September birthstone: sapphire, history and care

The September birthstone in brief

The September birthstone is sapphire in every modern list. The British list adds lapis lazuli, and the older list gave chrysolite, a name that over the centuries has been applied to several green or yellow stones, including peridot.

A birthstone list is a custom: if another blue stone appeals to you, nothing stops you from choosing it.

Sapphire: a corundum in every colour

Sapphire is a corundum, like ruby. Blue sapphire owes its colour to traces of iron and titanium; but pink, yellow, green, orange, violet and colourless sapphires also exist. Padparadscha, a pinkish orange, is a highly sought-after variety. Its hardness (9) makes it one of the most durable stones.

The best-known sapphires come from Sri Lanka, Kashmir (a deposit worked mainly in the 1880s that remains legendary), Myanmar, Madagascar, Thailand, Australia and Montana. The word “sapphire” is one of the most misleading in the history of stones: in antiquity, the name in fact referred to lapis lazuli, not to our sapphire. Our present-day sapphires were only distinguished later.

Lapis lazuli, the stone of the sky

Lapis lazuli is not a mineral but a deep blue rock, composed mainly of lazurite, often with golden specks of pyrite and white veins of calcite. Its hardness is 5 to 5.5. It comes mainly from Afghanistan, where it has been mined for millennia. Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia made jewellery and amulets from it. Ground into powder, it gave Renaissance painters ultramarine, a very precious pigment.

Traditional symbolism

Deep blue has always evoked the sky, wisdom and fidelity. Sapphire adorned the hands of kings and churchmen, and popular tradition links it to clarity of mind. It is often associated with the throat chakra or the third eye. These correspondences vary between authors and belong to the realm of symbol rather than proof.

A little history: national lists

Birthstone lists are not the same from one country to another. In 1937, the British goldsmiths' association (National Association of Goldsmiths) set its own list, which has since been updated: for September it includes sapphire and lapis lazuli. The American list, for its part, is the one drawn up in Kansas City in 1912, revised several times.

The confusion between sapphire and lapis in antiquity shows how much the names of stones have changed meaning: when an old list mentions “sapphire”, it may refer to a stone we would no longer recognise under that name.

Other possible stones in September

• the lapis lazuli, a stone from the British list;
• the iolite, blue-violet, sometimes nicknamed “water sapphire”;
• the sodalite, deep blue veined with white, often mistaken for lapis;
• the kyanite, blue, with pearly reflections.

Giving a September birthstone

A sapphire is a durable gift, and they exist at every price, including small stones set in rings, pendants or earrings. Lapis lazuli, more affordable, offers a fine bead, cabochon or tumbled stone, and a deep blue.

Browse our jewellery and gift ideas collections.

Care, treatments and imitations

Sapphire. Very hard: lukewarm water, mild soap, soft brush, soft cloth; ultrasonic cleaning is possible for a sound stone. Almost all sapphires on the market are heated, a stable treatment. More recently, beryllium diffusion (colour altered at high temperature) has appeared and must be disclosed. Synthetic sapphires have existed since 1902; they are true corundum, manufactured. The most common imitations are blue glass, synthetic spinel and doublets.

Lapis lazuli. Softer and more sensitive: avoid prolonged soaking, acids, perfumes and knocks; wipe it with a soft cloth. It is often dyed or imitated by dyed jasper (the “Swiss lapis”) and by sodalite; genuine lapis has specks of pyrite. See our guide to choosing and caring for your stones.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to birthstones.