With September comes sapphires and we’re really excited to talk sapphires! There are so many intriguing facts about this famous gemstone we couldn’t help but put together a list of all things sapphire. Get the scoop with these seven sapphire facts.
1. Sapphires comes in almost every color of the rainbow, not just the popular rich blue color.
2. Sapphires are among the most durable naturally occurring elements in the world. The only natural item that can scratch a sapphire is a diamond.
3. Because of its hardness, sapphire also has industrial uses. The Apple Watch Series 3 features lab-created sapphire crystal in its screen to make it more scratch resistant, as do several Swiss watch companies.
4. Throughout history various cultures have attributed mystical powers to sapphires, including heavenly powers, truth, innocence, peace, and good health. Because of the blue color, which they associated with the heavens, it was believed that sapphires protected their wearers from evil.
5. Sapphire is truly the king of gemstone. Royal blue sapphires were often worn by medieval kings, some of whom believed that the gemstones would protect them from their enemies.
6. Before the twentieth century, blue sapphires were the favored gemstones for engagement rings. In recent years we’ve seen this trend return, brides have favored unique engagement rings in a variety of gemstones.
7. Some sapphires exhibit a phenomenon called the “star effect,” or asterism. This occurs when inclusions create a star pattern of rays on the surface of a dome-like cabochon-cut sapphire, often called a “star sapphire.”
You can find all these beautiful sapphires on our website www.josephsjewelers.com or call our store for details 515-440-2991
