Hello everyone!
The painful summer while wearing a mask has passed, and it's getting easier to spend mornings and evenings.

This time, I would like to talk about September's birthstone, the beautiful blue sapphire.

another name for sapphire

Sapphire comes from the Latin word sapphirus, which means "blue". In Japan, it is also called “Aogyoku (Aodama) Seigyoku”, and the more the Japanese name that means color is given, the more the character “blue” is impressed.

A variety of corundum (Al ₂ O ₃ , aluminum oxide), it is second only to diamond in hardness, and is a gemstone with a color other than red.

Ruby is the red corundum, which is the birthstone for July. It's the same stone, but it's strange that the name changes depending on the color.

About sapphire color

Sapphire has a name that means blue. When you think of sapphire, you probably think of blue, but did you know that there are many sapphires other than blue?

In fact, it is said that there is no color that does not exist in sapphire.

Sapphires other than blue are called fancy color sapphires, and although they are less in number than blue ones, they show a charm that blue sapphires do not have.

sapphire special effect

Speaking of sapphire, I think there are many people who remember Star Sapphire.
A star sapphire with a beautiful glow reminiscent of a shining star from the center of the stone.
This characteristic brilliance is actually produced by solid, liquid, and gaseous inclusions (inclusions) that are taken in during the growth of crystals inside the gemstone, and after the growth is completed.

Originally, the inclusion lowers the value of the stone. In addition, inclusions can reduce the stone's durability, which can reduce the price significantly.
However, it is very nice that this star sapphire becomes a brighter jewel due to the impurities in it.

sapphire history

In ancient Greece and Rome, kings and queens believed that blue sapphire would protect its owner from envy and harm. In the Middle Ages, priests wore blue sapphire as a symbol of heaven, and commoners believed the gem to attract divine favors. In other times and places, people imbued sapphires with the power to preserve chastity, reconcile with enemies, influence spirits, and reveal oracle secrets.

It seems that there is such a description in "Touhou Observations". Marco Polo, a traveler who traveled to the farthest reaches of Asia in the late 12th century, is said to have brought a sapphire as a gift when he went to the Mongolian court. Kublai Khan, the emperor at that time, was fascinated by the blue glow of the sapphire, and Marco Polo was treated favorably.

You can see that sapphire was a gem that was prized beyond the country.

sapphire stone language

Sapphire gem words are "charity", "faithfulness", "faithfulness", "truth" and "virtue".
The deep blue color is said to symbolize an unwavering heart, and sapphire, which has the meaning of sincere and unwavering love, is very popular for being embedded inside a wedding ring that promises eternal love or as an engagement ring .

For Catholics, sapphire is loved as "Mary's stone".
In the hymn to Mary, "Maria-sama no Kokoro," the beautiful and pure existence of the Virgin Mary is likened to sapphire.

Speaking of which, the attributes of the Virgin Mary depicted in Western paintings (the belongings associated to identify the person depicted in Western paintings) are red (= a symbol of God's charity) and blue (= the truth of the ceiling). ) cloak combination.
A sapphire with a blue name can be said to be a jewel that embodies the "charity" of the Virgin Mary and the "truth" to God.

sapphire jewelry

Now, let me introduce you to jewelry using sapphires.

As introduced earlier, sapphire is characterized by its beautiful blue glow, and its multi-color and various charms.
Various colors of sapphire shines in the jewelry handled by Ai-I-Isuzu.
I will introduce each brand.

DAMIANI is well-known as a genderless jewelry brand.
The Belle Epoque necklace, which is celebrated as an icon, also shines with various colors of sapphire.
The multicolored Belle Epoque produced to commemorate the brand's 95th anniversary is actually all sapphire. A rainbow sapphire shines a unique existence.

Also new in 2020, Japan limited model "Iceberg".
Inspired by the majestic icebergs floating in the Atlantic Ocean, it expresses a beautiful gradation that changes from the transparent color reminiscent of snowflakes to the deep blue of the sea using various shades of blue sapphires and diamonds.

Yellow sapphire and blue sapphire are also used in FRED's popular collection "Force 10" multi-color buckle, which was released as a new product in 2020.
Each stone, also known as a power stone, has its own meaning.
Ruby : Passion and Persistence, Garnet : Harmony, Yellow Sapphire : Wisdom, Green Garnet: Discipline and Vitality, Aquamarine : Honesty, Blue Sapphire : Intuition and Compassion, Amethyst : Strength and Creativity.

It's nice to wear while feeling the power of each stone along with the beautiful rainbow shine.

Pomellato has beautiful jewelry with various colored stones.
The color scheme of the stones is also beautiful, and even as a person who likes colored stones, I would like to wear this jewelry at least once.

In the popular Mamanon Mama series, the combination of beautiful blue stones of sapphire and lapis lazuli is very nice.
Lapis lazuli is also known as the birthstone for September and December.
In December, I will introduce you to the lapis lazuli gemstone that looks like a slice of the night sky!

Hirotaka, a very popular fashion jewelry brand, also has ear cuffs made with sapphire.
At first glance, the chic colored stone looks like onyx, but it is actually sapphire.
Glossy dignity, quiet presence. A black sapphire to which the expression “jet black” fits nicely. In fact, the color, which is a deep, dark blue called midnight blue, seems to contain the endless universe.
If you want to wear sapphire, your birthstone, but find it difficult to match the color with your everyday clothes, how about these black sapphire ear cuffs in calm colors?