Jewelry has been around for millions of years. From early man who would wear jewelry made out of sea shells, feathers, etc. to the modern civilized man who is creating a milestone in contemporary jewelry designs, we never shy away from experimenting when it comes to sprucing up. And today, we have almost limitless options when it comes to gemstones. One birthstone jewelry that stand out is the sapphire birthstone jewelry.
Here we focus on the modern & traditional birthstone of September – Sapphire. It has created a lot of buzz in the market for its enticing range of colors and magnetic charm.
History Behind Sapphire Birthstone
The history of sapphire birthstone has long been influenced by the blue-colored sky, spirituality, and purity. The ancient Greek believers would wear blue sapphires during religious ceremonies. They worshiped Zeus, the god of the blue sky, and would also offer the stones to his son Apollo, the god of the sun.
Similarly, the people in ancient Persia believed that the color of the sky is blue due to reflection from a big blue sapphire. The Christian popes and bishops during the middle ages would wear sapphires to reflect strength in their faith and purity. Also, Christians favored star-sapphires as the “stone of destiny” since they provide protection against evil energies, especially during traveling.
Meaning & Symbolism Behind Sapphire Birthstone
The meaning of sapphire lies in its root word “sapphirus” in Latin, meaning blue. Other related terms are“saphir” from French, “sapir” from Hebrew, and “sappheiros” from Greek. The ancient people would consider wearing sapphires as an emblem of royalty and nobility. Hence the stones were mostly adorned by people from royal background.
Those from ancient Rome and Greece would believe that the sapphires have the power to ward off evil eyes. The people from Medieval Europe would see sapphires as a remedy to treat the plague and heal eye ailments. Some others believed that wearing sapphire birthstone could diffuse the effects of some poisons.
A Reflection of Love & Loyalty
Sapphires have been synonymous to fidelity, romance, and sincerity. People associate sapphires with truthfulness and faithfulness in love relationships. So if you wish to strengthen your bond with your lover, partner, or spouse, wearing a sapphire birthstone may bring your unstable relationship on track provided you wish to keep your union joyous and healthy for the rest of your life.
Fancy Color Varieties of Sapphire
The corundum mineral in combination of various trace elements gives rise to the multi-hued sapphire birthstone. Other than red corundum, which is ruby, you can find sapphire in a band of rainbow colors. The prominent colors are blue, yellow, brown, green, pink, purple, violet, orange, black and white. While the blue sapphire is the most popular variety, padparadscha sapphire, a pinkish-orange variety, is the most valuable.
Whether it is a sapphire necklace, sapphire earrings, or sapphire bracelet, sapphires are one of the most coveted precious gemstones. Sapphire birthstones are available in different color varieties, sizes & carat weights. Such a wide range of attributes and prices makes the stone fit all budgets. That is why sapphire engagement rings are extremely popular among the young generation.
Availability of Sapphire Birthstone
Natural sapphire reserves are located almost everywhere on the earth. This makes sapphires not rare but an abundantly found precious gemstone. Some primary mining locations are in countries such as Madagascar, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Australia, the United States, and India.
Other reserves are located in Afghanistan, China, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Vietnam, etc. Sapphire birthstones from Sri Lanka are the most popular due to their rich blue color. Similarly, Myanmar and Kashmir also offer some of the best varieties of blue sapphires in the world. No doubt these sapphires are pricier than others.
Treated & Lab-Grown Sapphire Birthstone
Most natural sapphires are treated with heat in order to improve the color and get rid of inclusions. Such heat treatments elevate the appearance of the stones, making them more valuable. However, untreated stones that are of high quality command a higher price than treated ones. So if you are a fan of natural stones, you can always ask your seller to provide you with evidence of the sapphire being natural.
Lab-created sapphires are absolutely real since they are identical to natural sapphires in terms of their physical and chemical composition. Synthetic sapphires are very common in the market today since they are affordable & offer brighter colors. Also, synthetic sapphires can come in larger sizes owing to the control on production process. Artificial sapphires came into existence in the late1800s. But today many technologies are available throughout the world.
End Note
Sapphire birthstones offer a marvelous treat to the eyes because of their vibrant hues and charismatic aura. Another reason for the popularity of sapphire birthstone jewelry is the deep meaning of the stone.
So if you have interest in colored gemstone jewelry, then you don’t need to go anywhere else. We are one of the biggest dealers of precious and semi-precious gemstones, in the United States. Check out our sapphire gemstone and jewelry sections to learn about our latest offerings and deals.
