THE SAPPHIRE
S
APPHIRE, the stone
of April, is the symbol of constancy, truth, and virtue. Like the ruby,
it is corundum, and the name " sapphire " is generally applied to
corundum of any colour excepting the red. More specifically, the name
is applied to blue specimens, the desired tints being r.oyal blue,
velvet blue, and cornflower blue. A characteristic of this variety of
corundum is, that occasionally its colour effect by artificial light
differs from that manifested in natural light, being generally less
brilliant. Dealers call the blue corundums " Oriental sapphires." It
is one of the most ancient of stones and its names differ but slightly
in the ancient languages, Chaldean, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, from
which the English word is derived. Stones of darker colour are
frequently termed male and those of lighter shades female.
Higher specific gravity and a greater degree 91
