Ceylon Sapphire
I know a mother is never meant to have favourites amongst her children, but I must admit that of all the gemstones I’ve worked with, the Ceylon Blue Sapphire truly is my favourite. It’s the first gemstone I found irresistible and ‘had to have’.
Sapphires carrying the colour of the clearest deepest blue sky is an extremely precious gemstone that has captivated hearts for centuries.
Blue symbolises heaven, the divine paradise of the blue sky where we see celestial faith meet earthly nature. Blue represents the heavenly love of truth, and garments of blue show the knowledge of truth from this love. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is often depicted in garments of this light blue. In the Medieval world, the marriage of the priest and the divine sky was symbolised by the sapphire, and bishops’ rings were made with sapphires.
An ancient Persian legend explains the colour of the sky as the reflection of the immense sapphire stone that the earth rests upon. The name Sapphiru means ‘blue’ in Latin, and while the word sapphire is derived from the Greek word sappheiros, meaning ‘blue stone’, it’s quite possible that early references to Sapphires may have meant Lapis Lazuli. Many believe the Ten Commandments were cut from blue sapphire rock as seen on Mount Sinai.
The Church considers Sapphire to be Holy. Scripture often uses blue to represent God. Biblically the Sapphire stands for truth, integrity, and honesty. God’s throne is described as sapphire (Ezek 1:26), and under His feet “as it were a paved work of sapphire stone” (Ex 24:10). It is the second stone to adorn the city walls (Rev 21:19) and it is significant in the Israelite’s high priest’s breastplate (Ex 28:18). According to Jewish Historians, the tribe of Issachar, renowned for its greatness, was inscribed on Sapphire.
Sapphires are synonymous with compassion, sanity, justice, and sincerity. They repel tension and bewilderment, bringing accuracy and favourable emotions.
Blue sapphire is attributed with healing properties due to its blue energy wavelengths and trace elements. It’s associated with mental clarity, wellness, tranquillity, and wisdom, and is referred to as ‘the gemstone of intelligence’. It brings abundance and gifts. It is believed to strengthen intuition and spiritual energies and bring protection and dedication into relationships.
Ceylon Sapphire, even the name conjures exotic impressions of the island of many conquests that’s borne a myriad of names* and a seemingly endless supply of the highest quality gemstones. A tiny country with the highest percentage of landmass underlain by high-density gem-bearing Precambrian rock in the world, it is known for the rarest and most beautiful sapphires. Sri Lanka is called the ‘Island of Gems’ (Rathnadweepa in Sinhalese). The cornflower blue sapphire was declared the national gemstone of Sri Lanka in 2003.
The world’s three largest faceted blue sapphires are all from Sri Lanka; “Blue Giant of the Orient” (466 carats), “Logan Blue Sapphire” (423 carats) and “Blue Belle of Asia” (400 carats). The 171-carat sapphire featured in the ‘Heart of the Ocean’ necklace, inspired by the movie Titanic, was worn by Celine Dion to the 1998 Academy awards and also came from Sri Lanka.
The symbolism of the sky representing an everlasting covenant between God and all creation has meant the Sky-Blue Sapphire is often chosen as an engagement ring gemstone. It signifies commitment and fidelity, but most of all, it is indescribably beautiful.
The immaculate gemstone pictured is a beautiful specimen of Ceylon Blue Sapphire in an oval cut, weighing 3.67 carat and priced at $9,295 (February 2023). The ring pictured is handmade in platinum and set with two brilliant cut shoulder diamonds, 0.25ct each weighing total half carat, colour F and clarity VS, priced at additional $4,120 (total incl gemstone $13,415).
* Previous names: Taprobane (Ancient Greek), Serendib (Arabian 4th century), Sielan (Roman), Ceilão (Portuguese 1505), Ceilán (Spanish), Zeylan (Dutch 1658), Ceylon (British 1796), and finally officially Sri Lanka in 1972.
