09.07.15 "S" is for September, sapphires....

...and still summer (at least here).

Fall colors may mean foliage in the northeast, but here in Central Texas the best I can do is the variety in September's birthstone, the sapphire.

Not only is the sapphire one of the four ancient precious gems (the others are diamond, emerald and ruby) - but it is one of my favorite stones because of its wide array of colors. Sapphire is the gemstone variety of the mineral corundum. With a hardness of 9.0 on the Mohs scale (only diamonds, with a score of 10.0 are harder) sapphires are widely used in industry as well as jewelry.

Although sapphires are commonly thought of as blue, they also come in shades of yellow, pink and orange. Variations in the color of sapphires are the result of trace elements including iron, aluminum, titanium, copper or magnesium.  When corundum is red, it is classified as a ruby rather than a sapphire.

I have two pairs of sapphire earrings that are particularly special - they were made for and given to me by a friend just as I was starting this blog.   One pair contains blue sapphires, and the other yellow.  They are great examples of how changing the stone - while keeping everything else the same - can make a difference in the look of a piece of jewelry.

Another of my favorite sapphire pieces is a much older and more traditional piece - a classic circle pin with pearls.  I bought it for myself with my first "real" paycheck, and 30 years later I'm glad I did. I can put it on a sweater or jacket lapel and dress up my entire outfit.

C. Kirk Root - Bluebonnet pendant

Some of the most beautiful sapphire pieces I've ever seen come from Austin based C. Kirk Root Designs.  While many of their designs focus on Texas themes, I am particularly enamored of their wildflower jewelry - bluebonnet and paintbrush designs - featuring blue, red and yellow stones.  The bluebonnets, in particular, are on my wish list.

C. Kirk Root - Paintbrush pendant

If you or someone special has a September birthday, I've put together some lovelies on Pinterest, too. 

Here's hoping that just as the color of September's birthstone varies from warm to cool, so will the weather - bringing fall to Texas before the month's end.

Until next time.