Enhance Your Relationships with Pink Sapphire

Pink sapphire is sapphire (corundum, or aluminum oxide) coloured pink by trace chromium; with more chromium it is called a ruby. It rates 9 on the Mohs scale, making it one of the hardest natural minerals, and in many cultures it is a symbol of trust, loyalty, sincerity and love. Here are its properties, history and lore.

The Physical Properties of Pink Sapphire

Pink sapphires come in various shades of pink, ranging from light to dark. Additionally, they can have secondary hues, like purplish-pink and orange-pink, like the rare Padparadscha sapphires.

In terms of hardness, this stone is rated 9 on the Mohs scale which makes it an incredibly hard mineral and one of the hardest known natural minerals. It can be transparent to opaque and has a vitreous or glassy lustre.

It can be challenging to differentiate a pink sapphire from a ruby. Only a trained gemologist can legitimately tell apart one from the other. In the US, a stone needs a certain level of color saturation to be referred to as a ruby, but in other countries the distinction between ruby and pink sapphire is not as strict.

Pink sapphires are often heat treated to remove purple undertones, and finding completely natural, untreated pink sapphires is uncommon. It’s important to be aware of this when buying pink sapphires.

The History of Pink Sapphire

Pink sapphires have become more widely available in the market since new sources were discovered in Madagascar in the late 1990s. Prior to this discovery, pink sapphires were considered very rare as they were only found in a few locations across the world, such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and East Africa.

The Lore of Pink Sapphire

Pink sapphires have long been regarded as symbols of love throughout history. In Asian cultures, they are sometimes associated with the sacred lotus flower, which represents beauty, wisdom, and purity.

The earliest known use of sapphire engagement rings dates back to the Roman Empire, while in medieval Europe, people wore sapphires as talismans for good luck and protection.

The Metaphysical Properties of Pink Sapphire

In crystal lore, pink sapphire is a symbol of emotional protection, loyalty and trust. People who like it often describe it as a stone for staying steady in situations they cannot control.

It is also associated with the heart chakra, the energy centre linked with love and with how we relate to the world. Within that tradition it stands for understanding your own needs and feelings, and for accepting the ups and downs of relationships.

In feng shui, pink sapphire is traditionally linked with fire energy, which stands for enthusiasm, warmth, brightness and passion, and with the south area of a home or room and the fame and reputation area of a living space. People use it as a symbol of warmth in their family and community.