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Color Change Sapphire - The Reason Behind Its Color Changing Process

What causes sapphire to change color? Are there any explanations for how this is possible? Is there a sapphire that loses its color? These are the questions that are commonly asked. Many people want to know how this is happening. As far as I can tell, that might be what you're thinking right now, which is why you're here. No need to worry, because there's an answer for that!

Oct 18, 2022819 Shares409.4K ViewsWritten By: Johnny K.Reviewed By: Luke Williams
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  1. Can Sapphire Change Color
  2. Process Of This Phenomenon
  3. Sapphire Colors That Fade
  4. The Beauty Of Color Change

What causes sapphireto change color? Are there any explanations for how this is possible? Is there a sapphire that loses its color?

These are the questions that are commonly asked. Many people want to know how this is happening. As far as I can tell, that might be what you're thinking right now, which is why you're here. No need to worry, because there's an answer for that!

Can Sapphire Change Color

Color-change Sapphires are corundum's chameleons, stones that change color when the light is different. The light that is close to daylight, like a fluorescent or LED light, makes the typical color-changing sapphire range from blue to violet in its base color.

Sapphires are not only known for their beautiful blue color, but they can also reflect other colors. Because sapphire is part of the corundum family, the part of the sapphire that changes color is called a color change sapphire.

Because blue is thought to be the best color for sapphires, that doesn't mean it's true. They come in many different colors, like orange, yellow and pink.

Process Of This Phenomenon

Cause Of Daylight

Three mini blue sapphire stone
Three mini blue sapphire stone

Typical color change sapphires range from blue to violet when they are in daylight or when they are in fluorescent lights that look like daylight. Under incandescent light, such as from an electric light bulb or a candle, the color changes from violet to reddish-purple. These two things work together to make this happen.

The sapphire, which can only absorb certain wavelengths of light, and the light source, which changes its spectral output depending on what it is illuminated by. The color change is caused by traces of metal contaminants in the sapphire, such as chromium and vanadium, which are found in the stone. Natural light is thought to be the best way to see the color change properties in the sapphire stone. There is a good mix of light and dark in the daytime.

To see the real change in color of the sapphire gemstone, it needs to be seen or looked at in the light of daylight or ultraviolet light. These are the only sapphire stones that can show different colors because they have two light transmission windows instead of just one.

Sapphire Colors That Fade

Padparadscha Sapphire

Pinkish spiral-look stone
Pinkish spiral-look stone

Padparadschas are in this group because they have different amounts of yellow-coloring agents mixed with chromium-produced pink, which makes them look like "salmon/coral" sapphires. They show this unique color fading and reviving trait as a natural part of the stone's design.

Yellow Sapphire

Brown-yellowish glossy sapphire stone
Brown-yellowish glossy sapphire stone

Yellow sapphires are subjected to higher clarity standards than blue, pink, or padparadschasapphires, and they generally have fewer inclusions than other colors. The relative clarity of yellow sapphire is advantageous since the medium tone at which the color appears best does nothing to hide imperfections. These stones have feather-like imperfections that are quite easy to cut around and so are not visible to the human eye.

Basically, these sapphires look a lot like plants. For a few days, you could keep a plant in a closet and not let it get any sunlight or water. The leaves would start to wilt and the plant would look dull and dead. A bright, well-lit room with a lot of fresh water and light would help the plant come back to life. It would have strong color, lifted leaves, and strong stems. As a plant grows and dies, so does the color fade and come back.

The Beauty Of Color Change

These extremely rare color-changing sapphires are quite spectacular and depending on where you are, you will be treated to a beautiful and surprising color.

And you don't even have to buy another sapphire to get a different color! Just wait until the sunlight hits your color-changing sapphire to get another flawless and stunning stone!

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