Sapphires have been cherished throughout time for their beauty, rarity and reputed powers. King Solomon was said to have owned a magical ring with an inscribed sapphire known as the "Seal of Solomon" and seduced Queen Sheba with the help of magical sapphires from Sri Lanka. Helen of Troy, the beauty who "launched a thousand ships" was said to have owned a large star sapphire that was believed to hold the key to her appeal and allure.
Sapphires are famous for its rich, beautiful blue hue but they do come in a plethora of other colours too with the exception of red. Red corundum are called Rubies. They also come in black, gray and can even be colourless. Sapphires that are yellow, purple, orange and green are called "fancy" sapphires and sapphires that show two or more colours are known as "parti sapphires" or bi-coloured / polychrome sapphires. A rare type of Sapphire called the Padparadscha, is pink-orange. This lovely Handcrafted Lavinia Sapphire Sterling Silver Pendant on the left showcases an exquisite example of a luscious deep pink sapphire.
Sapphire is the stone of prosperity. It is said to be able to draw abundance, blessings and attract all kinds of gifts. It is a magnificent stone for manifesting your goals as it will help you fulfill your dreams and desires by helping you get motivated and organized to achieve them. Often associated with royalty, it was worn by kings and queens of the Middle Ages as amulets to ward off evil.
It is also known as a wisdom stone. Sapphires are said to help the mind focus by stimulating concentration, enhancing creativity and promoting purity and depth of thought. Sapphires carry a healing vibration to bring peace of mind and serenity. They remove unwanted thoughts, depression and mental tension. Royal blue sapphires activates the third eye chakra and has a connection to the throat chakra.
Sapphires are also connected to romance and are a popular choice as engagement rings. Famous sapphire engagement rings include Kate Middleton's engagement ring (photo on the left). This 12-carat, oval-cut sapphire ring is estimated to be worth $550,000 today. Another infamous sapphire engagement ring is Napoleon's engagement ring for Josephine (photo on the right). In 2013, this engagement ring was sold at auction at French auction house Osenat for $949,000.
Where it comes from: Australia, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cameroon, China (Shandong), Colombia, Ethiopia, India (Kashmir), Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, United States (Montana) and Vietnam.
Hardness: 9
NOTE: To care and clean your sapphire, just add any cleaning detergent that has degreasing ability to warm water. Scrub gently with a soft toothbrush and rinse well.
Note: All prices stated above are in USD.