Sapphire Crystal is one of the most sought-after gemstone materials there is. Its premier quality and structure make it a common feature in the most luxurious watch crystals, high durability glass surfaces, and jewelry. The crystal is well known for being second only to diamond in terms of hardness (9 on Moh’s scale, where diamond is 10) and resistance. This, coupled with its undeniable brilliance explains the rather high prices people are willing to shell out for genuine sapphire products.
Rating a whopping 9, Sapphire doesn’t scratch easy. However, no material, no matter how hard it may be, is completely immune to wear and tear, and sapphire is no different. If you’re one of those people who’re willing to spend large amounts of money for obtaining sapphire jewelry, it’s important to also be aware of the best tips and methods to best maintain sapphire, so that they’re always in top shape.
In this article, we’ll be looking at Sapphire jewelry, discussing its durability and liabilities for the same. We’ll be answering some common questions and looking at what exactly it is that can scratch sapphire and cannot, and let you know the best method to handle any scratches that may have found their way on your jewelry.
Can Sapphire be worn every day?
Yes you don’t have to hesitate at all in wearing your Sapphire every day provided you don’t hit the beach often. Sapphire crystal watches and jewelry can everyday wear and tear of life and come out unscathed. The reasons are:
- Hardness Quotient: In the Moh’s scale of hardness (which determines the ease with which a mineral can be scratched by another), it has a rating of 9. Which means it is behind only a few naturally occurring minerals including Diamond, the hardest mineral available in nature. This makes the likelihood of genuine sapphire being scratched by other minerals quite low.
- Absence of Cleavage: Sapphire stones don’t contain Cleavage. This essentially means that they don’t have any weak fault lines present in their natural structure. This implies that they’re durable enough to withstand some strong blows, thus making them a good stone to carry around if you’re worried about the risk of damage to your jewelry.
Can Sapphire get scratched?
Yes, Sapphire is not entirely invulnerable to scratching. Though you can generally get away with accidental contact against most minerals and everyday items. Below are some reasons your sapphire can get scratched:
- Strong blows: Sudden blows against hard objects can quite easily scratch sapphire. It may happen when you suddenly slip and the stone comes in contact with a hard or rough surface.
- Coming in contact with harder materials: Essentially, any material that is harder on the Moh’s scale can leave scratches on the surface of sapphire quite easily, even other Sapphire crystals themselves. For instance, consider that you are wearing multiple jewelry items. Some of the items are made of Sapphire and some have diamond. If these come in contact with each other or brush against each other often, your stone may get scratched.
- The stone is old and brittle: Apart from this, just like any other stone, it is possible to scratch and chip them, especially if the structure of the stone itself is rather brittle due to various possible reasons, but they’re generally way more resistant to such occurrences. You’re only likely to notice such damages after long years of use, and not any sooner.
Image by Sara Graves from Pixabay
Can White Sapphire get scratched?
White Sapphire is quite a common alternative to diamond in the realm of jewelry, due to its lack of color and relatively more affordable prices.
Though they are much cheaper, there are also quite a few compromises you’ve to make when purchasing white sapphire. Diamonds are famous for their 10/10 hardness on the Moh’s scale and almost 100% resistance to scratching, while white sapphires are not nearly as durable or scratch-proof. They’re as durable as any other sapphire crystal, but exposing them to the same, or harder materials can leave marks.
This doesn’t mean White sapphire crystals are weak and not fit for everyday use. They’re durable, but you should not have the same expectations as you would from a diamond ring. If you are getting a sapphire ring, it’s a good idea to pay attention to its setting to further protect it.
CAUSES OF SCRATCHES
What can scratch a sapphire watch or jewelry?
To scratch a sapphire crystal and be sure to leave a mark, you’ll need a material that measures as a harder, more rigid mineral. Because they measure so high up on the Moh’s scale, there are very few minerals that can boast of this. Among them, the ones that are most likely to come in contact with your crystal, if at all, are other Sapphires and Diamonds.
