september birthstone; sapphire

Sapphires are well known for their beautiful blue hues and this is what most people think of, when they think of a sapphire but they actually come in a whole host of colours including even shades of grey and black. Any colour of sapphire that is not blue, is reference as a 'fancy colour' sapphire.


Sapphires come from the corundum family along with rubies and have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale. Because of this hard wearing rating sapphire is also used in non-ornamental applications such as scientific instruments or high durability windows.

One of the worlds largest faceted sapphires is the Logan Sapphire located in the National Museum of Natural History in Washington DC. It is a flawless specimen from Sri Lanka and is the second largest blue sapphire known weighing 423ct. It is named after a Mrs John Logan who donated it to a research institute in 1960.

The Logan Sapphire

Sapphires are mined all over the world and different locations can produce different colour and quality sapphires.

Kashmir Sapphire

Regarded by many a the finest examples of sapphires in the world, they were first discovered in 1879 in the Padar region of Kashmir in northern India after a landslip allegedly uncovered their existence. Unfortunately after a few years of mining the area become unworkable due to the deposit being in the middle of a politically unstable area. The situation worsened in subsequent years so whether a result of conflict or the fact the mine may have been depleted in a few short years, it is still not completely understood or what remains of the sapphire source.

In 2007 Christie's held an auction for a Kashmir sapphire pendant set in gold. The pendant sold for $3,064,000, this equates to around £85,000 per carat! 

Ceylon Sapphire

Made famous in the UK after Princess Diana was given a large Ceylon Sapphire in the centre of her engagement ring, which has has subsequently re-emerged when given to Catherine Middleton on her engagement to Prince William. The ring was made by then crown jewellers Garrad. Ceylon sapphire is today regarded as the finest quality sapphire still being mined today in any commercial quantity.

Sri Lankan Sapphire

Padparadscha

Sri Lanka produces sapphires in a variety of colours but one of the most sought after is the Padparadscha, a pink-orange coloured sapphire. Although the stone is originally from Sri Lanka deposits have also been found in Vietnam and parts of Africa. The name is derived from the Sanskrit/Sinhalese padma raga, meaning lotus colour.

Other notable sources of sapphire include Madagascar, Africa, Thailand specifically the Kanchanaburi region and China (although information on Chinese sapphire is limited) all producing varied colours of sapphire.

Colour Change

A rare variety of sapphire, known as colour change exhibits different colours in different light. They appear blue in outdoor light and shades of purples under incandescent indoor light; they may also be pink in daylight and change to greenish colours. Some stones shift colour well and others only partially. While colour change sapphires can come from a variety of locations, Tanzania is the main source.



As with all gemstones, there are many legends attached to sapphire including the belief that Moses was given the ten commandments on tablets of sapphire. It is also said that sapphires are the stone of loyalty and fidelity, symbolising truth and sincerity.

Sapphires although a heard wearing stone, should be cleaned and stored just as carefully as other softer gemstones and jewellery to ensure its longevity.