September Birthstone: Sapphire and How to Care for Them

When thinking of the September Birthstone Sapphire, the beautiful blue color comes to mind. However, sapphires come in all colors of the rainbow except red and then, it's a ruby. It is believed sapphire gemstones bring inner peace.

Among other properties attributed to sapphire is it develops psychic powers such as telepathy and is believed to help depression. In India, it is not unusual to ask pandits help choose which sapphire is suitable for the customer. Sapphire is believed to offer healing for rheumatism, colic, and mental illness.

How to Care for Sapphire

This September birthstone is the second hardest natural mineral. Because of this, sapphires can be cleaned in almost any way. The best choice is warm, soapy water. Some use ultrasonic cleaners and steamers. Water with a touch of ammonia works well.

If your sapphire has a fracture or is a star sapphire, do not use mechanical cleaning methods. Sapphire can shatter with one single blow if hit sharply. Consider mechanical cleaning risky if sapphire gemstones have inclusions because this weakens crystal structure. Avoid heavy work or chemicals while wearing sapphire jewelry as it can damage settings.

Store sapphire jewelry separately from softer gemstone jewelry because sapphire can scratch them. Storage in a soft, cloth bag is a wonderful way to protect gemstones.

Birthstone Jewelry

Besides being the September birthstone, sapphires are given on the 5th, 23rd and 45th wedding anniversary. A star sapphire is typically given on the 65th wedding anniversary. Padparadscha is the name of a rare orange-pink variety of sapphire and has a higher value than blue sapphire gemstones. Sapphires are available as birthstone jewelry and are beautiful in gold or platinum settings.

Sapphire Gemstone Cuts

Sapphires are often a colorless pale, blue but when heated to high temperatures, an intense color results. The heat also improves clarity of sapphire gemstones because tiny inclusions melt. These inclusions can exhibit an optical property called asterism. It causes a star-shaped effect in star sapphires which is usually only seen with cabochon cuts.

Star sapphires usually have six ray stars but twelve ray stars are also known. When sapphires are cut en cabochon, they sometimes demonstrate a cat's eye effect. This effect displays a thin band of light down the center of the stone and is known as chatoyancy.

A rare variety of sapphire exhibits different colors in different light. It's called a change sapphire which is blue in natural light and violet in artificial light. There are many varieties of sapphire gemstones to choose for your September birthstone jewelry.

Click here for July Birthstone: Ruby

Source:
Bernardine Fine Art Jewelry, Cincinnati, Ohio

September Birthstone: Sapphire and How to Care for Them copyright 2009