Okay, here’s my blog post about my experience with a black star sapphire:
So, the other day I was digging around in my grandma’s old jewelry box – you know, the kind with the faded velvet lining and the slightly musty smell? I always loved looking through it as a kid, pretending I was a pirate discovering buried treasure. This time, though, I actually found something pretty cool: a black star sapphire.
Honestly, I didn’t even know what it was at first. It just looked like a smooth, black, kinda cloudy rock. But when I held it up to the light – BAM! – this amazing six-rayed star appeared on the surface. It was like magic!
My First Experiment
My first thought? “I gotta show this to someone!” I ran to show my best friend. Then my second thought, I took a picture of it to check on internet, you know. I mean, who wouldn’t? I even tried shining my phone’s flashlight on it, and the star got even brighter and sharper. It was seriously mesmerizing.
Looking it up Online
Of course, I immediately went down an internet rabbit hole. I learned that this “star” effect is called “asterism,” and it’s caused by tiny, needle-like inclusions inside the stone. These inclusions, I read, were often made of a mineral, reflect the light in a way that makes those rays appear.
Playing Around with Lighting
Then came the fun part – experimenting! I spent a good hour just playing around with different light sources. Here’s what I discovered:
- Sunlight: The star looked good, but it was a bit diffused, a little blurry.
- Phone Flashlight: Super sharp and bright star, the best view, by far.
- Overhead Room Light: Barely any star at all, it needs a focused beam, it seems.
- Candlelight: Kinda flickery and romantic, but not the clearest star.
Getting it Appraised (Maybe?)
After all that, I started wondering if this thing was actually valuable. I mean, it’s pretty unique, and it was in my grandma’s jewelry box, so it had to be worth something, right?
I’m thinking about taking it to a jeweler to get it appraised. It might be worth a few bucks, or it might just be a cool-looking rock. Either way, I’m keeping it. It’s a neat little piece of my grandma’s history, and it’s got that awesome star trick!
So, that’s my black star sapphire adventure. It’s amazing what you can find when you’re not even looking!