Think you know September’s birthstone? Take our true-or-false quiz and see how much of a master you are. Be sure to let us know how you fared in the comments!

1. 1. Sapphires don’t make very good everyday rings because they are so soft.

   

   • True
   • False

   False: Sapphires belong to the corundum family of minerals, which are among the strongest natural gemstones. They rank second only to diamonds in hardness, a 9 on the Mohs’ scale.

   See more sapphire rings from Omi Privé

2. 2. Sapphires come in a variety of colors, including pink, yellow, orange, and red.

   

   • True
   • False

   False: While sapphires do come in almost every color of the rainbow, the red form of corundum would be labeled a ruby.

   Details on these earrings by Cordova

3. 3. Kate Upton currently sports what is arguably the most famous sapphire jewel to date.

   

   • True
   • False

   False: It’s Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton who wears the 18 ct. sapphire, which formerly belonged to Princess Diana, her husband’s mother.

   Sapphire ring by Oscar Heyman

4. 4. The sapphire is not only the birthstone for September, but it is also the designated gem for the 45th wedding anniversary.

   

   • True
   • False

   True: It’s also the gem of the five-year wedding anniversary!

   More on this pendant by Omi Privé

5. 5. Asterism refers to the phenomenon of the star shape that appears on some sapphires.

   

   • True
   • False

   True: Star sapphires are very rare, especially ones that easily show the star symbol. Famous for being one of the largest is the Star of Asia, a 330 ct. star sapphire.

   Bracelet designed by Oscar Heyman

6. 6. The name padparadscha, the orangy-pink version of the sapphire, means sunset in Sinhalese.

   

   • True
   • False

   False: Padparadscha is, in fact, Sinhalese, but it means lotus flower. The stones from Sri Lanka, where the country’s people have affection for its color, were initially labeled with this name.

   See this and more padparadscha from Omi Privé

7. 7. Sapphire has long been thought to be a stone of protection.

   

   • True
   • False

   True: From ancient times through the Middle Ages, folks wore the stone to protect them from enemy and harm, and the clergy was said to have worn blue sapphires to symbolize Heaven.

   Evil eye pendant by KC Designs

8. 8. Color-change sapphires are fabled, and their existence comes only from man-made stones.

   

   • True
   • False

   False: Although they don’t physically change hues, color-change sapphires appear to differ under varied lighting, adding a whole other dimension to the already-colorful gemstone.

   Color-change ring by Omi Privé

Like this quiz? Test your gemstone knowledge with our other quizzes below!

• Think You Know Pearl? Take Our Quiz!
  
• How Well Do You Know Emerald? Take Our Quiz!
  

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Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor