Although sapphires come in many colors including white, purple, colorless, green & sunset hues like orange, yellow & pink, but blue remains the main color. Many women go for sapphire for their engagement rings as this color signifies endurance & fidelity. Which is “best” is highly subjective & depends upon individual preference also. Generally the most desirable sapphires are those with an intense blue color, & plenty of sparkle and life.

Their beauty, magnificent colors, their transparency, hardness & permanence are those qualities which make sapphires favorite for gemstone jewelry. Sapphires are used in all categories such as rings, earrings, pendants & necklaces, as solitaire stones etc. Sapphire is the official birthstone for the month of September. It is also one of the birthstones for the Zodiac signs of Pisces, Taurus, and Virgo & Sagittarius. Sapphire is given as a gem for the 5th, 23rd & 45th wedding anniversaries.

Sapphire is believed to have powers of spiritual enlightenment. It was believed that a sapphire would protect the wearer from envy & attract divine favors. This was the reason for which kings used to wear sapphires. It also symbolizes loyalty and faithfulness, while at the same time expressing love & yearning. When exchanged with a loved one, sapphires enhance feelings for one another and attune the two psyches.

The value of a sapphire depends on size, color & transparency. For very fine qualities these criteria are supplemented by information on the origin of the gemstone. Another pricing factor is a possible treatment. A stone which has not been treated becomes more valuable. The most valuable sapphires are real Kashmir stones. Almost as highly cherished are stones from Burma, followed by Ceylon-Sapphires. Sapphires are also found in India, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil and Africa. Top quality sapphires, however, remains a rarity in the gemstone mines all over the world.