| HOME |
| Aleece's Art |
| Rings |
| Necklaces |
| Earrings |
| Bracelets |
| Watches |
| Opal |
| Gold |
| Silver |
| Diamond |
| Emerald |
| Ruby |
| Sapphire |
| Tanzanite |
| Aquamarine |
| Pearl |
| Amethyst |
| Topaz |
| Peridot |
SapphireFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sapphire (from Hebrew: ספּיר Sapir) is the single-crystal form of aluminium oxide (Al2O3), a mineral known as corundum. It can be found naturally as gemstones or manufactured in large crystal boules for a variety of applications.
Synthetic sapphire for non-gemstone applicationsSynthetic sapphire crystals can be grown in cylindrical crystal ingots of large size, up to many inches in diameter. As well as gemstone applications there are many other uses: The first ever laser produced was based on the ruby chromium impurity in sapphire. While this laser has few commercial applications, the Ti-sapphire laser is popular due to the relatively rare ability to tune the laser wavelength in the red-to-near infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It can also be easily modelocked. In these lasers, a synthetically produced sapphire crystal with chromium or titanium impurities is irradiated with intense light from a special lamp, or another laser, to create stimulated emission. Pure sapphire ingots can be sliced into wafers and polished to form transparent crystal slices. Such slices are used as watch faces in high quality watches, as the material's exceptional hardness makes the face almost impossible to scratch. Since sapphire ranks a 9 on the Mohs Scale, owners of such watches should still be careful to avoid exposure to diamond jewelry, and should avoid striking their watches against artificial stone and simulated stone surfaces. Such surfaces often contain materials including silicon carbide, which, like diamond, are harder than sapphire and thus capable of causing scratches (Scheel 2003). Wafers of single crystal sapphire are also used in the semiconductor industry as a substrate for the growth of gallium nitride based blue and green light-emitting diodes.
[edit]
Historical, cultural and trivial referencesAccording to Rebbenu Bachya, the word "Sapir" in the verse Exodus 28:20 means "Sapphire" and was the stone on the Ephod representing the tribe of Issachar. However, this is disputed as the sapphire of the bible was likely lapis lazuli (Texas Natural Science Center, 2006). Sapphire is the birthstone associated with September. Lady Diana Spencer's engagement ring from Charles, Prince of Wales was a sapphire ring. Example of a bespoke Ceylon sapphire engagement ring In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time sapphire was used in making of Zora's sapphire, one of three Spiritual Stones, and an engagement gift to Link (Legend of Zelda) from Princess Ruto.
[edit]
References
[edit]
See also
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