Sapphire crystals can sometimes vary in hardness and structure, which means the harder stones can leave significant marks on each other. This is why it’s best to properly check out any sapphire jewelry you may be buying from a jeweler, as they may have been damaged while being kept with other crystals. Diamonds, on the other hand, are hundreds of times harder than sapphire and can quite easily leave scratches on them.
Apart from these two, there are also certain carbides, such as Silicon carbide which measure 9-9.5 on the Moh’s scale. These carbides are usually found in masonry, flooring, production, etc., and though you might not encounter them very often, they have the potential to scratch sapphire crystals if they come in contact.
In terms of hardness, there are very few minerals that can scratch your Sapphire, but another factor that is important to consider is the pressure being applied to it and its structure. While they’re very unlikely to scratch, the innate hardness also means that they’re vulnerable to shatter and crack when extreme force is applied to them.
Can Sand scratch Sapphire?
No, Sand cannot leave scratches on genuine sapphire as the hardness of sapphire makes it nigh-invulnerable to scratches from such sources. If you accidentally scratch your watch against a brick wall or sandpaper, there shouldn’t be any marks left, unless you put too much pressure on it, in which case they usually develop small cracks rather than scratches.
Can Sapphire be scratched by Metal?
No, Sapphire cannot be scratched by Metals and the variances of metals most seen in everyday life. Rest assured, you don’t have to worry about scratching your sapphire watch or rings, if they are genuine sapphire if they happened scratch against your keys or some metal surfaces. Steel measures about 4 on Moh’s hardness scale, while hardened steel measures about 8, with all their end-products sharing similar levels of hardness. The hardness of Sapphire is such that you could take nails or metal files and scratch the surface without leaving any marks, as only minerals with higher levels of hardness than 9 on the Moh’s scale can achieve this.
REMOVING SCRATCHES
Can you remove scratches from sapphire crystal?
Yes, there are a few ways to get them fixed if some unfortunate incidents were to befall your precious jewelry. The first method is by hand and can be done to fix shallow scratches. The other method is an especially delicate process involving lapidary equipment and is used for deep scratches. At this point, it’s recommended to take it to a professional jeweler to do this process, as you can damage and shatter the stone in the process.
How do you get scratches out of Sapphire?
By Hand– For shallow scratches (i.e., less than 1 millimeter deep), you’ll need extremely fine grade Diamond powder that is about 1/4-to-1/8-micron grit. Moisten this powder with a drop of olive and mix it until it becomes a paste. Take this paste and apply it on the facet of the crystal where the scratch is present and lightly polish the entire facet. Make sure you don’t overdo it, as you could mess up the stone’s symmetry. Once you’re done polishing and buffing the crystal, rinse off the paste. If you’re polishing a watch crystal, it is recommended to cover the bezels with tape to avoid damage.
By Lapidary Equipment– For deep scratches, you’ll have to re-facet the gemstone itself, so it remains symmetrical. This is done through special lapidary equipment. Though the process itself is quite like the previous one, it is recommended to take your gemstone to a professional as it is a very difficult and delicate process that can completely break the stone if not done carefully. Be warned that your stone will be smaller at the end of the process.
Sealer– If the damage to the stone is deep enough to warrant using lapidary equipment, you can consider sealing the scratch instead of using a special sealer. This hides the scratch instead of polishing it out of the stone. To find the right sealer, however, it’s best to go to a professional again, as you need to consider the refractive index of the sapphire stone to find the right sealer.
To conclude,
Sapphire crystals are some of the hardest mineral types in the world, and it takes some very hard, and generally quite rare minerals to scratch them. You can rest assured when wearing your sapphire jewelry, as its natural durability means it’s practically made for everyday use. If you do find some scratches on your precious jewelry, they’re easy to polish out. Hopefully, you can use the information above to protect your sapphire jewelry and get them polished and fixed if an unfortunate incident were to befall them.
REFERENCES
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7142752_Impact_of_Ring_Wearing_on_Hand_Contamination_and_Comparison_of_Hand_Hygiene_Agents_in_a_Hospital
