The Birthstone Edit: September, the Sapphire

It’s that time of the month where we talk about just how rapidy this year is flying by, but if you’re a September baby then you’ll be happily welcoming the turn of a new month. Or, if you’re a Beyoncé fan- she turns 36-years-old on September 4 so there’s that to celebrate as well!

Every birthstone has a multitude of interesting characteristics and history behind it; however, the Sapphire, September's birthstone, takes the cake (no pun intended) as one of the most fashionably contemporary gemstones out of them all. Perhaps, made modernly famous by Princess Diana as it was the center stone in the engagement ring she received from Prince Charles in 1981.

1. Sapphire is only found in a few locations around the world. The predominate regions for blue Sapphire are Sri Lanka, Burma and Kashmir. However, Madagascar has been leading in Sapphire production since 2007.

 

2. Though blue is perhaps most associated with Sapphire, the gem actually comes in a plethora of different colours, except for red. Blue is the least rare.

3. The most rare Sapphire is salmon-like in colour, a cross between orange and pink, and is called Padparadscha, stemming from the Sinhalese word for aquatic lotus blossom.

 

4. The word Sapphire originates from Greek lexicon where it was called Sappheiros, meaning blue gem, though it was said that they may have been referring to a different gemstone of similar colour, Lapis Lazuli.

 

5. Sapphire is the gem representing a 45^th wedding anniversary; the Sapphire Jubilee was coined for the celebrations of the 65^th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II-the first British monarch to have a Sapphire Jubilee.

6. Sapphire and Ruby have the same chemical composition and crystal structure. Both gemstones are made from Corundum, an aluminum oxide, which is why a Sapphire can never be red because the Ruby is essentially a red ‘Sapphire’.

 

7. It is the second hardest substance on earth, first is the Diamond. The Mohs scale of mineral hardness rates the Sapphire a 9 out of 10.

9. Blue Sapphire’s are meant to calm over-activity in the body and eliminate stress.

 

10. In Ancient Greece and Rome, royalty assumed Sapphire would protect them from harm and evil. During the Middle Ages, clergymen would wear them on their robes which represented Heaven, while ordinary folks thought it attracted heavenly blessings. It is believed that the Ten Commandments were written on tablets of Sapphire.

11. In 800BC, the rulers of Ancient Persia believed that the hues of a Sapphire reflected onto the sky, making it the colour it is.

 

12. The Museum of Natural History in New York houses one of the gemstone world’s largest Sapphire, weighing 423 carats.