11 Fascinating Facts About Sapphire Gemstones
When you think about the most precious of gemstones, most people will probably start with diamond, and that’s a good bet. But if you are a colour fan like me, then the coloured stones will be much more appealing. For fans of blue, the most precious stone is the sapphire gemstones. Let’s get to know them a little better.
What is sapphire?
Sapphire gemstones are of the type of mineral called corundum. Most of the time they are blue, but they can also come in lots of different colours including yellow, purple, green and orange. The only colour they don’t come in is red – because a red sapphire is a ruby. Ruby is another corundum mineral so is like a sibling of the sapphire. Anything red is a ruby, the rest are colours of sapphire.
- Sapphires that are anything other than blue are called fancy sapphires. Some examples include:
- Pink sapphires – this is where the amount of chromium in the stone increases and makes the colour lighter than ruby right through to a pale pink shade
- Padparadscha – this is an orange sapphire that is found in Sri Lanka, Vietnam and sometimes in East Africa: it is the rarest of sapphires
- Star sapphire – these have a phenomenon called ‘asterism’ that makes them look like they have a star inside them when they have a light over the top of them
1. Sapphire is one of the hardest stones
Known as one of the most precious stones, sapphire is also one of the hardest. On the Mohs scale which is used to grade how hard a stone is, sapphire comes in at 9 out of 10. Only diamond (10) and moissanite (9.5) are tougher. See, beauty and strength!
2. Stones can look different colours in different light
Some sapphires can be tricky and exhibit an effect that changes their colour in different light. So if they are outdoors they look blue, purple under incandescent light. Or they may look green in daylight and pink under incandescent light. Another gemstone that does this is alexandrite which changes from pale blue to lilac in a different light.
3. Sapphires come from around the world
Sapphire gemstones are found around the world, often with ruby close by (because they are made from roughly the same stuff). Some locations are particularly famous for the quality of their gemstones and different colours can appear. Currently, they are found in Afghanistan, Australia, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Colombia, India, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam and parts of the US.
4. It is the birthstone for September
Sapphire is famous for being the birthstone for September and also for being associated with the 45th wedding anniversary. For royalty, a sapphire jubilee comes after 65 years. But there are other associations including:
- April (traditional, Roman, Italian, Russian, Hebrews, Arabic)
- Taurus
- Gemini
- Tiger (Chinese zodiac)
5. Sapphire is the colour of the heavens
In Ancient Persia, it was the belief that the sky was blue because it reflected sapphire gemstones. Others believed that the stone was the colour of the heavens and some stories say that sapphires were the stones of the Apocalypse while others said that the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were written were actually sapphire.
6. Powerful people wore sapphires
The idea of sapphire being valuable isn’t a new one – in the 12th century, the stone was used in ecclesiastical rings while later they were associated with royalty. This is why the shade of sapphire blue is often known as royal blue. In medieval times they were worn by kings who believed the stones would protect them from enemies.
7. People believed that it could suppress negative thoughts
Another belief around sapphire was that wearing it could suppress negative thoughts and cure ailments. It was ground up by Ancient Persians and used in their medicine while Ivan the Terrible of Russia believed that it strengthened the heart and muscles, making someone brave and courageous. It was also said to help combat a snake bite – but I guess if it didn’t work, there was no-one to complain!
8. It was the colour of Saturday and worn that day in the Orient
Sapphires were associated with Saturday in the Orient and this was when people dressed in blue and wore the stone. It was seen as a stone of wisdom and generous thinking as well as with studies of the heavens and stars. Sorcerers used it to hear and understand obscure oracles and to travel to astral realms, being protected by the stone during these journeys.
9. It was believed to protect against sorcery and help communication with angels or spirit guides
The stones were also said t protect against sorcery, banish evil spells and return negative ones to the person sending them. Sapphires were seen as a way to keep your life in control, being powerful transformative stones that let you connect to the universe. Others believed they could help with connections to angels or spiritual guides to gain purpose and guidance.
10. It is believed to help calm and focus your mind
Blue is a calming colour, and this is maybe why sapphires were said to calm the mind and to help achieve inner peace. It is good for calming nerves, mental clarity and focus. Sometimes they were even used as remedies for mental and nervous disorders.
11. It helps energy flow through the body
For those who believe in the chakras and the flow of energy through the body, blue sapphires are said to help with this flow, allowing energy to travel up from the lower chakras and for thoughts and emotions to be naturally released. It will stimulate the brow chakra, also known as the third eye, to help with your view of life.
Most famous sapphires
When you talk about sapphires, it is always the most famous ones that are mentioned and there have been some particular amazing stones throughout history.
Bismarck Sapphire
The Bismarck Sapphire is a 98-carat table cut stone that is mounted on a pendant necklace and is surrounded by small sapphires and diamonds. It was mined in Myanmar and made into a necklace by Cartier Inc in 1935. It is now in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.
Black Star of Queensland
The Black Star of Queensland is a 733-carat black sapphire which was found in 1930 by a 12-year-old boy near Anakie, Queensland. It is cut to a cabochon and has a six rayed star in the centre. It has been known to bring luck to the owner and is now in the Smithsonian Institute.
Logan Sapphire
The Logan Sapphire is one of the largest sapphires which is 422 carats and is set into a brooch with 20 brilliant cut diamonds around it. it was named for Polly Logan who donated the gem to the Smithsonian in 1960.
Star of Adam
The Star of Adam is the largest star sapphire at 1404 carats and was only discovered in 2015. The owner of the gem is unknown, but it is believed to be worth $300 million.
Star of Bombay
The Star of Bombay is 182 carats and was given to actress Mary Pickford by her husband Douglas Fairbanks. She left it to the Smithsonian when she died. It was found in Sri Lanka.
Star of India
The Star of India is 563 carats and is unusual as it has a star on both sides of the stone. It is a blue-grey sapphire mined in Sri Lanka and is now in the American Museum of Natural History in New York.
Stuart Sapphire
The Stuart Sapphire is a 104-carat sapphire that is part of the British Crown Jewels. It was uncertain where it came from, but Charles II was one early owner. It later came to James VII and passed to his son James. It later came to Henry Benedict, Cardinal York who wore it in his mitre. It was bought by George III in 1807 and placed in the Imperial State Crown of Queen Victoria.
Sapphires of all forms
Sapphires come in almost all colours and from amazingly large stones right through to small stones and even gemstone beads. This means that you can have a sapphire in your collection in a variety of ways, especially as a piece of birthday jewellery for a September birthday.
