Sapphire, the September birthstone, has gained immense popularity among everyone: royalty, celebrity, or commoner. But did you know that there are ancient legendary folklore and myths surrounding this divine gemstone? Let’s dive in to learn those fascinating stories about the sapphire gemstone!
Ancient Persia’s Stories About Sapphire
Blue Sapphires, according to ancient Persians, were actually pieces from a massive pedestal that supported the world as its reflection colored the sky blue. Today, we know about space and gemstone but back then that was one of the extraordinary stories of sapphire.
The Legends of Ancient Greece
Ancient Greeks believed that sapphire connected them to their god Apollo. Priests at Delphi’s famous oracle frequently wore sapphires because they believed these gemstones linked them to the afterlife. Also, sapphires were popular with witches and necromancers because of the stone’s supposed ability to tap into the ‘third eye.’
Legendary Sapphire from Church
The stories about sapphires are mentioned numerous times in the Bible. Sapphires became connected with the clergy from the 12th century onward. An old legend partly inspired this belief, claimed that God handed the Ten Commandments to Moses on a slab of sapphire. But we now know that this belief most likely was related to Lapis Lazuli. Sapphires were also popular among clergy because of their connection to purity, making them considered as sacred gemstones.
Healing Stories About Sapphire
Sapphires have long been considered healing gemstones along with the gemstones of power or luck. People believed sapphires acted as a poison antidote, and they also used them to treat eye ailments. Although the oldest written reference of this dates to 1391, the Ancient Egyptians employed all blue gemstones for this purpose. Whether it was sapphire or some other blue stone, the stories still live.
Several Pontiffs possessed comparable objects, including Charles V, who was said to wear a Sapphire set in a ring. He used to touch people’s eyes with the sapphire ring to heal them from ailments.
Mme De Genlis’ Stories About Sapphire
In her narrative of ‘Le Saphire Merveilleux,’ Mme de Genlis, a popular 19th-century French writer, features a color-changing sapphire as a plot device, based on a real gemstone. The novel uses a sapphire as a key element to determine an adulteress’s guilt.
At her trial, the judge instructs the alleged adulteress to keep the magical sapphire, which changes color if it proves her guilty. Looking at this mystical form of sapphire it has definitely become a legendary gemstone.
Create your own Story
Whether you believe in these myths and stories surrounding sapphire, you can certainly create your own. Explore our wide variety of natural and lab-made certified sapphire gemstones in all colors. At GemsNY, you can easily create a sapphire jewel worthy of generational stories.