Kalyan Wiki
Neelam stone
Neelam Stone or Blue Sapphire is a blue-coloured gemstone belonging to the Corundum mineral family. Blue Sapphire or Neelam stone is popularly known as Neelamani, Indraneel, Indraneelam, Neela Pukhraj. It is considered the most precious stone, most powerful and fastest acting gemstone according to Vedic astrology.
Quality
The quality of the Neelam stone is mapped by collectively assessing the origin, colour, clarity, treatment, uniqueness, shape, etc., of the stone.
- Origin
Neelam stone mines were discovered in Kashmir (India), Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Madagascar, and America. Kashmir sapphires are the best in quality as they are royal blue in colour and velvety in texture. Ceylon blue sapphire is also considered fine in quality. Other Neelam stone varieties like Bangkok blue sapphires have darker blue shade and are hence less worthy. - Colour
True blue colour, which is neither too violet nor too purple, is considered ideal. Besides this shade, the stone must be bright and vividly saturated. Kashmir blue sapphires have all these characteristics and, therefore, are incredibly precious. If any one of these three traits of the colour matrix is compromised, the quality of sapphire drops. Deep blue Neelam stones are also referred to as “Indraneelam” stones in Hindi Clarity With the gemological composition, inclusions like fine silk (needles), fingerprints and colour bands are usually acceptable in sapphires. Natural Neelam stone without visible inclusions is quite rare and hence the most expensive. - Uniqueness
A blue sapphire producing ‘asterism’ in a six-ray star-like fashion is called Star Sapphire. Such sapphires have been found in Sri Lanka, Australia, Myanmar, Thailand, and many parts of Africa and South-East Asia. The Blue star sapphire price depends on the star print's lustre and perfection, which is best seen under direct sunlight by tilting the sapphire at different angles. A well-aligned six-ray radial can drastically improve blue star sapphire’s value.
The price of the Blue Sapphire or the Neelam stone stems from its popularity and extreme rarity. Other factors that contribute to its price are the origin of stone, colour, clarity, carat weight, cut & shape, and treatment.
