September Birthstone – Sapphire

Sapphires are the modern birthstone of September. Historically they are also associated with the zodiac signs: the planetary stone for Libra and the zodiac stone for Virgo, with both of these signs occurring in September.

Sapphires were first thought to be mined 3500 years ago in Myanmar (Burma) and 2500 years ago in Sri Lanka. Today sapphires can be found in Kashmir, Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nigeria, Kenya, Madagascar, Australia and the USA state of Montana.

Kings, Queens, Princesses and Sapphires

In ancient Greece and Rome, Kings and Queens were convinced that blue sapphires protected their owners from envy and harm. Sapphires also symbolise nobility, truth, sincerity and faithfulness.

The world’s most famous sapphire engagement ring now belongs to Princess Kate Middleton with the previous owner being Princess Diana.

Sapphires Shimmering Hues of Blue

The word sapphire comes from the Greek word ‘sappheiros’ meaning ‘blue’ therefore when we think of sapphires we tend to conjure up images of blue gemstones, but sapphires naturally occur in many different colours. These range from colourless to black, including colours such as pink, purple, grey. The only colour sapphire doesn’t come in is red; as this is known as a ruby. Rubies and sapphires belong to the same corundum family but rubies have chromium present in their chemical compound.

Blue sapphires come in ranges of hues from a dark midnight blue to a bright and vibrant electric blue. They suit any skin tone and the colours are accentuated when set in any metal. When blue sapphires are set in white gold and surrounded by diamonds they remind me of blue seas with white horses crowning the waves. The diamonds show a good contrast on colours between the blues and whites.