September Birthstone True or False

How much do you know about the sapphire? Let’s test your knowledge. Which of the following statements are true and which are false?

Platinum 5.40ct Ceylon Sapphire and Diamond Cocktail Ring

1. Most people think of sapphires as blue but there are also other color varieties

2. The sapphire is the birthstone of those born in July.

3 The word Sapphire comes from the Latin Word, saphirus, meaning blue.

4. Prince Charles gave Lady Diana Spencer a sapphire engagement ring.

5. A sapphire is related to the ruby

6. There are synthetic sapphires

7. The sapphire is the traditional gift for the twentieth wedding anniversary

8. The sapphire is one of the hardest natural minerals.

1. True.

Sapphires can be found in almost every color including clear, purple, pink, green, brown, yellow, orange, white, and brown. There is also a color-changing variety that depends the light in which it is viewed, appearing blue when the light is natural, and purple when the light is artificial. But the most valuable sapphire is a pink-orange variety called a padparadscha.

2. False

The sapphire is the birthstone for September, and has been so since 1912 when the American National Association of Jewelers started designating gemstones for the twelve months. And when it comes to the Zodiac, the sapphire is one of the gemstones for the Sagittarius, Virgo, Pisces, and Taurus signs.

3. False

Saphirus, from which sapphire is derived, is a Greek word. The Greeks believed that the world sat on a giant sapphire and the sky was blue because this enormous gem reflected its light all day.

4. True

And furthermore, you will find many brilliant blue sapphires among the British Crown Jewels.Sapphires traditionally stood for divine favor so kings and high priests always sought them out.

5. True

Officially, the sapphire is the non-red variety of corundum. The ruby is the red variety. A corundum is the crystal form of aluminum oxide. Clear varieties like the sapphire and the ruby are cut into gems while other varieties are used as abrasives

6. True

The first synthetic sapphire was created in 1902. Today’s synthetic sapphires are hard to distinguish from natural sapphires unless you’re a gemologist.

7. False

Sapphires are given on the fifth, twenty third, and forty fifth wedding anniversaries, with the sixty-fifth anniversary warranting a star sapphire. Star sapphires are so named because they contain tiny rutile needles which result in the star-shaped optical effect known as an asterism. Most star sapphires are of the six star variety, but there are also twelve star sapphires. Star sapphires are only seen in cabochon cuts. A cabochon is a convex cut jewel and is usually applied to opaque gem stones. They are polished but not cut into facets like stones that are transparent.

8. True

The sapphire scores a nine on the Mohs scale of hardness which measures how hard a substance is and thus its resistance to being scratched. The diamond of course is at the top, meaning a sapphire can be scratched by a diamond but not by a garnet which is rated at 6.5.

Hope you had fun with this little test and learned something you didn’t know about the sapphire.