The Birthstone of September: Sapphires
Do you happen to be a September baby and feel royalty in your blood? The birthstone of September is Sapphire, which happens to symbolize nobility and royalty! Although September is one of the months that only has one birthstone for both its modern and traditional titles, this beautiful blue gemstone makes up for its solo presence. Continue to learn more about the symbolism, history, and features about the Sapphire gemstone!
Why does September only have one birthstone?
Throughout history, September was only associated to one birthstone, the Sapphire. The months of the year differ in the amounts of birthstones that they have, some having only one birthstone, and others even having up to three gemstones associated to its respective month.
There are different numbers of birthstones per month as there are the associated gemstones that are classified as either modern or traditional. The more common of the two types are modern birthstones, which were officially named by the Jewelers of America in the 1950’s. Traditional birthstones are the gemstones that were more commonly associated with its respective month in the early 20th century and even beyond. Many of these traditional birthstones have become too rare and are not as available on the market in this day and age, and therefore some months have modern birthstones that differ from its traditional associations.
Spectacular Sapphires
Features of Sapphires
The one and only birthstone associated with the month of September is the Sapphire. The origin of the name “sapphire” comes from both its Latin word “saphirus” and its Greek word “sapheiros,” which means “blue.”
The Sapphire is one of the most famous and four precious gemstones that include emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. For many centuries, this gemstone was adored and prized due to its famous pure blue color. The well-known blue color actually comes from the presence of titanium. The high amount of titanium in the gemstone, the more saturated and blue the gemstone becomes.
The Sapphire is one of most valuable and expensive gems in the world.
However, the valuable blue Sapphire isn’t the only color in existence. Sapphires also come in colors of yellow, purple, orange, peach, green, pink, and more! This particular gemstone can also have some special varieties, including the “star effect” phenomenon. The star effect is caused when light hits the gemstone’s inclusions in the right angle to create a star pattern of shine and brilliance. Sapphires are also similar to gemstones such as Alexandrites, in regards to their ability of appearing to change colors in different lighting.
The History and Symbolism of Sapphires
Let’s dive deep into the history of sapphires! Sapphires were first discovered in Kashmir around 1881. During this time somewhere high in the Himalayas, there was a landslide which exposed large deposits of these gemstones. Maharaja of Kashmir took his army to take control of the surrounding lands to discover thousands of these Sapphires from 1882 to 1887.
There are two other important locations that come from the Sapphire’s History: Myanmar and Sri Lanka. In Myanmar, there are small deposits of Sapphire that occur within the mountainous landscape, alongside the bountiful amounts of ruby deposits. In Sri Lanka, Sapphires have been mined and discovered for over 2,000 years. Those who mine the gemstone in the “jewel box of the Indian Ocean” are also able to heat treat the island’s milky white geuda sapphires to a rich blue color.
Other locations that the Sapphire gemstone can be found in are the United States, Australia, Cambodia, Madagascar, and Thailand.
Sapphires have been known to symbolize royalty, nobility, truth, faithfulness, and sincerity. In ancient times, they were also considered to be a protective gemstone to shield the wearer from harm stemmed from envy, war, and plagues. Apollo, the Greek God, was honored by the Greeks, often bringing sapphires to the temples and praying to heal the sick.
In other cultures, sapphires were worn by royalty and the clergy. In the Middle Ages, clerics wore this gemstone as they associated it to symbolize heaven, believing it would help them resist temptation and sin. Even Ancient Hebrews thought that the Ten Commandments were written and engraved on stone tablets made of sapphire, however this was also up for debate.
Those in Ancient Persia believed that the sky was blue due to the earth being rested upon a giant sapphire. They also hailed the gemstone to be the ‘Celestial Stone’ as they thought the Sapphire possessed great spiritual powers.
With the sapphire being the gemstone associated with the 5th and 45th wedding anniversaries, this stone of royalty and faithfulness is a great gift for those celebrating those milestones as well as a September birthday!
Maintaining and Caring for Your Sapphires
Sapphires have a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness. This makes sapphires one of the hardest of the colored gemstones, and the second hardest when including the diamond. To put this in perspective, quartz has a hardness of 7 – 7.5 and are present in the particles of dust seen floating in the air and settling on uncleaned objects in your home. These particles have the hardness that is able to remove the polish from your table and the finish from your car. Diamonds have a hardness of 10, which is the hardest gemstone, and the softest includes talc, which is a gemstone that even your fingernail can scratch.
These minerals can only be scratched by the hardness level above it, so sapphire owners wouldn’t need to worry too much unless you’re planning on having diamonds around. However, your precious gemstones still deserve care and maintenance to keep it looking as sparkly and pristine as possible. It is recommended to use warm water and soap and a very soft brush to keep your ruby gemstones clean.
Sapphires are a great choice for everyday jewelry that are subject to a little wear and tear, for example rings, as they are tough and have no cleavage, meaning they won’t break when struck.
To learn more about the history and proper maintenance your sapphires, visit our Ultimate Sapphire Guide for more information.
Replacing Your Missing Sapphire
Thinking about restoring a loved one’s sentimental birthstone piece? You’re in the right place to restore their precious memories.
Gemstones provide life and brilliance to any piece of jewelry, yet have the highest potential to damage. Whether it be a loose, lost, or scratched-up Sapphire, we take restoring the life of your treasures seriously. Any gem, any damage, we’ll make your jewelry sparkle as bright as the day you got it.
We have a team of specialists in place to properly source every type of gem needed for your treasured item. We understand your gemstones are unique and require specific attention. Our Professional Stone Sourcing team makes sure that all of your gems, even the ones that sometimes go unnoticed, are replaced by stones of the right caliber for your piece.
Visit our Gemstone Replacement Services page to learn more about restoring the brilliance of your Sapphire.
Have Questions?
The Ultimate Birthstone Guide
“If you were born in September, your month’s birthstone is September.
If you didn’t already know, there are some months that have multiple birthstones, whereas some only have one. Traditional birthstones are gemstones that were most commonly associated with its respective month in the early 20th century and even beyond, with Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers associating these gemstones with the star signs. Those that are more commonly known in this day and age are the modern birthstones, which were officially named by the Jewelers of America in the 1950’s.
If you would like to learn more about birthstones in general, visit our Ultimate Birthstone Guide!“
Clean & Polish Services
“A basic clean, polish, and inspection is part of the routine care and maintenance needed to keep your jewelry looking like new. The inspection process includes looking for loose stones, bent prongs, and any damage to the metal or stones that need to be repaired.”
Stone Setting Repair
“A stone setting repair can be a simple re-tipping of a worn prong (which is considered routine care and maintenance) or the complete rebuilding/replacing of a damaged prong. In the case of severe damage, the entire head of the ring may need to be replaced.
Regardless of whether or not the prongs are compromised due to normal wear and tear or a result of accidental damage, we can provide the routine care and maintenance in order to ensure you do not lose a stone in your setting.”
Gemstone Replacement Services
“The process of a Gemstone Replacement is simple enough, yet requires trained eyes to be able to make a flawless switch. We aim to leave no trace of our work, which means not only will your setting be perfected, but the gemstone we choose will complete your jewelry piece effortlessly.”
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