

Royalty often wore sapphires for dual purposes. Violet sapphires represent the number three as well as old age. Necromancers sought this stone for its purported ability to influence spirits. Supposedly, sapphire taps the power of the "third eye" and makes clear oracular pronouncements otherwise too difficult to hear or understand. Petitioners often wore the gem while consulting oracles, such as the one at Delphi. The Ancient Greeks associated sapphire with Apollo. In differing zodiacal systems, this gemstone covers both Taurus and Gemini. Springtime also falls under sapphire's symbolic rubric. By extension, sapphires also represent Friday, the day dedicated to Venus. People have long connected celestial blue sapphires with the planet Venus. 16.57-ctw lot of padparadscha sapphires, Madagascar.

Padparadscha, a pinkish orange that can be difficult to define, is another popular sapphire color. So, if sapphire symbolism appeals to you, you can indulge a wide range of colors or stick to traditional blues. Chromium traces give corundum a red color ( rubies), while a host of other trace elements give corundum a broad palette of colors ( sapphires). Without any of these impurities, it would be colorless. That means it gets its color from trace elements in its chemical structure. Used with permission.Ĭorundum is an allochromatic gemstone. A medium-dark, purplish brown "cocoa" sapphire, 0.56 cts, round brilliant, Sri Lanka. Gem-quality corundum of any other hue, including colorless, is considered sapphire. However, by gemological definition, gem-quality red corundum is ruby. What's the Real Color of Sapphire?īoth sapphire and ruby belong to the corundum mineral family and share exceptional hardness and durability. Photo courtesy of and Greenwich Auction. 18kt white gold ring with a 3.7-ct emerald-cut sapphire, flanked by two trillion-cut diamonds. However, you can actually find the beautiful September birthstone in any color, except red. These beautiful colors have helped the stone garner many mystical associations. Traditionally, people have prized these gems for their celestial blues and violets. Sapphire symbolism encompasses diverse subjects in many cultures.
