Its name comes from the Greek word sappheiros, which probably referred to lapis lazuli. In folklore, history, art, and consumer awareness, sapphire has always been associated with the color blue. In other times and places, people instilled sapphires with the power to guard chastity, make peace between enemies, influence spirits, and reveal the secrets of oracles. During the Middle Ages, the clergy wore blue sapphires to symbolize Heaven, and ordinary folks thought the gem attracted heavenly blessings.

In ancient Greece and Rome, kings and queens were convinced that blue sapphires protected their owners from envy and harm. Its extraordinary color is the standard against which other blue gems-from topaz to tanzanite-are measured.įor centuries, sapphire has been associated with royalty and romance. It has decorated the robes of royalty and clergy members for centuries. Traditionally, sapphire symbolizes nobility, truth, sincerity, and faithfulness.

Still, fancy sapphires create a rainbow of options for people who like the romance associated with this gem, but who also want something out of the ordinary. These diverse colors are referred to as 'fancy' color sapphires.įancy sapphires are generally less available than blue ones, and some colors are scarce, especially in very small or very large sizes. Sapphire may even resemble the pale white gloaming of an overcast day. The name “sapphire” can also apply to any corundum that’s not red and doesn’t qualify as ruby, another corundum variety.īut like the endless colors that appear in the sky, sapphire is also found in many, many other shades besides blue, from the gold of a sunrise, to the fiery reddish-orange of sunset, to the delicate violet of twilight. It can be a pure blue but ranges from greenish blue to violetish blue. Blue sapphire belongs to the mineral species corundum.

Green sapphire price