NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Sapphire

Sapphire refers to gem varieties of the mineral corundum, an aluminum oxide (Al₂O₃), when it is a color other than red. It can be found naturally or manufactured in large crystal boules for varied applications, including infrared optical components, watch faces, high-durability windows, and wafers for the deposition of semiconductors such as GaN nanorods. Sapphire may mean: Sapphire, a gemstone Sapphire (author), an African-American poet and author Sapphire (color), an intense shade of blue Sapphire (film), a 1959 British film starring Nigel Patrick Sapphire, Queensland, a town USS Sapphire (PYc-2), a United States Navy patrol vessel of World War II Armstrong Siddeley... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2076x1675, 1167 KB) Sapphires (Corumdums). ... For other uses, see Mineral (disambiguation). ... A chemical formula is a concise way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound. ... Aluminium oxide (or aluminum oxide) (Al2O3) is a chemical compound of aluminium and oxygen. ... This article is about the mineral. ... In mineralogy, shape and size give rise to descriptive terms applied to the typical appearance, or habit of crystals. ... A crystal system is a category of space groups, which characterize symmetry of structures in three dimensions with translational symmetry in three directions, having a discrete class of point groups. ... Cleavage, in mineralogy, is the tendency of crystalline materials to split along definite planes, creating smooth surfaces, of which there are several named types: Basal cleavage: cleavage parallel to the base of a crystal, or to the plane of the lateral axes. ... For other uses, see Fracture (disambiguation). ... Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer. ... Lustre (American English: luster) is a description of the way light interacts with the surface of a crystal, rock or mineral. ... The refractive index (or index of refraction) of a medium is a measure for how much the speed of light (or other waves such as sound waves) is reduced inside the medium. ... Pleochroism is an optical phenomenon in which grains of a rock appear to be different colors when observed at different angles,under a petrographic microscope. ... The streak (also called powder color) of a mineral is the color of the powder produced when it is dragged across a unweathered surface. ... Relative density (also known as specific gravity) is a measure of the density of a material. ... Fusibility is the ease with which a material will melt. ... Solubility is a chemical property referring to the ability for a given substance, the solute, to dissolve in a solvent. ... During heat transfer, the energy that is stored in the intermolecular bonds between atoms changes. ... Corundum (from Tamil kurundam) is a crystalline form of aluminium oxide and one of the rock-forming minerals. ... Aluminium oxide (or aluminum oxide) (Al2O3) is a chemical compound of aluminium and oxygen. ... Silicon boule for the production of wafers. ... For other uses, see Infrared (disambiguation). ... It has been suggested that Wafer prober be merged into this article or section. ... Gan can have several meanings: A Romanization of the Chinese character ç”˜ (GÄn), an abbreviation for Gansu Province in the Peoples Republic of China A Romanization of the Chinese character èµ£ (GÃ n), an abbreviation for: The Gan River Jiangxi Province in the Peoples Republic of China, through which... In nanotechnology, nanorods are one morphology of nanoscale objects. ...

The mineral corundum consists of pure aluminum oxide. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium and chromium give corundum their blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange or greenish color. Sapphire includes any gemstone quality varieties of the mineral corundum except the fully saturated red variety, which is instead known as ruby, and the pinkish-orange variety known as padparadscha. For other uses, see Iron (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 47. ... REDIRECT [[ Insert text]]EWWWWWWWWWWWWW YO General Name, symbol, number chromium, Cr, 24 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 6, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 51. ... This article is about the mineral. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

Natural sapphire

Sapphires and rubies are formed at great depth in the earth mantle or the lowest part ofthe crust^[1]. Although blue is considered the normal color for sapphires, they can be found across a full range of spectral colors as well as brown, colorless, grey and black. Those other than blue in color are considered fancy color sapphires. Some natural sapphires can be found as completely transparent, or "white." White sapphires usually come out of the ground as light grey or brown and are then heated to make them clear. However, in very rare circumstances they will be found in a clear state.

