September Birthstone - Sapphire

Happy Birthday, you gorgeous September babies!! September feels like a month of new beginnings.  That might be my former teacher life showing through...but now that my boys are Jr. High & High School (WHAT?!?!) I swear our schedules are jam-packed as the school year starts.  September is definitely feeling like a big old "switch" in our lives and schedules.  So here's to new beginnings and a little bit of history on the gorgeous sapphire - the beautiful birthstone of this new month. Sapphires have been adored for centuries, and prominent figures throughout history have worn them often. In the Middle Ages, bishops and other top members of the clergy wore sapphires, which they associated with Heaven. The British royal family has also worn sapphires frequently. One of the most famous sapphires in the world, St. Edward’s Sapphire, is set into the Imperial State Crown. And of course, Princess Diana’s ♥ engagement work, worn now by Duchess Catherine Middleton, features a sapphire surrounded by diamonds. You don’t have to be a queen or princess to wear sapphires, but they may just make you feel like royalty. While sapphires come in a beautiful array of colors, blue sapphires range in color from a very light blue to a very dark navy, and some stones have hints of green or purple. The gemstones I use in handcrafting jewelry are a natural light blue shade, similar to a clear sky just as it starts to darken at dusk. If you’d like a darker, deeper stone, I also have dyed sapphires available. I think that both shades look absolutely beautiful when paired with pearls; the white complements the blue color perfectly. If you or a special little girl in your life was born in September, you have a great excuse to wear sapphires. Even if September isn’t your birthstone, though, you don’t need an excuse. Sapphires are simply beautiful stones that always look lovely and elegant.