Sapphires have been long been revered as highly-prized, precious gemstones. Some of the very first gems to ever be cut and polished were sapphires. Sapphires are more affordable than diamonds, and offer a bevy of options in color, size and shape. While sapphires are known to sport a rich, blue hue, they also boast an array of rainbow hues. Another of the world's most sought after gemstones, the ruby, is actually a red sapphire! A recent infographic created by us highlights the unique features of these royal blue (and rainbow!) beauties. Let’s take a look... sapphire-infographic-740

The “Blue” Gem Bio

The origin of the word ‘sapphire’ ’is derived from the greek word "sappheiros," or "precious stone.” Sapphire is the birthstone for the months of August and September, under the “Virgo” sign of the Zodiac (August 24 - September 23). Sapphires are categorized as oxide minerals and sport a vitreous luster, melting point of 2030–2050°C, and scale hardness of 9.0. Sapphires are also symbolic of truth, constancy and sincerity. The wedding anniversary gemstone, sapphires are often given as gifts for the 45th year of marriage. In terms of popularity, these sapphires are a ‘cut’ above the rest: the Logan sapphire; Queen Marie of Romania Sapphire; Ruspoli Sapphire; Star of Asia Star Sapphire; Star of Bombay; Star of India; Stuart Sapphire, and Black Star of Queensland. Sapphires come in a wide range of natural colors and shades, and are referred to as “fancy sapphires” if they come in other colors than blue. These sapphires achieve their color due to the gem’s selective absorption of certain wavelengths of light (aka. “the body color”). **Colors consist of three components: hue, tone and saturation. Make sure that you opt for the finest quality in colored gems at RainbowSapphireJewelers.com!** sources: http://www.findfast.org/facts-about-sapphires.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire http://www.birthdaygems.org/history-of-birthstones/history-of-sapphires.htm