Sapphire - Birthstone of September!

Multi-Hue Sapphire Beads

Sapphires are corundum in any color of the rainbow except red. Red corundum is known as Ruby. Sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and are also the birthstone for the month of September. Madagascar is the world leader in sapphire production (as of 2007) specifically its deposits in and around the city of Ilakaka, but Sapphires are also found in the USA, Myanmar, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Australia, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Kenya and China.


Lucky you if this magnificent gemstone is your Birthstone.  You can choose from an amazing array of colors.  Don't care for clear stones? In this incredible family, you have the choice of a star sapphire. A star sapphire is a type of sapphire that exhibits a star-like phenomenon known as aster-ism. Star sapphires contain intersecting needle-like inclusions (often the mineral rutile, a mineral composed primarily of titanium oxide) that cause the appearance of a six-rayed "star"-shaped pattern when viewed with a single overhead light source.  Just pick your favorite one and that can be your special Sapphire birthstone.   Blue became the "official" color for Sapphires when is was promoted by the Jewelers of America, the American national association of Jewelers, in 1912.  Now you know that you can choose the one that appeals to you! 

Personally I love the Padparadscha an unbelievable brilliant pink/orange.  The name derives from the Sinhalese  word for lotus blossom.  Along with rubies,  they are the only type of corundum to be given their own name instead of being called a particular colored sapphire. 


I hope this information has helped you to better understand Sapphire and some of it many facets! 

Autumn Hued Sapphires

Yellow Sapphire Briolette Bead

Blue Sapphires

May Birthstones - Emerald, Agate & Sapphire

May Birthstones - Emerald, Agate & Sapphire

Both the Traditional and Modern birthstones for May is Emerald. Emerald is a member of the Beryl family and is 7.5 to 8 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Emeralds in antiquity were mined by the Egyptians and in Austria. A rare type of emerald known as a trapiche emerald is occasionally found in the mines of Colombia. A trapiche emerald exhibits a "star" pattern; it has raylike spokes of dark carbon impurities that give the emerald a six-pointed radial pattern. Emeralds come from three main emerald mining areas in Colombia: Muzo, Coscuez, and Chivor.

The Ayurvedic Birthstone for May is Agate. It is a microcrystalline variety of quartz (silica), chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks but can be common in certain metamorphic rocks. Agate is a 7 on Mohs Hardness scale.

The Mystical Birthstone for May is Sapphire. Sapphire is a member of the Corundum family and is 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Sapphire is one of the two gem varieties of corundum, the other being the red ruby. Although blue is the most well known hue, sapphire is any color of corundum except red. Sapphire may also be colorless, and it also occurs in shades of gray and black.

See more Emerald, Agate & Sapphire Beads here.

April Birthstones - Diamond, Sapphire & Opal

April Birthstones - Diamond, Sapphire & Opal

The traditional birthstones for April are the Diamond and the Sapphire. Diamonds are the hardest known natural material rating a 10 on the Mohs hardness scale. They are composed of carbon and have been used as adornment since antiquity. Diamonds are thought to have been first recognized and mined in India, where significant alluvial deposits of the stone could be found many centuries ago along the rivers Penner, Krishna and Godavari. The diamond is also the modern and Ayurvedic birthstone for April. See our post on creating a diamond bead necklace here.

Sapphires are any color of the stone corundum except red. Red corundum is known as Ruby. Sapphires are a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale and are also the birthstone for the month of September. Madagascar is the world leader in sapphire production (as of 2007) specifically its deposits in and around the city of Ilakaka, but Sapphires are also found in the USA, Myanmar, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Australia, Thailand, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tanzania, Kenya and China.

The mystical birthstone for April is the Opal. Opal is a 6.5 to 5.5 on Mohs scale of hardness and generally has a 3-10% water content but it can have as high as a 20% water content. There are several varieties of opal. Precious opal is the most widely known and shows fiery flashes on a white or dark background. Fire opal is commonly red, orange to yellow and has no flash. Peruvian opal is a semi-opaque to opaque blue-green stone found in Peru which also has no flash. In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that could provide great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal. It is also the birthstone for October.

See more Diamond, Sapphire and Opal beads here.

September Birthstones: Sapphire, Peridot, Agate & Moonstone

September Birthstones: Sapphire, Peridot, Agate & Moonstone

The traditional birthstones for September are Sapphire & Peridot. The modern birthstone for September is Sapphire, the mythical birthstone is Agate and the Ayurvedic birthstone is Moonstone.

Sapphire is a member of the corundum family and can be any color except red or pinkish-orange. Red corundum are Rubies and pinkish-orange are padparadscha. Sapphire has a hardness of 9.0 on Mohs scale; second in hardness only to diamonds!

The cost of natural sapphire varies depending on their color, clarity, size, cut, and overall quality as well as geographic origin. Significant sapphire deposits are found in Eastern Australia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, East Africa and in the United States at various locations (Gem Mountain) and in the Missouri River near Helena, Montana. Sapphire and rubies are often found together in the same area, but one gem is usually more abundant.

See our Sapphire, Peridot, Agate & Moonstone Beads and create a handmade gift for your favorite September Babe.

Speaking of handmade ... I have found some lovely handmade decoupage art. See Yana's art here: Dawanda or Artfire & read about her on her blog: Handmade by decoupage art.

Ruby - July Birthstone

Ruby - July Birthstone

A ruby is a pink to blood-red gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum (aluminium oxide). The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires. The ruby is considered one of the four precious stones, together with the sapphire, the emerald, and the diamond. -Wikipedia

July is one of the few months in which the Traditional Modern Mystical & Ayurvedic birthstones are all the same: Ruby! One of the rarest gemstones known, Ruby has long be thought to represent contentment & fidelity. And according to stone intuitives Rubies are said to energize and stimulate the wearer!