Sapphire

The September Birthstone

Certified Diamond and Oval Sapphire
14k Yellow Gold Ring

We usually think of sapphires as being a gorgeous blue, but you can buy them in almost every colour of the rainbow. Pale blue sapphires are sometimes heat treated to intensify the colour. There is also a rare form of "color changing" sapphire that exhibits different colours in diffent types of light.

Sapphire is extremely hard and transparent sapphire slices are sometimes used for watch faces. However sapphire can still be damaged if not handled properly.

Artificial sapphire has been created in the laboratory for over a century now and it can be difficult for the layman to distinguish between real and artificial stones.

The star sapphire exhibits a property called "asterism" and displays six or sometimes twelve rays depending on the cut. The existance of asterism in a stone used to be considered sufficient (but not necessary) to prove it was natural, but star sapphires can now be produced artificially.

Symbolism and Lore

Despite the similarity of names, I'm not aware of any historical connection between sapphire and Sapphos.

The blue of the sapphire has frequently been connected with the blue of the sky. There is a poetic image of the whole world existing within a single giant sapphire gemstone. Sapphire has thus often ben associated with the heavens and the angelic realm.

In the West the star sapphire has been called the Stone of Destiny. In a Christian allusion, the three lines that form the six points of the star are said to represent faith, hope and charity.

And there was also, of course, the wonderful cult TV show Sapphire and Steel in which Joanna Lumley played the empathic character Sapphire.