Written for Vivamost Magazine by Liz Le Feuvre of Swiss Blue
In many cultures birthstones are a well established tradition whereby a gem is associated with a birth month. Each stone has a special meaning and it is believed by many that wearing your birthstone will bring good fortune.
The birthstone for September is the stunning Sapphire! It is also the gemstone for the 45th wedding anniversary.
Sapphires belong to the corundum family of gemstones, which also includes Ruby (these are effectively red sapphires). The most famous sapphires are the stunning blues seen above, but there is also a vast range of “fancy sapphires” which come in violet, yellow, green, orange, pink and purple. One of the most sought after are the Padparadscha sapphires from Sri Lanka. These are pinkish-orange in colour and are named after the Sinhalese for lotus blossom.
Sapphires can also exhibit asterism which creates a star effect across the cut surface of a cabochon stone. This is created by white light reflecting from numerous miniscule, needle-like inclusions in the stones, and are also very sought after.
Traditionally they symbolize nobility, truth, sincerity and faithfulness. In the middle ages, clergy wore blue sapphires to symbolize heaven and if non-clergy wore them, they believed the stone would attract heavenly blessings.
The majority of sapphires now come from Madagascar, Tanzania, Sri Lanka and Australia.
The Swiss Blue birthstone collection for September consists bracelets and earrings created with sapphire Swarovski crystals (which enables us to keep an attractive price point) and using sterling silver or gold filled beads and earhoops. Both these precious metals are hypo-allergenic and lightweight, so they are ideal for everyday wear.
Liz Le Feuvre
Liz set up Swiss Blue jewellery four years ago and is inspired by the colours and textures found by the lakes and mountains in Switzerland. She enjoys creating pieces that are attractive and enduring, using high quality materials and stones, and loves to make jewellery that makes YOU feel special everyday!
Free shipping is offered throughout Switzerland and all these items can be found online at the website www.swissblue.co on Facebookor Instagram