September Birthstone - Sapphire
Coming in vast different colours, the Sapphire is the most amazing gemstone.
The birthstone for September has long been associated with sincerity, truth, faithfulness, and nobility. Sapphire, the gemstone in question, has adorned royalty and clergy robes for centuries. The upper class in ancient Greece and Rome believed that blue sapphires could protect their owners from harm and envy, while the clergy of the Middle Ages wore sapphires because they symbolized Heaven. In addition, ancient Persians believed that the sky was blue because the earth rested on a giant sapphire.
Sapphire has also been credited with healing powers throughout history. Medieval Europeans thought that sapphires could cure diseases of the eye and plague boils, while others believed that it was an antidote to poison.
Notable sapphires include the Rockefeller Sapphire, a 62.02-carat rectangular step-cut stone that was found in Myanmar and later acquired by financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1934. The gem was then recut and mounted, initially as a brooch and later as a ring featuring two cut-cornered triangular diamond side stones. The most famous sapphire of recent times is the 12-carat blue gem surrounded by diamonds in the sapphire engagement ring first worn by Princess Diana and now held by Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Apart from being the September birthstone, sapphire is also associated with the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries.
