Blue Skies – Blue Gems

The advent of spring always brings with it bluer skies and thoughts of lazy days by the sea, our mood is lightened and our wardrobes brighter, bag yourself a blue gemstone to put spring in your step …

Blue is one of the rarest colours in nature and has a rich history, it has long been associated with the sky, divinity and the heavens, making it a popular choice for royalty and wealthy persons throughout history.

As a result, blue gemstones have always been revered, the ancient Egyptians associated gemstones like Lapis and Turquoise with the heavens and believed they brought protection and good luck, they loved it so much they even imitated it with blue faience which was one of the first high tech glazing techniques.

Sapphires have been popular throughout history, the ancient Persians believed that the earth rested on a giant sapphire which gave the sky its blue colour! Throughout the ages they were associated with wealth and power, discovered as early as 800 BC in Sri Lanka, later deposits were discovered in Burma and Kashmir where they continue to be mined today. With modern mining and treatments techniques to improve poorer colour sapphires they have become accessible to most people. 

Aquamarine is another ancient gem, getting its name from Roman fishermen who called the gemstone “water of the sea” and used it as protection, for safe travel by boat, and for luck in catching fish. It’s colour brings forward thoughts of peace and tranquillity.

Blue Topaz is a more modern gemstone, which only really became popularised in the 20^th century when methods of treating other coloured topaz stones to obtain a blue colour became widespread, blue topaz is a popular choice as it is inexpensive compared to sapphire and aquamarine.

As always we have a wonderful selection of blue gemstone set jewellery in our forthcoming auction, they are all great for either casual or formal wear, here are some of my favourite picks, click the photos for more details: