Sapphire is a gem that is associated not with wealth and fame, but with purity and holiness, as well as with the cosmic energy of Heaven. In Orthodoxy, the feasts of the Mother of God are marked in blue. This color symbolizes Her purity and heavenly purity. The Russian religious philosopher Pavel Florensky wrote that “in sapphire one should see a symbol of the soul striving for eternity”.

Sapphire story

The decoration with sapphire was also worn by the ancient Egyptian priests, it was called Truth, and on it was the image of the goddess of Truth and justice Tme. On religious holidays, the priests wore blue robes adorned with stars and girded with a yellow belt.

Sapphires adorned crown of cleopatra, they were worn by the nobility of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. According to early Christian tradition, bishops were supposed to wear sapphire rings to serve as a reminder to cool their passions and turn their thoughts to heaven.



The most famous site of blue gemstones since antiquity is the island of Ceylon. The name of this island "Ratnadvila" is translated from Sanskrit as "the island of gems". Sapphire, according to legend, is a spray from the sky of a divine drink, and therefore the owner of these precious stones bears the imprint of heavenly greatness.



The Englishman Horsey, who was at the court of Tsar Ivan the Terrible, conveyed the words of the Tsar: “I especially love sapphire, it retains and strengthens courage, cheers the heart, is pleasant to all life feelings, is beneficial to the highest degree for the eyes, cleans them, removes rushes of blood to them, strengthens muscles and nerves ”. Agree that the king, to whom there has been an ambiguous attitude for centuries, described the gem very beautifully. Boris Godunov was a great connoisseur and lover of gems, and he also paid tribute to sapphire.



Sapphires are often found among gemstones that are associated with legends, unusual stories, or wearers. The two largest sapphires are found in the Great Crown of Britain. More than one blue gem belongs to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington.

Famous stones passed from hand to hand, from owner to owner, until they ended up in the collections of museums. And this is the best fate for precious stones, because in this way they can give their beauty to everyone, and you and I can admire this beauty. There is also a different fate when a handsome stone is in a private collection, and only one or a few chosen ones can admire it.

And there are also unusual and even curious destinies of stones. For example, a dark blue, almost black sapphire, now called the "Black Star of Queensland", was discovered in Australia in the state of Queensland. Do you know what he did there? ... He kept the door open like a simple cobblestone. It was in the 30s of the last century.

After it became clear what kind of stone it was, it was cabochon cut and sold. Now the Black Star weighs 733 carats, and it is inserted into a brooch surrounded by a retinue of 35 diamonds, it is kept in the Smithsonian Museum. The cost of this rare piece of jewelry is estimated at over $ 100 million.



Sapphire often became a material not only for jewelry, but also for unusual crafts.The Museum of Natural History in London houses a miniature sapphire figurine of Buddha, and the American Museum of Natural History keeps sapphire crystals with carved portraits of American Presidents A. Lincoln (2302 carats), D. Washington (1997 carats), D. Eisenhower (2097 carats) ).


Sapphire belongs to the corundum class. A transparent blue stone, colored with iron and titanium impurities. On the Mohs scale, the hardness of corundums, including sapphires, is 9, that is, they are the hardest after diamond.

Colors and shades of precious stones

Sapphires can be not only blue, but also yellow, pink, orange, green, purple and even black. Colorless sapphires are also found, they are called leucosapphires. When cut well, they can rival diamonds. But blue sapphires are one of the most valuable members of this family. "Sapfeyros" - translated from Greek means "blue".

Sapphires are characterized by gorgeous hues. Here is how sapphire is described by academician A.E. Fersman in his book on gems: "... some kind of velvety shade hides the transparency of the stone and gives it a mysterious, hazy look."

Star sapphires (with an asterism effect) and sapphire “cat's eye»- a blue stone with a longitudinal stripe of a darker color.

Synthetic corundum

In 1905, the French chemist Auguste Verneuil obtained the first synthetic corundum. In the USSR, in 1936, the first installation for growing synthetic corundum was put into operation. Now almost 200 tons of synthetic corundums are produced annually, including high quality rubies and sapphires, indistinguishable from natural stones.

