Sapphires Aren’t Just Blue: September Birthstone Facts & Jewelry | Key West Local Luxe

Sapphires Aren’t Just Blue. And Other Things We Need to Discuss.

September babies, this one’s for you.

Everyone else? You can stay. We don’t check birthdays at the jewelry counter.

September’s birthstone is the sapphire, and while everybody knows that gorgeous, deep-blue stone, sapphires have been keeping a few secrets.

For starters?

They’re not all blue.

Yep. We’ve been lied to. Okay, maybe not lied to…but somebody definitely left out the good part.

Wait. Sapphires Come in OTHER Colors?

Oh, honey.

Sapphire is part of the corundum mineral family, and it can show up in blue, pink, yellow, orange, green, purple and even colorless varieties.

Basically, sapphire looked at the color wheel and said:

I’ll take one of everything.

Except red.

Because when corundum is red, suddenly everybody gets fancy and calls it a ruby.

Same mineral family. Different name.

We don’t make the rules.

So What Makes a Sapphire Blue?

Tiny amounts of elements—particularly iron and titanium—help give blue sapphires their famous color.

But here’s where it gets good: there isn’t just one sapphire blue.

You’ve got bright blues. Royal blues. Deep, moody blues. Blues that practically glow. Blues that change personality depending on the light.

And this is exactly why Barb would rather show you gemstones than describe them.

Because “blue sapphire” tells you about as much as “blonde woman.”

We need details.

Pretty AND Tough? Now We’re Talking.

Sapphire isn’t some delicate little thing you have to be afraid to wear.

It scores a 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, making sapphire one of the hardest naturally occurring gemstones. Diamond ranks above it on the traditional scale, but sapphire is exceptionally durable.

Which makes it fantastic for jewelry you actually plan to…

you know…

WEAR.

Imagine that.

Around here, we don’t believe fabulous jewelry should spend its life sitting in a box waiting for somebody’s third cousin to get married.

Wear the good stuff.

Tuesday counts as an occasion.

Apparently Sapphires Have Meaning, Too

Throughout history and across cultures, sapphires have been associated with things like wisdom, loyalty, sincerity and nobility.

Lovely.

But we’re also going to add:

“Makes a boring outfit significantly less boring.”

We’re pretty sure history just forgot that one.

And yes, sapphire is the traditional birthstone for September.

So if you’re a September baby, congratulations—you got a REALLY good one.

If you’re not?

Buy the sapphire anyway.

We promise September people don’t own them.

Meet the Fancy Sapphires

Now we get to the fun part.

Sapphires that occur in colors other than traditional blue are often called fancy sapphires.

Pink. Yellow. Green. Purple. Orange.

Some are soft and subtle.

Others apparently woke up and chose LOOK AT ME.

Naturally, we’re fans of both.

This is also why someone can walk into Key West Local Luxe convinced she doesn’t like sapphires and walk out wearing one.

Barb considers this a public service.

“But Where Would I Wear It?”

We hear versions of this question all the time.

Our answer?

Where are you going?

A pair of sapphire earrings with jeans and a white shirt? Gorgeous.

A sapphire ring you wear every single day? Absolutely.

A giant colorful statement piece with a simple black dress? Now we’re getting somewhere.

Sapphire with diamonds? Yep.

Sapphire with gold? Obviously.

Sapphire with sterling? Of course.

Sapphire with turquoise and other shades of blue?

Please do.

The jewelry police remain severely understaffed.

What Should You Look for When Buying Sapphire?

Color is usually what grabs you first, but there’s more to consider: color, cut, clarity, size, setting and craftsmanship all contribute to the beauty and value of a piece.

Treatments are also common in the sapphire market, so knowing what you’re buying matters—especially as you move into more valuable pieces.

Barb can talk rocks all day.

Seriously.

Don’t threaten her with a good time.

But after all the gemology and jewelry talk, we still come back to one very sophisticated scientific test:

Did you put it on and immediately think, “OOOOOH”?

That’s important data.

If you keep looking at your hand…

If you turn your head to see the earrings again in the mirror…

If you take it off, walk away, come back and put it on again…

We have news for you.

You like it.

And Now for the SURPRISE Part…

Sapphire may be September’s birthstone, but Barb has never been particularly good at staying inside the lines.

So we’re starting with sapphires…

and then we’re seeing where this thing goes.

Join Barb Thursday at 6 PM ET for:

SAPPHIRE & SURPRISE

September’s Birthstone Is Only the Beginning.

We’ve got sapphires.

We’ve got new finds.

We’ve got pieces Barb is still unboxing.

We’ve got things that may not even make it onto the website before the show.

And Barb has already mentioned “crazy prices,” which is usually when the rest of us start getting nervous. 😳

Some pieces from this week’s sapphire collection will be available to shop ahead of the LIVE.

But if you want to see everything?

You’re going to have to show up.

Thursday • 6 PM ET

Come for the sapphires.

Stay to see what Barb pulls out next.

We Make Women Happy.

And occasionally encourage questionable jewelry decisions.

We’re okay with both.