Hello Gems!
Do you know that sapphires come in a spectrum of untreated colours? Did you also know that very few of us actually knew that coloured sapphires existed altogether?
I think that it might be time that you and I address the truth behind this misconception.
When asked what colour a sapphire is, your initial answer would probably be blue. Am I right? Well, you’re not alone. If you typed ‘sapphire’ into Google (which I did), Google will show blue, blue, and even more blue sapphires. Thanks to Google and the Internet in general, our perception of a sapphire continues to remain somewhat skewed.
Why you ask?
Why does our perception of a sapphire typically involve blue and not other colours?
Well, I can assure you that the answer is quite fascinating and thought provoking!
Firstly, dating as far back as the Roman Empire, blue sapphires have been highly prized. This may be because it was considered to a treasure worn only by royalty and members of high society and represented many positive attributes that most of society hoped to be.
Secondly, there is also a scientific reason behind why sapphires are known to be blue. Fun fact. Different chemical elements (impurities) in a sapphire determine a sapphire’s colour. Blue sapphires are actually the most common colour (and popular) in large part because they contain the most common chemical elements found in a sapphire (iron being the most prominent). Essentially the greater the iron content, the darker the blue hue. Through heat and other forms of treatment, sapphires have and continue to be manipulated in order to achieve this desired blue colour.
Fascinating huh?
Well now that you have a better understanding of the topic, it might make more sense to you why Sorbet Sapphire’s mission is to introduce untreated, coloured sapphires. If not all sapphires are blue then why should you and I still be limited to the blue sapphire?
Once you know that these natural wonders exist, you’ll never see sapphires the same way again. Believe me!
By the way, you may not realize it yet but you have just become a catalyst for change. If you decided to share this knowledge with those around you (family and friends), you would most likely be opening their eyes to a hidden truth not only about sapphires but about the power of marketing introduced centuries ago by the Romans. If you are able to reproduce an item (blue sapphire), all you need to do is convince your target market that it should be their preferred choice.
As they say, the rest is history.
I look forward to sharing more insightful tid-bits about sapphires with you in the weeks ahead.
Until next time,
Rachel
P.S. – If you are interested in learning more about this topic, look out for Sorbet Sapphire’s upcoming research article on the history of sapphires and the various treatments that a sapphire will most likely go through before you get to see it in the showcase of your local jewellery store.
