Dive into the rich history of Sapphires, September's birthstone. Known for its deep blue hues, sapphire has captivated hearts for millennia, symbolizing fidelity and the soul. While often associated with royalty and romance, Sapphires come in a stunning array of colors beyond the classic blue. This gem's name originates from the Greek 'sappheiros,' reflecting its longstanding value and beauty. Discover the timeless allure of sapphires and explore their origins and significance.
Sapphire has long been a symbol of sincerity, truth, faithfulness, and nobility. Historically, Sapphires graced the attire of royalty and clergy, believed by many ancient cultures to offer protection and signify heavenly blessings. Intriguingly, ancient Persians thought a giant Sapphire supported the earth, tinting the sky blue. The stone was also credited with medicinal properties, thought to cure everything from the plague to eye diseases and even neutralize poison.
Among the most famous sapphires is the Rockefeller Sapphire, a 62.02 carat stone originally from Myanmar, cherished and modified over the decades by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Another renowned gem is the 12ct sapphire engagement ring, initially worn by Princess Diana and later by Duchess of Cambridge, symbolizing a legacy of love and continuity.
The technical stuff:
Sapphire is part of the corundum family of gemstones. For many years it was only the blue variety that was known as Sapphire, but today all varieties/colours of corundum except the red variety, Ruby are called Sapphire. Sapphire can come in just about every colour of the spectrum from pinks, oranges, yellows, greens, purples, colourless and subjectively the most popular, blue. They can also present with multi-colours called parti which can display variations of blues, greens, teal and yellow and colour change going from a blue during the day to purple in incandescent light.
Sapphire is an aluminium oxide with a chemical formula of Al2O3 and forms in the trigonal crystal system. It is almost as hard as Diamond which makes it perfect for jewellery and ranks as 9 on the Mohs scale. Sapphire can display an array of inclusions which can indicate the region where the gemstone was found. For example, stones from Sri Lanka can present with “fingerprints” which are microscopic healed fractures caused during the growth of the crystal. Colour zoning indicates the gemstone is from Australia.
The phenomenon asterism is very rare and is caused by microscopic inclusions under the stones surface. It appears as a six-ray star in Sapphire when cut as a cabochon. An extremely rare and collectible variety that is a mix of pink and orange is known in the trade as padparadscha. Such gems typically have a high value—much higher than many other types of fancy sapphires. Their color can be hard to describe. Some people say padparadscha sapphire colors should be called salmon or sunset. But the word padparadscha itself derives from the Sanskrit language and refers to the rich color of a lotus blossom.