September's just around the corner, which means it's time to turn the spotlight to one of my favourite stones to work with.
Sapphire has been beloved for thousands of years and has gathered quite the collection of stories, beliefs and legends along the way. It has been associated with royalty, protection, truth, loyalty and even the heavens.
Sapphire isn't just blue
Sapphire belongs to the mineral family corundum. Ruby is also corundum. The difference is essentially colour: red corundum is ruby, while corundum in other colours is sapphire.
Whilst we often think of deep blue when we think of sapphire, it can be found in a surprisingly beautiful range of colours, including pink, purple, yellow, orange, green and violet. These are often referred to as fancy sapphires.
There are even sapphires that change colour depending on the light they're viewed in. One of the most famous varieties is padparadscha sapphire, a rare pinkish-orange colour named after the Sinhalese word associated with the colour of a lotus blossom.
So while the classic blue sapphire will always have its place, I think there's something particularly lovely about working with the less expected colours, especially pinks and purples.
A sapphire Light Keeper ring I made recently
This ring is a recent piece of mine and a good example of why I love working with sapphires outside of the traditional blue.
I used a pink sapphire as the centre stone, flanked by two smaller star-set sapphires. All are set into a hexagon-shaped signet ring with a bright-cut sunburst.
One of the things I love about coloured gemstones in bespoke jewellery is that you're not limited to simply choosing a stone because it's someone's birthstone. You can choose a particular colour, shape or combination of stones because it feels like them.
The lore of sapphire
Sapphires can be found in countless folklore tales and traditions spanning centuries.
Of course, none of these old beliefs should be confused with modern gemmological fact. People didn't have the scientific understanding of minerals and crystals that we have today, so gemstones were often given powers and meanings based on their appearance, rarity and the cultures surrounding them.
But that's exactly what makes gemstone history so fascinating. Sapphire has traditionally been associated with truth, sincerity, faithfulness and nobility. It has also been connected with protection, wisdom and the divine.
In ancient Greece and Rome, blue sapphires were believed to protect their owners from envy and harm. During the Middle Ages, clergy wore blue sapphires because the stone was associated with Heaven, and it was believed that wearing one could attract blessings.
Medieval Europeans believed that sapphire could protect against poison and even cure certain illnesses. Other traditions gave the stone powers relating to chastity, reconciliation and the ability to reveal hidden or spiritual knowledge.
Whether or not you believe any of it, I think there's something wonderful about the fact that people have been looking at these stones for centuries and deciding that they must mean something.
The sapphire sky
One of my favourite sapphire legends is the idea that the Earth was somehow connected to a great celestial sapphire, with its blue reflection giving the sky its colour.
It's a beautiful explanation when you think about it. Before we understood the atmosphere, the idea of the world itself being connected to an enormous blue gemstone is beautifully poetic.
Sapphire was often associated with the heavens and the divine, which seems particularly fitting given its long history in religious and ceremonial jewellery.
Sapphire, loyalty and love
Sapphire's associations with faithfulness and commitment have also made it meaningful in ceremonial jewellery for occasions such as engagements and wedding rings.
It's long been associated with loyalty, sincerity and enduring relationships. Sapphire is also traditionally associated with the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries, making it a lovely choice for celebrating relationship and marriage milestones.
Shop Sapphire Till Death Fede Band
Why is sapphire September's birthstone?
Sapphire has been established as the birthstone for September for generations, although the modern birthstone lists we use today are relatively recent compared with the much older lore surrounding gemstones.
What I find particularly appealing about birthstones is that they give us a little piece of history to carry with us.
You don't have to believe that a gemstone has magical powers for its symbolism to be meaningful. Sometimes it's enough to know that people have associated a stone with certain qualities for hundreds or even thousands of years.
For September, that means sapphire comes with a rather lovely list: truth, loyalty, sincerity, protection and wisdom. Not a bad collection of qualities to carry with you.
A gemstone made for jewellery
There is also a very practical reason sapphire has remained so popular.
At 9 on the Mohs scale, sapphire is one of the hardest natural gemstones used in jewellery, second only to diamond. It also has good toughness and no cleavage, making it particularly well suited to rings and other pieces intended for regular wear.
That combination of beauty and durability is one of the reasons sapphire has remained such an important gemstone throughout jewellery history. And if you don't want a blue stone, you don't have to sacrifice that practicality. Pink, purple, yellow, green and orange sapphires are still sapphires, just with a little more colour.
Shop Sapphire Illumination Pendant
Where do sapphires come from?
Sapphires have been found in many parts of the world, but some locations have become particularly famous for producing exceptional stones.
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Sri Lanka (Ceylon): famous for a huge range of colours, particularly vivid blues, lighter “cornflower” blues, pinks, purples, yellows, oranges and the highly prized padparadscha pink-orange sapphires. Sri Lanka is probably the best example of just how varied sapphire can be.
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Kashmir: the legendary velvety, saturated blue, often described as having a slightly violet-blue character. These sapphires are exceptionally rare and historically important.
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Myanmar (Burma): traditionally known for rich, intense blue sapphires, sometimes with a slightly violet tone. It has also produced exceptional “royal blue” material.
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Madagascar: incredibly diverse. Blue is important, but Madagascar also produces pink, purple, yellow, green and colour-change sapphires, as well as some very attractive blue material.
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Australia: particularly associated historically with dark blue to inky blue sapphires, often with a greenish or yellowish secondary tone. Australian deposits also produce yellow and green material.
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Montana, USA: famous for distinctive blue-green to greenish-blue sapphires, alongside blue, teal, yellow and colourless material. Montana's teal sapphires are particularly sought after.
Shop Sapphire Illumination Pendant
The origin of a sapphire can be particularly fascinating when you're dealing with an exceptional stone, because certain locations have become synonymous with particular colours and qualities.
I only work with reputable and responsible sapphire dealers, and larger stones will always come certified.
Whatever colour you choose, you're wearing a gemstone with a history that stretches back thousands of years, and I think that's what makes them so special.
