Sapphire

What is Sapphire?

Sapphire belongs to the corundum family and consists of aluminum oxide, with the formula Al2O3. In its pure form corundum is colorless; only traces of other elements give the stone its color. In blue Sapphire, small amounts of iron and titanium create that deep, cool tone, chromium produces pink and iron alone produces yellow. Only red corundum carries a name of its own: Ruby. Sapphire grows in metamorphic and igneous rocks, where high pressure and temperature form hexagonal, often barrel shaped crystals. Rivers later wash those crystals into gravel beds, where they have been sifted in Sri Lanka for centuries. With a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, Sapphire is the hardest natural stone after diamond, and therefore remarkably scratch resistant in daily use.

Meaning and History of Sapphire

The name goes back to the Greek sappheiros and the Latin sapphirus, both terms for a blue stone, with a related form in the Hebrew sappir. Linguists also point to the Sanskrit sanipriya, which means something like dear to Saturn, the planet linked in Indian tradition with discipline and justice. In medieval Europe, bishops and clergy wore Sapphire in their rings, because the sky blue color was read as a reference to divine truth and purity. In ancient Persia, people held the image that the earth rested on a giant Sapphire, and that its reflection gave the sky its blue. From that long line comes the meaning Sapphire carries today: truth, sincerity and loyalty to what you have promised.

Physical Properties Sapphire

On an energetic level, Sapphire is described as cool and calming, and that effect is felt mostly in the head. Many people experience her as a stone that lets mental restlessness settle, as if an overcrowded mind finally gets some air. Where thoughts keep churning and tension fixes itself around the temples and the neck, Sapphire can offer energetic support in releasing that pressure.

Sapphire is also widely used as a stone for concentration and clear perception. When you are tired and your attention keeps drifting, she can help you bring your focus back to one thing at a time. Her effect is connected with a sense of mental refreshment, in which you feel sharper and more present in the moment. She is valued during restless nights as well, because a calmer mind finds its way to relaxation more easily.

Please note: gemstones can offer support on an emotional and energetic level, but are never a substitute for medical or professional care. If you have any complaints or concerns, always consult your physician.

Sapphire and Loyalty

Sapphire has long been known as the stone of loyalty, and that makes her practically useful at moments when you want to commit to something. Think of a decision you have been pushing forward for weeks, an agreement with yourself about rest or exercise, or a conversation in which you want to make clear where you stand. On a day like that, place a tumbled stone on your desk or nightstand and leave it there for as long as you are working on that choice, as a tangible reminder.

If you would rather carry Sapphire with you, a pendant or ring works well: the stone is then literally within reach the moment you start to doubt. Hold her for a moment and say silently what you are saying yes to. For a shared agreement, for example with a partner or business partner, some people place two stones side by side in a fixed spot at home. That way what you promised together stays visible.

Spiritual Properties

On a spiritual level, Sapphire is regarded as the stone of discernment. She is used to learn to feel the difference between what is genuinely yours and what you have taken over from other people. Anyone who has long lived up to the expectations of family, work or friends often notices only late that their own voice has grown quieter. Sapphire invites you to take that voice seriously again, without needing to get louder to do so.

Sapphire is also connected with sincerity. She is known as a stone that encourages you to be honest, first toward yourself and only then toward the people around you. That makes her a favorite among people who notice they present themselves differently on the outside than they feel on the inside. Sapphire helps make that distance smaller.

In meditation, too, Sapphire has a place of her own. She is sought out by people who do not only want to relax, but also want an answer to a question that has been playing for a while. Her effect is described as patient and disciplined: she asks you to stay with a subject until it becomes clear, instead of moving on to the next distraction.

How to Use Sapphire?

• Wear Sapphire as jewelry, for example a pendant or bracelet from our Sapphire collection, so her clear effect stays with you all day.
• Place a Sapphire on your desk or workspace, where she helps you stay with your subject whenever your attention drifts.
• Hold the stone in your hand during meditation or place her on your forehead, so your thoughts can settle and a question gets room.
• Put a Sapphire beside your planner or next to a document you have to sign, as a reminder to say yes only to what you can truly deliver.

Types and Varieties of Sapphire

• Blue Sapphire: the best known form, from light blue to almost ink blue, with its color created by iron and titanium.
• Yellow Sapphire: from soft honey yellow to golden yellow, with the color mainly determined by iron.
• Pink Sapphire: soft to deep pink through traces of chromium, the same element that gives Ruby its red.
• Padparadscha: a rare orange pink tone, named after the Sinhalese word for lotus flower.
• Star Sapphire: a variety with fine needle shaped inclusions that reveal a six rayed star when cut as a cabochon.
• Leucosapphire: colorless corundum, clear and without the trace elements that create color.
• Ruby: not a variety of Sapphire, but the red family member within the same corundum group.

Beautiful Gemstone Combinations

Lapis Lazuli

Lapis Lazuli shares the deep royal blue and the bond with truth that Sapphire carries. Where Sapphire helps you hold on to what you have chosen, Lapis Lazuli encourages you to speak it out loud as well. Together they support honest communication, especially in conversations where something feels at stake. A lovely combination if you notice you swallow your words.

Fluorite

Fluorite brings order to thoughts that scatter in every direction. That complements Sapphire well, because a decision only holds once you have an overview of what exactly you are choosing. Fluorite sorts, Sapphire holds on. For studying, planning or a difficult weighing up, this is a practical duo.

Amethyst

Amethyst adds softness and stillness to the sober clarity of Sapphire. Both stones work on the higher Chakras, which makes them complement each other during meditation and reflection. Amethyst makes sure you relax, Sapphire makes sure you stay sharp. That way you stay calm while turning more deeply inward.

