Ten facts you may or may not know about the birthstone for September
1 You may think of Sapphires as blue but Sapphire comes in every colour. The only colour a Sapphire cannot be is red because that is Ruby although both are part of the corundum family of stones.
2 Sapphires are one of the most durable gemstones in the world and measure a 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Only a diamond can scratch this gemstone
3 In Ancient Times, sapphires represented loyalty, trust, honesty, and purity. They were also believed to protect those close to you from harm. Today, sapphires are also associated with blessings, divine knowledge, sincerity, and faithfulness.
4 The rarest type of sapphire is a pinkish orange variety called padparadscha, a name that comes from the Sanskrit word for lotus flower. Traditionally from Sri Lanka, these gemstones are sifted from Sri Lankan rivers.
5 Sapphires are found in many places throughout the world, including Australia, Tanzania, Thailand, Cambodia, Malawi, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, the United States, and more.
6 Sapphires can exhibit a phenomenon called the “star effect,” or asterism. This occurs when inclusions create a star pattern of rays on the surface of a dome-like cabochon-cut sapphire, often called a “star sapphire.”
7 The largest star sapphire is known as the Star of Asia and weighs 330 carats.
8 The largest cut and polished sapphire, with a weight of 61,500 carats is the Millennium Sapphire.
9 The finest colour of Sapphire is Royal Blue. In 1981, sapphires became a royal symbol of love when Britain’s Prince Charles gave Lady Diana a 12-carat sapphire ring. In 2010, Prince William gave the same ring to Catherine Middleton
10 Sapphire is also the gift for a 45th wedding anniversary.