Sapphire
Sapphires are a popular gemstone.
Symbolism[]
Sapphires are often seen as stones of wisdom and royalty, of prophecy and Divine favor. It is forever associated with sacred things and considered the gem of gems, a jewel steeped in the history and lore of nearly every religion. To the ancient and medieval world, Sapphire of heavenly blue signified the height of divine hope and faith, and was believed to bring protection, good fortune and spiritual insight. It was a symbol of power and strength, but also of kindness and wise judgment.
In Hebrew lore, King Solomon and Abraham both wore talismans of Sapphire, and the Law given to Moses on the Mount was said to be engraved on tablets of Sapphire. The Greeks saw it as a symbol when seeking answers from the Oracle at Apollo’s Shrine. Buddhists believed it brought devotion and spiritual enlightenment, and the Hindus considered Sapphire as one of the “great gems” used in offerings in the temples for worship and to align astrological influences. In Christianity it was used in ecclesiastical rings, and was cherished by kings and nobility for its powers of protection and insight.
As a talisman, Sapphire was thought to preserve chastity, discover fraud and treachery, protect its wearer from poison, plague, fever and skin diseases, and had great power in resisting black magic and ill-wishing.
Today Sapphire is still a Stone of Wisdom, a royal stone of learning, mental acuity and psychic activation, a seeker after spiritual truth. It stimulates the Throat and Third Eye Chakras, allowing one to access deeper levels of consciousness in order to gain a fuller understanding of self. Associated with the planet Saturn, Blue Sapphire embraces order, structure, and self-discipline, and is ideal for accomplishing goals and manifesting ideas into form. Sapphire’s power to transmute negative thoughts and energy also makes it highly effective for earth and chakra healing.
Sapphire is a variety of Corundum, an aluminum oxide mineral that forms in prismatic tabular, bipyramidal or rhombohedral crystals, as well as granular or massive habits, and may be transparent to opaque. Blue is considered Sapphire’s “true” color and the one most often recognized, though Sapphire does form in a diversity of colors (listed below), and will have the color added to its name (for example: Green Sapphire, Yellow Sapphire). Additional mineral compounds forming with aluminum oxide are responsible for the different coloration, and in the case of Blue Sapphire, iron and titanium provide its heavenly hues. With the exception of Red Corundum, which is Ruby, all other colors of Corundum are Sapphires.
Blue Sapphire ranges in hue from pale to deep azure or dark royal blue, to indigo, with the most highly desired color being the velvety cornflower blue, also called Kashmir or bleu de roi. The name Sapphire is derived from the Latin sapphirus, Greek sappheiros, and Sanskrit sanipryam, meaning “blue stone.” Recent research indicates what we know today as Lapis Lazuli was also referred to as Sapphire in the ancient world, and much of the Sapphire described in the Bible and other texts would have actually been Lapis Lazuli.
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