Blue Sapphire ( Neelam ) - Significance, Benefits, Facts and Wearing Rituals.

Hey guys! I hope you are keeping well. Today's post is in relation to one of the most precious and expensive stones - Blue Sapphire also known as Neelam. It is the most powerful stone related to planet Saturn. Blue sapphire is much talked about as it has the most extreme and drastic effects on the wearer. It is the most instant acting and influential stone effective in Business, Career, Health, Marriage and success in general. It is the powerhouse of energy. Hence, it is always advised to check its suitability to the wearer before wearing it.

Blue sapphire provides the wearer with immense prosperity, luck, fortune, opportunities, wealth and fame. It is often worn by people of the creative and artistic side as it is believed to enhance one's creativity and fame. It also renders innovative skills and curiosity in one's mind. Helps to remove the mental blockade and gives exceptional skills to achieve the desired goals. It also gives financial growth and motivation. Once the gemstone gets suitable to the wearer, it provides protection from difficulties of life, misfortunes, accidents or any unforeseen mishaps. It gives victory over enemies, raises the person's image in society. and most importantly teaches the person how essential is to be hardworking towards the road to success.

How to choose a Blue Sapphire?

As I have mentioned in my previous blog- https://www.thehailphoenix.com/2020/01/gemology-and-gemstones-part-2.html

Apart from these the other characteristics that should be considered while choosing a Blue sapphire gemstone are:

The best Blue sapphire is unheated, untreated and naturally occurring which gives the best astrological benefits to the native.

The colour of the Blue sapphire is due to the trace amounts of iron, titanium, vanadium, chromium or magnesium in the actual mineral corundum containing aluminium oxide. The purest and finest Blue sapphire has soft, lustre, vibrant blue fluorescence to a slightly grey and black colour and can be colourless as well. A pinkish-orange variety is known as PADPARADSCHA. Violet and green are the most common secondary hues found in Blue Sapphire. If the colour is too light or too dark then it might be a fake stone or of semi-precious variety.

Practically 100% inclusion-free Blue sapphire is nonexistent. Some inclusions are expected but should be very less for it to be the original one. You know the more inclusions, the lesser transparency and lesser the price. Typical Blue Sapphire inclusions are crystals, zircon halos, Rutile needles, Rutile silk, etc. These inclusions indicate that the stone has a natural origin and not synthetically made.

It should have a considerable amount of solidity and hardness. The MOHS scale of hardness for Blue Sapphire is 9 i.e the 3rd hardest mineral after diamond and moissanite.

Its chemical composition is Aluminium oxide i.e. Al2O3

Its refractive index is 1.760-1.763 to 1.768-1.772.

Its specific gravity is 3.98-4.06.

It belongs to the species Corundum's blue variety.

The best quality Blue sapphire comes from Ceylon ( Sri Lanka ). The other places include Kashmir and Burma.

The average density is 4.02

Birefringence is 0.007- 0.010.

It should be at least 4-6 carats in weight so as to give prominent results. In general, it should be 1/10th of your body weight.

There should be uniformity of colour and transparency in the entire stone.

Should be devoid of any impurity, cracks, lines, blemishes and bubbles.

Its lustre and radiance should be appreciated from the naked eye.

Should be of required heaviness which marks its difference from the fake stone.

How to identify an original Blue sapphire?

Apart from the above-mention characteristics, one can check if given stone leaves colour on rubbing it. Original Blue sapphire will not leave colour on rubbing it off against any other material.

Only microscopic natural inclusions will be there in original Blue sapphire. The gas bubbles, scratches, cuts, blemishes, etc are seen in fake stones.

Try to scratch the stone from a key or hard material. Original stone won't get scratched that easily. If the given stone gets scratched easily then it's probably the fake one.

If you are getting the Blue sapphire at a cheaper price, then it is 99% fake as natural and original ones are expensive. While the synthetic Blue sapphire comes in 20% the lesser price, the fake one can be bought for 90-95% cheaper than the original one. So beware!

The demand of Kashmiri Variety of Blue sapphire is less as most of these are extracted from old jewellery. One should not use the extracted stones as these are used and of no use for astrological purpose.

Last but not the Least, Seek professional help when in doubt and buy certified stones always.

How to wear Blue Sapphire?

Should Strictly be worn only after the consultation by the learned astrologer.

Should be worn on Saturday of waxing moon period (Shukla Paksha).

Should be worn in between the two hours before and after the sunrise.

The best metal to wear it in is Silver, Platinum or White Gold. Those who can't or don't want to imbibe it in can make it in Panchdhaatu (an alloy of 5 elements Gold, Silver, Iron, Zinc and Copper. Sometimes Tin or Lead can be used in place of Zinc).

The finger to wear it in is the Middle finger. Commonly it is worn in the right hand but which hand is preferred, you may check it out in my previous blog- https://www.thehailphoenix.com/2020/03/astrology-and-gems-selection-criteria.html

Rituals related to wearing a Blue Sapphire.

This is the stone which requires an absolute test before wearing it. One should keep the stone under the pillow at night. If there is no nightmare or negative dreams then one can go ahead with it. Else it is an indication that it wouldn't suit you probably. So don't wear it.

You can either wear it as a pendant, bracelet or a ring.

Preferably it is worn in as a ring.

Dip it in a Panchamrit (a mixture of raw cow milk, cow fat i.e Ghee, honey or sugar, yoghurt and Gangajal i.e. Holy water) one night before the morning you wanna wear it.

In the morning, do your prayer rituals as you do in routine. Wash the ring with regular water and dip it in holy water just before wearing it.

Always seek blessings of Almighty and pray to them for the fulfilment of the purpose for which you are gonna wear the gemstone.

The "Beej Mantra- Ohm Praam Preem Praum Sah Shanicharaya Namah" or Ohm Aim Hreem Shanecharaya Namah" to be recited 108 times so as to activate the stone.
One should donate black urad pulses, salt, mustard oil, Black til (sesame seed), tea leaves, Dakshina (money) according to one's capacity at the temple and in the feet of the peepal tree. Also, light the mustard oil filled Diyas there.

You should feed the poor and needy, especially on Saturdays. (This is the most pious thing and should be done anyways without any purpose or wanting anything in return. We should feed anything in any day we want but for this, Saturday is preferable).