In Roman times, the word sapphire meant lapis lazuli, while green sapphires where emeralds , blue sapphires were hyacinths and purple sapphires were amethysts . In the past, kings wore sapphires for protection from harm and evil. In the Middle Ages, blue sapphire was favored for ecclesiastical rings because it s color symbolized heaven. And magicians valued it because it let them understand prophecies and command spirits. It was also used as a medicine for eye diseases and plague, and as an antidote for poison.
Many connoisseurs say the most beautiful blue sapphires came from Kashmir, India.
The most important current sources are Australia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. A beautiful light blue sapphire is found in Montana. The transparent, violetish purple-blue variety of zoisite called tanzanite is a relative newcomer to the gem market. According to one report, tanzanite was discovered in 1962 by a Polish immigrant who was living in a town in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro which is known as Tanzania. The new gem reached the U.S. market in 1970, and GIA was the first to identify the material.