Sapphire - September Birthstone

I love sapphires, they’re probably my favourite gemstone. Each one, unique and in a kaleidoscope of colours from blues , to greens through to oranges and pinks. 

In ancient Greece and Rome, kings and queens were convinced that blue sapphires protected their owners from envy and harm. During the Middle Ages, the clergy wore sapphires to symbolize Heaven, and ordinary folks thought the gem attracted heavenly blessings. In other times and places, people instilled sapphires with the power to guard chastity, make peace between enemies, influence spirits, and reveal the secrets of oracles.

In folklore, history, art, and for consumers, sapphire has largely been associated with the colour blue. Its name comes from the Greek word sappheiros, which probably referred to lapis lazuli. Most people do still think that all sapphires are blue, however,  this is most definitely not the case.

It’s a variety of the same species as ruby—corundum— and any corundum that doesn’t qualify as ruby is considered sapphire. Fancy sapphires, as they’re called, come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues. There are also parti-coloured sapphires that show a combination of different colours. And some stones exhibit the phenomenon known as colour change, most often going from blue in daylight or fluorescent lighting to purple under incandescent light. Sapphires can even be grey, black, or brown.

Sapphire is a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness which just a touch below a diamond (a 10 on the Mohs scale) so is a strong stone and great for everyday wear and and perfect for rings and engagement rings which get daily wear, and a beautiful alternative to a diamond when you want a bit of colour!

The sapphires we use at Audrey Claude come mainly from Sri Lanka, Malawi, Tanzania, Australia and the USA for Montana sapphire. 

Shop for your sapphire jewellery here!