The birthstone for the month of September is sapphire. This stone is a precious one, and a quality one is as or more expensive than most gemstones, except for diamonds and a few select others. According to the American Gem Society, it has been common from the middle ages. The stories say it can safeguard the people you care about from getting hurt and from envy.

 

Sapphires were once worn by clergy in medieval times. They believed that heavenly blessings would be bestowed upon those who wore them.

The colors of sapphires range greatly. Many of the traditional ones are blue. They can be extremely light or they can go to a dark blue that is characterized by a green or violet twinge. Jewelers value sapphires that are in the range of a medium to slightly dark blue or a blue with a slight violet tinge.

Although most people think of sapphire as a blue stone, it comes in far more colors than blue. In fact, there are many pieces of jewelry that feature a rainbow made of all different colors of sapphire. Yellow corundum is called yellow sapphire, orange conundrum is called orange sapphire, pink conundrum is called pink sapphire, purple conundrum is called purple sapphire and green conundrum is called green sapphire. When the conundrum is red, it is a ruby.

There are many pieces of jewelry that contain sapphires. These are often sold in sets suitable as gifts for those who celebrate a September birthday. Since the popularity of Princess Diana’s and then Catherine Middleton’s sapphire engagement ring, many women have used sapphire rings as engagement rings.

Sapphires can be very expensive. Many of the cheaper ones are darker and may appear almost black in appearance. The ones that are lighter blue and cleaner cost more. Because of the rarity of those higher quality stones and the demand for sapphires, there are many jewelry pieces that are made with created sapphire. Scientists use a scientific process to “grow” sapphire from a seed. They are able to make a sapphire that has the same chemical composition as a natural sapphire but is large and bright in color and may appear flawless. These are a mere fraction of the price of a natural sapphire that is similar.

Sapphires are beautiful stones that show up in rings, necklaces, earrings and every other type of jewelry piece. Look at the selection when choosing a birthstone piece for you or a loved one.