Recognizing Genuine Sapphire

Sapphire is imitated on a large scale, and that happens in two ways. The first is synthetic corundum, grown in factories for well over a century. Chemically it is real corundum, but it is not a natural stone. You often recognize it by a suspiciously clean, flawless stone without a single inclusion, sometimes with faintly curved growth lines you can see with a loupe. The second is colored glass. Glass gives itself away through round air bubbles, through an even color without any zoning and through weight: Sapphire has a density of around 4 g/cm³ and therefore feels clearly heavier than glass of the same size. Temperature helps too, because real corundum feels cool and warms up slowly in your hand, while glass turns lukewarm faster. Natural Sapphire almost always shows lighter and darker color zones instead of one flat tone. Finally, be critical of large, deep blue stones at a strikingly low price.

At Kristalmeester we only sell natural Sapphire.

Properties

• Hardness (Mohs scale): 9
• Density: 3.95 to 4.10 g/cm³
• Composition: Al2O3
• Crystal structure: trigonal
• Color: blue in many shades, and also yellow, orange, pink, purple, green and colorless

Locations

• Sri Lanka
• Myanmar
• Madagascar
• Thailand
• India
• Australia
• Tanzania
• United States

Zodiac Signs

Virgo

Virgo feels particularly at home with Sapphire, traditionally the birthstone of September. This sign thinks sharply and pays attention to detail, but can lose sight of the whole because of it. Sapphire supports Virgo in telling the essential from the incidental. That way her analytical eye stays useful instead of exhausting.

Aquarius

Aquarius has long been linked with Saturn, the same planet connected to Sapphire in Indian tradition. This sign is full of ideas and principles, but does not always choose which plan truly deserves attention. Sapphire helps Aquarius make that choice and stay with it. Her convictions gain weight as a result.

Taurus

Taurus values reliability and loves agreements that hold, which fits seamlessly with the meaning of Sapphire as a stone of loyalty. Where Taurus sometimes persists too long out of habit, Sapphire brings the distinction between loyalty and stubbornness. That makes her faithfulness a more conscious choice.

Chakras

Throat Chakra

Sapphire resonates strongly with the Throat Chakra, the center of honest communication and self expression. She supports you in voicing what you mean calmly and clearly, without holding yourself back and without overshouting. Many people find that words come more easily when this center is in balance.

Third Eye Chakra

On the Third Eye Chakra, Sapphire works as a stone of insight and clear perception. She helps you look beyond the surface and take your intuition more seriously. In this way she can give more overview of what is really going on.

Crown Chakra

Through the Crown Chakra, Sapphire connects you with wisdom and awareness that reach further than everyday thinking. She invites stillness and reflection, in which you make room for something greater. That makes her a pleasant companion during meditation.

Care

With a hardness of 9 and no cleavage, Sapphire is one of the sturdiest stones you can have at home. You can safely cleanse her under lukewarm running water and then pat her gently dry; neither the surface nor the color suffers from it. Blue Sapphire also handles daylight well, because its color comes from iron and titanium in the crystal lattice and is therefore stable. With yellow and orange Sapphire it is different: that color sometimes rests on unstable color centers and can fade under prolonged, fierce sun. So it is better not to leave those varieties on a sunny windowsill for hours. Store Sapphire apart from softer stones, because with her hardness she scratches them easily.

To cleanse her energetically, place Sapphire on a bed of Hematite Chips, where she can release old energy. You can also pass her through the smoke of Sage or Palo Santo. To charge her, place Sapphire on a bed of Rock Crystal Chips, or set her in soft moonlight overnight.

More information about the cleansing and charging of gemstones can be found in our blog "The cleansing and charging of gemstones".

Frequently Asked Questions about Sapphire

What does Sapphire mean?

The name comes from the Greek sappheiros and the Latin sapphirus, both terms for a blue stone. It may go back further still, to the Sanskrit sanipriya, dear to Saturn. Today Sapphire stands above all for truth, wisdom and loyalty.

Can Sapphire get wet?

Yes, Sapphire can get wet. With a hardness of 9 and no cleavage you can safely cleanse her under lukewarm running water. Pat the stone gently dry afterward.

Can Sapphire be placed in sunlight?

Blue Sapphire handles sunlight well, because its color comes from the crystal lattice and is stable. With yellow and orange Sapphire some caution is wise, since that color can fade under prolonged, fierce sun. Do not leave those varieties in full sun for hours.

Which Chakra is associated with Sapphire?

Sapphire resonates most strongly with the Throat Chakra, the center of honest communication. She also works on the Third Eye Chakra for insight and on the Crown Chakra for awareness and reflection.

Where is the best place to put Sapphire?

Your desk or workspace suits Sapphire well, where she helps you stay with your subject. Place her on your nightstand in periods when you want a decision to settle. As jewelry, her effect stays within reach all day.

Summary

Sapphire is blue corundum with a hardness of 9, the hardest natural stone after diamond. Her name traces back to old words for blue, and from medieval bishops' rings to Persian stories about a sky of Sapphire she carries the same meaning throughout: truth, sincerity and loyalty. On an energetic level she lets mental restlessness settle and supports concentration and clear perception. She works on the Throat Chakra, the Third Eye Chakra and the Crown Chakra, and suits Virgo, Aquarius and Taurus beautifully. Cleansing under lukewarm water is fine, blue Sapphire tolerates daylight, and yellow and orange varieties are best kept out of fierce sun.

If you have any questions about Sapphire, please do not hesitate to contact Kristalmeester. We are happy to help.