Distinctly Montana Magazine

W W W. D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA NA . C O M 71 e word "sapphire," in fact comes from the Greek word sappheiros, which means "blue stone," though scholars think that the Greek word originally referred rather to lapis lazuli, and the stone that we now call the sapphire the Greeks called hyakinthos, a word that similarly suggests blue as indicated in the hyacinth blossom. Gemologists explain that sapphires are actually an extremely hard mineral called corundum that can occur in a variety of colors, all of which are called sapphire except those that are colored red: red corundum goes by the name ruby. e diamond reigns as the supreme mineral on the hardness scale, but the sapphire is close behind it in third place: diamonds rate 10 on the Mohs' Hardness Scale; sapphires rate 9 (a mineral called moissonite falls between them at 9.5). Gems are considered precious in part because of their hardness, which makes them impervious to being scratched or marred—except by a harder mineral. But more impor- tant than hardness, people prize and collect gems such as sapphires for two other reasons: rarity and beauty. Sapphires, like diamonds, are exceedingly rare, and they possess a naturally sparkling beauty. And while almost any sapphire will draw a person's attention, Yogo sapphires from the Judith Basin country in Montana are renowned as among the finest examples in the world. Sapphires from around the world and from other parts of Montana range in color from yellow and pink to green and purple. e specimens produced in Yogo Gulch, an other- wise unremarkable patch of Montana landscape near Utica, Montana, captivate collectors because of their rich blue hue from the hills of the Little Belts. by AARON PARRETT S APPHIRES CAN BE FOUND IN MANY PLACES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, INCLUDING SUCH EXOTIC LOCALES AS SRI LANKA AND KASHMIR, BUT ONE OF THE FINEST AND MOST ARDENTLY SOUGHT-AFTER VARIETIES COMES FROM RIGHT HERE IN THE TREASURE STATE. Of the several different types of sapphires found in Montana, the most famous and desirable variety is the world-famous Yogo sapphire, a gem with a color of deep, mesmerizing, cornflower blue. THE GEM OF MONTANA: YOGO SAPPHIRES

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