Sapphire, the September birthstone
Congratulations and happy birthday to our friends out there who have September birthdays! Here are 10 fun facts about your birthstone on your special day.
1. The word “Sapphire” is derived from the word “Sapphirus” which means blue in Greek language. The Sapphire is deep blue in color.
2. Sapphires can be any color, except red (that would make them a ruby). Although they are traditionally associated with deep blues, Sapphires can appear in any color combination from yellow to gray.
3. Sapphires are part of the corundum family. Rubies are also part of the corundum family which is why Sapphires cannot be red, although a pure corundum stone will be colorless.
4. Sapphires are almost as hard as diamonds, and score a 9/10 on a scale of hardness, very close to the 10/10 that a diamond has.
5. Sapphires can also be more expensive than diamonds. The “Blue Belle of Asia”, a stunning 392.52 carat Ceylon sapphire, was sold at Christie’s Geneva on November 11, 2014 for a record price of $17.7 million. It was the first time some Sapphire outperformed diamonds.
6. Sapphires have been a symbol of royalty for centuries and often symbolize truth, sincerity, and faithfulness.
7. Sapphires were favored by kings and queens in the olden days. It was believed that wearing a sapphire protects the wearer from jealousy and bad thoughts.
8. There is a rare phenomenon among sapphires called the Star Effect where the gemstone will develop a six-ray pattern giving it the appearance of a star. These stones are highly coveted and highly sought after.
9. Sapphires are mainly sourced from Cambodia, Colombia, India, and Kenya. Other areas include Afghanistan, Australia, Nepal, the United States, and Vietnam.
10. First synthetic sapphire was created in 1902. Lab grown sapphires cannot be distinguished from natural sapphires except for gemologist and only with the use of professional equipment.
Sources:
http://battlegroundblog.com/2017/05/10-interesting-facts-about-sapphire-gemstone/
http://www.leibish.com/10-things-you-need-to-known-about-sapphires-article-1400