The Royal Blue Sapphire is found in all variations of blue. From the colours of the heavens to midnight blue to the azure blue of a clear day sky. Sapphire comes from the corundum family.

Coloured blue from iron and titanium, Sapphire associates and acts directly on the intellect counteracting on various mental maladies and neurosis. Sapphire also helps to counteract enviousness, to protecting it's holder from dangers in travel, to healing illnesses brought about by afflictions of the nerves including asthma. 

Sapphire symbolizes truth and sincerity, being the gemstone of choice for kings and high priests of old, Sapphire was worn to represent the humane and sympathetic outlook of their reign.

Sapphires come from Sri Lanka, Thailand, Australia, and Cambodia. Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, China, Vietnam, Madagascar, Mozambique etc.

In Africa, Tanzania produces the smaller fine blue colours and more recently, Mozambique's multi colour finds at the river between the two borders.

The most valuable sapphires have a medium intense, vivid blue colour. The best sapphires hold the brightness of their colour under all different types of lighting.

A gem's value is greatly reduced when there are grey or green overtones. Sapphires which are "eye clean" or "loupe clean" have few or minute visible inclusions coupled with the vivid blue, it's cut, carat size  are the 4 C's to look out for when choosing a fine and valuable gem.

The nature of the hexagonal/diapyramidal or barrel or tabloid crystallisation of Sapphires are most often cut into cushion shapes or oval shapes.

Sapphires have become readily available in the past twenty years because approximately 90% of its production of the cloudy, or overly dark sapphires is heat treated on site at the mines to improve its colour or clarity. 

In Vedic and astral purposes, any method of treatment takes away the auric benefits. Therefore extreme caution has to be borne in mind when purchasing one, ensuring that one has the gem certified  that it has not been treated in any form.

Some sapphires with rutilated needle-like inclusions can be cabochoned at a 60 degree angle to display a fiery brilliance of the four, five and six-rays. Judged by the acute clarity of the star, the eveness of the rays and the body colour of the sapphire, it is extremely rare to find a star-sapphire with a sharp and defined star with a bright blue body colour. In Vedic culture, the star sapphire is regarded as a very powerful talisman, to help steer a clear path for travellers and seekers alike.

Sapphire has a hardness of 9 on the Moh's scale
Crystal System: Hexagonal ( trigonal ); diapyramidal, barrel-shaped, tabloid shaped

Chemical composition : Aluminium oxide

Aquamarine derives it's name from the Latin word "Aqua" (water) "Marine" (of the Sea ), because of it's sparkling sea water colour.  Its colour is pale to medium blue, sometimes with a tinge of green.

Legend has it that being the mermaid's treasure, it has the power to keep sailors safe at sea. Aquamarine is said to be a particularly strong astral charm when immersed in water. Used by many crystal practitioners to gaze at the surrounding life force of the sick, retaining their life force, improving eyesight, a pacifier of jangled emotions and nerves and wards off evil influences. Aquamarine is also excellent for enhancing meditation with it's ability to remove discordant vibrations thus refining the faculties of the intuitive mind. It is also said to have a soothing influence on married couples work out their marital differences ensuring a long and happy marriage. 

Aquamarine is one of the preferred gemstone after Blue Sapphire. Used as the primary gem for giving it's astral beneficence for Saturn and is to be worn on the right middle finger.

From the same beryl family as Emerald, it entraps it's beautiful colour pigmentation from iron. Almost always a light blue, the darker more saturated colour commonly known as "Double Blue" is the most favoured and highly prized. Aquamarine can occur in very large clean hexagonal crystals, and is even found as a pure green colour or even a bi-colour with other beryl minerals such as morganite [very pale pink colour]. The colouring element to produce the beautiful blue-green colour is iron, which is substituted for aluminium in the crystal structure.

Unlike the unstable Maxixe Aquamarine from Brazil, the very stable finer and darker Aquamarine can be found in Zambia, Mozambique and other countries. Its larger superfine material is a treasure and rarity to hold.
The favoured facets are Ovals and Emerald/Scissor cuts.

Aquamarine has a hardness of 7.5 - 8
Crystal System : Hexagonal ( trigonal ) long prisms
Chemical content : Aluminium Beryllium Silicate

Contact: Swee