Sapphire
Sapphire is second only to diamond as the hardest natural material on Earth. Sapphire is a gem-quality variety of the mineral corundum, which is used in industrial abrasive applications. Ruby is also a form of corundum; all gem-quality corundum that is not ruby red is called sapphire.
The color blue is most commonly associated with sapphire, but it also comes in yellow, orange, white, purple, black, and other colors. The rare and popular Padparadscha (lotus-color) Sapphire gets its pinkish orange hues from a mixture of chromium and iron.
An ancient Persian myth says that the Earth rests upon a gigantic sapphire, that that the color of the sky is that titanic stone's reflection.
Sapphire is a supremely protective stone. It was said that a sapphire worn by a king when signing a treaty would protect the realm against treachery and conquest. Lore also tells that a venomous snake placed in a container with a sapphire will surely die, for sapphire is sovereign against poison.
A star sapphire gets its rays of chatoyant light from the arrangement of the stone's crystalline fibers in a particular pattern. Star sapphires were used in Medieval times to block the evil eye and send negative energies back their senders.
Alchemists associated the sky-blue sapphire with the element air. Indian astrology says sapphire is the stone of the planet Saturn, and that sapphire opens doors to the heavenly realms.
Sapphire enables you to receive messages from beyond the stars and understand their meanings more clearly. Used as a meditation focal point, a sapphire can help you visualize your life's purpose and manifest it in the real world. Sapphire can also aid the manifestation and retention of material things; it is a stone of prosperity and abundance.
Yellow sapphire is a powerful healing stone that can help one recover from childhood abuse. It provides a golden protective shield during recovery from illness or injury, too.
Sapphire healing properties include the nervous system; functions of the thyroid gland; appetite dysfunctions; and heart troubles. It was used in the East as protection against plague. Sapphire strengthens the walls of blood vessels and stops nose bleeds. The green and blue varieties are especially rich in healing energies.
Sapphire is the modern birth stone for the month of September. Deep blue sapphire is connected to the Zodiac sign of Pisces; light-blue to Taurus; yellow to Libra. The star sapphire is a stone of Libra.