From our earliest days, we’ve been mesmerized by the sapphire—birthstone for the month of September. It is amongst the hardest of gemstones and also amongst the most-expensive. And, some might argue, sapphires are the most beautiful.
Sapphires belong to the corundum family which includes rubies. In fact, sapphires and rubies are the same stone; sapphires contain iron and titanium impurities while rubies contain chromium impurities. Both types of corundum often are found in the same areas, though one of the varieties will predominate. Sapphires are found and mined in Africa, Russia, Australia, and parts of Asia (most notably, India). In the United States, sapphires are found in Montana.
While sapphires can be found in many colors—purples, violets, greens, yellows, grays, oranges, and reds (which are called “rubies”)—the classic color is a deep, mid-range blue. Secondary “highlight” colors are sometimes present, like purple (which can make the stone more valuable) or green (which can decrease its value). Some sapphires even change their colors as they are moved from one light source to another.
Perhaps the most mysterious of the sapphires is the so-called “Star Sapphire” which displays a six (or sometimes twelve) rayed “star” floating within the body of the stone. These stones show such a star due to a certain peculiarity of the mineral structure and they are cut en cabochon (that is, with a rounded, not faceted surface) to allow the star to display itself unimpeded by faceting.
The bronze "casket" shown above is decorated with glass (not real) sapphire cabochons. This presentation box was made to house a synthetic (not real) pearl necklace by La Tausca. At the time (in the Teens and Twenties), cultured pearls had not been developed, yet, thus real pearls were enormously expensive. So a beautiful string of synthetic La Tausca pearls were a luxury—and worthy of such a handsome and ambitious presentation. Click on the photo above to learn more about this handsome box.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248