Selling Montana Sapphire Drop Earrings and Pendant Set, in Sterling Silver

Here we have a handmade set of sterling silver and green Montana sapphire drop earrings and matching pendant.

The sapphires are smooth oval shaped nuggets (10x8mm), with natural coloring and minimal internal “texturing” typical of alluvial sapphires, dangling from sterling silver leverback French hooks.

The pendant is a long 16x8mm nugget, with a sterling silver bale, and a fine 16 inch sterling silver snake chain.

The birthstone for September, sapphire is said to help in the body's detoxification and purification process. It can act as an overall tonic to promote good health and well-being.

Four areas of Montana produce gem-quality sapphire. In 1865, gold rush prospectors discovered sapphire in the gravels of the Missouri River. At the time, these stones were waste that got in the way of extracting gold because selling no facilities for faceting and polishing sapphire existed anywhere nearby. As a result, these pebbles were considered nearly worthless.

Prospectors discovered sapphire in Rock Creek and in Dry Cottonwood Creek soon after. These three areas produce pale-colored, but often high clarity, rough. Because of the light colors, mining these areas wasn't very profitable in a time when dark sapphires were prized. Today Montana sapphires are prized for their pale pastel colours, but even now the original geological source area for these rare gems is still unknown.

One theory suggests that ancient sapphire-bearing mountains weathered away, with streams carrying these gems downhill. They were then buried in ancient streambeds. These ancient streambeds are now weathering away, and water carries these sapphires into modern riverbeds. Another theory suggests that long-distance glacial transport played a role. Either way, geologists have yet to discover the original source of these gems, and so the supply is uncertain and we should all get them while we can.


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