The majority of people associate sapphire with the colour blue but it also comes in a variety of other colours.  They include pink, yellow, purple, and green.  Sapphires have always been considered a romantic gem since ancient Greece, and it is also believed to bring peace and harmony.

A note from Paul Brereton, gemologist:  The most sought-after sapphire colour is "corn flower" blue.  Traditionally this stone colour is associated with the Kashmir area in northern India.  This area rarely produces sapphires anymore as the mines are exhausted.  Any sapphire of strong blue colour from Kashmir commands a huge premium to other sources of sapphires due to their exceptional colour and rarity.  The main current source of similarly coloured sapphires is Myanmar (Burma).

Other current sources include Sri Lanka and Madagascar.  These stones are generally more vibrant but lack the intensity of colour of Myanmar and Kashmir stones.  This type of stone is more suitable to the Irish climate as they do not require strong sunlight to sparkle.  Australia is also a large producer of dark sapphires.  The stones appear near black in colour and are used in a large proportion of commercial jewellery.

Sapphire is generally cut in oval and cushion shapes.  Other shapes, such as round or emerald cut, command a large premium due to the large amount of waste cut from the rough gem to achieve the shape.

We have a beautiful collection of sapphire bracelets, sapphire earrings and sapphire necklaces that would make perfect birthstone gifts for your loved one. 

Sources: Australia, USA, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), China, Sri Lanka. 

Hardness: 9 on Mohs scale. 

Toughness: Excellent. 

Sapphire is the birthstone for September. 

To view our collection of Sapphire jewellery please contact us at webenquiries@brereton.ie.