Today is National Jewel Day, so to celebrate here are ten facts about Sapphires:
The word sapphire is derived from the Latin word sapphirus, which which originally referred to lapis lazuli.
Sapphire ranks as a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness, meaning it is the second hardest material known to man. Only Diamond is harder. Hence some of sapphire’s industrial uses: lenses and screens for Watches, and Bar code scanners.
Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, consisting of aluminium oxide with trace amounts of elements such as Iron, titanium, cobalt, Lead, chromium, vanadium, magnesium, boron, and Silicon. They’re actually made from the same stuff as Rubies.
Although we associate sapphire with the colour Blue, depending on the trace elements they can come in a range of hues including clear, Pink, Orange and even Black. Sapphires in colours other than blue are called "fancy" sapphires. A padparadscha is a pinkish orange sapphire which is especially rare and valuable.
Sapphire is the birthstone for people born in September. It also represents both the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries, and a sapphire jubilee occurs after 65 years. In 2017 Queen Elizabeth II marked the sapphire jubilee of her accession to the throne.
Staying with royalty for a moment, in 1981, Prince Charles presented Lady Diana Spencer with an engagement ring featuring a diamond-encrusted oval royal blue sapphire weighing 12 carats. This became the most famous blue sapphire in the world. Sapphires were also a popular choice for Victorian engagement rings, especially surrounded by diamonds in floral designs.
Sapphires can withstand temperatures as high as 1700-1900° Celsius without melting. Exposing them to temperatures this high is part of the process of enhancing their beauty.
The sapphire has been the official state gem of Queensland, Australia since August 1985.
Sapphires can be found all over the world, but Sri Lanka is the best producer.
Now for the folklore and superstitions. Hindus believe that wearing sapphire makes the planet Saturn (Shani) favourable towards the wearer; an old Italian superstition claimed that sapphires were good for eye problems and melancholy. Mary Queen of Scots owned a medicinal sapphire worn as a pendant to rub on her sore eyes. Many believe that sapphires can improve your ability to concentrate, be more creative, think more clearly, and be happier. It is also said to help eradicate unfavourable feelings and ideas.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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