Sapphire, Star
Wise Vision
Calm and focus the mind and heart.
Attract prosperity and abundance.
Speak your truth with conviction.
Be balanced deep within yourself
Let Sapphire reveal spiritual truths.
$21.75 – $24.00
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Healing Properties of Star Sapphire
Spiritual: Star Sapphire inspires within us a deep love of truth and a profound desire to live in alignment with our personal integrity. It is a mystical stone that encourages us to explore the full depth and breadth of our spiritual lives and to cultivate our spiritual gifts. It opens the intuitive and psychic mind, facilitates energy channeling and clarifies communication between this realm and others. Star Sapphire helps us to better understand human nature and to look on humanity with a cheerful and hopeful gaze. It encourages both practical common sense and far-flung dreaming, helping us find the correct balance between those aspects so we can achieve our goals. Star Sapphire attracts prosperity and good luck and gives us the discipline to maintain this prosperity throughout the course of our lives. Star Sapphire is attuned to the Throat and Third Eye Chakras and linked to Gemini, Virgo, Libra and Sagittarius. It is connected to the elements of Earth and Wind and vibrates to the numbers 2 and 6.
Emotional: Star Sapphire has a cheerful and peaceful energy that can gently dispel depression and anxiety. It brings relationships into greater harmony and encourages clear communication between individuals. Star Sapphire reminds us that we must be true to ourselves and let our Light shine! It helps us to recognize that we don’t need anyone’s permission or approval to live our own lives. Star Sapphire strengthens our instincts, helpings us to better anticipate other people’s reactions and intentions.
Mental: Star Sapphire increases our discernment and powers of critical thinking. It celebrates a thirst for knowledge and wisdom in all forms. Star Sapphire’s calm energy that helps us to look at situations logically and to clearly understand causal effect. It helps us to work through our own thoughts and emotions, and to make decisions that serve our Highest Good. Once decisions have been made, then Star Sapphire can help guide our actions so that we can realize our intentions as quickly and efficiently as possible. Star Sapphire is particularly good for helping us take lofty and so-called impossible dreams and finding a practical way to bring them into reality.
Physical: Star Sapphire is recommended for anyone who wants to harness the full power of the mind-body connection. It is not for people who casually hope for miracles, but rather for individuals who are willing to actively work to understand their own physiology and the impact of mental and physical habits. For those with the courage to look closer, Star Sapphire can help us decide to get better and then actually do it. Conversely, Star Sapphire can also help us to accept physical misfortune when there is nothing that can be done to stop it. It reminds us that while the mind, heart and soul may be willing, the physical brain or body cannot always conform to our desires. This doesn’t mean we’ve done something “wrong”, it is a reminder that we are mere mortals and subject to forces that are beyond our control. In such cases, Star Sapphire helps us to comfort our mind and our body, and to have realistic expectations.
Always use wisdom when considering crystal therapies for healing.
Mineralogy of Star Sapphire
Rough Star Sapphire (Weld River, Tasmania, Australia)
Mineral Family: Oxides, Corundum
Chemical Composition: Al2 O3
Cleavage: x
Color: Occurs in all colors
Crystal System: Hexagonal-trigonal
Form/Habit: Pyramidal, prismatic barrel-shaped
Fracture: x
Gravity: 3.97-4.05
Hardness: 9 (second hardest, after diamond)
Luminescence: Red (long and short wave)
Luster: Viterous (glassy) to adamantine (brilliant shine)
Streak: Colorless
Transparency: Transparent to opaque
Location: Sapphire are found in several locations. The most important current deposits are in Australia, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United States (Montana). Additional deposits are found in Brazil, Cambodia, China, Finland, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
Mineral Family: Sapphire is an Oxide mineral. The Oxide family has closely-packed Oxygen atoms with tiny bits of metal or semi-mental atoms occupying the space between. There are two forms of Oxide minerals, “simple Oxides” which only have a single type of metal or semi-metal, and “complex Oxides” which have multiple metals and/or semi-metals. Most Oxide minerals are found in igneous rocks. The most famous Oxide mineral is Corundum, or as they are more commonly known as Ruby and Sapphire. Another well known Oxide mineral is silvery Hematite.
Polished cabochon Star Sapphire Gemstone (Ratnapura, Sri Lanka)
Formation: Sapphires typically grow in metamorphic rocks. The most common color for Sapphire is blue, but they can be found in every color. “Red Sapphires” are called Rubies. Star Sapphire are formed when the Corundum is inter grown with inclusions of Rutile, creating a 6 rayed “star” to reflect when light shines upon the stone. This star is most obvious in a translucent gemstone, while in an opaque tumbled stone it will take the form of a shimmering silver light.
Mining: Because of its weight, sapphire is generally easy to separate from river gravels and can be picked out by hand. In many locations production methods are still primitive. In the most important deposits, mechanized machinery is used above and underground. Only 1 percent of all sapphires recovered are gem quality to be used in fine jewelry.
Enhancements: Lab created and heat-treated sapphire is widely available in the fine gemstone market. Tumbled stones are almost certain to be fully natural, regardless of the shade of color. Star Sapphires, while rare, are fully natural.
