Star Sapphire

Item Description

When it comes to "star" gems, Sapphires are some of the best-known examples. This stone is a good representative Star Sapphire from Sri Lanka. These gems are cut when a piece of Sapphire rough is positioned by a skilled gem cutter to correctly orient the thin, fibrous inclusions inside of the Sapphire at the correct angle to properly show off the "legs" of the star when the piece is polished. When these inclusions are numerous enough, they allow light to be reflected in such a way that a six-ray star floats across the top of the stone when rotated in the light. It is an amazing phenomenon (called asterism) that is only seen in a few gems around the world. The actual "legs" of the star in this stone are fairly decent, but you need a concentrated light to see them properly. The stone has a dark almost metallic bronze hue with a slight green overtone, and is opaque for all intents and purposes.