The charm and symbolism of sapphire- September birthstone

1. The meaning of sapphire

Sapphire symbolizes loyalty, constancy, love, and honesty. Known as the “Stone of Destiny”, it is a star sapphire, which can bless the wearer’s safety and make people good luck.

Sapphire is a high-end gemstone, one of the five major gemstones, ranking third after diamonds and rubies. Sapphire is the birthstone for September and autumn, and it is known as the “sister gem” of ruby. Sapphire, with its crystal clear and beautiful color, was cast with mysterious and supernatural colors by the ancients and was regarded as an auspicious thing. As early as in ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and ancient Rome, sapphires were used to decorate mosques, churches, and monasteries, and as tributes in religious ceremonies. Together with diamonds and pearls, it has also become an indispensable ornament on the crown and dress of the king of the British Empire and the Russian Tsar. Since gemstones entered the folks in the past hundred years, sapphire has been ranked among the top five birthstones in the world, and it is one of the precious gemstone varieties that people cherish.

World gemology defines sapphire as the birthstone of September. The Japanese choose it as a precious souvenir for the 23rd anniversary (sapphire) and 26th anniversary (starlight sapphire) of their marriage.

2. The color of sapphire

Before introducing The charm and symbolism of sapphire, let’s talk about the color of sapphire. Sapphire is a general term for corundum gemstones of other colors except ruby among corundum gemstones. Its main component is aluminum oxide. Blue sapphire is due to a small amount of titanium and iron impurities mixed in it. Sapphire is corundum with a predominantly blue hue, often with purple or green tinges. According to the three elements of color (hue, saturation, lightness), the color of sapphire is divided into the following grades:

Color classification:

The color of sapphire can be pink, yellow, green, white, or even multiple colors in the same stone.

Brilliant blue: brilliant blue is the most advanced color in sapphire color grading. It is a highly saturated blue that can avoid opacity or over-coloring. At the same time, the brilliance of bright blue sapphire is also the best in this color grading. ;

Vivid blue: Sapphires with vivid blue are slightly lighter in color than brilliant blue, but are very sought after;

Royal blue: The color of royal blue is closer to dark blue, but its vividness is slightly lower than dark blue, which is an extremely rare color;

Medium blue: The color of medium blue is neither deep nor light, and has a very good vividness. The saturation is between 50% and 70%, so it can give people a very good visual feeling;

Sky blue: Sky blue is lighter than medium blue, and the saturation is also lower, between 20% and 40%. Sky blue sapphires have excellent brilliance and white reflections;

Navy blue: Navy blue is a darker blue, and its vividness is medium to good;

Grayish blue: This blue is grayish and not very transparent.

Colorless: The mineral corundum consists only of aluminum and oxygen and requires a silicon-free growth environment. However, silicon is a very common element, so natural corundum is relatively uncommon. In its purest state, corundum is practically colorless. Once a popular diamond simulant, colorless sapphires have made a comeback as accessory stones in recent years.

Colorless corundum

Colorless corundum is rare. Most corundum contains color-causing trace elements. When the trace elements are iron and titanium, corundum is blue sapphire. Only a few percent of iron and titanium produce the color, and the more iron in the corundum, the darker the blue. Chromium can cause the red color of rubies or the pink color of pink sapphires.

Appearance color is an important index to evaluate the quality of sapphire. To accurately evaluate the color of the sapphire and divide the color grade of the sapphire, it is necessary to perform color detection under uniform light source conditions.

3. The history of Sapphire

In the 1990s, discoveries in East Africa and Madagascar brought fancy colored sapphires to widespread recognition. The new sources complement production from traditional sources such as Sri Lanka and Madagascar and increase the availability of yellow, orange, pink, and purple.

And these colors appeal to jewelry designers who want to move away from the traditional shades of red, blue, and green.

The 330-carat star of Asia is in the collection of the National Museum of Natural History – Chip Clark, courtesy Smithsonian Institution

Traditionally, sapphire symbolizes nobility, truth, sincerity, and loyalty. It has adorned the robes of royalty and clergy for centuries. Its extraordinary color is the standard by which other blue gems, topaz, and tanzanite are measured.

Sapphires have been associated with royalty and romance for centuries. The association was strengthened in 1981 when Britain’s Prince Charles gave Diana Spencer a blue sapphire engagement ring. Until she died in 1997, Princess Diana, because of her, was fascinated and became popular all over the world. The history and mythology of her sapphire ring connect modern events.

In ancient Greece and Rome

Kings, and queens were considered sapphires to protect their owners from jealousy and harm. In the Middle Ages, clergymen wore blue sapphires, which symbolized the unity of heaven and man. In other times and places, people have infused sapphires with power to bring peace among enemies, affect mental states, and reveal the secrets of oracles.

In folklore, history, art, and consumer consciousness, sapphires have long been associated with blue. Its name comes from the Greek word sappheiros, which may refer to lapis lazuli.

A particular orangy pink sapphire with a collar color is called Padparadscha, meaning “lotus flower” in Sagara, the language spoken in Sri Lanka. The only gemstones from Sri Lanka were originally marked with this marketable name. Is there any telling How much Padparadschasi has been sifted through the entire history of Sri Lankan river pebbles? Sri Lankans have a tradition of that and are thought to have a special attachment to their country’s colors.

The above is the charm and symbolism of sapphire revealed by Normaltan Jewelry for you. As a sapphire jewelry supplier, we can tailor jewelry for you to reflect your charm.