15 Sep Sapphires, the Birthstone for September
We love Sapphires, they are a diverse and durable gem. It comes in a wide range of colours including blue, pink, green, orange, yellow, purple, apricot, peach, padparadscha, star sapphire and colour change.
Sapphire is a variety of corundum which in its purest form is colourless (white sapphire). Trace elements such as Iron and titanium are responsible for their different colours while Chromium is responsible for the colouring of Ruby, another variety of corundum. The stronger the colour saturation the more likely it is to have further trace elements and therefor a rarer and more expensive gemstone.
Photographed for the CIBJO project from the Dr. Eduard J. Gubelin Collection.
Most of the sapphire that is mined is of poor quality and is used for industrial purposes. It is only a very small amount that is of gem quality and suitable for jewellery. This gem quality material is then cut and polished into the beautiful gems you seen in your favourite jewellery stores.
Australia is an amazing source of Sapphires. We have beautiful parti coloured sapphire which are a mix of different colours. Our favourite would be a teal or blue-green. They are breath taking.
Other countries that are currently producing include Sri Lanka, Madagascar and Tanzania. Here are some other locations where sapphire are mined.
Sapphire are a great choice for any piece of jewellery, whether its an engagement ring, dress ring, eternity or anniversary ring to a bangle or pendant you cannot go wrong with this durable and wonderfully coloured gemstone
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