interior series of minute, needle-like inclusions (feathers) of rutile; these, when properly cut en cabochon, are star rubies and star sapphires or, when having only one ray of light, ...
Asterism: A star-like luminous effect caused by reflections of light in some stones, like Star Sapphires and Star Garnets.
ATW: Stands for the Approximate Total Weight, in carats, of a gemstone.
Small rutile needles present in gems are responsible for an optical phenomenon known as asterism. Asterated gems are known as "star" gems. Star sapphires, star rubies, ...
Sapphires with an unusual kind of tiny needle-like inclusions can be cut in a cabochon shape to display a dancing six-rayed white star.
As with rubies, star sapphires are judged by the sharpness of the star, ...
Asterism
The appearance of a rayed figure or rayed star in a gemstone, caused by the reflection of light from minute inclusions. Star Sapphires and Star Rubies are two well-known examples of gemstones featuring a rayed star.
Some inclusions decrease the value of a stone, but some, like rutile forming asterisms in star sapphires and needles in rutilated quartz and tourmalated quartz, are prized. The tumbled stones in the photo to the left are tourmalated quartz.
Black Star Diopsides are occasionally confused with Black Star Sapphires which exhibit six or twelve rays. Chrome Diopside is the variety most often seen faceted, whereas Violane is generally used for beads and inlay work.
Sapphires are most commonly found in blue, but they also exist in a wide range of colors including white, orange, green, and pink. Sapphire is also in the corundum species, and is also a precious gemstone. Star sapphires are also quite common, ...
Inclusions can be solid, liquid, or gaseous. Many inclusions decrease the value of a stone, but some, like rutile forming asterisms in star sapphires and needles in rutilated quartz and tourmalinated quartz, are prized.
can exhibit a six-pointed "star" or "asteriated" effect (above, right) from light reflections bouncing off of microscopic needle-shaped rutile crystals (also referred to in the ruby trade as "silk") which intersect at 60° angles. Star sapphires are ...
A precious gemstone (a type of corundum) that ranges in color from blue to pink to yellow to green to white to purple to pink-orange. Six-sided asterisms (stars) sometimes occur in star sapphires.
An inclusion is a imperfection or flaw in a diamond or other gemstone that affects the stone's clarity. Many inclusions decrease the value of a stone, but some, like rutile forming asterisms in star sapphires and needles in rutilated quartz and ...
Sources -- Blackish green four-ray star enstatite cabochons from India and Sri Lanka are plentiful and inexpensive. They are often used as cheap (and much softer) substitutes for black star sapphires.
Some sapphires that are cut into a cabochon (dome) shape even display a six-rayed white star. These are called star sapphires, and the ancients regarded them as powerful talismans that protected travelers.
Furthermore, corundum crystals, from which star sapphires have been cut, are found in Beaverhead and Madison Counties. Also, in 1895, the first sapphires were produced from the Cowee Valley in Macon County, North Carolina.
Parallel needle-like inclusions are responsible for the effect. Examples include star diopside (4 rays) and star ruby (6 rays). Double asterism (12 rays) can be seen in small percentage of black star sapphires.
Asterism is an effect exhibited by some polished cabochons which causes them to reflect a billowy, star-like formation of concentrated light. Sapphires displaying asterism are known as "Star Sapphires", and may be highly prized.
Natural sapphires are sometimes found that exhibit a star effect. These can be quite valuable if the star is centered and well-defined, but in 1967 the synthetic Linde Star Sapphire hit the market, and many star sapphires found today are these ...
Six-sided asterisms sometimes occur in star sapphires (caused by inclusions of tiny, thin, parallel needles of rutile). Sapphires are related to rubies. Sapphires were once thought to protect the wearer from poisonous creatures.
 See also: Star Sapphire, Stone, Star, Cut, Diamond
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