When picturing September’s birthstone, sapphire, most people envision a gorgeous gemstone with a deep blue hue; a fitting description as the English word sapphire is derived from the Greek “sapherios,” which means blue.

It is lesser known, however, that the gem can actually be found in a wide spectrum of colours – from yellow and orange to purple and green. The naturally occurring range of colours that sapphire appears in is due to individual gem formations containing trace amounts of impurities. Sapphire is a variety of the mineral corundum, which is a crystalline form of aluminum oxide. The mineral naturally appears transparent, but when other elements such as iron, chromium, or magnesium are present, they alter the hue of the stone. In fact, sapphire can be found in almost every colour, except for red. Corundum that is found in a red hue is considered to be a ruby.

In medieval Europe, sapphire was tremendously rare and was reserved for only the highest-ranking nobility and royalty. Royal figures to this day make a habit of wearing sapphire; just take a peek at Kate Middleton’s beautiful sapphire engagement ring, which once belonged to Princess Diana. The ring has poignant meaning to Prince William, who said at the time of his engagement that giving the ring to Kate was his way of ensuring that his mother wouldn’t have to miss his wedding.

Fortunately, today the lovely and sophisticated gem can be found at most notable jewellers and is much more commonly affordable. Sapphire makes for a stunning birthday gift for anyone with a September birthday and is considered to be a traditional anniversary stone.

Sapphire is a well-respected gem, historically known to represent purity, loyalty, and trust. Greeks were known to wear sapphire when seeking guidance from the oracle. Whether you have a birthday in September, or you simply feel as if you could use some added guidance this month as you start to ramp up for another busy fall season, a sapphire piece is a perfect addition to any jewellery collection.

Let the deep blue hue of a gorgeous sapphire allow you to feel as if you are true royalty yourself. Wear your sapphire piece as a reminder of your own loyalty to your dreams and the trust you have in your personal journey.

Our jewellers at Edward and Davies have hand-picked three of our current sapphire offerings for you – click the images below to shop now!