September Birthstone Spotlight: Sapphire

Although sapphires come in a range of colors, the one the sapphire is best known for is that striking royal blue. Sapphire, derivative of the Greek word for “blue,” is a variety of the mineral Corundum. This gem is prominent among the British Crown Jewels, and is considered to be symbolic of wisdom and purity. Sapphires are second only to diamonds in hardness, and because of their lustrous blue color they have enjoyed a certain level of import throughout history.

As early as 800 B.C. Persians believed that the world rested on a blue sapphire and its reflection gave the sky its color. In 12th century Abbess Hildegard of Bingen stated that sapphires had the capability of improving one’s intellect and in India sapphires are thought to bring misfortune.

Blue sapphires are commonly associated with fidelity, sincerity, and truth. These attributes were initially promoted in the 18th century because of the story ” Le Saphir Merveilleux ” by Madame de Genlis . The story describes a sapphire that is blue by day and purple by night, which made it a popular stone choice for engagement rings in the 18th and 19th centuries until the sapphire was usurped by the diamond.

The largest blue sapphire to date is the Star of India at 563.33 carats, discovered nearly 300 years ago in Sri Lanka. It is unusual in that it has a star shape on either side of the milky gemstone and it was donated to the American Museum of Natural History by financier J.P. Morgan in 1900.

Click Here for Big Savings During our Annual Summer Clearance Jewelry Sale

The largest cut sapphire is the Queen Marie of Romania Sapphire. This sapphire, one of the prize pieces in Cartier’s collections, is a cushion shaped gem weighing 478 carats. The sapphire was purchased by King Ferdinand of Romania in 1921.

Although not the biggest, the most famous sapphires belong to royalty such as the Stuart Sapphire in the Imperial State Crown of England and the sapphire engagement ring that belonged to Princess Diana and Kate Middleton.

As the season gets cooler, these beautiful ombre sapphire and South Sea pearl earrings from Mikimoto are the perfect fall touch to any wardrobe. These earrings have a total of 1.49 carats of graduated sapphires, ranging from that vivid sapphire blue to white.

Haven’t had a fill of your sapphire fix? Be sure to check out our September Sapphire board on Pinterest!

Established in 1912, the King family has owned and operated King Jewelers for five generations while building an outstanding reputation steeped in quality, value, and first-class service. Today, King Jewelers has brick-and-mortar stores located in Aventura, FL and Nashville, TN, both of which have won numerous regional and national awards of distinction. Offering a magnificent selection of fine jewelry collections including the hottest Italian designs, estate jewelry, colored gemstones and fancy-colored diamonds, as well as luxury European timepieces, King Jewelers prides itself in being one step ahead of the trend. In addition, King Jewelers offers on-site jewelry and watch repairs, custom design services, appraisals, estate buying, and corporate gift programs. For more information, visit www.kings1912.com.