September Birthstone - Sapphire
Sapphires come in many colours and some of you might find some of them surprising; violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and of course the most popular and most seen is the blue colour. It is ranked as one of the most valuable stones available to buy.
Sapphire is the birthstone of September and it can come with superstitions. One tale says that the wearer should spend a few nights with the sapphire under their pillow to test the stone. If you don't, you risk the blue stone immediately casting darkness and chaos over you, but for others it will bring great fortune, health and a lifetime of prosperity. Will you be safe and test your sapphire under your pillow first?
It is also said that the sapphire is the stone of mental focus, order, inner vision and psychic awareness. The sapphire is also said to help open the third eye to receive wisdom and insight, as well as being the throat chakra, which allows you to communicate that vision to others.
Its nice to think about the journey of stones and how they have been viewed through time. There are very famous and prominent sapphires, how many of these have you heard of already?
1. Napoleon’s Engagement Ring for Joséphine
Unfortunately this ring did not bring a prosperous marriage. Napoleon went to conquer Milan and in his absence Joséphine had an affair, perhaps the superstition of chaos and darkness had a hand in it, she should have put it under her pillow first right!?
2. Kate Middleton's Engagement Ring
Originally bestowed to Princess Diana, Prince William's mother, given by his father Prince Charles of Wales. Now it lives on Kate Middleton's finger, and wow does it look beautiful. 9 years of marriage, 3 children, and so far a fairly successful image in the public eye, perhaps they have been bestowed the prosperity of the sapphire?
3. The Blue Belle of Asia
The most expensive sapphire bought at a public auction. Selling $17 million at a Christies' auction in 2014. It is a whopping 392.52-carat untreated cushion-cut sapphire from Sri Lanka.
4. Star of Adam
The world's largest blue sapphire was discovered in Sri Lanka's Ratnapura mines. Unveiled in 2016 and weighing an astonishing 1404.49 carats, equivalent to about 280g (just under 10 ounces), that's about a quarter of a bag of sugar!