Blue sapphire

Various shades of blue [dark and light] result from titanium and iron substitutions in the aluminum oxide crystal lattice. Some stones are not well saturated and show tones of gray. It is common practice to bake natural sapphires to improve or enhance color. This is usually done by heating the sapphires to temperatures of up to 1800 °C for several hours, or by heating in a nitrogen deficient atmosphere oven for seven days or more. On magnification, the silk due to included rutile needles are often visible. If the needles are unbroken, then the stone was not heated; if the silk is not visible then the stone was heated adequately. If the silk is partially broken, then a process known as low tube heat may have been used. Low tube heat is the process whereby the rough stone is heated to 1300 °C over charcoal for 20 to 30 minutes. This removes gray or brown in the stone and improves color saturation. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... The Logan sapphire is named after Mrs. ... Inside the National Museum of Natural History, underneath the rotunda. ... General Name, symbol, number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 47. ... For other uses, see Iron (disambiguation). ... In mineralogy and crystallography, a crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms in a crystal. ... Rutile is a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide, TiO2. ...

Fancy color sapphire

Purple sapphires are lower in price than blue ones. These stones contain the trace element vanadium and come in a variety of shades. Yellow and green sapphires have traces of iron that gives them their color. Pink sapphires have a trace of the element chromium and the deeper the color pink the higher their monetary value as long as the color is going toward the red of rubies. Sapphires also occur in shades of orange and brown, and colorless sapphires are sometimes used as diamond substitutes in jewelry. Salmon-color padparadscha sapphires are orangy-pink, pinkish-orange or pink-orange in color, which often fetch higher prices than many of even the finest blue sapphires. The word 'padparadscha' is Sinhalese for 'lotus flower'. Recently many sapphires of this color have appeared on the market as a result of a new treatment method called "bulk diffusion".^{[citation needed]} General Name, symbol, number vanadium, V, 23 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 5, 4, d Appearance silver-grey metal Standard atomic weight 50. ... REDIRECT [[ Insert text]]EWWWWWWWWWWWWW YO General Name, symbol, number chromium, Cr, 24 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 6, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 51. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Sinhalese or Sinhala (à·ƒà·’à¶‚à·„à¶½, ISO 15919: , IPA: [], earlier referred to as Singhalese) is the mother tongue of the Sinhalese, the largest ethnic group of Sri Lanka. ...

Color change sapphire

Color shift sapphires are blue in outdoor light and purple under [incandescent] indoor light. Color changes may also be pink in daylight to greenish under fluorescent light. Some stones shift color well and others only partially, in that some stones go from blue to bluish purple. Such color-change sapphires are widely sold as “lab” or “synthetic” alexandrite, which is accurately called an alexandrite simulant (also called alexandrium) since the latter is actually a type of chrysoberyl---an entirely different substance whose pleochroism is different and much more pronounced than color-change corundum (sapphire).

Star sapphire

A star sapphire is a type of sapphire that exhibits a star-like phenomenon known as asterism. Star sapphires contain intersecting needle-like inclusions (often the mineral rutile, a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide^[2] ) that cause the appearance of a six-rayed 'star'-shaped pattern when viewed with a single overhead light source. Star sapphire cabochon displaying six-ray asterism. ... Star sapphire cabochon displaying six-ray asterism. ... Inside the National Museum of Natural History, underneath the rotunda. ... Asterism on the surface of a blue star sapphire Asterism as seen in a lab-created blue star sapphire This article is about the characteristic in some gems. ... Rutile is a mineral composed primarily of titanium dioxide, TiO2. ... Flash point non-flammable Related Compounds Other cations Titanium(II) oxide Titanium(III) oxide Titanium(III,IV) oxide Zirconium dioxide Hafnium dioxide Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium...

The value of a star sapphire depends not only on the carat weight of the stone but also the body color, visibility and intensity of the asterism. The carat is a unit of mass used for measuring gems and pearls, and is exactly 200 milligrams. ...

Treatments

Some sapphires are heat-treated or otherwise enhanced to improve their appearance and color, though some people object to such practices and prefer natural untreated stones. Heat treatments tend to improve the sapphire's color and clarity, and it is unusual to find un-heated stones for sale. Diffusion treatments are somewhat more controversial as they are used to add elements to the sapphire for the purpose of improving colors.

