Sapphire is the birthstone for those born in September. Sapphire is a precious gem of wisdom, loyalty and nobility. Astrologically, it is said to help focus the mind, encourage self-discipline and channel higher powers.

A blue coloured, diamond like gemstone which is beautiful and looks royal – well, that is Sapphire stone for you – September birthstone which is also known as Sumptuous Sapphire. Sapphires, especially those in colour blue, are very popular amongst gemstone lovers. Its unique beauty has mesmerized all the jewellery lovers around the globe. Sapphires come in all hues, from colourless to yellow, pink, but of course the hot favourite among jewellery lovers is royal blue colour.

The blue sapphire itself comes in various shades of blue – from pale blue to sky blue to royal blue to simple blue to cobalt blue. Sapphires get their colours from trace elements in the mineral corundum. This is turned to blue sapphire when it contains iron and titanium. The blue sapphire is representative of the month September.

In the old days during the reign of kings, it was rewarded to the royalty for protection. It was once believed that a venomous snake would die if it was placed in a vessel made of sapphire.

Sapphire symbolizes love, purity and wisdom, which makes it perfect for engagement rings. The name Sapphire is derived from the Latin word “saphirus” and the Greek word “sapheiros,” which may originally have referred to another blue gemstone, lapis lazuli. The ancient rulers of Persia believed that sky is blue because of the reflections of Blue Sapphires.

Gemstones are generally rated on their ability to withstand scratching based on the scale called MoH Scale of Hardness. The sapphires always score 9 out of 10 and the element that can give competition to a sapphire is the diamond. Its durability and powers like love and honesty that it is believed to bring to the wearer make Sapphire an excellent choice for engagement rings and other pieces of jewellery that women and some men plan to wear every day.

A poet once described Sapphire as "the blue of a clear sky just minutes after sundown." Blue sapphires were also given to priests as a holy stone since they are so pure and believed to be sacred. As the sapphires are hard elements, they also have industrial uses, for example, the Apple Watch features lab-created sapphire glass on its screen.

Throughout history, various cultures have attributed mystical powers to sapphires such that in the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that sapphires cured eye diseases and preserved chastity.  Sapphires have been used to symbolize nobility and faithfulness.

Australia is the biggest source of sapphires worldwide, especially New South Wales and Queensland. Australian Sapphires found in alluvial deposits of weathered basalt typically are blue stones with a dark and ink-coloured appearance. In India, Kashmir, used to be a well-known source of the cornflower-blue stones. In United States, a major source is the Yogo Gulch Mine in Montana that mostly yields small stones for industrial use.

Read Blog: benefits of gemstones and zodiac Birthstone for August

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