Map courtesy of TravelBlog
Photos: Rough Star Sapphire, Polished Gem
History of Star Sapphire
Pink Star Sapphire (Sri Lanka)
Star Sapphires have been one of the most highly prized gemstones for centuries. They are included in some of the ancient and medieval lapidaries, texts that describe gemstones and their powers, and are sometimes given their own distinct section in modern lapidaries. Star Sapphires come in every shade of the rainbow, although red ones will be called Star Rubies instead. The name refers to a curious phenomenon that results in a vivid white six-pointed star in polished transparent gemstones. Polished opaque star-stones, have a silvery shimmer instead of a distinct star.
Star Sapphires were thought to have special powers, stronger and more unique than that of regular Sapphires. In cultures flanking the Mediterranean Sea, Star Sapphires were thought to be love charms and magical talismans. Helen of Troy was said to derive her beauty and power, in part, because she owned a star-stone. According to Arab lore, Star Sapphires give their owner the power to speak in the language of the genii and thus command the jinns to perform feats of magic. In one 17th century German lapidary, Star Sapphires were described as siegstein, or “victory stone”. While among Christian populations, Star Sapphire has been called “The Stone of Destiny” for centuries, with the crossed lines symbolizing faith, hope and charity.
In Sri Lanka, where many Star Sapphires have been found, they are believed to offer powerful protection against the evil eye and other forms of witchcraft. Star Sapphire command a higher price than regularly Sapphires and so miners link them with good luck and financial abundance.
Star of India
The most famous Star Sapphire, is the “Star of India” which belongs to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Mined in Sri Lanka and virtually flawless, this Star Sapphire weighs 563 carats and is a little larger than a golf ball. It was given to the museum in 1900 by the banker tycoon JP Morgan (1837-1913). In 1964, it was stone in a fantastic jewelry heist. The thieves, led by Jack Murphy (1938 – 2020), a Californian surfer, climbed through an open bathroom window in the museum’s upper floor. Once inside, they discovered there was only one alarm installed in the entire jewelry collection, and it was attached to the Star of India. Much to their delight, the alarm’s battery was completely dead and hadn’t been replaced in years. The thieves were eventually arrested in Florida while trying to ransom their stolen goods. The gemstones were found in a nearby phone booth. The trial that followed received wide-spread attention. In part because it was a gemstone heist, and in part because Jack Murphy was a handsome villain who made the ladies swoon.
Photos: Photos: Pink Star Sapphire, Star of India
Ethically Sourced Star Sapphire
The Miners sell to a rough Gem Dealer/Exporter.
The Gem Dealer sells to the Lapidary.
The Lapidary sells directly to Moonrise Crystals.
Moonrise Crystals sells directly to you.
The Supply Chain
The Supply Chain is relatively short.
The Mine and Lapidary are in neighboring countries and at least one middleman is involved.
The Mine
This Sapphire was artisanally mined in Sri Lanka.
The exact deposit is unknown, but most likely caused only minor environmental damage,
and would have been relatively low risk for miners.
Learn More: Ethical Mining
The Lapidary
This Sapphire was polished in Mumbai, India.
The Lapidary is owned by two long-time friends and business partners.
Unusual for India, factory workers have safe conditions and are paid fairly.
The Lapidary is also the direct-importer & sells exclusively at large gem shows.
Learn More: Ethical Lapidary
Sourcing Relationship
I first met one of the owners of the lapidary at the Denver Gem Show in 2017. Our first encounter was short since it was my last day of shopping and I had already spent most of my budget. But their tumbled stock was the highest quality I had ever seen. A few months later we met again in Tucson and this time I made sure to see them at the beginning of the show!
In 2019, at the Tucson Gem Show, I was able to sit down with both owners and have a lengthy conversation about sourcing. Unlike most vendors, they were willing to speak with me in-depth about how they make sure their business is ethical. We talked about individual mines they source from both in India as well as how they source from other countries. We also talked about how they treat their own workers and about the links between business, karma and God. Their willingness to talk and their pleasure at the conversation makes me eager to continue to develop and deepen this relationship.
Safe Handling of Sapphire
Sapphire
What You’ll Receive: A 100% natural Star Sapphire
Selection Process: The stone I select for you will be carefully chosen for its beauty and appeal. If combined with other stones, I always take time to choose stones that look and feel good together.
Origin: Sri Lanka
Polishing Method: Polished by hand, one stone at a time. Each stone is unique and minor variations are what makes them beautiful.
Details:
- Color: Ranges from blue to purple to pink, with a silvery flashy.
- Polish: Shiny and smooth.
- Quality: AAA
- Shape: Irregular, most flat circles and ovals with rounded edges
- Size: Average size varies
- Small is .75 in / 19 mm
- Large is 1 in / 25 mm
- Transparency: Opaque
- Weight: Average weight varies
- Small is 0.3 oz / 8.5 g / 42 carats
- Large is 0.5 oz / 14 g / 71 carats
Shipping: Next business day – Domestic First Class averages 3-7 days. International First Class averages 2-3 weeks.