Page 14 - September 2022 Magazine - Bumper Edition

September Birthstone Sapphire
September
Star Sign Gemstone, Modern & Traditional
The Superb Sapphire is the birthstone of September
Highly prized as a gemstone for thousands of years, Sapphires were also much revered as a symbol of loyalty and trust.
Sapphires are generally accepted to be a deep, pure blue. However, they come in many other colours. Except for red, for the very simple reason that red Sapphires are Rubies!
The source of the name for this lovely gemstone is a combination of both Latin and Greek - the Latin being ‘Sapphirus’ and the Greek ‘Sappheiros’ which simply mean ‘Blue Stone’.
Associated for centuries with the heavens because of its clear blue resemblance to the sky, early Christian Kings and Clergy often wore Sapphire rings.
The ancient Persians believed that the Earth itself rested on a huge Sapphire, and it was its reflection
14 | The Flickering Cauldron® Magazine - September Birthstones
that was responsible for the blue sky.
It’s actually a Persian legend that the king of Serendip (the Island we now refer to as Sri Lanka) sent out his three sons to experience the real world. Whilst they discovered many wonderful new things, their greatest find was a Sapphire mine. So, whilst searching for something else they came upon something of great value - hence we now have the expression ‘Serendipity’.
The Ancient Greeks would have worn or carried a small Sapphire to a temple, when seeking answers or guidance from the Gods, and Buddhists were of the belief it could enhance their spiritual enlightenment.
There are many other legends surrounding this magnificent gem, but undoubtedly the greatest of them all is that Sapphire was, as a symbolic reminder of the sky, the stone upon which the finger of God wrote the ‘Tablets of Testament’ - better known as the 10 Commandments.
In recent times, the popularity of Sapphire soared when Prince Charles gave the soon to be Princess Diana a stunning Sapphire engagement ring.
However, the most famous example is undoubtedly