Six Secrets of Sapphire

Sapphire is a beautiful and exceptionally hard stone perfect for jewlery and the birthstone of people lucky to be born in September. Combining the symbolism long associated with sapphire with ancient Celtic and Irish designs like the Claddagh or the Trinity Knot, makes for beautiful wearable and deeply meaningful pieces to mark milestones.

Loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, and good fortune have long been associated with Sapphire. These sentiments are complimented beautifully by Irish and Celtic symbols like the Claddagh, which signifies love, loyalty and friendship, or the Trinity Knot which symbolizes eternity and infinity.

Six Secrets of Sapphire -- Is Sapphire the Right Stone for You?

If you are thinking of selecting a Sapphire ring for an engagement or to mark another significant life event, here are six surprising facts about Sapphires that may be useful to know in making your choice.

1. Sapphire - Strong and beautiful

Sapphires aren’t just beautiful. Behind diamond, they are tied for the second hardest gemstone on Earth along with Ruby. They rank 9 on the Mohs Scale of hardness making them an ideal gemstone for jewelry. Their exceptional hardness can withstand the wear and tear of daily life. Their remarkable hardness also means sapphire is used in industrial applications, including scientific instruments and electronics.

2. Sapphire - A Rainbow Beauty

The word Sapphire conjures up an image of a deep blue gemstone for many. However sapphires can be found in every color of the rainbow (except red) and there is even a colorless variety known as "White Sapphire". Red "sapphires" are known by another precious gemstone name - Rubies. Sapphires in any color but blue are called “fancies.” The Pink Sapphire at the heart of this stunning 14K gold ring looks more than just fancy.

3. Sapphire - A Color Chameleon

As well as being available in many different colors, there are several unique types of sapphire that can even change color when it exposed to different types of light. These sapphires are exceptionally rare with some showing quite dramatic shifts changing from blue under natural daylight to a violet-purple in incandescent light.

4. Color is Key for Sapphire

Just like for diamond, the 4Cs (Cut, Clarity, Karat, and Color) are also used to assess Sapphire. But they are applied very differently to diamond where each of the 4 is equally balanced. For Sapphire, color is all important. The color intensity, tone and saturation are all factors that are considered in measuring the quality of a sapphire. Cut, clarity and karat are also considered. But unlike for diamond, inclusions can be present within a sapphire and it can still be considered extremely valuable. Check out our Sapphire guide for more information about grading.

5. An Iconic Choice

These stunning gemstones have been used in iconic jewelry for centuries, in particular in engagement rings. Prince William famously gave Catherine Middleton a beautiful 12-karat blue sapphire engagement ring when he proposed in 2010.

6. A Mythical Gemstone

Greeks wore sapphire for guidance, Buddhists believed it brought spiritual enlightenment, and Hindus used it during worship. Early Christian kings cherished sapphire’s powers of protection in the Middle Ages, when the gem was thought symbolize heaven, attracting divine favor, loyalty and wise judgment.