September babies are Lucky Little Ducks!

Sapphire is the September birthstone and also the Zodiac stone for the constellation of Taurus the Bull. if you have ever purchased one of these durable gemstones, the chances are good it came from Sri Lanka, India, Tanzania or the Kola Pennensula of Russia. Of course great ones come from other places around the world but these are the most common.

The sapphire is both chemically and structurally the same as rubies. They are both varieties of the mineral corundum. That is why you get such a wide range in color of sapphires. They can be any color of the rainbow from yellow, orange green and yellow, pretty much all ecxept red, that would be a ruby.

Oriented rutile crystal inclusions in some sapphires cause a six-pointed-star effect that is why Star Sapphires have that unique look. These are usually cabochon cut to make the most of the “star”. And of course you can star rubies as well.

The September birthstone is one of the hardest gemstones on the planet. Sapphires are second only to diamonds and moisannite. That is why many watchmakers use clear sapphire on the face of a watch, they are practically scratch proof.