Star Sapphire

Item Description

Sapphires come in virtually every color of the rainbow and there are more to Sapphires than simply faceted stones. The most commonly known variety of "Star" gems are Star Sapphires. This phenomenon known as "asterism" occurs when Sapphires are polished into cabochons and oriented in a manner that reflects tiny silk-like inclusions that are trapped inside the Sapphire. The inclusions bend light entering the Sapphire and create the star-like pattern. A six-rayed white star appears in bright lighting and the quality is judged by sharpness of star, symmetry of the rays, and the body color. This gem does not have very sharp "legs" and requires strong light when it is lit to show off the "star". The color of this gem is a purplish hue on a silvery black background.