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Asterism on the surface of a blue star sapphire. A purple-pink star sapphire displaying asterism in a platinum ring.. An asterism (from Ancient Greek ἀστήρ (astḗr) 'star' and -ism) is a star-shaped concentration of light reflected or refracted from a gemstone.
The classification of the cardinal gems dates back to antiquity, and was largely determined by ceremonial or religious use as well as rarity. [1] The term has largely fallen out of use. The five traditional cardinal gems are: amethyst (purple) – Rare and precious in the Old World until large deposits were found in Brazil. diamond (transparent)
Padparadscha sapphires are rare; the rarest of all is the totally natural variety, with no sign of artificial treatment. [12] The name is derived from the Sanskrit padma ranga (padma = lotus; ranga = color), a color akin to the lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera). [13] Among the fancy (non-blue) sapphires, natural padparadscha fetch the highest prices.
The “incredibly rare” lump was unearthed at a 1,700-year-old bathhouse in the United Kingdom. ‘Mysterious’ purple lump found at ancient Roman ruins was once ‘worth more than gold’ Skip ...
Glass makers were supposedly so skilled that they could fool the public into thinking that glass beads and ornaments were actually gemstones. [7] When genuine gems were utilized, the stones preferred by Roman women were amethyst, emerald, and pearl. [8] Pearls were rare and expensive and were used in Roman jewelry up until the end of the Republic.
Nevertheless, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds still have a reputation that exceeds those of other gemstones. [26] Rare or unusual gemstones, generally understood to include those gemstones which occur so infrequently in gem quality that they are scarcely known except to connoisseurs, include andalusite, axinite, cassiterite ...
Sapphires are a precious gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminum oxide (α-Al 2 O 3) with trace amounts of elements such as iron, titanium, chromium, copper, or magnesium. It is typically blue, but natural "fancy" sapphires also occur in yellow, purple, orange, and green colors; "parti sapphires" show two or more colors.
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