Since the Middle Ages, Sapphires have been very popular as a gemstone, especially in rings. Priests and clergymen at the time wore blue sapphires, because the color was associated with heaven.

Sapphire engagement rings have always been a popular choice. Prince Charles gave an exquisite Ceylon Blue Sapphire ring to the ill-fated Princess Diana on their engagement.http://www.topazery.com/gemstone-history.htm

Most Sapphire is mined in Australia, Sri Lanka and Thailand, But there are other deposits found in Burma, Kampuchea, Kenya and Tanzania.http://www.bernardine.com/birthstone/sapphire.htm

Sapphire is the mineral corundum and is usually associated with the color blue, but this gemstone is found in almost any color, in the red variety it is called Ruby.http://www.bernardine.com/gemstones/sapphire.htm It is a very hard gemstone rated at 9 on the Mohs scale of hardness and second only to Diamond which is 10.

Sapphires are frequently heat treated, a permanent effect, to enhance their color.http://www.bernardine.com/birthstone/sapphire.htm

Since 1902 corundum has been successfully produced in laboratories and synthetic sapphire is very difficult to distinguish from the natural form of the gemstone.

This guide will look at the different colors of sapphire and discuss the various types of jewelry available featuring this versatile and hard-wearing gemstone. There will also be suggestions on how to find more information and places to purchase your sapphire jewelry.

Blue sapphires are the most traditional color and the shades can vary from pale blue to midnight blue, with all the different tones in between. The most well known color is Ceylon Sapphire, so named from its source now known as Sri Lanka. http://www.zales.com/jewelry101/index.jsp?page=gemstones_Ceylon The very darkest blue sapphires are found in Australia.

When choosing blue sapphire jewelry, it is a good idea to choose your favorite shade at the start, if for instance you have a sapphire engagement ring it will be possible to later on match an eternity ring, bracelet, pendant and earrings if you wish.

A good place to start looking is the internet, also the television shopping channels are a good place to locate sapphire jewelry and sometimes you can save a lot of money on your purchase because these companies are very often also manufacturers and so cut out the middlemen. It is always a good idea to read the reviews for these companies before buying, so that you can make an informed decision on which one is the best for you. Once you have an idea what you are looking for, a look around the retailers in your area will help you decide on the color and the best place to purchase your blue sapphire jewelry. If you see an item that appeals to you in a shop, always ask for discount, you could be pleasantly surprised!

As previously mentioned, sapphires are found in almost any color, including yellow, green, white, lavender, pink, orange, brown and purple but some colors are more popular. One particular favorite is pink sapphire, a bright candy color several shades lighter than ruby. Any woman who loves the color pink would be delighted to receive an item of pink sapphire jewelry. http://www.generousgems.com/p/jewelry-by-gemstone/pink-sapphire-jewelry/ Prices can be very competitive, even internet sites are offering discount on many items now.

One of the worlds most expensive gemstones is the rare and exotic Padparadscha Sapphire. This beautiful gemstone shows shades of pink through to orange changing when viewed at different angles. Padparadscha, originates from the Sanskrit/Singhalese padmaraga, a color akin to the lotus flower.http://www.collectorfinejewelry.com/buyers_guide_padparadscha.htm The best examples of these gems are from Sri Lanka.

Another unusual form of sapphires is the star sapphire, these gemstones display what is known as asterism, which gives the effect of a star across the surface of the gemstone.http://www.minerals.net/gemstone/gemstone/sapphire/sapphire.htm Star sapphires are almost always opaque usually show six ray [[stars[[ and the gemstone is cabochon cut, which has an unfaceted, domed upper surface to best display this effect.http://www.starruby.in/store/star-sapphires

There are several advantages to owning Sapphire jewelry, one is that this hard wearing gemstone can be worn on a regular basis without too much concern about wear and tear. Another is that the more affordable items, set in silver and sometimes given rhodium plating, will be very difficult to distinguish from the high-end pieces. http://www.zales.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=2109136&f=PAD%2FStone+Type%2FCeylon+Sapphire&fbc=1&fbn=Stone+Type|Ceylon+Sapphire

One of the ways colored sapphires can be used is to have all the rainbow colors graduated together in a tennis style bracelet or other types of jewelry. This gives a stunning effect.http://www.rainbowsapphire.com/ Depending on the precious metal used for the setting, this type of colored sapphire jewelry can be expensive or affordable.

Sapphires can be set in any of the precious metals normally used for jewelry, yellow gold, white gold, silver or platinum.

Diamonds and sapphires naturally complement each other, if you select a hard wearing precious metal for the setting, such as platinum or yellow gold this will be a very good choice for an engagement ring as it will be very durable. White gold although very elegant, is not so robust and can lose its color over time.

Sapphire jewelry does not require any special cleaning, a wash using warm water with a little washing-up liquid and a soft brush will normally keep it sparkling.