Sapphire deposits

They are all different depending on the field. Ceylon sapphire “is the pure color of a cornflower, with the transition to purple hues that are so characteristic of the cornflowers of our fields. Sometimes it is completely light, almost gray, ... but always pure, transparent, sparkling like a diamond. " Among the Ceylon sapphires, there are stones with a six-pointed star in iridescent shades, like a "cat's eye".

Australian sapphires are completely dark under artificial light, and almost black as ink. Kashmir sapphires are deep blue, Siamese sapphires are bright blue, sparkle with fire, but at the same time lack the soft velvety sheen inherent in Kashmir sapphires. Sapphires from Tanzania have an unusual alexandrite effect.

Yellow-orange stones have been found in Vietnam and Africa. This sapphire was named "padparadscha"- translated from Sanskrit -" lotus flower ". These are such different sapphires, but the experienced eye of a jeweler quickly identifies them by signs that are elusive to us and tells us about their homeland.



Today 80% of the world's sapphires are mined in Australia (Queensland and New South Wales). A small amount of blue gemstones are recovered in Sri Lanka, India (Kashmir), Cambodia, Burma, Thailand, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, USA. In Russia, there are finds in the South Urals, the Kola Peninsula.

Healing and magical properties of sapphires

Since ancient times, sapphire has been considered a healer for heart ailments, women's diseases, asthma, kidney diseases and urinary ducts. Sapphire strengthens vision, which was noticed by Ivan the Terrible, helps with diabetes, inflammation of the joints, depression, various skin diseases.

The stone helps to increase the effectiveness of treatment with conventional drugs. Lithotherapists recommend constantly wearing a gold ring with this stone for the prevention of these diseases.

Sapphire is considered a stone of meditation and contemplation. In Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, it was considered sacred. The priests wore it in the form of cabochons, resembling the firmament and forcing one to think about eternity.

Ancient people were convinced that sapphire confers loyalty, chastity and modesty, and can keep them from anger and fear. From time immemorial, astrologers attribute the stone to Jupiter. In European countries, it is called the stone of nuns, as they identify it with a clear conscience.



In the countries of the East, sapphire is associated with wonderful human virtues, friendship and selflessness. Amulets were made of sapphire, believing that they would help avoid deception and adultery.

The ancient Jews believed that sapphire was a stone of justice, because it was the ring with such a stone that the just and wise King Solomon wore. A special power was attributed to a star sapphire, which had three intersecting rays, believing this to be three virtues - Faith, Hope, Love.


Jewelers value sapphire primarily for its purity of color. The most expensive color is pure blue. In this respect, there is no equal to Kashmir and Burmese sapphires. Their beautiful cornflower blue color does not change in any light. The cost of such copies exceeds $ 6,000.

The price of a stone is influenced by the presence of defects, cut and weight of the stone. The most common stones are up to 2 carats, less often from 2 to 10 carats. Refined sapphires also appeared on the jewelry market. To obtain a blue stone, the original crystal is subjected to thermal and diffusion treatment. And sometimes a thin strip of sapphire is glued to the quartz.





Gold rings, brooches and sapphire earrings are some of the best jewelry a woman can wish for. Their noble beauty cannot leave anyone indifferent. And when the hands of the master jeweler still work on the precious stone, then you understand that perfection is before us.

Usually the blue stone is cut into a very fine cut, but among the sapphires there are such specimens from which only cabochons are made. This list will certainly include star-shaped stones.



In the Middle Ages, sapphire was not just an expensive and desirable jewelry, but a symbol of power and an integral part of some regalia. And now this stone remains the symbol of the British crown.

When jewelry is created using sapphires, jewelers often combine blue stone with diamonds, silver, white gold and platinum. However, modern fashion is so diverse and allows everything that there are exceptions in which you can see interesting combinations.



Earrings with sapphire will especially emphasize blue, blue and gray eyes, and will look equally beautiful on white or dark skin. Sapphire makes a woman irresistible, and a sapphire ring makes a man courageous and wise.