Sapphire: September's Birthstone

     Tomorrow is the first day of September!  We welcome the month with a tribute to the beautiful gemstone sapphire, the birthstone for the month.
     The mineral name for sapphire is Corundum and its pure red form it would be known as ruby.  The name Sapphire comes from the Greek word "Sappheiros", meaning blue.  However, sapphires are formed in nature in a literal rainbow of colors, ranging from very light to very dark blue, bluish green, yellow, brown, pink, violet, slightly reddish orange, and a fabulous pinkish-orange that is referred to as "padparadscha".  The name padparadscha is derived from the Sinhalese for "lotus flower".

     The finest sapphire color in the blue hues is a rich, velvety, cornflower blue known as "Kashmir", which references the area of India where these precious gemstones were once mined.  Most current production comes from Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Australia, Africa and Montana.
     Sapphires are often associated with loyalty and dignity and are a favorite gemstone for royalty.  A modern example is the sapphire and diamond engagement ring worn by both Princess Diana and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge.

     Throughout history, sapphire has symbolized truth, sincerity, and faithfulness in relationships.  It is said to bring peace, joy and wisdom to the wearer and owner.  In the past, the sapphire was also believed to be a talisman that would protect you against evil spirits and other unsavory creatures of the night.

     Sapphire will sometimes occur in nature in such a way whereby numerous needle-like inclusions within the gemstone are oriented in just the right angles within the stone, to produce a phenomenon that is called "asterism".  As such a six-pointed star will appear to float just beneath the surface of the gemstone when subjected to an incandescent light source.  These gemstones will always range from translucent to opaque and they depend on the cutters art to fashion them into a polished, domed shape known as "cabochon".  The ancients regarded star sapphires as a powerful talisman protecting travelers and seekers.  They were so powerful, they would continue protecting the wearer even after being passed on to another person.