SEPTEMBER BIRTHSTONE: SAPPHIRE

It is no surprise that Sapphires are a favourite gemstone around the globe, combining both beauty and wearability. 

Being the birthstone for those born in the month of September or in Virgo // 22 of August – 22 of September, here are some of our favourite facts about glorious Sapphires.

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1. Sapphires belong to the Corundum family and have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs Scale, which is a scale that identifies how durable a stone is (the stone’s resistance to scratching or how the surface of the gem will respond to contact with a sharp point).

The only gemstones that rank higher on the scale are Moissanites (9 1/2) or Diamonds (10).

2. When someone mentions the word Sapphire the first picture that may come to mind is the shimmering, deep blue ocean and dreamy blue skies, however Sapphires actually exist in a variety of shades and colours including: blue, violet, pink, green, black, yellow, and orange. The most preferred Sapphires have strong to vivid colour saturation, regardless of hue.

3. Sapphires can be found globally – traditionally they have been found in Sri Lanka (ie. Ceylon Sapphires), Madagascar, Tanzania and Australia (aren’t we super lucky they can be found in our home country!).

4. The typical Australian Sapphire is dark blue in colour, but the most famous Aussie variety is the Parti Sapphires. They are also referred to as bicoloured or polychrome Sapphires. The best part? Due to the unique mix of 2 – 3 colours (blue, green and yellow) they cannot be replicated in a lab. All natural baby, although some do get heat-treatment to enhance the colour.

5. The majority of our Parti Sapphires are sourced from an Australian family that has been mining and cutting for more than 40 years. We know exactly where they come from and feel honoured to be able to offer such high quality, interesting, local gemstones.

6. The rarest type of Sapphire is called padparadscha (pronounced (pad-pah-raj-ahwhich comes from the Sinhalese word: Lotus Blossom. It is a totally natural pinky-orange tone and when seen in the flesh, is unique and alluring.

7. There is a special type of Sapphire called the ‘Star Sapphire’. This Sapphire is known for it’s asterism appearance, which translates to a star like shape displaying in the stone. This effect is most noticeable in cabachon cuts and caused / created by needle-like inclusions intersecting each other, forming a 6 or 12 ray star-like pattern.

8. Sapphires have been long known as a stone of Royalty. Most famously, Prince Charles gave Princess Diana a 12carat Diamond Sapphire engagement ring which has now been passed to Kate Middleton when she married Prince William.

9 . You don’t need a reason to invest in a Sapphire, but they are a very popular Engagement ring choice. Also being representative of the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries.

 

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Spiritual Benefits: Associated with the Throat and Third Eye Chakras, Sapphire helps enhance insight and inner knowing, enhances psychic abilities, and can facilitate deeper levels of consciousness. Time to get to know your higher self better…

Emotional Benefits: Blue Sapphire can help prevent negative thoughts and helps one become less susceptible to other’s opinions.

Physical Benefits: Blue Sapphire encourages self-discipline and effective communication, specifically of one’s vision. This precious stone can also help access higher wisdom and learning.

Australian Sapphire Gold Ring, Engagement Ring, Online Jewellery

Did you know that we create Ready to Wear, Made to Order and Bespoke pieces with Sapphires?

Contact us here to chat about your unique, distinctive, forever piece.

Stone Photo Source : shutterstock.com