Spotlight on Sapphires

The name sapphire comes from the Latin ‘saphirus’ and the Greek ‘sapheiros’, both of which mean blue, yet this gemstone actually occurs in a vast array of different colours beyond blue, including green, pink, purple, yellow, orange and even black, grey and colourless. Sapphire is composed of the mineral corundum, the same substance as ruby - therefore the only colour you won't find a sapphire in is red! They're considered to be a very protective gemstone, with a number of lovely symbolic meanings such as wisdom, truth, loyalty, good fortune, faithfulness and sincerity.

Sapphires are not only the birthstone for September birthdays, but they're also an ideal choice for alternative engagement rings. As the second hardest gemstone (only trumped by the diamond) registering 9/10 on Moh's scale of hardness, sapphires are one of the most versatile stones to use in jewellery. As engagement rings are designed to be worn daily and need to be long-lasting, sapphires are an excellent choice as they're so hard-wearing. One of the most famous sapphire engagement rings of recent times belongs to the Duchess of Cambridge - Prince William proposed with his late mother's whopping 12ct blue sapphire and diamond ring.

To clean, soak your sapphire jewels in a dish of warm soapy water and use a soft toothbrush to gently brush away any built up residue. You can also use a jewellery cleaning cloth or professional jewellery cleaning products developed to be safe on sapphires. Although they're a very durable gemstone, be aware that any stone can break if it is hit hard enough. Wear your sapphire jewellery with care and avoid exposure to abrasive materials, harsh chemicals and extreme changes in heat.

You can view our alternative sapphire engagement rings here.

You can view all of our sapphire jewellery here.