15 Jan Blue Monday -Blue Gems
Its blue monday, supposedly the most depressing day of the year. So in a ridiculously tenuous link lets talk blue gems in an attempt to cheer us all up. There is a variety of blue stones to suit every budget.
Starting with the most expensive blue diamond. A properly blue diamond is formed by a boron impurity absorbing red light and. The most expensive blue diamond ever sold at auction was the Oppenheimer blue diamond in 2016 for $57.5 million.
Second on my list is blue sapphire. Worshipped throughout the ages it was believed by the persians to make the sky blue with its reflections. It is very versatile in jewellery as it is very hard and durable stone. It’s considered the birthstone for september…but that shouldn’t stop you wearing if you get the chance.
sapphire oval
Lapis lazuli is known to have been mined as early as 700 BC in Afghanistan. This stones stunnning blue colour was the source for the original ultramarine pigment. Its not a particularly hard stone but is nevertheless beautiful when used in inlay such as in Tutankhamens death mask.
Aquamarine is a beautiful transluscent blue. It was thought to calm waves and keep sailors safe at sea.
Aquamarine
Tanzanite is a more recently identified stone that has become popular in jewellery in recent years. It is only found in Tanzania in a relatively small area. It is sought after for its trichroism which is changed to dichroism by almost universal heating to remove brownish tones.
Tanzanite
So there’s six fascinating stones that are blue….hope that cheers you up!