Do you like clear gemstones over colored ones?
Are you a big fan of diamonds but not of their high costs that stop you from owning them?
Then the absolute solution for you is White Sapphires!
They are colorless and intriguing with a charming luster. In local market, they are known as safe pukhraj. They act as the best substitutes for diamonds, and they even trick you into believing they are if the surrounding is well lit because, in proper lighting, they sparkle endlessly.
They are colorless and intriguing with a charming luster. In local market, they are known as safe pukhraj. They act as the best substitutes for diamonds, and they even trick you into believing they are if the surrounding is well lit because, in proper lighting, they sparkle endlessly.
White sapphire belongs to the corundum family and shows 9 on the Mohs Gem Hardness Scale. They are also very rare to find, especially the naturally occurring ones. In their natural form, they are generally pale or muddy brown. However, they can be treated to a flawlessly clear and colorless sparkling stone. Lab certification usually contains all the details related to the treatments they undergone. Such a certificate is, in fact, essential to verify their authenticity, especially in the case of white sapphires as a lot of duplicate ones are available in the markets these days to trick the customers.
White Sapphires generally look beautiful in silver or platinum. They are also highly preferred for creating antique designs, especially in rings. Furthermore, just like diamonds, they go well with other gemstones such as rubies, emeralds, pearls, etc. They are often used in rings, necklaces, lockets and earrings along with other gems mostly as an alternative to diamonds to make the jewellery affordable and appealing at the same time. They are very economical compared to diamonds.
Mostly, the value of white sapphire is decided by taking their origin, color, clarity, carat weight and cut into consideration. However, higher clarity and a higher degree of colorlessness together make a white sapphire most expensive. The presence of even little traces of color can bring down its value.
In comparison with diamonds though, in terms of beauty, undoubtedly diamonds win, leaving white sapphires as a close second. This is because diamonds are refractive as well as reflective. Every color of the rainbow can be refracted by diamonds making their appearance oh-so-fabulous. On the other side of the coin, white sapphires can disperse only white light, which limits their sparkling ability.
Also, diamonds sparkle forever no matter what, but white sapphires need to be polished from time to time to retain their luster.
However, in terms of strength, white sapphires top the chart. Diamonds are hard, but white sapphires are harder, which makes them more resistant to chipping than diamonds over time.
Another interesting comparison between diamonds and white sapphires is in terms of their ability to withstand dirt and debris. We all know that as we use jewellery regularly, it is often subjected to dirt, smoke etc. which could even get collected in small amounts. In such cases, white sapphires may start to seem cloudy and even dirty at times, and then you will need to take some time and clean them properly to bring back their glow. In the case of diamonds though the brightness is eternal and from within and so they continue to glow regardless of dirt or debris.