September Birthstone – Sapphire

By on September 2, 2015
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by Judy Ellis, Wirejewelry.com

Wire Jewelry Tip for September 2nd, 2015

September Birthstone – Sapphire

Summer is coming to a close, fall is in the air and the colors are changing to warmer, deeper hues. This month’s Birthstone is Sapphire. Today I wanted to take a look at a few of the beautiful September Sapphires!

Sapphire:

The September birthstone, has been popular since the Middle Ages and, according to folklore, will protect your loved ones from envy and harm. Sapphires are mined from alluvial deposits or from primary underground workings.

Uncut Rough Blue Sapphire

Sapphires from different geographic locations may have different appearances or chemical-impurity concentrations, and tend to contain different types of microscopic inclusions. Because of this, sapphires can be divided into three broad categories: classic metamorphic, non-classic metamorphic or magmatic, and classic magmatic.

Medieval clergy wore sapphires to symbolize heaven, while commoners thought the gem attracted heavenly blessings.

Logan Sapphire SI.jpg

The 423-carat (85 g) blue Logan Sapphire

Blue sapphires range from very light to very dark greenish or violetish blue, as well as various shades of pure blue.  The most prized colors are a medium to medium dark blue or slightly violetish blue.

Sapphires of other colors:

Sapphire is a variety of the gem species corundum and occurs in all colors of the  rainbow.  Pink, purple, green, orange, or yellow corundum are known by their color (pink sapphire, green sapphire).  Ruby is the red variety of corundum.

Pink Sapphire

Padparadscha:

The name is derived from the Sanskrit “padma ranga” (padma = lotus; ranga = color), a color akin to the lotus flower.

Faceted padparadscha

Star Sapphire:

A Star Sapphire is a type of sapphire that exhibits a star-like phenomenon known as asterism; red stones are known as “star rubies”. Star sapphires contain intersecting needle-like inclusions following the underlying crystal structure that causes the appearance of a six-rayed “star”-shaped pattern when viewed with a single overhead light source.

Star Sapphire

If you are looking to create some beatiful Jewelry with Sapphires this month – take a look at the Cubic Ziroconia Gemstons we have in stock!

Don’t forget – We have Complete Birthstone Sets to help with all of those projects coming up!

 

Happy Wrapping!

 

More about Sapphire’s

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