Sapphire is the most precious and valuable blue gemstone. The name sapphire is derived from the Latin word ““saphirus” and the Greek word “sapheiros,” both meaning blue. Some believe that the name sapphire is derived from its association with the planet Saturn. The name can roughly be translated to mean “dear to the planet Saturn” in many different languages. Besides blue sapphire and ruby, the corundum family also includes fancy colored sapphires. They come in violet, green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, and intermediate hues. Some stones exhibit the phenomenon known as color change, most often going from blue in daylight or fluorescent lighting to purple under incandescent light. Sapphires can even be gray, black, or brown. They are a very desirable gemstone due to their excellent color, hardness, durability, and luster. Sapphire is a tough and durable gemstone measuring at 9 on the Mohs hardness scale. Diamond is the only natural gemstone harder than a sapphire. Kings wore sapphires around their necks as a powerful defense from harm. The sapphire is the birthstone for the month of September and the gemstone to celebrate 5th, 10th and 45th wedding anniversaries.