The celestial blue sapphire has long represented heaven and has decorated the robes of royalty and clergy for centuries. Ironically, though sapphires are thought of as blue stones (even the name is derived from the Greek word sappheiros, the word for blue stone), sapphires actually occur in a variety of colors. Sapphires and rubies are comprised of the mineral corundum. Corundum in its pure state is colorless, it takes trace elements of other minerals to give sapphires and rubies their color.

Sapphires often contain minor inclusions (flaws) of tiny slender rutile needles. When present, these inclusions decrease the transparency of a stone and are known as silk. When these rutile inclusions are dense and in parallel groupings the stone can be cut in such a way to display asterism or a star effect. These “Star Sapphires” are cut as cabochons, without facets. In the past some Christians considered a Star Sapphire the “Stone of Destiny”, associating the star’s three crossbars with Faith, Hope, and Destiny.

In addition to being associated with royalty and the divine, sapphires have also been long considered to represent love and romance. The association with romance was reinforced in modern times when Prince Charles gave a blue sapphire engagement ring to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. In turn Prince Charles’ and Princess Diana’s son, Prince William, gave the same ring to Catherine “Kate” Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge in 2010.