New Arrivals available now from September trip
Blue Royalty and Rainbows
The Dark Blue Sapphire…Sigh.
I think this gemstone is my absolute favorite…well, except for Diamonds.
I have a Sapphire ring that Terry gave to me on our 20th anniversary. I have another one he gave me a few years later that is inscribed with “I Love YOU.” I have a Sapphire necklace and earrings set in 22k gold that I bought on my first trip to India in 2005…because I didn’t think I would ever go back!
It is just a beautiful stone.
Why all the fuss over Sapphires?
The remarkable hardness of Sapphires, which measure 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, is second only to diamond. Like the diamond, it is an expensive stone, with their value being measured by their color, cut, clarity, and carat size to determine the worth of each stone.
Best of all, the beautiful dark blue Sapphire is the birthstone for September and also memorializes the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries.
But did you know it also is a gemstone that can be found in a rainbow of colors?
On my first trip to India with Terry, I was talking to Ali in his jewelry store in the Hilton. He showed me a beautiful bracelet and told me the gemstones were multicolored Sapphires. I didn’t believe him. After all, I have a geology degree, and I know my gems! Sapphires were blue, a royal dark blue.
I went upstairs to my room and started researching Sapphires. It had been more than twenty years since my last gemstone lab class. I was shocked to find out that, yes, Sapphires come in all colors…and they are costly. I went downstairs and bought that bracelet. It was less than half of what it costs in the states, so I figured it was a good investment 😊.
Let me tell you a little bit about Sapphires.
The September birthstone traditionally symbolizes sincerity, truth, faithfulness, and nobility. For centuries, the Sapphire has adorned royalty and the robes of the clergy. The elite of ancient Greece and Rome believed that blue Sapphires protected their owners from harm and envy. Clerics of the Middle Ages wore Sapphires because they symbolized Heaven. The ancient Persians believed the earth rested on a giant Sapphire, making the sky blue.
There are several famous Sapphires. One is the Rockefeller Sapphire, a 62.02-carat rectangular step-cut stone that was discovered in Myanmar (Burma). It was acquired in 1934 by financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. from an Indian maharaja. The gem has been recut and remounted over the years. This Sapphire was first set as a brooch and later as a ring featuring two cut-cornered triangular diamond side stones.
In recent years, the best-known Sapphire is the 12-carat blue Sapphire that is surrounded by diamonds that was the engagement ring first worn by Princess Diana and then given by Prince William, Diana’s son, to Kate Middleton. It was bought in 1981 for approximately $37,000 and is now worth over $400,000. Sapphires really do retain their values!
Sapphire gems are found in India, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, China, Australia, Brazil, Africa, and North America (mainly Montana). Their origin can affect their value as much as color, cut, clarity, and carat size.
The other colors of Sapphire gemstones are known as “fancy Sapphires.” They come in a rainbow of colors, including violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues. Some stones exhibit the phenomenon known as color change, most often going from blue in daylight or fluorescent lighting to purple under incandescent light. Sapphires can even be gray, black, or brown.
The Sapphire gemstones symbolize loyalty, nobility, sincerity, and integrity. Any girl would love a Sapphire, even if her birthday is not in September. We have several different Sapphire rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets to choose from. A sample is below. Visit our Shop at www.gemsofjailur.shop to see!