Sapphire
Birthstone for September
Sapphire is a variety of corundum — aluminum oxide — colored blue by trace amounts of iron and titanium. While blue is the classic sapphire color, the stone actually comes in every color except red (which is classified as ruby). The most valuable sapphires show a vivid, saturated blue without being too dark, and the finest examples come from Kashmir, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka. Sapphire has been associated with wisdom, royalty, and divine favor across cultures for millennia. The British Crown Jewels contain several famous sapphires, and the stone became globally fashionable again when Princess Diana received a sapphire engagement ring in 1981.
Why Sapphire for September?
Sapphire was assigned to September because the month marks the transition from summer to autumn — a time medieval Europeans associated with wisdom, reflection, and the return to scholarly pursuits. Sapphire's deep blue was seen as the color of the heavens and of truth, fitting for a month of harvest and accounting.