The mysticism and intense color of sapphires is what makes these gemstones so desirable. Aptly described as the gemstone of the heavens, these stones exude a heady blue hue. A popular ancient belief dating back to the biblical times mentions the earth being embedded in an enormous solitaire sapphire that gave the sky its blue color. Although the most popular and sought after color of sapphire happens to be blue, that ranges between seductive midnight blue to an enigmatic ocean blue, this resplendent stone comes in almost all other shades like yellow, orange, white, pink and purple.

Sapphire derives it's name from various sources. The Persian 'safir' means beloved of Saturn, the Greek word 'Sappheiros' is owing to its presence in the island of Sappherine in the Arabian Sea and the Latin word 'Sapphirus' meaning blue. There has always been a fair amount of intrigue and mysticism surrounding sapphires. Ancient kings wore sapphires to ward all evil and gain divine favors, the Greeks dedicated the stone to their Sky God - Zeus and priests sought help of these stones to decipher Oracles. The beautiful sapphire stands for truth, constancy, endurance and sincerity besides being associated with the Goddess of Love - Venus. Being symbolic of chaste love, it was believed that if an unfaithful partner wore this gem, it's fine luster would dim. The luminous sapphire prevents any negative and improper thoughts to pervade the wearer. Being the second hardest mineral after diamonds, sapphires are symbolic of longevity and endurance.

The major influx of sapphire into the world finds its origin in Sri Lanka. What started in ancient times by digging the ground in search of sapphires has now led to it's being one of the most well known sources of fine quality sapphires. The pinkish orange highly sought after 'Padparadscha' is found in Sri Lanka alone. Australia is yet another significant source of sapphires that are particularly deep velvety blue and dark inky in appearance. Kashmir in India boasts of some of the most valuable and magnificent sapphires that are intense blue in color with a hint of violet and a uniform velvety sheen. Specialists are of the opinion that the lavish color of Kashmir sapphire does not change hue under artificial light. Unfortunately, due to the tough terrains of this region this source of sapphire has not been fully explored. Sapphires that hail from Burma have a color close to Kashmir sapphires. Madagascar, America, Thailand and Cambodia happen to be other sources of sapphire.

The beautiful blue color of sapphires is owing to the heat treatment these stones undergo. Clarity and color of sapphires improve drastically with heat treatment which is the most commonly accepted norm to enhance the overall look of these gemstones. Due to the permanent nature of this treatment the stones do not require special care. New Treatment that has come into being of late, is debatable in nature, for it either changes the color of gemstone or produces a new color. A foreign element is used in this case, to alter the color and achieve a desired hue of gemstone. However, the color in this case, does not penetrate to the core of the gemstone and is also not permanent in nature.

Color is the foremost determining factor that needs to be considered while buying sapphires. It is color that decides the value and worth of this gemstone, and clarity, although important takes a backseat. Sapphires are rarely clean and more often than not come accompanied with inclusions. Even highly valuable sapphires happen to be included. The value of sapphire depends on its color alone and even very minor variations can alter it's worth considerably. The ideal color of sapphire would be vivid, pure and highly saturated with no tinge of gray or brown. Highly saturated medium or medium dark tones are the best. Sapphires that fall in the color category of too dark or too light are not much sought after. The occasional dark or light area that appears on a gemstone are known as extinctions and are not a preferred quality in sapphires.

To keep the luster and sheen of the exquisite sapphires alive, it is important to clean them on a regular basis. The best way to do this would be to soak the sapphire in warm water with a mild detergent, followed with a soft brush scrubbing. An occasional cleaning with a professional jeweler is also required. The important thing here is to do this at regular intervals.

The best thing about sapphires is the fact that they belong to the Corundum family, and being the hardest material after diamonds they set quite well with almost any style of jewelry. This same quality makes them ideal for daily wear. Since sapphires come in a wide spectrum of colors and range in quality from affordable to exclusive, they fit into every category of jewelry. From those that are meant for daily wear to those that are tucked away for some special occasion, sapphires look as wonderful as evening jewelry just as they qualify perfectly for day wear. These exquisite stones also look lovely when part of engagement rings or right hand rings. Almost all shapes and cuts complement sapphires and the ways in which these stunning stones can be moulded in jewelry are innumerable. The splendid sapphires are truly deserving of every praise and admiration that they win.


Sapphire is the birthstone for those born in September and the astrological stone for the zodiac sign Libra. Sapphire also happens to be an ideal gift for the 5th and 45th wedding anniversary.