Sapphire has been sought after for thousands of years as the ultimate blue gemstone. The ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire that gave its blue reflection to the sky, hence the Latin name "sapphiru", which means blue.

The gem has long symbolized faith, remembrance, and enduring commitment. According to tradition, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on tablets of sapphire, making it the most sacred stone. This supposed "divine favor" is why sapphires often were the gem of choice for kings and high priests throughout history. In fact, the British Crown Jewels contain a number of notable sapphires. Prince Charles even gave Princess Diana a sapphire engagement ring.

Sapphire is the birthstone for September. It is also

the recommended gem for couples celebrating their fifth and 45th wedding anniversaries.

Both sapphire and its sister stone, ruby, are part of the corundum family, one of the strongest minerals on earth. The stone is mined in many parts of the world, including Australia, Cambodia, China, Kashmir, Kenya, Madagascar, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. Sapphires from Kashmir and Myanmar are rarest and most prized because of their vivid blue, velvety look.

Although sapphire is virtually synonymous with blue, the stone also comes in a variety of fancy colors that includes colorless/white, pink, yellow, peach, orange, brown, violet, purple, green and many shades in between (except red, because a red sapphire would be called a ruby). Some sapphires that are cut into a cabochon (dome) shape

even display a six-rayed white star. These are called star sapphires, and the ancients regarded them as powerful talismans that protected travelers.

Like other gemstones, color is the main determining factor when judging the value of a sapphire. As a rule, the most valuable sapphires have a medium intense, pure vivid blue color and hold the brightness of their color under any type of lighting.