Blue sapphires

[Darin]

Ive had some stones handed down to me and I read that blue sapphires will glow a little red when under uv mine turn bright pinkish red any thoughts

 

[JackTrick]

Hm. Not usually, iirc.

This article might be helpful: https://www.lotusgemology.com/index...-seeker-uv-fluorescence-as-a-gemological-tool

 

[Bron357]

Most blue sapphires don’t glow under UV light. However many types of lab grown synthetic sapphire and spinel will glow red orange/ red under UV (long wave). So glowing under Long wave isn’t conclusive but might lean towards been synthetic.
Tests under Short Wave light can help detect heat treatment in Corundum but Short Wave lamps are specialised equipment, expensive and require eye protection to use.

 

[LilAlex]

I assumed that blue-to-purple color-shift sapphires exhibit red fluorescence under UV. Some of my favorite blues fluoresce quite a bit and others do not but I can not tell if that is an element of their appeal. All are report-confirmed untreated.

 

[Stone Hunter]

I assumed that blue-to-purple color-shift sapphires exhibit red fluorescence under UV. Some of my favorite blues fluoresce quite a bit and others do not but I can not tell if that is an element of their appeal. All are report-confirmed untreated.

Yes I think I read this somewhere too. It has something to do with the trace element that makes them shift. Hopefully someone else read about this and can post the article.

 

[Stone Hunter]

Here is a thread on PS about fluorescence! It's iron that covers up the fluorescence.

Fun with Fluorescence!

OK, so this is a fun little game to play with your colored gemstones. All you need is a camera and a loupe with a UV light. (I got mine inexpensively on Etsy from FDJtools in Florida.) What is fun is that stones colored with chromium will fluoresce red, but if they have very much iron (like blue...

www.pricescope.com

 

[lilmosun]

I assumed that blue-to-purple color-shift sapphires exhibit red fluorescence under UV. Some of my favorite blues fluoresce quite a bit and others do not but I can not tell if that is an element of their appeal. All are report-confirmed untreated.

I have an unheated blue-to-purple color shift that does the same.

I remember being surprised and found this on PS (it may be the thread that @Stone Hunter was thinking of)?

What does red fluorescence in blue sapphire mean?

Hello. I don't mean to add yet another thread on sapphires, but I am really curious about this. So I got a pretty little sapphire from Ebay yesterday, from a reputable vendor on this forum. It's not "top" color by any means, but I like it. It's on a lighter side and I would guess medium...

www.pricescope.com

You have to read down a bit to see the following:

From the head gemologist of AGL, Christopher Smith.

"Blue sapphires may indeed fluoresce. Although iron will suppress fluorescence, if there is enough chromium a stone will have a red/reddish fluorescence reaction to LWUV. If you have other elements such as magnesium, a sapphire may have an orangey fluorescence reaction. Depending on the distribution of these elements, the fluorescence could be in bands or zones, as well as throughout. In some heated sapphires you may also observe a whitish or chalky fluorescence reaction to SWUV."

 

[Stone Hunter]

I have an unheated blue-to-purple color shift that does the same.

I remember being surprised and found this on PS (it may be the thread that @Stone Hunter was thinking of)?

What does red fluorescence in blue sapphire mean?

Hello. I don't mean to add yet another thread on sapphires, but I am really curious about this. So I got a pretty little sapphire from Ebay yesterday, from a reputable vendor on this forum. It's not "top" color by any means, but I like it. It's on a lighter side and I would guess medium...

www.pricescope.com

You have to read down a bit to see the following:

From the head gemologist of AGL, Christopher Smith.

"Blue sapphires may indeed fluoresce. Although iron will suppress fluorescence, if there is enough chromium a stone will have a red/reddish fluorescence reaction to LWUV. If you have other elements such as magnesium, a sapphire may have an orangey fluorescence reaction. Depending on the distribution of these elements, the fluorescence could be in bands or zones, as well as throughout. In some heated sapphires you may also observe a whitish or chalky fluorescence reaction to SWUV."

Yes I read that thread too! At one point I was very interested in fluorescence. I still think it's cool when I go someplace that has lighting and my stones glow.

 

[Beautiful-disaster]

I have an old sapphire that has a bright pink fluoresce. Natural - not heated, Ceylon.