Mining

Sapphires are mined from alluvial deposits or from primary underground workings. The finest specimens are mined in Sri Lanka; both the Logan sapphire and the Star of Bombay originate from Sri Lankan mines. Sapphires are also mined in Australia, Madagascar, Thailand and Myanmar. Madagascar leads the world in sapphire production (as of 2007) specifically in and around the city of Ilakala. Prior to Ilakala, Australia was the largest producer of sapphires (as of 1987). Ilakala is prone to violence, but sapphires are found everywhere including on the ground and in the river mud. Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Tanzania and Kenya also produce sapphires. The US state of Montana has produced sapphires from both the El Dorado Bar and Spokane Bar deposit near Helena. Well-known for their intense, pure blue color, yogo sapphires are found in Yogo Gulch, near Utica, Montana. Gem grade sapphires and rubies are also found in and around Franklin, North Carolina, USA. Several mines are open to the public. Alluvium (from the Latin, alluvius, from alluere, to wash against) is soil or sediments deposited by a river or other running water. ... The Logan sapphire is named after Mrs. ... The Star of Bombay is a 182 carat (36. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... Nickname: Location in Lewis and Clark County, Montana Coordinates: , Country State County Lewis and Clark Founded October 30, 1864 Government - Mayor James E. Smith Area - Total 14. ...

Synthetic sapphire

Synthetic sapphire crystals can be grown in cylindrical crystal boules of large size, up to many inches in diameter. As well as gemstone applications there are many other uses: Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Silicon boule for the production of wafers. ...

The first ever laser produced was based on the ruby, the red variety of corundum. While this laser has few 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. For other uses, see Laser (disambiguation). ... Part of a Ti:sapphire oscillator. ... For other uses, see Infrared (disambiguation). ... Legend Î³ = Gamma rays HX = Hard X-rays SX = Soft X-Rays EUV = Extreme ultraviolet NUV = Near ultraviolet Visible light NIR = Near infrared MIR = Moderate infrared FIR = Far infrared Radio waves EHF = Extremely high frequency (Microwaves) SHF = Super high frequency (Microwaves) UHF = Ultra high frequency VHF = Very high frequency HF = High... Modelocking is a technique in optics by which a laser can be made to produce pulses of light of extremely short duration, on the order of picoseconds (10-12s) or femtoseconds (10-15s). ... For other uses, see Crystal (disambiguation). ... General Name, symbol, number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 47. ... In optics, stimulated emission is the process by which, when perturbed by a photon, matter may lose energy resulting in the creation of another photon. ...

Pure sapphire boules 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 resistant to scratching. 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). This article is about portable clocks. ... Mohs scale of mineral hardness characterizes the scratch resistance of various minerals through the ability of a harder material to scratch a softer. ... This article is about the mineral. ... Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 Â°C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references Silicon carbide (SiC) is a ceramic compound of silicon and carbon that is manufactured on a large scale for use mainly as an abrasive but also occurs in...

Sapphire is highly transparent at wavelengths of light between 170 nm to 5.3

μ

m, as well as being five times stronger than glass. This leads to use of synthetic sapphire windows in high pressure chambers for spectroscopy. Animation of the dispersion of light as it travels through a triangular prism. ...

Wafers of single crystal sapphire are also used in the semiconductor industry as a substrate for the growth of gallium nitride based devices. A semiconductor is a solid whose electrical conductivity is in between that of a conductor and that of an insulator, and can be controlled over a wide range, either permanently or dynamically. ... It has been suggested that Wafer prober be merged into this article or section. ... Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide bandgap semiconductor material used in optoelectronic, high-power and high-frequency devices. ...

One type of Xenon Arc Lamp known as Cermax (original brand name - generically known as a ceramic body xenon lamp) use sapphire output windows that are doped with various other elements to tune their emission. In some cases, the UV emitted from the lamp during operation causes a blue glow from the window after the lamp is turned off. It is approximately the same color as Cherenkov radiation but is caused by simple phosphorescence. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... This section may require cleanup to meet Wikipedias quality standards. ... Cherenkov radiation glowing in the core of a TRIGA reactor Cherenkov radiation (also spelled Cerenkov or sometimes ÄŒerenkov) is electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged particle passes through an insulator at a speed greater than the speed of light in that medium. ...

