For many girls, their first experience with owning jewelry with precious or semi-precious gemstones is when they are presented with their first ring – which is often set with their birthstone. I received my sapphire birthstone ring from my grandmother for my tenth birthday. On my eleventh birthday I received my first wristwatch – my wrist was so skinny I could barely keep it on my arm! And then when I turned twelve, my grandmother took me to get my ears pierced and the gold ball studs were part of my gift from her. It was so nice to have my grandmother introduce me to these childhood milestones!
Years later I returned the favor when I had everyone pitch in and give her a grandmother’s brooch on her 60th birthday. The gold pin had birthstones representing the birth month of all her children and grandchildren, and she wore it on the lapel of her winter coat every time she went out.
My next item of jewelry was my engagement ring. As I explained in my post about celebrity engagement rings, he chose a round diamond solitaire for me and I love it! I’m looking forward to eventually receiving a mother’s ring, with a birthstone representing the month of each my children’s birth. And that just gave me an idea for my mother’s next gift!
Centuries ago, twelve birthstones were selected to represent each month of the year, and people would wear their birthstone for good luck and the qualities that each gemstone represented. I had learned about the different stones when I arranged for my grandmother’s brooch. It was fun learning about the different stones, and I pay more attention to unusual rings or pieces of jewelry, such as blue sapphire engagement rings like the one worn by Princess Diana and now gracing the hand of Prince William’s wife, Kate Middleton.
Kate’s ring, originally Prince William’s mother’s ring, is an oval cut blue sapphire surrounded by a ring of 14 small diamonds. All of Kate’s fashion choices start trends, including that style of engagement ring. Penelope Cruz wears a very similar engagement ring and it is very popular in Great Britain.
I had read a story that the sapphire in Princess Diana’s engagement ring came from Sri Lanka. If the story I read was true, it was a gift to the Queen when she visited Sri Lanka around 1980. But I cannot find anything online that verifies this.
When learning about sapphires, I discovered that they are mined in only a few places. In the United States, sapphires are found in Montana and North Carolina. However, most sapphires are mined in Australia and Sri Lanka. They are also found in Burma, India, Madagascar and a few African and Middle Eastern countries.
There are some things to know about buying sapphires. They are graded by weight, just like diamonds and are the hardest gemstone in the world, second only to diamonds. The most expensive sapphires are clear, deep blue, but the most prized is the star sapphire. Star sapphires are cut in a dome shape and they display a star shaped inclusion when held up to the light.
Sapphires are the sister gem of rubies and come in many other colors besides blue. They both come from the mineral called corundum. When the corundum is cracked open, if the inside is red it is a ruby. If it is cracked open and is any other color than red, it is a sapphire.
Are you as fascinated with these facts about sapphires as I am?
by Jenny Smith
I always think the story behind a birthstone is interesting.