Historical and cultural references

Not to be confused with Bahya ibn Paquda. ... This article is about the second book in the Torah. ... The ephod (pronounced either Ä“Â´fod or efÂ´od) was one of eight ritual garments worn by the Israelite and later the Jewish High Priest while serving in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. ... Issachar or Yissachar (×™Ö´×©Ö¼×‚Ö¸×©××›Ö¸×¨ Reward; recompense, Standard Hebrew Yissaá¸«ar, Tiberian Hebrew YiÅ›Å›Ã¢á¸µÄr) was the fifth son of Jacob and his first wife Leah. ... Jacinth is a red transparent variety of zircon used as a gemstone. ... A block of lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest of all gems, with a history of use stretching back 7,000 years. ... This article needs cleanup. ... Sanskrit ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... This article is about the planet. ... Beloved has several meanings: Beloved is a best-selling historical romance about Zenobia written by Bertrice Small, written in 1983. ... A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, SiddhÄrtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. It had subsequently been accepted by... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... A birthstone is a gemstone or other semi-precious stone which is associated with a month of the Gregorian Calendar. ... A wedding anniversary is an anniversary which falls on the month and day a particular wedding took place, and which recurs every subsequent year, except for those who were married on February 29th. ... This article is about the mineral. ... REDIRECT [[ Insert text]]EWWWWWWWWWWWWW YO General Name, symbol, number chromium, Cr, 24 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 6, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 51. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the mineral. ... Munchkin Country (or Munchkinland in the 1939 film and its imitators) is a region in the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baums Oz books, first described in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. ... Cover of The Giant Horse of Oz. ...

References

Oxford University Press (OUP) is a highly-respected publishing house and a department of the University of Oxford in England. ...

Links

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since April 2007 | Gemstones | Oxide minerals | Optical materials | Dielectrics For the CSI episode of the same name, see Precious Metal (CSI episode). ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... This article is about the chemical element. ... Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92. ... General Name, Symbol, Number platinum, Pt, 78 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 10, 6, d Appearance grayish white Standard atomic weight 195. ... For other uses, see Palladium (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gemstone (disambiguation). ... This article is about the mineral. ... This article is about the mineral. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... For other uses, see Amethyst (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Opal (disambiguation). ... This article is about the mineral or gemstone. ... This article is about the mineral. ... Tanzanite is the blue/purple variety of the mineral zoisite discovered in the Meralani Hills of northern Tanzania in 1967, near the city of Arusha. ... The mineral or gemstone chrysoberyl, not to be confused with beryl, is an aluminate of beryllium with the formula BeAl2O4. ... For other uses, see Amber (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Pearl (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Gemstone (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Crystal (disambiguation). ... This article is about the mineral. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Garnet is a group of minerals that have been used since the Bronze Age as gemstones and abrasives. ... Polished jasper pebble, one inch (2. ... A block of lapis lazuli Lapis lazuli is one of the oldest of all gems, with a history of use stretching back 7,000 years. ... For other uses, see Pearl (disambiguation). ... This article is about the mineral. ... This article is about the mineral. ... Sunstone, a feldspar exhibiting in certain directions a brilliant spangled appearance, which has led to its use as an ornamental stone. ... Polished tigers eye gemstone Tigers eye (also Tigers eye, Tiger eye) is a chatoyant gemstone that is usually yellow- to red-brown, with a silky luster. ... For other uses, see Agate (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Amethyst (disambiguation). ... Chalcedony knife, AD 1000-1200 Bloodstone redirects here. ... This article is about the mineral. ... The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is iron sulfide, FeS2. ... For other uses, see Quartz (disambiguation). ... Rhodochrosite from Sweet Home Mine, Alma, Colorado, USA Pink is the most common color of Rhodochrosite. ... This article is about the mineral or gemstone. ... The tourmaline mineral group is chemically one of the most complicated groups of silicate minerals. ...

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